Peace Be With You

All Kinds of Action

2010-07-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am admittedly jaded most of the time when it comes to changing policy, hearts, or minds in regards to Israel/Palestine, so seeing these stories within the same month has blown my mind:

Presbyterians Say US Should Stop Aid to Israel

Dock Workers in Oakland Refuse to Unload Israeli Cargo

Swedish Longshoremen Boycott Israeli Cargo

Indian Dockworkers in Kerala Boycott Israeli Ships

Every little bit helps. Hit the finances and people begin to pay attention, even the Israel voters.

I hope this builds momentum and support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement.

Relativism Abounds

2010-06-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about the relativistic approach that Israelis and Palestinians each take to the other. I think it is sad and ironic that the birth place of the 3 major religions involved in the conflict is overrun with moral relativism, particularly in regard to human life and the suffering of others. I don't think most people recognize the inconsistency of being outraged by suffering and death on one side of the conflict, but accepting or even advocating suffering and death to their enemy. Hypocrisy.

Lawrence Wright describes it as each side being "so dehumanized in the eyes of the other. And there's this sometimes overtly stated but often implied, 'they got what they deserved.' You hear that in one form or another so many times."

Israel has a Holocaust Memorial to remember the victims of this tragedy. Israelis are also rightfully outraged by rocket attacks and suicide bombings because they value the lives that are at stake. So how then can Israel perpetrate some of the most gruesome crimes such as the massacres at Sabra and Shatila, the siege of Gaza, air and artillery strikes that kill Palestinian civilians, and their soldiers firing live bullets at unarmed protesters?

Similarly, we Palestinians deplore our treatment at the hands of Israel. We cite UN Resolutions calling out Israel's poor treatment of Palestinians, express outrage over the inequality of Palestinian deaths to Israeli deaths in the conflict, and we are disgusted by the suffering Israel imposes on Palestinians with "security barriers," the torture and killing of political prisoners, and the bulldozing of homes. We clearly value life, so how then can we allow the detention of Gilad Shalit to continue for 4 years? How can we value life and accept, even passively, violent resistance that kills Israelis?

I don't believe that real peacemaking is about borders, security, reparations, or any other agenda items pursued by politicians. Moral relativism is subversive and probably the biggest barrier to peace in Israel/Palestine. Until Israelis and Palestinians value human life, including the lives of the other, there can be no real, lasting peace. Until Israelis and Palestinians defend one another against suffering and violence, no amount of international pressure will make peace.

4 Years of Captivity

2010-06-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier, was taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza 4 years ago today. This is disgusting and evil. He is thankfully still alive by all accounts, but I mourn for his family and their years of suffering. I can't imagine what life would be like if my son were taken from me. I pray for his safe and immediate return.

Lawrence Wright spoke at length and with wisdom about Shalit in his interview on NPR's Fresh Air this week:

"...the Israelis are announcing that they're easing the blockade [of Gaza]. Well, it would be a good time for Hamas to respond. And a great way to do that would be to release Gilad Shalit unconditionally. It would, I think, make a huge impression on the world community"

I strongly agree with Mr. Wright that the world would not know how to respond to an unconditional and compassionate release of Gilad Shalit. The same would be true of Israel releasing the thousands of Palestinian political prisoners it holds.

Hamas, Israel, and the Possibility of Peace

2010-06-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Lawrence Wright wrote a great piece for the New Yorker late last year about the 2008 Israeli assault on Gaza and the repercussions since. He was also on NPR's Fresh Air this week bringing prophetic wisdom (more on this later). It's a long article, but well worth reading if you are taking time to read this blog. I was surprised and captivated by this section:

"Five months after Operation Cast Lead, Hamas sponsored a workshop in Gaza City on “How to Talk to Israel.” Two dozen people attended, most of them academics or journalists. “What Israel knows about Hamas is that Hamas wants to eliminate them,” one of the panelists observed. Governing imposes new responsibilities, he said, but since coming to power “Hamas has not changed its speech.” A member of the audience said that Hamas had not even decided what to call Israel, pointing out that some speakers had used the term “Israeli entity” and others had called it the “Zionist entity.” “You can’t say to our own public you are going to throw Israel into the sea and then talk another way to the outside world—you have to have one speech,” the audience member said. “We address moderates in Israel with words, and then we also sent rockets to them. . . . We should be responsible but also clear in what we want. The world is not going to wait for us forever."

