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Opinion

Religion not to blame for dispute

Robyn Morrow
Opinion Columnist 

What do drunken Mel Gibson and Naveed Afzal Haq have in common? They both blame Jews for global conflicts.

Gibson spouted off anti-Semitic propaganda at southern California police officers and 31-year-old Haq attacked a Jewish center in Seattle on Friday, killing one woman and wounding five others, all in the name of what he considers °°justice.°±

Å6£8Å6£8Police arrested the cowardly Haq after he entered the foyer of a Jewish charity holding a helpless 13-year-old girl as his hostage. He then opened fire on his defenseless victims in an attempt to °°punish°± Jews for many of the world°Øs troubles, CBSNews.com reported. Haq, a Muslim man of Pakistani descent, is reported to have said he was angry about Israeli air strikes in Lebanon.

Gibson, an irate drunk, seems unhappy with Jews in general claiming, °°The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,°± during a DUI stop Friday on the Pacific Coast Highway, CNN.com reported. Gibson apologized for his behavior and said he °°said things I do not believe to be true and which are despicable.°± With a blood-alcohol level of .12, it°Øs absurd Gibson would be so belligerent as to make comments he truly didn°Øt agree with. While these two actions are unrelated, these men are spreading untruths about the Jewish religion.

While Americans such as Haq are free to express opinions about the conflict in the Middle East, we need not resort to violence to articulate dissatisfaction nor should we lay blame on a whole religion. 

For example, Muslim extremists perpetrated 9/11, and while many may condemn Islam, each adherent of this religion should not be held accountable for this tragedy. It°Øs as ludicrous to say all Muslims are inhumane murderers as it is foolish to blame Jews for the current conflict in the Middle East.

Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said Haq felt displeased with U.S. involvement in Iraq and the U.S. backing of Israel. Rather than express his discontent in a constructive manner, Haq hypocritically killed innocents in defense of other innocents dying in a conflict he opposes.

°°These are Jews, and I°Øm tired of getting pushed around by the situation in the Middle East,°± Haq told an emergency services dispatcher.

Rather than adhere to this idiotic notion, we should learn from Haq°Øs misinformation and educate ourselves on the history of current and former Middle Eastern battles. 

But now, rather than focus on more pertinent issues, like attempting to discover a solution to achieve peace, the media will avert attention to a new religious war Haq has potentially promoted.

Out of fear of retaliation for Haq°Øs rampage, police offered more protection for temples and mosques in Seattle, Kerlikowske said. 

To prevent such measures, Robert Jacobs, Pacific Northwest regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, said his group advised Jews °°not to congregate in one location that might be an obvious site.°± 

We should not have to fear for our lives when we step out the door, nor should a religion be blamed for an entire war.

Morrow, opinion editor for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at dccampus@mail.uh.edu