More Collateral Damage in Iraq
In today's New York Times op-ed section Swarthmore College professor Nathaniel Deutsch paints a disturbing portrait of the potential extinction of a culture and religious tradition that goes back at least as long as Christianity - the Mandeans of Southern Iraq.
The possible eradication of this group is directly related to the US invasion of the country. The Mandeans believe in non-violence and do not carry guns or other weapons so common on Iraq's streets these days. Because of that they are extremely vulnerable to kidnappings, rapes, murders - you name it.
Professor Deutsch writes:
Practitioners of a religion at least as old as Christianity, the Mandeans have witnessed the rise of Islam; the Mongol invasion; the arrival of Europeans, who mistakenly identified them as "Christians of St. John," because of their veneration of John the Baptist; and, most recently, the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein, who drained the marshes after the first gulf war, an ecological catastrophe equivalent to destroying the Everglades. They have withstood everything -- until now.
Another indications of just how far we have gone astray from our core values.
As stated above, a disturbing, yet important, read. Again here is the link: Save the Gnostics.