Editor:
I was overcome by emotion when I saw the granddaughter of Yitzhak Rabin, the late Prime Minister of Israel, speaking about him. Anyone who has lost a close parent, friend or a relative could have easily related to the young lady.
Rabin was a man, a husband, a father and a grandfather. He was also the leader of his country, and most importantly, he was one of the peace builders in the Middle East.
I was disappointed to see different channels showing "Islamic militants" celebrating Rabin's death. I have found the image negative because it reinforces the false vision some people have about Islam. As a Muslim from an African and an Arabic country, I can say that a good Muslim is never joyful when he or she hears that someone passed away.
It is true that Rabin was a military man who fought on the ground and took lands from neighboring countries, but as a Muslim Arab poet said: "Against them I have no hatred. The good people do not keep hatred."
It is also important to remember that Rabin the military man became a diplomat and a peace builder. Therefore, we all should send our sympathy to Rabin's family and to the families of all the people who have died in this unfinished Middle Eastern crisis.
It is time for the people of the world to stop having a short memory and to start protecting our peace builders, because assassins come from all religions. Mahatma Gandhi was killed by a Hindu because he wanted peace for his country by giving up Pakistan. Anwar Sadat was killed by a Muslim for wanting peace for Egypt by signing a treaty with Israel. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy were killed because both men wanted peace and social justice for the U.S.A. The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin by a Jew is sadly reminding us that to be a peace builder can be a very dangerous job. Something must be done Ÿ otherwise the peace builders will end up finding themselves on the world's Endangered Species List.
Seydou Coulibaly
Range Management Ph.D. Candidate