Mom, Do you know Israel?

We do not believe what we see on the TV or news papers.

The propaganda machine in action, did Palestine really send missiles into Israel?. Are Palestine suicide bombers really at work???. If you start a war be prepared to win it. Don’t cry to us after you start and cannot finish…

Alexa thank you for this gesture!

BOYCOTT ISRAEL- The Sponsor of Terrorism

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=89484§ionid=351020202

“Better to die on one's feet than to live on one's knees.” -Dolores Ibárruri

I'll just say....................

BOYCOTT ISRAEL- The Sponsor of Terrorism

Gone are the days when children used to ask: "Mom, where did i come from?" or "why is the grass green?"....

_________________

call me ONE.

Wooo...

I guess the political and religious threads are the strongest magnets in this community.

My answer to the original question...I would tell my child that she can't hate a group of people based on what "some" of them do...if your colleague at school is nice to you...be more nice to her/him regardless of what her nationality or regligion is.

If she buys you a gift on your birthday...be sure to save her birthday date on your calender and don't forget to buy her a great gift.

Do not hate anyone unless you try and try and try and try to communicate your hurt to them...tell them why you feel hurt by what they do and why their actions are keeping you from loving them.

War is an ugly thing. No baby deserves to die in return for a woman who got killed by a bomber...and vice versa.

In the end, different people are influenced by the cultures they are raised in...and from these cultures they conclude their own opinions about different topics in life...war,sex,education,work,religion...etc.

The best thing to do is to try to strip your mind off any biased ideas and prejedice against any group of people.

Jews and Israelis are very much unwelcommed and hated in the middle east...because people hear and see everyday from the media what Israelis do to their brothers and sisters.

In the western communities....muslims are also unwelcommed and hated...because people there see and hear from the media what muslims do around the world.

If you stand up for something...you will have to prove you are right...and you will have to suffer the consequences and responsibilities for your beleifes.

In the end...I would tell my daughter to refer to the Quran...it explain best all what I'have just said.

I just wish I had more chance to speak Arabic here in Qatar! I went into a coffee shop the other day and asked for a large orange juice without ice, please, and the counterman just stared at me. Btehki Arabi? I asked. Oh, heck, no, he says. And that's true for the overwhelming majority of people in Qatar. But your boys will learn Arabic if placed in a school here, of course. Hope you like the khaleeji dialect! Just remember that the overwhelming majority of people here in Qatar are not Arab and that non-Qataris usually do not find their social life among the local citizens. Probably you will gravitate naturally to the Arabic community of your heritage. What's your dialect? (My accent is from Il Quds.)

Mandi

Thanks for the greetings. I don't know how much you know about Canada and its culture and education. Canada and Canadian system is one of a kind when it comes to social integration, respecting others, and peaceful interactions. To make the story short, I have three boys (10, 7, and 2), and they are so respectable to others and so peaceful. To a a degree, where I am a bit annoyed about it. I am struggling to teach my kids to be aggressive when there is a need for it. They always resort to peaceful ways in resovling any conflicts or aggression committed against them at school. The are so obedient to rules and polices. I want them to be street wise, and when things turns rough, they can handle it.

So may be they will gain some of this by moving to Doha!! I hope you understand my point, I am not an agressive or agressor, but boys (future men) they need to be tought to stand up for themselves if there is a need for it.

US culture is totally different, and it is more in the aggressive side compared to Canada. Currently I work in US (since June 08), but I did not move my family yet. I am in a cross road, where I need to decide once and for all if I am going to move to Arabic country or settle for ever in NA. Giving my kids the opportunity to be fluent in arabic and experince Islamic/Arabic culture and true religious feastivities have been playing in my mind for few years. It is vefry difficult to hear my kids speek arabic in a funny way/tone.

http://yadiin.blogspot.com/ Sin is sin.

You can call opposing sin politically incorrect - or propaganda .

Unfortunately these kids are killed by the Israeli war machine .And it is not over .Most probably another ones will be killed .

