The Jew, the Racist, the Zionist-Who is the real enemy?

Many times we have come across these terms being intermittently used to describe the oppressor who continues to aggravate the Palestinian plight. But who then is the actual culprit? Is it the average Jew who celebrates Hanukkah and reads the Talmud? Or is it the Zionist who champions the cause of a separate Jewish state in both the legislative and operational levels? Or can it be the plain old Racist who has a bone to pick with anyone categorized as "The Other"?

To find out let’s have a look at a simple experiment carried out by a set of actors who stage a pre-scripted scenario. The experiment carried out which is in many ways is similar to Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre aims to measure the degree of reaction it stirs up in the unsuspecting persons visiting a gas pump in a Jewish neighbourhood.





I have forever campaigned for justice to be meted out to the Palestinians which they very well deserve, and I have always opined that the actual problem lies in racism and not in religion! Racism leads to Zionism and Zionism does not lead up to Judaism!

It is an unfortunate coincidence that the average Jew in Israel is brainwashed with a racist ideology which is in principle contradictory to the teachings of their scriptures. The educational curriculum, legislations passed and Religion is used as scapegoats by extremist elements in both camps to further the Arab-Israeli divide. The solution to the 60 year old conflict lies in having empathy and understanding towards the other and to respect the differences which are an intrinsic part of the values for which we stand for. Majority of the folks who happend to be caught up in this experiment looked beyond the rhetoric and connected humanely to the issue at hand. John F. Kennedy was right when he said:

Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.

“Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).” (Al-Qur’an 3:185)

The Weird Beard to be Feared

He looks up the aisle,
Pauses for a while
and sees the security guards make their way

They stop him right there
And to him with a glare
They say “where are you flying off today?”

His eyes shrink in
His mind thinking
How shall I respond to this?

His passport he shows
and hopes they will go
and leave him to mind his own biz

"You’re Asian" they say
Your passports all grey
How can we know this is you??

“You know you look weird
Coz now you've a beard
We know what sort of trouble you can stew”

oh brother me thinks,
their logic is extinct
How can some hair make them cry?

Their face maybe bare
and mine’s full of hair
Is this why I should comply?

So take heed my friends,
If you do want to blend,
Keep your hair free from your face

For those people who play
This tune everyday
I say “to my face it brings grace!”

If a beard still you wear
and you see people stare
Hold proudly to the Keratin that shines

(And say) go make this demand
to the heavy metal bands
Whose bear do’s are weirder than mine!!