Not only does this expose a drastically different side of Hamas, it shows them to be much more aware than the international press makes them seem. I have always held the image that Palestinians in general are so fractured and disorganized that we can't get one message together in order to advocate for our cause (just try choosing a restaurant with a bunch of Arabs...). I often thought of Hamas as the prime example of this ineptitude, so I was surprised to read an account of Hamas talking about new responsibilities and a consistent voice.

Though that one voice has not yet been found and Hamas continues to spout unrealistic goals, it shows them to be more than a bunch of out of touch ideologues. The audience member in the quote above appears to be advocating a more extreme and militaristic angle and seems disparaging towards moderation, but I still find hope in the fact that meetings are/were being held by Hamas to clarify their voice, accept responsibilities, and recognize that the world has no patience for insufferable bickering

If by Grace that one voice is influenced by voices of reason, hope, peacemaking, compassion, humanitarianism, engagement, and non-violence then there is much to be hopeful for. If the PLO, once a pariah known only by their military aspirations, came to the table and negotiated what is now the Palestinian Authority (Oslo Accords, 1993), who is to say that Hamas could not make a similar turn?

The people of Gaza deserve their humanity which Israel is holding back through blockades and de facto imprisonment, but if Hamas is seen to instigate the stalemate, they will soon become irrelevant and impotent to the people they govern. I pray that those on all sides who prefer spilling blood over breaking bread together would fall from Power and into irrelevance. Lord let our one voice demand peace, dignity, respect, and equality -- for both Palestinians and Jews.

2010 Global Peace Index

2010-06-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

Vision of Humanity released their 2010 Global Peace Index this week, a comprehensive evaluation and ranking of countries based on dozens of factors including literacy rate, relationships with neighboring countries, political instability, homicide rate, per capita GDP, organized conflicts, and imprisonment rate, among many others.

I have several observations about Israel's position on this list:

Israel is ranked 144 out of 149.
All of Israel's neighboring countries, namely Lebanon (134), Syria (115), Jordan (68), Egypt (49), and Saudi Arabia (107), rank higher than Israel.
The only Middle Eastern country ranked behind Israel is, not surprisingly, Iraq (149).
The Democratic Republic of Congo, ruled by warlords and corrupt governments, and cited by a 2009 UN report to have continuing rape, murder and plunder going on in its eastern portion, is ranked above Israel at 140.
Iran, who received their 4th serving of UN sanctions today, is ranked above Israel at 104.
The US, Israel's closest ally and defender, is ranked an embarrassingly low 85 out of 149.

They Made It

2008-08-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

I looks like the two boats of activists made it to Gaza without incident. I think it was smart of Israel not to turn this into an international incident by confronting the boats. It also makes me wonder if more boats couldn't do something like this to get supplies and aid into Gaza.

I appreciate the creativity of the activist who found new ways to protest the poor treatment of Palestinians by Israeli. As noble as the cause may be, protesting with signs and banners just doesn't cut it. Getting a couple of boats to deliver needed aid despite a sea blockade, that's action. I'm impressed and grateful.

Challenging the Gaza Sea Blockade

2008-08-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

This event took me by surprise but it makes me very happy. I never would have expected people to so openly defy Israel and try to sail to Gaza. I pray that they would be safe in their journey, but most of all that hearts would be changed and people on all sides would have their current view of Israel/Palestine challenged.

Israel imposed an economic blockade on Gaza after Hamas forces violently seized control from Fatah in June 2007. The squeeze is also aimed at stopping militants firing rockets at southern Israel.

Lauren Booth, sister-in-law of the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who is now an international envoy to the Middle East , tells me she is travelling as both supporter and reporter.

I dearly want to go to Gaza again to support the Palestinians and to show the world the reality of what's going on there".