As a parent how you not feel that something is wrong with Israel's policy ?

Check out these : http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5939611.ece

http://gazaholocaust.com/category/latest-news/

About the Jews : Some of them are really cool ! You can read their names here : http://www.ajjp.org/campaigns/signStatement.php?cid=15

is still only a child, let him play, he will know the war only when it is bigger and you will see that the two parties is no different ....

for hatred, there is always a time ....

They are killers. this is the only truth. They took the palestinian land to create their own country since every body hates them not because every body is biased but because of their awful history with all prophets .They think that they are special

and they are the sons of God and every body on earth is less important than them.

And yes there is Good People in all of that Evil but recognizing them inside all of

the bad people will be very hard.

If you are living in Qatar your kid will see lots of Israeli photos of massacres and he will

develop his opinion based on that but do you prefer he is living in a country that hides

this pain ?

Okabbar, welcome to Doha if indeed you decide to come. There is a lot of benefit to raising children here, especially kids from North America who have tended to see themselves as the center of the known universe! But one caveat for you, I have known many parents with fine moral fiber get the shock of their lives when they tumble to the fact that their kids are mistreating their maids, shopkeepers or other laborers whom they happen to come in contact with. I'm not saying everyone and I know that every parent says not my kid, but I've known a lot of surprised and dismayed parents.

Mandi

and have no problem with your nationality, heritage or where you choose to live or work.

I agree -- a lot of these issues present wonderful teaching moments if you've got kids. But as parents we have to view them as such and be mindful of what we say, how we say it, and whether our actions match our words...

As Robert Fulghum said, "Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you."

I completely agree with your sentiment and respect the way you are raising your kids. I apologize if my response came across as if I am being critical of you. I like the emphasis on growing up and learning more for issues that are too complex for them to handle; I will use that line with my own kids if you dont mind.

Peace (and justice!)

If I am from the USA then I should have the same opinion as you?

I say clearly I am a Palestinian who has lived in the US over half his life. I am a US citizen. I am a long term lurker on qatarliving who registered to contribute to this conversation. I am a Professor in a US university on sabbatical leave for the year in Qatar--what does this have to do with anything, anyways?

My response was intended to generate adult conversation. The crux of my argument is that many expats here do not understand the geopolitical situation in Israel/Palestine and assume instead that people here are irrational for having the opinion that they do about Israel. A peaceful and just resolution to the problem there is the only way to stop the hate; that starts with understanding the facts on the ground, instead of having the PC opinion that there are no facts and everyone there is equally to blame. My response was not intended in any way to be something you say to your kids--poor choice of thread on my part.

Kudos to you for teaching your children that what is taught and said in school isn't the gospel truth! Children are confused enough as it is in life without being taught that certain nationalities, races, religions, sexual orientation, are the devil incarnate. Children's minds are like blank blackboards...they also absorb things like sponges. Why teach them hatred against others at such a young impressionable age when all they want to do is be friends with the next child, irregardless of who or where they are from?

Life is difficult enough to deal with, without presetting young minds upon a destructive path.

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the main difference between a dog and man.

-Mark Twain-

You list yourself as from the USA...but I find that very difficult to believe by what you say in your post. I also notice that you are a member for only 2 hours plus some change...makes me wonder even more.

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the main difference between a dog and man.

-Mark Twain-

lol, qs! synchronicity?

mo lang!

NOT tell their kids something they believe is true "because it has not been well-researched"?

(And who is deciding whether something is well-researched or not?)

Nobody would do that. I think the most open-minded of parents might try to explain both sides and then tell their kids that as they grow up and learn more, they will make up their own minds, but we will almost always explain what WE believe is true....because when you believe something yourself, you generally think that you are right. That's just human nature.

I seriously doubt that the religious among us would tell their kids "Well, mommy and I believe in one God, and that he created the heavens and the earth. But that's just us. You should read up on the subject and find out what makes sense to you." LOL!

