‘Nobody wants to
die for Saddam,’
say isle Iraqis
'Every Muslim on Earth
By Mary Adamski
wishes someone would get rid
of Saddam Hussein'
Star-BulletinIraqi-born Ali Sharif was cheered by the American strike against Saddam Hussein.
"If they don't continue until they take him out this time, I'll be very disappointed," said the Oahu resident, who fled Iraq in 1979.
"At the same time, I don't want anybody to get hurt because of him. Nobody wants to die for Saddam. He's a worthless person."
Sharif was one of several local Muslims who discussed the attack after the evening prayer at the Honolulu Islamic Center.
"I'm so happy because my two sisters and my youngest brother just left Iraq 10 days ago," said Sharif, who is self-employed and is now an American citizen. He planned to call his family last night. "I'm telling them Saddam won't be there for more than another week, and I hope I'm not wrong."
Sharif was 16 when his father arranged to get him and two other family members out of Iraq. His mother now lives in Finland. His father, an attorney, was not permitted to leave and was killed in a vehicle accident during the Persian Gulf war in January 1991.
Sharif said he was disappointed when former President George Bush ended the gulf war "without settling it. They have to finish it; they have to take him out this time. Enough is enough."
He said Iraq has the wealth to provide a good life for its people. Instead, "billions are spent only for military things. The people don't want war anymore."
Nizam Muhsin asserted: "Every Muslim on Earth, over 1 billion, wishes someone would get rid of Saddam Hussein. He is no good for his country or for his people.
"America should not go after the hungry people, who have no medicine, no sanitation," said Muhsin, who was born in Palestine and left there after the 1967 Six Days' War with Israel. He is now an American citizen.
"They are already victims of Saddam, who lives like a pharaoh of Egypt. He's a monster America helped create. Look how many millions America has paid out to help the dictators, and not the needy and hungry people."
Muhsin said, "I know if I said this in Iraq or said this against even Arafat, I would be hanged or shot."
Abdul-Rashid Abdullah said his concern is the potential backlash against all Muslims if Americans erroneously simplify their perception of "the enemy."
"They don't see Iraqis as real people; they see Muslims who are terrorists," said Abdullah. "They will not care about the millions of people who have died of starvation and disease since the gulf war. The ordinary people on the street don't want war; it's their tough luck they got stuck with a horrible leader."
Abdullah, a former U.S. serviceman and convert to Islam, said news reports speculated that the attack was timed in connection with Muslims' observance of Ramadan. Sunday is the beginning of a monthlong period of fasting and prayer.
Imam Husain, leader of the local mosque, said contrary to the media speculation, "It is not forbidden to fight to defend yourself in Ramadan.
"But to start a war anytime in the year is not a good thing in Islam. It is not acceptable to destroy a church or the trees or to kill innocent people in a war," said Husain, who was born in Palestine. "Allah said if you kill one innocent, it is as if you kill all mankind. Islam is a religion of peace."
Omar Magdalene pointed to Abdullah's toddler son, saying: "When Izzuddin is 20 years old, all of this will be forgotten. All the politics, the self-interest, the unkindness toward each other as people and as nations -- we have to live with it, but it will all pass away. We have Allah, and God will never pass away."
Word from the street
Kirsten Lund, McCully: I think it's Clinton's method to avoid impeachment. The timing of it is too perfect; there is no coincidence here.
Churches prefer
By Mary Adamski
peaceful solution
Star-BulletinThe Church of the Crossroads congregation is likely to discuss the attack on Iraq on Sunday.
"I would expect a great deal of feeling about it, a lot of dismay, a kind of sorrow about it," said the Rev. Neal MacPherson, pastor of the church which has been linked with the peace movement since the 1960s.
"Our just peace stance is to advocate for a different approach to world conflict, other than military intervention."
The United Church of Christ minister said: "In my Christian context, I tend to think that the royal accounts are suspect. I don't trust Old Testament accounts of Solomon's reign because they were written by the court historian.
"So I find the accounts to justify this thing suspect. I listened to Clinton's speech, the word that came up is that I'm suspicious," MacPherson said. "I also don't trust the Republicans who say this is to avoid impeachment.
"We Christians come from an understanding of Jesus as someone who brings an alternative. Jesus challenged the principle of 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.' He said 'I say to you love your enemies and do good to those who would threaten you.'"
"Coming from that religious viewpoint, I am very suspicious of anything that would justify bombing where you can't be sure your targets are absolutely free from civilian involvement. It's very difficult in modern warfare to be that precise."
On the Big Island, United Church of Christ missionary Ron Fujiyoshi said, "I can't help but think this is a political move by Clinton to deflect attention from his impeachment trial. We have to think about the people of Iraq."
"The Christian way would be to be patient and try to work out some solution," he said.
Noelie Rodriguez, an organizer of the peace and environment group Global Hope said, "Regardless of all the rationales given, making war to insure peace is contradictory."
It is sponsored by the local chapter of Vietnam Veterans Against the War/Anti-imperialists.
"The U.S. has no right to stick its nose into other nation's affairs," said Jim Kausmann, one of the protest's organizers.
