Bombs for Ramadan: bad chalking, good policy

By David Ziegler

Before I begin, I just want to say that I don’t support the chalking “Bombs for Ramadan” either, but only because it is being facetious about something that is in no way funny.

It is truly time for all of us to wake up, get out of bed, shut off the annoyingly loud alarm clock, brush our teeth, take a shower, put on clothes and get with the program. The real basis for the argument that our lovable (not really) peace mongering Wesleyan students make that the United States should not continue bombing the Taliban during the holy month of Ramadan is their belief that the United States should not be bombing the Taliban in the first place. They would have us ignore entirely that, in 1973, Syria and Egypt launched a surprise attack on Israel during the month of Ramadan as well as on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar (Israelis term this war the “Yom Kippur War” whereas Arab Muslim’s term this war the “Ramadan War”).

“Hold on, so you’re saying there was an actual military engagement (with a large amount of casualties to both sides) that is termed the Ramadan War?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“Isn’t that kind of an oxymoron though? I mean, I’ve been hearing all this talk coming from the Muslim/Arab world that the United States better not keep up the bombing of Afghanistan during the holy month of Ramadan. If a military action on Ramadan is so unbelievable, how could they do it themselves?”

“True, but, I guess when the situation is changed, people can conveniently forget history and be outraged at things that they did themselves when they felt so inclined (no, don’t try and pathetically twist this sentence to absolve those who perpetrated the September 11th crisis. We are not waging this war over rage, but to prevent further large-scale attacks). I guess I’m just worried that Osama Bin Laden won’t stop planning more attacks during the month. If he can justify staying true to his religion and killing three to five thousand innocent people then he can sure as hell justify planning an attack during a holy time.”

But wait, we’re still hung up on the issue of war and bombs, two things that just don’t sit well with anyone. So let’s take a step back to something we all can relate to, like WesWings Spicy Fries. Okay, here’s the neutral example; last month, a good friend of mine bought me an order of spicy fries, but it was during the second Tuesday of the month, a day of each month that is especially holy for both of us, one during which we both refuse to eat anything greasy. I ended up eating them though, because I just really like Spicy Fries. A few days ago this friend bought me another order of Spicy Fries, out of the blue. I was like, wow; they were amazing fries. I really wanted to repay him by getting him his own order of fries, but there was a problem; he was going to study abroad and he was leaving the next day. So I got online; I had my Wes ID out, ready to pay for the fries when I realized, damn, it was the second Tuesday of the month. But I really wanted to get him the fries and he had shown me that his feelings were not all that strong by eating them on that past Tuesday, so I bought them for him.

Just so you all know, I don’t really have a Tuesday like that. That’d be pretty damn weird.

I have one side-note though; the ability to dissent is defended (as it should be) in our Constitution, but do not take this liberty and trash it at the same time. To say “to bomb the people of Afghanistan during Ramadan is terrorism” is just offensive and ridiculous. To equate the United States with a terrorist organization is preposterous; don’t “litmus-test” our current or past government over one issue (we have saved millions of lives in our government’s history). America is an amazing place, despite its faults; just don’t forget that one fact. To not continue bombing because of Ramadan would just be naïve, stupid and further slow down an already lethargic war.

 

 

Ziegler is a member of the class of 2005.