But wouldn't it be fun if they did?

I completely agree and see the difference. I was not offering any advice about how to handle the situation of the original poster. I struggle with these issues with my own sons, who are 5 and 3.

I was attempting to generate an ADULT discussion similar to the one above on homosexuality.

Cheers.

wow.. arecel, why i was typing, you have expressed my point!.. :)

*********************

“You become responsible forever for what you have tamed”. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I am responding to the parents not the son if you are referring to my reply. Sorry if this is unclear.

My only point regarding the kids is that these are great teaching moments when they are interested in an issue. Pointing them to go read and learn more is much better than trying to infuse them with your opinion if it has not been that well researched.

it's not about the conflict.. the question was: how to handle the question of 8 years-old boy about "israelians killing Lebanese babies". You suggest studding israelian-palestin conflict and figuring out who is 'good' and who is 'bad', which consequentially leads to accepting one side and judging another, which eventually leads to the stirring up the hatred. But… that’s NOT what the child needs. NOT to find out who is right and who is wrong, NOT to argue anymore when, who, and why? Child needs to be explained that ANY killing is bad, ANY war is wrong. Child doesn’t need to understand WHY one kills another. Child has to learn: any KILLING shouldn’t be accepted in the civil world.

I hope you can see the difference.

*********************

“You become responsible forever for what you have tamed”. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

peeps, before you comment, please bear in mind that the son is ONLY 8 years old, for god's sake...too young to take in adult's ideologies. this is not a question of who is right or who is wrong in the issue of israel and palentine, the delicate issue here is that the son is still very young.

mo lang!

Thanks all for a high quality debate. I think we can both learn from hearing the other side.

I want to take up for the Israel argument from the perspective of another Arab (in this case Palestinian) who has lived over half his life in the US and England.

Its true that in the middle east there is a culture of black and white. However, in the west, there is a CULTURE OF GRAY. In other words, there is a tendency to say both sides are at fault and there is no hard facts and no right and wrong. Sometimes this is true, but in my opinion often it allows one to have a lazy psuedo-intellectual opinion about a subject they know very little about. It takes knowledge to take a (fair) stand.

There is little remaining grayness in the Israel Palestine issue. This is a situation where one people came and displaced another, and continue to abuse them for over 50 years.

Israeli historians and most Israeli intellectuals agree with these facts. Look up Benny Morris and the new historians in Israel for the modern scholarly Israeli narrative for what happened in Palestine. Its not pretty. Israel is in defiance of nearly 100 UN resolutions, relating both to their land grab and human rights records.

The closest analogy is the displacement of the native indians in north america -- I am sure it would sound shocking if you try to assign them some of the blame for the genocide they experienced.

The other side tries to feebly resist, but are subjected to an overwhelming opression and injustice; the closest anology to the current situation on the ground is aparthide in south africa.

Nowadays, the Arab countries have made remarkable compromise articulated in the Saudi initiative more than 5 years ago. They are agreeing to complete normalization with Israel, in exchange for the west bank (21% of the area of the historical Palestine which had less than 5% jews 100 years ago). However, Israeli right wing, with the support of the Israeli lobbies the US (AIPAC and JDL and their cronies) insist on no compromise.

Meanwhile, over 2 million Palestinians continue to live in subhuman conditions and the world continues to find "both sides at blame" because they will not agree to it. We live in strange times.

I hope that you would instead encourage your kids to read and figure out the facts; isnt that a great lesson? I am a strong believer that with justice, comes peace, and the festering wounds that generate hate are dried up. I also sincerely hope that you invest a little more energy into learning about the middle east geo-political issues before assuming that you know about it than the people living it do.

You need to tell your boy the truth ,Israelis they are killers not only they kill Palestinians but also they killed jesus

The reasons you gave are noble, but they are very attainable even by staying in NA.

