Lesson from History
Mohiuddin Waseem, M.D., Fairgate Dr, Midland

A fresh wave of violence has resulted in the death of 80 Palestinians and caused injuries to 1,800 civilians. The violence started with the visit of Ariel Sharon, a right wing Israeli leader, to the holy mosque in Jerusalem. It reminds me of a similar incident when Pompey, a Roman General who conquered Jerusalem in the year 60 B.C., marched into the Holy of Holies of Solomon’s Temple with disrespect. Historians tell us that his visit served as a decisive step to cause polarization between Jewish and Roman communities for years to come and led to multiple armed confrontations between the two. As a student of Judo-Christian literature, I appreciate and understand the long history of struggle and suffering of these two religions under Roman occupation. People who have suffered such brutality should be the last one to perform such an act when they come to power. In my opinion the solution to the current conflict lies in tolerating the views of one another and respecting the holy sites of all three religions - Islam, Christianity and Judaism. It is time that the peace-loving world stepped in and restrained Israel from committing further atrocities against innocent, unarmed Palestinians.