Vision of Hope Blog tagged 'extremists'

The Soldier and The Terrorist: A Conversation

Nissim Dahan

Most of us know, deep in our gut, that terrorism-the use of force against innocent civilians for the sake of political advantage-is wrong. But proving that is often more difficult than it first seems. The following hypothetical conversation is a case in point.

Soldier: I can't believe you guys; strapping on suicide bombs and blowing up innocent civilians. Have you no shame, no sense of decency?

Terrorist: I can't believe you guys; st [...]

Don't Laugh: Can Saudi Arabia become the "Mecca" of Green?

Nissim Dahan

Even the title sounds a bit out there. What, the Middle East, the world's largest producer of oil, becoming a center for green technology, and renewable energy? Sounds crazy, doesn't it? And yet, the sheer incongruity of it all may just be enough to make it work. In a world of increasing uncertainty, sometimes it is the unexpected that is to be expected.

Look at the world, and what do you see? A lot of good things, that's for sure. Beauty surrounds us wherever we choo [...]

Talking To Our Enemies: Why Even Bother?

Nissim Dahan

President Bush's recent trip to Jerusalem hinted at what will surely become a contentious issue in the upcoming presidential election. In addressing the Israeli Knesset, the president said something to the effect that talking to Iran's leaders was tantamount to "appeasement," which history has proven to be a failed policy. In fact, the Bush administration has been repeatedly criticized for refusing to negotiate with certain, specifically selected enemies, like Iran and Syria. < [...]

Is Gaza More Than Gaza?

Nissim Dahan

The Middle East is a symbolic place. One thing means another thing, and nothing is quite as it seems. The recent fighting in Gaza can be explained on its face, but it too could be symbolic of a much wider struggle.

Why did Israel decide to respond, as she did, at this particular time? Let's look for the simple answer first. Since Hamas took over the Gaza strip in mid-June, over 800 rockets and over 900 mortar bombs have been fired at Israeli towns like Sderot. A number of inj [...]

The Extremists May Have A Point, But Miss It As Well

Nissim Dahan

Is there any validity to some of the claims being made by the ideological extremists in the Middle East? The answer is probably yes. If they look to the past, they can point to the Crusades, and more recently to the injustices wrought by colonialism. If they look to the present, they can point to the accelerated spread of Western culture and influence, and to the reality of Western economic and military power, as posing a threat to their religious beliefs, and their way of life. If they look to [...]

Why Would Anyone Strap On A Suicide Bomb?

Nissim Dahan

It is exceedingly difficult for some of us in the West to fathom how a young man or woman could become convinced to blow themselves up in the name of a cause they believe in. Our Western minds have a hard time making sense of the phenomenon of suicide bombers. And yet, we may well have to probe the minds of these fellow travelers, and understand how they think, in order to figure out how to best deal with them, and how to counter the threat they pose.

Some of us naturally a [...]

Can Education Stop Terrorism?

Nissim Dahan

My brother and I were talking the other day and he was wondering how it could be that medical doctors in England could have been part of a terror cell. Doesn’t terrorism, at the very least, violate the [[Hippocratic Oath]]? You would think so, wouldn’t you?

My response was that many of us naturally assume that an educated person, particularly a physician, would be less vulnerable to ideological extremism. But that, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to be the cas [...]