The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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Dear Rania & List, So sorry not to have responded sooner, to meet the deadline for the pro-war journo. You must have had a harrowing, draining time, almost as if against a brick wall. Don't we all feel like that, at times? We ask ourselves what we are doing, and is it really worth it. But to give up the ghost, to be part of an unthinking silent majority would, surely, be to collude with those powerful & undermining, destructive forces, which - for well-considered reasons - we oppose, and not just during this war. I note, Rania, that you are Director of the Southern Peace Research & Education Center of North Carolina. It's encouraging to see that a representative of, no doubt, a very worthy learning institute, isn't too proud to share some honest, serious queries, on this List. The views you offered were regarded as little more than hogwash. Dare I say it, maybe you were casting pearls to swine, metaphorically speaking. Who knows, though, maybe one day, even in years to come, this pompous columnist might percieve some glimmerings of the truths that had evaded him throughout his life. Maybe only when on his deathbed that he'll begin to comprehend the futility of his previous existence. Am I being too harsh here? Oh, by the way, Rania, did you ever read this fellow's article? Even if you feel you'd have better things to do.- Wouldn't the world be dull if everyone agreed with each other, all the time? However, life has a strange habit of pelting us with challenges! Greetings, Bert Gedin, Birmingham, UK. >From: "Rania Masri" <rania@nc.rr.com> >To: <casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk> >Subject: [casi] a request >Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2003 11:23:49 -0500 > > >[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] > >Dear friends, > > > >Yesterday morning, I had the (misfortune) of being cornered for an hour >with >a pro-war columnist in the local, main newspaper in Raleigh/Durham (North >Carolina). He kept presenting the war in a black and white fashion: either >you support the “liberation” of Iraq from Saddam Hussein and thus support >this war, or you are callous towards the suffering of the Iraqis under the >dictatorship and you oppose the war. All efforts I made to explain to him >that this was *not* a war of “liberation” fell on deaf ears. He was only >interested in: how would you work to “get ride of him”. So, I told him >first to lift the tools of oppression imposed by the US on the people of >Iraq (i.e. the sanctions, the constant bombardment), and then work to >empower the people themselves by using life-affirming policies and not >life-destroying policies. He regarded this all as little more than >hogwash. >When I told him that there have been numerous grassroots uprising against >dictatorships, he said, basically, ‘bull.’ > > > >I would love your advice. What information should I send his way? (His >article will run Wednesday, so if any information will be sent, it needs to >be sent today or early tomorrow). > > > >Emotionally exhausted, > >-Rania > > > > > >We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes. > >- Ella Baker > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >---- > >Rañia Masri, Ph.D. > >Director, Southern Peace Research and Education Center > >Institute for Southern Studies > >http://www.southernstudies.org <http://www.southernstudies.org/> > >2009 Chapel Hill Rd. > >Durham, North Carolina 27707 > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. >To unsubscribe, visit >http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss >To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk >All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk _________________________________________________________________ Use MSN Messenger to send music and pics to your friends http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk