First of all, I'd like to make it clear, so that my idea is not over shadowed by my inexperience with international relationships, yes I am a typical white American, living comfortably geographically and culturally separated from all the horrors of the war and hatred in the middle east. However I am involved in this conflict, as every other person on this planet is involved, others just like me are killing each other in futile wars which provide no benefits to those who fight.
My suggestion starts with the religious fundamentalists, these are the people who possess the greatest passion of all, and actually have a great potential to do good in this world. Any person willing to end their life for something they believe is good is not a fool, or a lunatic, but a person with the deepest faith, trusting that at the end of their life they will find meaning. However I in no way support the killing of other people, and that may be something which at first may seem like an insult to the fundamentalists, but it is in no way a biased point of view, human life is undeniably precious, no matter what religion one holds, and it should not be wasted. The suggestion I have, if only it could be heard, is that even those people who devoutly hate their opposition based on the belief that those they hate are also hated by god, and it is god's will to eliminate those people, should leave the punishment of so called "infidels" to God. These people no doubt believe that Allah, God, whatever the name may be, is the supreme ruler of everything, and has limitless power. If their enemies are as equally faithful to their beliefs as those who believe their cause to be just what good does killing gain? The enemy believes their deaths will be rewarded and so too does the other side. If one must hate, or look down on another people, what good is it to act on that hatred? The most powerful thing a person can do to another is kill them, but if there is a god and an after life killing does nothing. Instead if God is truly offended, or whomever, let him, her, or it act, for god's wrath, as a supreme being, would be far more effective, and pleasing to God anyway.
Lets get one thing straight, I in no way condone hating, disrespecting, or harming another person, or living being, but if people can not accept that such actions are just, then any other manner should be implored to convince others not to do harm. If that means allowing others to hate, but on the condition that they allow their god to judge and punish those who are not obedient or faithful, so that people may move toward global peace than so be it. The biggest obstacle in the way of peace is not the differences between cultures, but the simple idea that peace is impossible. We believe we can't do it so we stop trying before we even begin. We are not willing to give up the bad habits, and futile desires that take us no where. Philosophers have argued that people are just naturally war like, and so peace is impossible, how then do nation's exist in the first place though? People can be unified, and can live peacefully among each other. War is proof of that, instead of every man fighting wildly against every other man, an army works together for a common goal, thus peace exists between the ranks of each opposing army, a war is more like two larger bodies fighting against each other. In our modern world there is no longer a need to fight on such large scales, we have the means and intelligence to share resources, land, and whatever else older wars were fought for, so fighting does us no good, it only maintains unequal distribution, since to the victor goes the spoils. Instead what we truly lack is something to unify every person on this planet. Just as an army is unified to oppose its enemy, every person has the capacity to work, coexist, and benefit from existing and cooperating with every other person.
Ultimately, if we could put gender, race, religion, and whatever else we differentiate and discriminate against each other for behind us, not forgetting them all together, because there is good in knowing one's qualities, what one believes, and what not, but abandon the parts of those things that cause us to hate, peace would be easy, and attainable. Peace can not be attained through violence, there will be no war to end all wars, peace will come from seeing one's self in others, finding that we are not very different at all.
My deepest hope is that people will embrace my idea, and add their own ideas to help make peace more possible. I can not say this IS THE WAY, because nothing good comes from forcing one's ideas on others, thats why hatred is so prevalent in this world to begin with. Instead I hope that I can get the ball rolling so that peace and the unity of humanity becomes such a good idea it would just be foolish not to embrace
it.