Ummjake, Alexa, and all ..... I am very delighted with the exchanges, and I admit that I was very theoretically naive in my analysis and answers. I totally forgot the naked truth about the arabic society, where ummjak put it very neatly (gays issue in the arabic socity) and brought me back to eart. I guess my only execuse that I have been in NA for 18 years, and I only visited back home twice for 2-weeks each time. So, I totally forgot about the nasty side.

Alexa - If I move to Doha, I will put my kids in English/French schools. I never denied the quality and profissionalism in the western societies/education compared with the arabic one. I initially moved to Canada in 92 to pursue my Master and PhD education first. Therefore, her Royal Highness Sheikha Mossa is doing the right thing. This is exactly similar to the time when people from the west used to come to Muslim countries and get better education during the Golden Age os Islam, 7th-16th centuries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Age_of_Islam).

My reasons for moving to Doha are for my kids to be fluent in Arabic, witness the good side of the arabic culture, and teach them (memorize) Quran. It is very difficult to do this here in NA.

ummjake - I enjoyed reading your reply, and I think we are on the same page. I might have used strong words speaking about the gays, but I agree that with their small percentage, they would not change the balance of the world.

I would like to also to say that there is no match for the quality of life in NA. If I do move, then I will suffer a lot on losing it. I was in Doha during Feb/09 for 4-days, and I was not pleased with the way they treat the cheap labour either workers on the street or mades at home. It is very difficult to say that this is none of my business, because this is the culture that I chose to live in. While I will be paid well, I would not be happy with the fact that there are many who are underpaid. I am not proud of those practices from my fellow Muslims.

Take care now.....

I too agree that what read in the press or see on the 'news' has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

However, how do people learn?

I admit that people are travelling more and so they see for themselves but we have to read and then debate and then make our own conclusions.

My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.

I never do

Always have a variety of sources, weigh the evidence, it's authenticity and provenience then make up my own mind.

"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365

not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the

many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers

were given. Satan - 10."

If you dont see it yourself... dont believe it I say...

an article you may find informative. Written by the same journalist who so vehemently argued against the recent attempt to ban criticism of religions in the UN; I only mention this as it further points out that nothing should be free from scrutiny and criticism - otherwise the carnage in Gaza could also be suppressed.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-dupes-no-we-were-telling-the-truth-1649528.html

"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365

not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the

many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers

were given. Satan - 10."

I always, always say there are good and bad in every race, religion and country.

Respect has to be given to all. I am very old fashioned, my boys always stand up when ANY lady enters the room. They hold doors open for both men and women, simply because that shows respect and good manners to an adult.

If an adult is rude to them after they have shown them respect, all I say is, they could have been having a bad day (whilst fuming).

My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.

“Better to die on one's feet than to live on one's knees.” -Dolores Ibárruri

Although i respect ummjack opinion. But i would never teach my son to accept gays. i'll never teach him either to fear or reject them. It's up to him to determine it himself.

Both my parents share "arab nationalist" ideology.Yet, I've never been taught to hate jews.

Only a man knows what a man needs....fly the flag boys. you use my pole any day..

Your son has just been misled by a Jew hating person. Change schools.. Never judge a person by his or her religion. You should of taught your son these values at home by now. You can teach him its not too late. It is only the minority that believe all they hear, Take him to Israel and let his see how warm and loving the people are there, it’s a great place, let him make up his mind when he see it with his own eyes. Not by some bed time stories by some Jew hating person..

Sorry i forgot to say to ummjake .. Man I take my hat off to you sir,,,,love your work..

apparently the gay scene here is the largest in the middle east, so I hear.. so let's hope you're not too disappointed when you get here!

-------------

"let's slip out of these wet clothes and into a dry martini" Mae West

apparently the gay scene here is the largest in the middle east, so I hear.. so let's hope you're not too disappointed when you get here!

