Can You Forgive Your Father's Murderer?

Can you forgive your father's murderer? Can you hold your child's lifeless body in your hands and not harness extreme grief and rage? Can you hear the screams of your mother as death grasps her spirit and not look for revenge? On September 11th, 2,740 Americans died by the hands of people who had perverted the faith of Islam to do their own bidding. 

Filled with patriotism and pride, we rose to avenge the deaths of our fallen citizens in the deadliest attack on American soil in our young history. As an American, I did not only feel like we should go avenge our citizens, but that it was our RIGHT to defend our fallen citizens. Gallantly, we shipped our troops off to fight the good fight for freedom and I hoped that our troops would show no mercy towards the ones that caused my country so much pain. I think till' this day I haven't really wrapped my mind around how many Americans died on 9/11. One person dying violently is already a travesty on earth, but for 2, 740 Americans to die at one time, some from the crash, others from jumping out of the burning world trade centers, and even more from the collapse of those same buildings is catastrophically horrific if ever there was a meaning to those words. As a Christian, I asked myself the questions, am I not my brother's keeper? Is it not our duty as a nation to step up and fight for what we believe in? I would turn on the TV and see bombs being dropped all over Afghanistan and would not bat an eye. "14 dead after airstrike" would be an afterthought as I changed the channel back to the Laker game. Death in this case was our sweetest revenge. Unfortunately I, and many others, did not look deeper into our faith to see the horrible mistake we made. When Judas betrayed Jesus on the fateful night, did Jesus smite him down? Did he curse his name or ask God to look down upon him? We say the prayer all the time, "and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us" yet we failed in our most dire need to actually follow these words. As humans can we forgive our father's murderer? And this is where the cycle begins. 

With every passing day, more and more Innocent Iraqi people die. 654,945 Iraqi citizens have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war. Six hundred and fifty four thousand, nine hundred and forty five Iraqis have been killed, accounting for almost 2.5 percent of Iraq. Relatively speaking, that's equal to every citizen in the city of Atlanta, Georgia dying in a 5-6 year period. 654, 945 Iraqi different family stories. Thousands of fathers dying in front of the eyes of their children. Tens of thousands of Families staring at their child's lifeless body in unbelievable grief and pain. Tens of thousands of Iraqi families seeing death grasp the lives of their mothers. And when the dust clears and they wipe the tears from their eyes, they look up and see American soldiers. 

Can you ever forgive your father's murderer? 

No one is there to explain to them that 5-6 years ago there was an attack on American soil leading to death of 2,740 Americans. No one there to explain to them that we believed they had weapons of mass destruction. Stepping over their families dead remains they will forever hold that pain in their hearts. And as pain burrows itself deep into his heart. Revenge creeps through their heart and is evident in the fire burning in their eyes. 

After our American troops leave Iraq and come back to our country, the Iraq children are still left with the images of their dead relatives. With revenge in their hearts, they plot attacks to avenge their families. And blinded by the same revenge that we as Americans harnessed after 9/11, the Iraqi children will seek blood to avenge their blood. The cycle of death... 

"How do you forgive the murderer of your father"- Lupe Fiasco 

..Imeabasi..