The Inside Assyria Discussion Forum #5

=> A rare breath of fresh air in the Chaldean News...

A rare breath of fresh air in the Chaldean News...
Posted by Jeffrey (Guest) - Tuesday, January 20 2009, 4:09:29 (CET)
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...which is usually filled with the stench of stale, putrid air.

Of course, the wonderful piece of writing was a letter to the editor. I couldn't have said it better myself. Three cheers to Omar Hakim.

"Embrace Diversity"
your LETTERS
Chaldean News, January 2009

"It is utterly disheartening and disconcerting to observe several negative, hostile reactions to the full-page ad of Barack Obama in The Chaldean News [Letters to the Editor, December 2008]. First and foremost, I must point out that we are not living in a theocratic nation; a crucial separation exists between church and state. This country is not a place to promote religious propaganda. I am honored and take pride in the fact that our country is cultivated by so many beliefs, religions, and creeds. And it is outright dangerous to not appreciate and recognize the value of diversity: diversity, a concept that stands at the forefront of the formidable strength of this nation.

Once people become so narcissistic, so narrow minded to rebuff any other belief but their own, catastrophic consequences occur. Has this not been proven in history time and time again? The Nazis and Islamic fundamentalists are just a few groups that arise to my mind when I think of such shallow, one-sided, skewed views of the world that lead to the persecution and torture of groups considered an "outcast" as deemed appropriate by extremist monsters, monsters who attempt to ostracize people and eradicate them simply because of their personal religious beliefs. I do, however, have faith in the human race as history has also fervently proven: the monster is always defeated despite the destruction they attempt to create. Let the hubris of the intolerant monsters serve as a caveat for the type of thinking that forbids, belittles, or protests any expression or thought outside of the realm of very personal, individual beliefs.

I want to be clear that this is not an attack against Catholicism or any other religion for that matter. Rather, it is to reveal the error in utilizing religious beliefs to minimize or diminish opposing views. You are free to believe what you want; this does not mean you have the right to condemn those who do not agree with your moral maxims. I refute the idea that as Catholic Chaldeans we are expected to "vote with a Catholic conscience." Absolutely not. We have a moral and civil duty to vote in the manner we believe this country will progress educationally, economically, environmentally and globally with appreciation and tolerance for the diverse social climate that depicts this country.

It is not our prerogative to place religious expectations on voters, coercing people to vote for the candidate who most closely divulges the "word of God" as we deem it to be. Let the word of God prevail in your home and personal life, let it radiate and guide you to be a more loving, compassionate individual, one who is all encompassing and accepting, one who sheds light upon the world, not anger and hostility because people choose to vote for a candidate with whom you disagree."

~ Omar Hakim
Troy, MI



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