Detained

2008-05-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

Crossing the Allenby Bridge from Jordan to the West Bank should have been easy in our tour group of American citizens. Our tour group submitted everyone's passport information weeks in advance precisely to avoid delays. Instead, the Israelis allowed most of the 80 person group through the border, but held the passports of everyone under about 35 years old. There were 8 of us plus our tour leader and his brother.

The whole time we were detained, the Israelis did not question us or do much in the way of security verifications. We continued to wait while the rest of our tour group continued on to Ramallah.

After about 4 hours of waiting, the Israeli soldiers and workers began setting up a buffet of sorts. Sweets, cakes, cookies, croissants and all sorts of snacks. We were hungry and curious. We certainly didn't believe any of this was for us, but we were the only people in the room besides employees. Everything felt incredibly awkward as they gathered for a party while we sat there waiting to be released.

I snapped a photo with my cell phone:

Eventually we were moved to a general waiting area and the Israelis put up a screen so we could not watch their party. After they finished, a soldier brought us a plate of leftover cookies and said, "We want to make your waiting a little more sweet." Gee, thanks.

We sat there for 6 hours without news of why we were being detained or how long it would take. Eventually our tour leader, after being told "20 more minutes" for about 3 hours, demanded they either release us to enter the West Bank or turn us back to Jordan. A few minutes later we had our passports and were on our way.

Why were we detained? According to one Moroccan Israeli soldier who spoke Arabic, they do it just to mess with young people and keep us from coming back. As my friend Nader said, "We'd wait 12 hours to get into our homeland. That won't keep us from coming back."

I am proud of my fellow detainees though. We went into that situation not really knowing each other, but made the best of it by getting to know each other, sharing food and water, telling jokes, and enjoying each others' company. These detainees bonded.

How Was It?

2008-05-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Three weeks and two gigabytes of pictures later, I am not sure how to answer this question when asked by friends. I hesitate to even call it vacation because being in the West Bank was more emotional and intense than anything known as vacation. It was a great time traveling with my dad and enjoying Palestinian culture. It was a terrible time dealing with Israeli soldiers and seeing the impact on my people and my family.

With every day in Ramallah I could feel bitterness creeping into my heart in the worst way. I felt no compassion for Israeli soldiers who deliberately harassed us and made our lives difficult. I am angry and hurt by the deep rooted and institutionalized racism in Israel. I am angry with their treatment of my family. It's not Jews in general I am angry with, but Israel and its overt rejection of Palestinians. I don't really know what to do from here.

Incredible Frustration

2008-04-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

We leave Ramallah tomorrow and in our time here we have received a full taste of how frustrating Israel has made life for Palestinians. The latest frustrating event is being separated from our family in Gaza. My aunt, uncle, and cousins applied for permits a while back to be able to come to Ramallah for Easter. After being left in limbo for the last few weeks, we found out this morning that everyone in the family except my aunt (my dad's sister) received a permit.

There doesn't seem to be any logic to who does and does not receive travel permits from the Israelis. Why hold back an older woman in Gaza while allowing her 28 year old son to cross Israel? Why separate our family when my aunt's only wish for Easter was to see her brother?

What adds to the frustration is that once the permits are obtained, it isn't smooth sailing. Crossing through the Eretz checkpoint takes hours and some people never get a chance to go through, even with their permit. The permits are time limited, so our relatives can only stay in Ramallah for a few days.

In the end, we are sitting here in Ramallah waiting for my uncle and cousins to make the 25 mile journey over the course of the whole day. Naturally our conversations fall to wondering why the Israelis treat people like this. We can only assume, but it feels intentional and designed to hurt Palestinians.

I am not surprised that frustration regularly boils over into anger and violence.

Big Plans for Ramallah

2008-04-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Ramallah Municipality. We have been privileged to observed and participate in many of the centennial celebrations during our trip.

The Ramallah Municipality unveiled an impressive presentation about the development and renovation plans for the city. Thanks to YouTube, you can see it too. By the way, the music that starts at the 1:40 mark was commissioned especially for the centennial celebration and has captured many ears here. Hopefully we will be able to buy this song soon. It is an updated arrangement of a traditional song about returning to Ramallah.

