Look at our similarities [Archives:2003/07/Focus]

ROY YEREX, USA
[email protected]
My father taught me that one should always listen to a person carefully and without pre-judgment.
A mentor once told me “Roy, everyone has a story to tell and they have every right to be heard.”
With that as a background, I started reading the Yemen Times. I had a picture in my mind of Yemen and its attitudes.
How wrong I was.
When I read the Yemen Times, “How much like our own newspapers.” I thought. Complaints about government policy; youth in extreme acts; discussions about politics; discussions about social ills and government efforts to deal with them. How similar Yemen’s society is to our own, I concluded.
There are deep differences, as well. I note a much deeper involvement of religion in government. But, instead of a negative influence, I noted many positive influences. And I learned what I have always maintained is true: Islam is a religion of tolerance and respect. I had been maintaining that was the case, even out of ignorance of the religion. I knew it had to be true – why else would so many people adhere to the religion. If I am not showing respect in some way, please excuse my ignorance. I mean no respect – I mean every respect.
You should know that the opposition to violence in the Middle East; be it against Iraq, Afghanistan or any other country – is the subject of widely differing opinions in Canada – my country. It is also the subject of widely differing opinions in the United States. Many are extremely opposed – as a matter of fact, if the U.N. does not approve, our Prime Minister reflects the majority of the people in Canada – we should not be doing violence against Iraq. Disarm, because of fearful suspicion of Saddam Hussein, yes. But, by force of arms? No.
If, at any time, Yemenis feel they differ from our side of the world in their opinions, I invite you to use your computers and read our newspapers. Be ready, when you read our newspapers, for a culture shock! You are similar in every regard excepting the conjoiner of religion and state. We, in the west, have had such horrors when the two joined, that we prohibit any religion in government of any kind. Our religion is in our churches, mosques, synagogues and temples. The decency our people receive there, spills out into society. It restrains government – keeps it within bounds.
We, in the west, have strong opinions on all matters and our political parties span the spectrum. We have managed to reduce the vehemence of our support of whatever party we support, to the point where there is, essentially no violence in our domestic politics. Even banging a table while making a point is frowned upon and likely to get the speaker less attention, rather than more. Canada’s army is proud to be a peacekeeping army that, in most part, trains to assist in countries torn by war but wracked with a desire to attain peace.
Now, if we can just get all the countries in the west to rid violence from international affairs, we will have attained our goal as a society.
It seems the people of the world yearn for the same goal. Let’s put our shoulder to the political cartwheel and keep shoving our governments that way.
Let’s hope both Yemen and we, attain our goal – peace. The sooner the better, as my father used to say when I said it was time to get my duties performed in the home. The sooner the better.

——
[archive-e:07-v:2003-y:2003-d:2003-02-17-p:./2003/iss07/focus.htm]