Petty differences

It all comes down to petty differences. Yes, very petty ones. Thats what causing the war in Gaza. It all started in 1967, and 42 years down the road, the petty differences have escalated into a pretty big problem on which pure stupidity is at the core of everything.

I read an article in Malaysia's second largest English newspaper News Straits Times where the author conveniently says that Israel has to take the blame for whats happening. They are brutal for attacking Gaza, they are brutal for charging a blockade against Gaza, and above all, Hamas has the right to be originally angry at Israel for entering the Arab Nations territory and forming a Jewish State. He stated- 'won't you be angry if someone just invaded your home?'. Pretty convenient to just blame Israel and justify everything Hamas does.

Lets get the facts straight here. Looking deep into history, Jewsih people have existed in that part of Arab for long periods, and when there are so many Muslim countries, Hindu countries, and Christian countries, it comes as a little surprise that the Jews wanted a country for themselves. So Israel came to happen.

My question is- isn't religious intolerance a part of all this?

If only the Arab nations would just accept Israel and be friends with them, all this wouldn't have arised, right? This is my question- if somebody just simply entered your house, but later you learn that the person has no house at all and you yourself have excessive space left in your house which is hardly used, what harm is it there to be done by raising your hand to another human? Arab Nations can be angry, true, but they should have settled in once Israel earned their indipendence. But they didn't.

Now lets come to Hamas. Israel's blockade of Gaza is heavily understandable. Hamas is a country that has sworn to destroy Israel. Do you think if Israel had given Hamas all the export/import freedom, Hamas would sit quiet when they can access huge weapons to launch an assault on Israel? Your neighbor has taken a public oath to kill you at the very given opportunity, so will you give him the freedom to have a peek to your compound or even the freedom to access to weapons which he will use to destroy your house? Will you? What Israel did was little more than being self-defensive.

The ceasefire agreement ended just days before Israel's attacks started, and thinking of it on a political pane, I think even commoners would know deep inside that for a side that kept firing rockets into Israel even during ceasefire, it will be only be a matter of time before they attacks Israel in someway since the truce has ended. Israel responded with an animalistic instinct, attack first before being attacked.

Its also easy to chastise Israel for killing so many civilians, but the argument doesnt hold any water when we all know there is a political reason why Hamas and Israel do not allow journalists to cover whats happening in Gaza. Firstly, the Israeli authorities are constantly providing detailed descriptions of why and what is happening there, while Hamas does nothing more than giving very general statements. Hamas have simply threatened to kill anyone who takes a photo while they are attacking, and this basically means that both sides are desperate to make themselves look like victims rather than the agressors. Stuck in the middle are the civilians. Hamas is more intent on raging war with Israel rather than trying to protect people of their kind. Israel fired misslies to destroy an UN school, from which Hamas fighters allegedly took a hiding and even fired to Israeli troops from within.

Blame Israel for reacting like animals just because the shot was fired at them, but also blame Hamas for taking little or no consideration at all for their own civilians and instead placing their military operations in the middle of the civilian state. Why? So they could look like victims. Its like lining civilians as a cover for their own motives and allowing civilians to die, so that they could later turn around and say- 'Hey, look, Israel are so cruel.'. The result? More Hamas members will culminate from the people who are left alone or lost loved ones due to the attacks. Israel gathers more haters, Hamas gathers more members. Wonderful pyschology, but its also pathetic that the people never realize this and allow petty religious differences blur their judgement.

Israel is just plain stupid for doing this, they are spoiling for their reputation and resources. And Hamas knows, no matter how many of their members Israel kill, they could use this war as a discrimination propaganda to gather more members. And then they will justify firing rockets into Israel, and will continue to do so.

All this will end in a snap if Hamas would just behave like an organization who democratically administrate the state of Gaza rather than like militants. They have responsibility now, and the main thing they should exercise now is by dropping their mission statement of 'destroying' Israel and rather turn it as 'prospering' Gaza. When that happens, Israel will feel far secure of their safety, and as a result, they will start taking out the blockades on Gaza and both neighbors can live amicably at least for coming times.

At least until another petty religious difference starts another conflict.

Religion is a path to God, so why are we so busy fighting each other under the context of religion rather than fulfilling our main goal in our religions- which is, to reach God? If all of our religions hold for us a similar destinations, why do we kill each other to prove your path is stronger or my path is stronger? Everybody has their own paths, and why don't we just live it that way?

If religion is supposed to make us angels and a son of the God, why are we comitting devilish things under the very context of religion?

Above all, is religion a holy drink or a poison?

Think about it.