Helpless

2008-04-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

Never have I felt so helpless as in Israel. The gigantic 35 foot "security" barrier is just one symbol of Israel's complete domination over Palestinian life. It cuts directly through Palestinian towns in the West Bank, to the point where people who once crossed the street to get to work must now travel miles out of their way to cross through Israeli checkpoints. Since its inception in 2006, the barrier has taken on a similar character as the Berlin Wall, becoming a canvas for Palestinian expression. Click on the pictures below to see the details.

We saw a dance/drama piece the other night that brought to life several of the Handala cartoons from Naji al-Ali. His cartoons have come to symbolize Palestinian suffering and struggle. Once particular scene in the drama had dancers stuck on the ground with a black shroud over them, unable to get up in front of a "no parking" sign, which in Arabic literally reads "standing prohibited." The whole drama was powerful, but this scene in particular captured the helplessness I have been feeling here.

Food

2008-04-21T00:24:00.000-07:00

Palestinians make great food and they are feeding us like crazy here. I've never eaten so much lamb in one week, but I am not complaining.

Easter festivities here run by the Orthodox calender, so yesterday for Palm Sunday we had Msahkhan which is chicken roasted with onions and sumac on fresh bread. It was delicious.

We've all noticed that food in Ramallah has taken on a new look. Whereas most dishes would previously have been served from a big dish family style, individual presentation is taking on a new role in Palestinian cuisine.

I'm In The West Bank

2008-04-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

I've been in the West Bank now for about 4 days. Getting to Ramallah from Amman was a feat in itself. More on that later.

Being here has reopened my mind and my heart to the Middle East. I have been frustrated the past year or so with all things Israel or Palestine. Ramallah has renewed my passion and love for my people and my desire to see peace. However, being here also been intensely frustrating and disheartening and made me wonder what exactly peace could be like.

I almost feel like Israel's main purpose in dealing with Palestinians is to frustrate us to the point where we want to leave and never come back.

Irony abounds here and borders on hypocrisy, especially as Israel tries to cater to the religious tourism industry of mainly Christian visitors. This is a photo I shot of the barrier wall at the checkpoint on the way to Jerusalem. Note the sniper tower above the "Peace Be With You" banner...

Annapolis

2007-11-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

This week we will see the first real peace talks concerning Israel and Palestine since 2000. I cannot help but have high hopes for this week's meetings in Annapolis.

Dozens of Middle East countries will be represented and President Bush will be leading the dog and pony show. But ultimately it is up to the Palestinian and Israeli delegations whether we talk about Annapolis in 6 months or 6 years as a milestone or a set back.

I am hopeful, idealistically hopeful, that Palestinians and Israelis can love peace more than violence and be willing to sacrifice more for real peace than we have for continued violence. I don't expect revolutionary results, but I will be praying that anything resembling humility and care for each others humanity will come from this weeks talks.

Please join me in praying for healing, humility, and courage for all of the participants. I don't think any of these politicians can heal the divide between Palestinians and Israelis, but I do believe they have an opportunity and responsibility to start that process, insh'allah. We must continue to hope that change will come, or we are doomed to the grief we already reject.

Blessed Are The Peacemakers

2007-09-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the pleasure of studying Matthew 5:1-12 with our Mosaic small group. I enjoyed the new perspective on this familiar passage that my friends brought to our study.

We were inspired by a few things from the passage. First, that when Jesus says “Blessed,” He is not talking about being lucky. I think we often use the term blessed to talk about how lucky we feel. “Oh, I am blessed to have….” Jesus is talking about a Godly favor that people can count on, not material possessions or luck. He is offering the Kingdom to people who would not ordinarily receive much good or much favor.

We all liked the eternal hopefulness and eternal perspective that this passage thrives on. We saw the eternal as the reason why persecution fits so well into this passage. No one goes out looking for persecution, but Jesus seems to say that following Him may bring persecution, and that is ok. Persecution is not something to run from or to pray for God to end, but to embrace. That was a tough word for us to handle and I am still mulling that one over.