-------------

"let's slip out of these wet clothes and into a dry martini" Mae West

I'm not trying to be rude here, but the Middle East is the place where ALL my gay colleagues and friends love to come and work because they can very easily live their lifestyle here. The strict segregation between men and women here means men are constantly hanging out together, so is it any wonder that many of them have had a homosexual experience, or that even with women they tend to prefer the "rear entrance"?

Here, nobody bats an eye when three different men go into a guy's apartments, and everywhere you go you can see men holding hands together...so for gay men, the Middle East is like Disney World!

The attitude here is also very different than it is back in the States. Here, you're only "gay" if you're the receiver (so men don't perceive themselves as being bi or gay as long as they're sticking it in some other guy). Many men here are "on the down low" as we say back home -- on the surface, happily married, their wife popping out babies like she's s'posed to, meanwhile they have a few different guys on the side they go to for hot sex.

This is part of the hypocrisy I spoke of earlier...

Well expressed, Ummjake. If my son came home spouting stuff about homosexuality being 'haram' I would certainly object to it strongly too.

The fact of homosexuality being found in the animal kingdom is indeed well documented. There are cases of 'gay' animals being found in some colonies. It is (humourously) called the 'science that dares not speak its name'. I do recall an interesting documentary on Showtime (the Arab world satellite network) about this not long ago.

What this fact of nature indicates that it is not the 'unnatural' behaviour moralists have always claimed it to be, since given a free reign, even animals engage in it naturally. Human - and animal - sexuality is so much more complex than just the 'man and woman.. they make baby' narrative which religionists are have been using for centuries.

And homosexuality being condemned in the Christianity and Judaism? Hmm, you may want to check your facts on that one. Sure, the Vatican don't like it, but there is a lot of scholarship to explain why the anti-gay interpretation gained traction over history - gained traction until it was considered a "fact" - but was, in fact, not correct.

Understanding the nature of religion as a way of leveraging power over others really helps to explain why we follow its rituals and ideas with such dedication, even flying in the face of logic, science, or reason.

-------------

"let's slip out of these wet clothes and into a dry martini" Mae West

you'll probably encounter gays in Doha more than any other place.

and this is no exception. :-)

I appreciate your values and beliefs and have no problem if that is what works for you. But they are YOUR values and beliefs, and others don't have to agree or follow them.

While I understand the whole "men and women are meant to be fruitful and multiply" idea, honestly -- I cannot see the human race being in danger of extinction because a small percentage of us choose a same sex partner. If anything, we could use a few more couples like that before we wipe out everything in existence by our sheer numbers!

I am not trying to protect my kids from the good mroals here in Qatar, as you so humorously put it! I would certainly agree that there are many good things about life/culture here (otherwise I wouldn't have stayed here for as long as I have) -- Arab culture values family and loves children, people here are generous to a fault and would gladly give you the shirt off their back, they honor and respect their elders and teachers, etc.

But as in any culture there are also the negative aspects -- the treatment of third country nationals/imported workers; the hypocrisy of wearing their religion on their sleeves and preaching to others about their immoral lifestyle while many of them go out drinking, whoring around; the rampant consumerism brought on by the rapid influx of wealth...

When I mentioned the animal kingdom, I didn't mean they practiced homosexuality to the exclusion of hetero pairing, just that it could be found in several species of the animal kingdom.

There are even cultures in Micronesia where the practice of homosexuality is institutionalized as a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. Village men will take a young pre-pubescent boy as a partner, and the belief is that the boy becomes a man by ingesting semen over the course of time (you can figure out how this happens probably...no need for me to explain further).

My point is that evidence that some of the population follows this lifestyle is around if you look for it, so it IS a natural behavior for some. We're not going to die out as a species. If you think it is an immoral lifestyle, then as I said earlier, don't follow it yourself. Personally, I find the practice of marrying your first cousin kind of creepy...so I'm not going to do it. But I can understand why in this culture many folks DO follow that. I still find it creepy and weird, but as long as I'm not the one doing it, hey -- what do I care?

