Friday, March 24, 2006

Good news and bad news...

This week's good news:

ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna), the Basque separatist paramilitary group, announced a "permanent ceasefire" with the government of Spain. ETA has been responsible for more than 800 deaths in its forty-year campaign for Basque independence, including over 300 civilians. If the ceasefire holds, this represents a great opportunity for the Basque people and Spanish democracy.

This week's bad news:

An Afghan judge refused to bow to international pressure in the case of Abdul Rahman, who converted to Christianity and who is charged with apostasy, a capital offense under Afghanistan's Islamic sharia law. Despite democratic reforms pushed by Western powers in the wake of the demise of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan's political system retains many of the hallmarks of Islamic fundamentalism.

I hold my face in my two hands.
No, I am not crying.
I hold my face in my two hands
to keep the loneliness warm:
two hands protecting,
two hands nourishing,
two hands preventing my soul
from leaving me in anger!
Today I will try to cultivate peace within myself, and help others cultivate peace within themselves. Today I will try to cultivate peace in the world.

1 comment:

Guatyen said...

hi,
well said. the world needs lots of commpasion and love... may peace be upon you and the world. :)