When I read this passage I tend to focus on the peacemakers part of things in verse 9. My friends gave me some great perspective on this verse, namely that peacemaking is not a passive undertaking, but rather an active and different kind of fight. We also found that peacemaking is the responsibility of the whole family of God, namely believers. This responsibility for peacemaking put the idea of persecution into perspective.

Efforts at peacemaking are often resisted, and people may be persecuted for doing good things. I see this as a regular occurrence for Palestinian Christians in the Middle East. Palestinian Christians are being pushed to the fringes, and the more they advocate peace, the more persecution they receive.

It is nothing new for Palestinian Christians to be attacked or harassed by Muslim authorities. But lately this harassment has increased in frequency and intensity. The family of God is being attacked for following Jesus. I don’t see Christians cowering or running away, but coming together and praying. I see Palestinian Christians appealing for help and embracing their roles as peacemakers. They may not be lucky, but they are blessed.

Cause For Hope

2007-08-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

The British Army ended Operation Banner on Friday, removing most British soldiers from Northern Ireland. Operation Banner started nearly four decades ago to combat terrorism and restore order. The British soldiers of Operation Banner often served to inflame rather than calm the tensions in Northern Ireland, the most notable case being Bloody Sunday.

There is so much parity between the occupying British forces in Northern Ireland and the occupying Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank. Northern Ireland was Britains's Gaza for about 30 years. But seeing how bad things were in Northern Ireland and how bright the future now looks, I can only hope that similar resolution and reconciliation can come between Israelis and Palestinians. Twenty or thirty years ago, I am sure many British and Irish saw no hope in sight. But today we can celebrate that, God willing, things can and will get better. There is hope and we must continuing pursuing it.

Here's to reconciliation and hope.

Good Times

2007-07-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night Linda and I had the pleasure of having dinner at Bear and Ella's house in San Diego. If you don't know the story of how I met Bear, read it here.

It was fun to get together with Bear and our lovely wives and just enjoy life. It helped that Ella is an awesome chef, even at 6 months pregnant! As always, we had no agenda except to bring our families together and share a fun evening.

With every conversation that Bear and I share, I am filled with more hope, not just for Palestinians and Jews, but for humanity. It was exciting to dream with Bear about where we and our families may end up in the future.

Appropriately enough, we split a bottle of Devotion over dinner.

Am I A Political Statement? (Part 2 of 2)

2007-07-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I think conversations about race and culture are great and absolutely necessary provided they are conducted intelligently and with love, but for the moment, I am tired and worn by most of these conversations.

I am tired of being the only Arab some people know or maybe the first Arab they've spoken to in recent memory. And I am certainly tired of people boiling down Palestinian culture to the latest suicide bomb or military attack. We have a rich culture that goes well beyond the headlines, but I feel like this culture never gets any light with all of the talk of current events. I think we Palestinians encourage this at times, too. Just look at the topics of this blog. And when Palestinians sit around a table and shoot the breeze, conversations inevitably turn to the latest political news.

None of this is to say that anyone has done anything particularly wrong, but only to say that I am tired of the way things are. My soul gets drained when I think about current events more than the Palestinian people and culture which I love so much.

Am I A Political Statement? (Part 1 of 2)

2007-07-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

When I tell people that I am Palestinian, this is often received as if I had just stood on the table and made a grand political statement. This has bothered me for a long time. Maybe it's in the way I say it, but I don't think so because I don't get the same looks and comments when I tell people that I am Belgian.

I usually get one of two responses upon sharing that I am Palestinian, either people get silent and change the subject or they launch into a discussion of regional politics. I used to welcome this discussion, but now I am a tired of it. Perhaps this is because the discussion usually leads to hurtful comments about Palestinians or Israelis or meaningless praise for the Palestinian or Israeli causes. Or maybe I just don't want to have the same conversation over and over again, even if that person is "on my side." It's probably a mix of both.

I wonder if people of other cultural backgrounds get this too. I would bet Latinos in America get this right now.

"Oh, you're from Honduras...what do you think about this immigration bill?"