And if you sincerely believe that it is an immoral decision, and that those who engage in this "disgusting" behavior will meet their fate eventually -- then let God take care of what he should, and you just take care of your own life and the choices you make.

First, thank you for taking the debate with a good spirit. By the way, currently, I live in US, and probably moving to Qatar inthe next 2-months or so. The two of us and the lady who started this thread are going through the same thing in a different spirit. While I am trying to move to Qatar to protect my kids form the type of education and tolerance the west promot (and obviously you do as well), you are trying to protect your kids from the good morals that the society in QA breatch.

I am an educated person with a PhD degree, and very open to tolerate many issues, but nothing againist the human nature or the order of God. While I was so accomodating to avoid the debate about Israel (I am an arab by the way), I would not tolerate the Gays Lesbian issue.

Good created us to Multiply, otherwise, if two men get married and two women get married, and the human raise will disappear. It is immoral issue, and disgusting behaviour.

It is not a matter of why I am bothered by this, it is a matter of moral and religion belive. The three main relgion do disapprove of this. You know the story of the people of prophet Loat (sp!), how good punished them. The story is mentioned in the three holy books.

I would certainly argue againist the animal kingdoom? I have never read, heard, or seen that animals do practice this. Males animals always fight for feamales.

Any culture and society has positives and negatives, and the smart person who try to improve on his qualities. I have been in NA for 18 years, and picked up many of the good qualities that are hear, such as educations, work ethics, honesty, dedications, tolearnce, objectivity, being profissional in all aspect of your life, time keeping, etc. I hope you can be prave enough, and pick on some of the good ethics and morals down there in Qatar, beside the money....

Why does it bother you (or anyone else really) what two consenting adults choose to do with their private romantic/sexual lives? They're not asking you to join in. Just be happy they have found someone to love and care for.

And human nature does not reject such a relationships. Statistics show that 10% of the population are homosexual. There's even evidence of homosexuality being the norm in some parts of the animal kingdom. Do your homework...

My kid isn't being taught this in school. Trust me. If he were, I would yank him out of there so fast your head would spin. He's hearing about it from the other kids in the neighborhood, who hear it from their parents, who subscribe to that notion because their religion dictates it and that's what they've been brought up on.

If that lifestyle is not for you, then don't follow it. Simple enough. Let everyone make their own choices about what works for them.

Think you can handle that?

ummjake, I am really surprised by your arguments trying to explain to your son things that he knows better than you. While I would pass on the Israeli vs Arab (Muslim) issue because it is contravertial, and I don't want to be biase, I am stunned by your answers/arguments about Gays. Your son has the correct info, and I am certain you know that as well. Just your freek education and being politically correct prevent you from saying the truth. If you are a christian or a Jewsih, you know that the bible or old testement do not approve of this. If you don't have a religion, you know that human nature does reject such a relationship.

Your kid is being tought the correct things at school, while you are manipulating them....

I think that politicians on both sides are responsible for civilian victims on both sides. I can't deceive myself and others by blaming Israel only because I am a muslim or an arab

Tell her that Israel kicks ass. There at least one persons defending Israel.

*yawn, yawn*, moving on...

mo lang!

ISRAEL IS A TERRORIST REGIME

Follow the link which is self explanatory

http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20090327260604400.htm

BOYCOTT ISRAEL- The Sponsor of Terrorism

I enjoy reading this thread, the grand majority points at Israel as the big bad wolf.

The problem you got, is too many personifications.

All dress as sheep, the inside of those dresses of sheep, they are just deceiving and nastier werewolves.

If God dropped acid, would he see people? -- George Carlin

Tell your son, just focus on his studies.

Olivka ....

Why only Jewish, Leb, Palestin, American ?

Its all mothers and fathers in this world love their children watever country the belongs to ?

I would follow Umm Jake's path, but also explain that Israel produces creatures like Tzipeee. (swooooooooooon)

You have to tell your kid:

Never never blame the people and the country. The war - it's political issues and government responsibilities.

