Sunday, April 28, 2013

A Message From An American To Pakistanis



Micah Daigle, an American citizen from San Francisco, posted on Facebook after Boston Bombings:

“On Friday at 7:05pm Eastern Time, Boston Police received a report that suspected terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was hiding in a boat in Watertown. At 7:15pm, the low buzz of a drone was heard overhead. Seconds later, an enormous explosion engulfed the area, destroying the boat and several nearby homes. Sources say 46 Watertown residents were killed in the missile strike, including 12 children….
Of course, that’s not what happened. But if it did, wouldn't we find it unconscionable?
If so, then why are Americans okay with our government doing this to people in other countries?
In Pakistan alone, the U.S. government has killed more than 3,000 people with drone strikes… and only 1 out of 50 were suspected terrorists. The rest were bystanders, rescue workers, and children.
Let’s stop this madness now.
One people. One planet. ♥”

The love and empathy that came with this powerful post flooded Micah’s facebook account with thousands of messages, followers and friend request as it went viral in Pakistan. Gratitude, love and respect for Micah from Pakistanis was all over his wall. Today his facebook wall says something that builds bridges across two nations. I couldn’t help sharing it.

“It’s been an amazing 24 hours. To my new Pakistani friends:

For years, I’ve only been able to imagine how it must feel to live under skies pregnant with hellfire missiles. But in the last day, I’ve had the honor of talking with hundreds of you and hearing your stories. Though I feel a bit undeserving of all the attention and praise, that hasn’t stopped me from scooping up as much knowledge as I can before this little bubble of Internet magic pops.Though the results aren’t surprising, this is what I’ve learned.

1. The vast majority of you are decent, reasonable, good-hearted human beings. There are certainly people who are violent and power-hungry in your country, but most of you just want to lead fulfilling, loved-filled lives. Just like many of us.

2. You are tired of living under the constant threat of violence. You’ve grown a resilience that comes from living in such a place, but there’s also a deep weariness. You just want it to stop. You don’t want to have to worry about being bombed at any moment. Just like many of us.

3. You don’t support terrorists, but you can understand why some people become terrorists. You see that our bombings only fan the flames of hatred, by taking the lives of innocents, and creating a desire for revenge within their loved ones. You know that for every terrorist we kill, we create several more ready to take their place. And you are able to understand this terrible cycle without defending or excusing those who commit acts of terror. Just like many of us.

4. You are forgiving and understanding of Americans even though our government bombs you. You have your own corrupt government that doesn’t represent your interests, which allows you to see why a nation of good people can do horrible things. You can separate people from the system they are embedded in. Just like many of us.

5. Many of you think of yourselves as Global Citizens first and Pakistanis second. You can see that you share more in common with reasonable people in other countries than with the extremists in your own. So many of you have have shifted from a mindset dominated by Me into a mindset dominated by We. Just like many of us.

6. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t proud to be Pakistani! I can’t count the number of generous offers I’ve received to be hosted and fed if I come to your country. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, you are an incredibly hospitable people. You’re proud of your land, your food, your culture. Just like many of us.

7. You’re human, and you’re deserving of love.

Just like ALL of us.
♥”

Shared by Admin M.L
Source: MyBitForChange

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