"Oh, you're Mexican...I think we should round up the illegals and send them back where they came from." (As if "illegals" is a real noun.)

B'Tselem Goes to Washington

2007-07-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

I just received an email from B'Tselem announcing their expansion to the United States with an office in Washington, DC. Here's a snip from their email.

The goal of our presence in Washington is twofold: to insert human rights into the Washington debate on Israel-Palestine, which so often ignores the daily experience of the people actually living here; and to inform and mobilize the Jewish community regarding human rights. In addition, as the only Israeli human rights organization to have a presence in Washington, B'Tselem aims to provide assistance to local groups who would like their voice to be better heard in the US.

The human rights situation on the ground can be quite discouraging. This is precisely the time for innovation. We must work more strategically with our existing constituencies and reach out to new audiences in order to increase commitment to the universal application of human rights in this context.

I believe that justice is an integral part of reconciliation, so this is cause for hope. B'Tselem advocates broadly and tirelessly for human rights and dignity throughout Israel and Palestine for both Palestinians and Israelis.

Check out their website and you will see that they do not favor one side or the other, but freely call out abuses, no matter the perpetrator, in order to see human life respected. This is action after God's own heart. B'Tselem does not get lost in the land of overtly religious groups, though their actions follow how we are to truly worship God:

With what shall I come before the LORD
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
~Micah 6:6-8

Alan Is Writing

2007-07-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

Alan Johnston was freed this week and has already resumed writing. He wrote a quick note on BBC today. It is good to see him returned safe and relatively unharmed.

In praying about it this morning, I wondered what this captivity of a high profile journalist would mean for Gazans in the near future. Will Hamas, which controls Gaza, go after Alan's captors and put them on trial? It would be nice to see justice served, but I doubt it will happen. I had to contend with praying for something I really did not think God would do. Not sure how that works, but anyway...

My other curiosity is whether Alan Johnston will return to Gaza, when, and in what capacity.

All speculation aside, I join many many Palestinians in celebrating the safe release of Alan Johnston and hoping he forgives us.

I would love to meet him one day and say: 'Forgive us - it wasn't the wish of the general people that you were held like that. We don't agree what happened to you'.

Abdallah Samir, 26, Student, Gaza City

I Own You!

2007-07-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Axis Of Evil Comedy Tour DVD, that is. Linda bought this last week in an order of her school books (free shipping baby!). We watched it this weekend with my parents. These guys are even funnier than I remembered. I will probably watch it again tonight.

If you are in my area, you can borrow my copy. Better yet, support these up and coming comics and buy a copy for yourself.

Why Gaza Matters

2007-06-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

Newsweek has several interesting articles on Gaza this week. Here is a quote from just one of them. This short article is definitely worth reading.

Why does the disaster in Gaza matter? In part because the defeat of the secular—and more moderate—Fatah forces could, along with the insurgents' success in Iraq, inspire Islamist radicals in the region and around the world.

...as Bush said in his second Inaugural, the whole point of promoting freedom is to blunt the hopelessness and anger that breed radicalism. Gaza faces 50 percent unemployment in the best of times. Qaeda-like splinter groups that have carried out kidnappings of foreigners have already begun to appear. Further isolating the territory is not likely to fill its residents with faith in the future.

Poverty Action Lab

2007-06-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

I heard about the Poverty Action Lab today on The World on NPR. This group impresses me with their approach to understanding and then fighting poverty. I like that science is being employed to understand effective actions against poverty, just like drugs are studied for their effectiveness in treating illness. The Poverty Action Lab has completed dozens of projects and reports and has dozens more projects in the field right now.

We need more creative action like this to fight poverty. Just throwing money at the problem has clearly proven to be an incomplete and often ineffective answer.

With this in mind, I am hopeful yet skeptical of the new plan for the US and Israel to support Mahmoud Abbas's new government. It's great that the PA will finally get $800 million illegally withheld for the last year. And I am glad that the US will give UNRWA $40 million to run relief programs in Gaza, but will these relief programs actually relieve anyone of their ongoing poverty and suffering? I hope so, but I wouldn't bet on it.