Jewish people are kind, religious and the most educated people in the world. They don't kill babies. The government does. One government provokes, the other replies.

NEVER NEVER teach you kids to hate JUST PEOPLE!!!

JEWISH, LEBANESE, PALESTINIANS, AMERICANS babies are cute and sweet and all JEWISH, LEBANESE, PALESTINIANS, AMERICANS mothers and fathers love their children!!!

base, you could simply explain that there are bad people in the world everywhere, not only in Israel.(for parents, i think, this is perhaps the saddest realization you could get-- that your child will be growing up in a world so screwed and f up that humans are treated like s*t in some parts of the world) truly sad indeed. btw, base make sure you know the school of your child and its environment. it would help if you placed here in a tolerant environment.

mo lang!

Truth shall remain a truth....... you have to realize pain and agony of your fellow brothers and sisters.

BOYCOTT ISRAEL- The Sponsor of Terrorism

you would realize how ridiculously infantile your arguments sound -- much like the logic that a child would use.

The world is not black and white; shades of gray are everywhere you look. And as we live in an increasingly globalized society, where we do bump elbows with those from other countries, religions, races, and cultures, it might be a smart idea to crack open that mind of yours just a little and try looking at things from other's vantage points, instead of just digging your heels in further and calling everyone who disagrees with you false and fake.

Advocate when you were at school did you ever have to do a debate on a subject you didn't like?

I think it is good if schools do this as it forces you to look at other peoples values, and just because you think they are silly, etc they are still their values and how you can more effectively have a dialogue.

While agreeing in totality with your first post “tell him when there is a war, everybody kills everybody. Tell him the WAR is BAD! tell him everyone should live in peace” I disagree with the second one.

When there is a war people are killed……. The bullet fired does not take care that victim belongs to which religion.

I cant stress more…. But let me tell you that I believe in taking consideration of roots problem rather than just consequences thereof.

Zionist Israel is responsible for the present crisis…… that’s all! And if you kill someone…… expect same reaction from other end.

I take my hats off to you UMM!

advocatefk.. you are funny..why only israel? it sounds like no any country does the same while involved in the war...It sounds like all other armies never killed 1 civilian.. it sounds like lebanon never killed 1 israelian baby.. it sounds like palestain never killed 1 israelian baby. WAR IS BAD AND WRONG! Instead of blaming on one/few particular countries, world should understand that the only way to stop killing babies of any country is to LIVE IN PEACE. there is NO ANY OTHER WAY!

*********************

“You become responsible forever for what you have tamed”. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

tell him when there is a war, everybody kills everybody. Tell him the WAR is BAD! tell him everyone should live in peace.

*********************

“You become responsible forever for what you have tamed”. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

aLSO, it might be a good time to explain judaism anyway- it's Purim season and that's a fun jewish holiday :) I mean, you can't avoid learning about Islam here, may as well slot in the other religions too!

I'd explain both sides- and that neither are right. It's an opportunity to help teach him possibly about how to draw his own conclusions, when presented with all sides of an issue. I remember vividly my parents doing the same with me when it came to nuclear weapons (I was the only five year old who could tell you what Hiroshima was and why it was bad- hippy parents), the situation in Rwanda in 1994, apartheid, etc etc. THe fact is this country DOES have a huge slant, and i think it's important for anyone, kid or adult, to think critically about things.

Its kinda scary how early the brainwashing begins, and because of that there is no concept of debate.

kids will be kids, but its grown up's who needs to be more responsible. My daughter goes to one of the leading International school in Doha, where Muslim children are in minority. When she told her friends about her trip to Saudi Arab in spring break, one of the kids told her not to go because the ppl are bad there. she took the matter to the teacher and he confirmed it for her by saying yes there are bad ppl in Saudi. Now as a teacher, it beats me how he could be so irresponsible. A grown up should not feed these hate thoughts to children. So I had to explain me 7 yr old how there are good and bad in every part of the world, and every religion, we just avoid bad ones and stick with good ones. I thought raising children in mulsim country will be eaiser for me, but i guess raising kids is not easy no matter where you are.

what every other country/race/religious groups does, too.

