My good friend's brother in law, who was kidnapped almost a month ago, was released a couple of days ago for a $60,000 ransom. I'm so happy for his 20 year old wife, and his two young daughters (three years old and three months old). After two weeks of not hearing anything of him, we expected that he was going to become another statistic, but alhamdulillah, that was not the case.
Now, his family has to search around for a way to pay back the whopping $60,000 ransom that they borrowed from various friends and relatives to save their son's life. As with so many Iraqis in their shoes, there's a sense of complete relief at having him home alive, and a feeling of being so burdened by this sum of money, which if they worked all their lives, they might still not be able to pay it off.
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I can't even imagine how many people they had to ask money from, where do the kidnappers think that people can pull the money from...thin air?
There is Justice.
I am thinking about the tiny amount I set aside from my lunch money to donate to a charity for children here in Japan. And how long would it take me to pay back $60,000.00? Or if it were an additional car loan, how long would I have to make sizable payments, in addition to all the other bills??? It is very very unfair. And Like I said, I believe in God's justice. "It will come some day,,,," As I type these words I remember a Black American spiritual/gospel song, It will come some day" The reference was to God's justice aginst the bigoted, the racist, and the unconcerned white community I was part of growing up in the South USA. I heard that song on the TV news during Dr. Martin Luther King's march. It sent chills up my spine.
I live here, in a kind of "Disney country" similar to the way we used to talk about Los Angeles as "LA-LA Land" a fantasy world. OF course there are problems here, but not like in Iraq. OF course there are people suffering here, but not like in Iraq. Then again I remember those TV news scenes of the Negroes in America? I remember my family commenting, "Who do they think they are?" Now I know, they are our brothers.
Who do these people, of Fatima's kin, think they are? We must learn the same lesson all over again, "They are our brothers."
Thank you for your posting. I will be thinking of these people as I prepare for tomorrow's class.
Regards from Japan
Hello Edoriver,
You are right, there is divine justice. If not in this world, then in the next, and these people will surely get a taste of their own medicine. It's been a long time since we've heard from you; thanks for your ever-interesting comments.
Dear Fatima,
That you haven't received many comments of late does not mean that you go unread, at least not by me. I fear with you, I cry with you, and I share your joy.
Sixty thousand dollars is no small sum. Perhaps some of your readers would be willing to contribute to a fund to help that family repay what they borrowed. For my part, I would be pleased to contribute $100 provide the family is willing to accept the money from an American of Jewish heritage if not belief.
Please let me know.
Wow Joel, that's very kind of you. Let me mention it to my husband in Baghdad, and see if its a doable project.
Hey Joel,
Us non-haters of Jews would like to thank you for such a splendid idea;)
تبرىء الكلمات في القلوب
ثم همس الرب في قلوبنا...
الكلمات تصل حيث لا يقدر السلاح
سألنا حكيم قريتنا، كيف ينزل الدفء
على النفوس والشيطان
قد ألقى بسمومه المفضلة
خوفاً ويأساً وكراهية
على القلوب البريئة
كما الرماد من محرقة السعادة
كيف تنام عيون الايمان
وسرير الأمل
تفترشه ملاءة القنوط الشاحب
وعيون الحنث الفاسدة
تنتهك حرمة الكلمات المقدسة
وتسعد باغتيال هدايا السماء
وسألنا :كيف يبتسم الخير
ويصفع الكره الفضيلة من وجه الخجل
و أتباعه يشوهون ويحرفون فى نفوس ضحاياهم
حتى يصل الاعتقاد
بأن الإثم فضيلة والقتل عدالة والكره هو الحب
تحدث الحكيم
بصوته الخفيض وقال
أن للشيطان أتباع
يغتسلون في أنهار النبيذ في حادي*
وبعشق السخرية الفارغ
يحصدون نفوساً مغشوشة جنيت بمنجل الانتحار
مستحيل أن يكون الطريق إلى الفردوس مرصوفاً
بجثث الأبرياء - عبر نهرٍ من الدم
اعتنقوا مد الحق وجزره الرائع في قلوبكم
تقبّلوا الشك والعار أينما كانوا
لكي تدركوا أن النفس تسعد بالعطف وليس بالانتقام
سطع صوته كالضوء وقال:
ابحثوا بشجاعة في أعماق قلوبكم
بلا نفاق ولا خداع ولا إجحاف
وحين تلمسوا الايمان هناك
ستنزل الكلمات الالهيه دواءً للقلوب
مثل مطر أبدي يجذبه البحر دائماً
حتى يرتفع ليملأ حرم النفوس
بودٍ عميق هادىء ويغدو سلاماً
على شواطىء العزم الالهي.
[أرض الموتى في الأساطير الاغريقية*
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