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"Bringing Worldwide Social Issues to Rollins"

November 28, 2006

We recently had an incident on campus regarding hate speech and freedom issues when swastikas were drawn and hateful letters written to several students of Jewish origin on campus. This took place in a dorm and was met with instant reactions from students and faculty alike.

I was able to sit in on a meeting today of faculty, students, and off-campus affiliates who met to discuss the issue and plan various activities in relation to it. Much of what was discussed was the desire of all parties to create unity on campus between all people regardless of beliefs, race, preference, etc. Among ideas given were plans for a peace rally, a campaign of flyers and buttons, and a continuing effort at a Rollins Unity Project.

After months of conflict worldwide, and a growing sense of tension about all issues political and religious, I fancy it was inevitable that the issues would be brought to Rollins in a very real way. Though these events were negative in nature, it’s amazing how positive the response has been, as everyone rallies to celebrate differences and promote unity. It’s all prompted some very intense discussions in my honors debate class. We talked about recent Israeli movements in Gaza, as well as the nature of Hamas, and America’s involvement in the Middle East process.

These events hit particularly close to home for me, as I have a large number of friends living and working in the Middle East right now. I’m addicted to the BBC and have the White House comment line on speed-dial on my phone. My dear friend Philip works with the Foundation for Reconciliation in Gaza. He places a strong value on human life, regardless of who the person is or what their ancestors may have done. He e-mails me every so often with an update of his work. After the recent Israeli attack on Beit Hanoun, he sent me the following message:

“I got to the two homes that had been shelled that morning after the Israeli troops had pulled out of Beit Hanoun. There was an eerie silence in the area. It was dark and quiet. The first home I entered was lit up by a candle, sitting on a counter. Behind it you could see what was once a well kept kitchen, the windows looked expensive, but the huge hole in the wall and the rubble covering the floor let any visitor know something was not right here. I met Ali there. He lost relatives and neighbors. Seventeen people in total, 13 of them from one family. Ali’s eyes were swollen, I could see the grief in his face, his spirit was broken. A tank shell had gone through the roof of the building he lived in. He escaped unscathed, others were not so fortunate. “Life and death are the same,” Ali exclaimed. He explained to me how just days before the Israeli soldiers had occupied the very home which had been shelled that morning. They had been tired and had slept in the beds of the Palestinians who that day were killed in the very same beds. One couple was found dead, lying in their bed, with their young child sleeping in between them. The attack happened at 5:30 a.m. Ali was among the people that fled the scene and fire followed them to the next building where they tried to take refuge. “What religion allows this?” He kept asking “why?,” and the question goes through my mind still. Why are we silent?”

His e-mail prompted me to take a good look at my own life and the things I could be doing to make a difference, both on my campus and in the surrounding community. After living and working in the Middle East for a time myself, I find my heart literally torn over my beliefs. On the one hand, I want my country to stand in unity and stay strong in our pursuit of freedom. On the other hand, I see so many people I love in pain because of the war. I long for the world to learn to communicate effectively with one another. I long for the day when human lives are more important than land and pride and money.

I don’t feel as though I have many answers regarding this situation, either here on campus or on the other side of the world. It did bring tears to my eyes to see my fellow students so eager to build an environment of unity on campus. I only hope that they will take the process outside of these walls and into our community and country, where the message of unity is so much needed.

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