Everyone in the world should be praying for a peace and harmony, and a better life when the new year of 2009 was approaching. At least, that was my assumption, although deep down I knew that such wish was a bit too hopeful.
True enough, the World was informed about the military aggression in Gaza just not long after Christmas 2008.
For years I am aware about the crisis between the Israel and Palestinian, but always faintly. I faintly remember when I first came to be aware of the crisis there. I was still in Pre-U if I am not mistaken and now I am closing to 40 years old in a 2+ years time; and the conflict there still persist, after decades. It is only now I take a greater interest and wish to have a deeper understanding about these lands in crisis.
As a person who was takes no great interest in the past, my perception about the Middle East and its people was generalised and plain simple. To me, those countries and people were not fond of peace. Violence, hatred and revenge are deep embedded in each person’s body and soul there. Most probably, such dark forces even extended into their afterlives.
Being a birth place to 3 major religions in the world, I would expect the land there to be a land of peace and tolerance. A Holy land is not supposed to be a land of forever crisis. This has long set my doubts to all faiths and religions; and I am still not very religious until these days.
I admitted that my past perception and generalisation about the Middle East is now considered to be one sided, as the mainstream foreign media which I was exposed to was predominantly the CNN. I realized now how CNN has failed in making media reporting fairly and freely; and the picture that they have painted and still showing to the rest of the world was not all rounded but skewed.
The coming up of Al- Jazeera into the world media network had provided viewers a different perspectives about Middle East and news about Middle East is becoming more well balance.
I have started my quest to understand Middle East in greater length, along with my on-going journey to becoming a more political & socially aware citizen of my country – Malaysia. I hope more countries, like those in the Africa would be added to my list.
Why I take more interest to Middle East? Perhaps it was prompted by the incidence after Christmas, or it could be just random. Perhaps I am living in a country which Islam is the national religion and people are defined as Majority Muslim and Minority Non-Muslims; and I hope to learn and see how faith and people in total conflict and intolerance to others can put a nation and people into.
With my purest intention, I hope Malaysians will learn the mistake of others, as well as ours, both current and past mistakes, so to prevent a nation falling into jeopardy, destruction, starvation and hopelessness.
Like the Chinese believes, building a business empire is tough, sustaining it is tougher but making it fall is so damn easy! The same applies to a nation.
Wake up! Instead of focusing energy to bring down other races so to upholding one race's ego and supremacy; why not focusing the energy to greater common good like helping the real "needies" and the unfortunates, regardless of colors, faith, gender and sexuality.
True enough, the World was informed about the military aggression in Gaza just not long after Christmas 2008.
For years I am aware about the crisis between the Israel and Palestinian, but always faintly. I faintly remember when I first came to be aware of the crisis there. I was still in Pre-U if I am not mistaken and now I am closing to 40 years old in a 2+ years time; and the conflict there still persist, after decades. It is only now I take a greater interest and wish to have a deeper understanding about these lands in crisis.
As a person who was takes no great interest in the past, my perception about the Middle East and its people was generalised and plain simple. To me, those countries and people were not fond of peace. Violence, hatred and revenge are deep embedded in each person’s body and soul there. Most probably, such dark forces even extended into their afterlives.
Being a birth place to 3 major religions in the world, I would expect the land there to be a land of peace and tolerance. A Holy land is not supposed to be a land of forever crisis. This has long set my doubts to all faiths and religions; and I am still not very religious until these days.
I admitted that my past perception and generalisation about the Middle East is now considered to be one sided, as the mainstream foreign media which I was exposed to was predominantly the CNN. I realized now how CNN has failed in making media reporting fairly and freely; and the picture that they have painted and still showing to the rest of the world was not all rounded but skewed.
The coming up of Al- Jazeera into the world media network had provided viewers a different perspectives about Middle East and news about Middle East is becoming more well balance.
I have started my quest to understand Middle East in greater length, along with my on-going journey to becoming a more political & socially aware citizen of my country – Malaysia. I hope more countries, like those in the Africa would be added to my list.
Why I take more interest to Middle East? Perhaps it was prompted by the incidence after Christmas, or it could be just random. Perhaps I am living in a country which Islam is the national religion and people are defined as Majority Muslim and Minority Non-Muslims; and I hope to learn and see how faith and people in total conflict and intolerance to others can put a nation and people into.
With my purest intention, I hope Malaysians will learn the mistake of others, as well as ours, both current and past mistakes, so to prevent a nation falling into jeopardy, destruction, starvation and hopelessness.
Like the Chinese believes, building a business empire is tough, sustaining it is tougher but making it fall is so damn easy! The same applies to a nation.
Wake up! Instead of focusing energy to bring down other races so to upholding one race's ego and supremacy; why not focusing the energy to greater common good like helping the real "needies" and the unfortunates, regardless of colors, faith, gender and sexuality.