C'mon -- quit being so narrow-minded, advocate! The Israelis are not the big bad boogeymen of the planet. Just as Dano said, no group in the world is innocent of offenses. So condemning only them is misleading.

Perhaps I should have said to my son "Yes, they have killed some babies...but only after Hamas and Hezbollah sent men strapped with bombs into their towns and markets to kill many people, and then hid out in people's houses using their families and children as human shields."

Maybe THAT would have been more accurate.

I know where you stand on the issue, advocate. There's no need to hijack yet ANOTHER thread so you can spout the same old speech. This thread was addressed to those of us who are parents, who are struggling to raise our kids in an environment where hatred of Israelis and Jews is pretty universal.

Do you even have any kids?

Move along now....

is when the teachers at school are the ones trying to spout their propaganda to the children.

grandkruizer I assume you forgot to add that practically every country, race or religion in the world has a history of doing exactly the same thing, some still are

Totally agree with you Mandi...it's a sensitive issue

I think I might try to defuse the specifics of the question and focus on "what is war." Explain why war is wrong and use the example of children being killed as a reason why we must all work to bring about peace. That way you don't have to take sides in a we/they, Israel/Lebanon discussion at this point.

Mandi

thats wonderful because a young child's mind needs to be moulded into a proper one and the circumstances and environment he lives in is a major factor in that.

I would make sure that he remains as neutral as possible and when he grows up, then he can take sides

that was nice... i admire you that you have shown your son the two other sides of the coin...yes, it's really tough raising our kids here..

but I do like the way Umm handled it.

I have a friend, she is from England her husband from Lebanon.

Her son when it was coming up to national day told her that in NO WAY was he going to have anything to do with Lebanon because his friends did not like Arabs.

This boys goes to one of the 'supposed' best schools in Doha.

I told my friend, that if that was my kid, they would have gone to school with a Cedar strapped to their hand, some Lebanese food and Union Jack underpants.

My thoughts are my own, but I doubt my Mum would agree with some of them.

wouldn't that be biased?

My son was playing with some neighborhood kids and they had said to him that Israeli planes were going to drop bombs on everyone and that they kill people when they find them...got him really wound up and scared.

So I explained to him that the other kids were Muslim, and they they believed certain things that we didn't necessarily believe in. They don't they don't eat pork, we do; we believe in Santa, they don't; etc.

I then went on to explain about how some countries fight and go to war with one another and people get hurt and killed and it's never nice, but it happens. And hopefully soldiers try to be as careful as they can, but sometimes women and kids and old people and animals get hurt and killed by accident. It's sad but it happens.

And then I explained that some of our best family friends are Jewish and/or Israelis, and I asked if he knew that (no, he didn't), and then I said that I didn't think that our friends were bad people at all (he agreed), and so I didn't think it was fair for people to say that ALL Israelis were bad. That there were good and bad people everywhere, all over the world.

He kind of got the idea...

But it IS tough raising kids here...and I know I am going to have to constantly fight this battle, because he will hear it from kids every single year -- on the playground, in class, everywhere.

BTW, we had to do this song-and-dance on another controversial issue: homosexuality. My son came home one day and announced that when a man loves another man and gets married to him, it's "haram" (LOL -- he didn't even know what that word meant!). So off I went on my soapbox, trying to explain to him MY point of view that there is nothing wrong with any two adults who love one another...and that when he grows up, he can decide for himself what he thinks is right and wrong about a lot of things. And that in the meantime, he will hear a lot of different ideas, but that doesn't necessarily make any of them correct or mean that he has to agree with them, even with ideas that I subscribe to.

Whew! It's tough being a parent!!

...

Tell him the truth. Israel kills babies and civilians. The whole world knows it.

Change schools to mix with children that know better?