Triangle groups unite to provide for "Doctors Without Borders"

At a press conference rally Tuesday, Christians, Jews and Muslims from the Triangle formed a coalition to oppose further violence and bloodshed in Lebanon and Gaza.

The coalition launched a fundraising campaign for "Doctors Without Borders" to provide medical assistance in Lebanon.

"This war has led to a severe loss of life, a lot of people have died and many homes were destroyed," Associate Professor of history, Akram Khater said. "Israel and Hezbollah debate over who won, but the civilians are the ones who lost."

Khater also said the conflict is an Arab and Israeli one, and one that must have Arab and Muslim negotiations.

"I'm glad that joining programs like this can happen. It shows that the war is there and not here," Ben Mazur, a sophomore in statistics and Jewish student, said. "There is no reason for any American Jew, American Muslim or Arab to have any quarrels with each other."

The loss of life on both sides of the conflict between July and August 2006 totaled 1,660, and more than 1 million were displaced.

Nahed Alsous, a speaker of the event, said when war broke out in southern Lebanon, her mother-in-law was forced to flee to Beirut then to a refugee camp in Demascus.

"She was in between a bomb and a hard place; stay at home and risk getting hit by a bomb or leaving and getting hit by a bomb on the road," she said. "A normal 2-hour drive from Beirut to Damascus took eight hours for my family because the roads and bridges were so badly bombed."

The coalition emphasized that peace can only be achieved through dialogue that judiciously addresses all the core issues and by win-win negotiations with all involved parties.

The group said it believes the only possible lasting solution is an immediate revitalization and conclusion of complete Arab-Israeli peace on the basis of all the outstanding UN resolutions and other aspects of international law and basic human rights.

"We are tired of the ongoing conflict and destruction," Khodr Zaarour, political director of the Muslim American Public Affairs Council, said. "It is time for people of different faiths to work together to build something positive."

The coalition has raised $10,000 for "Doctors Without Borders," according to the coalition.

"We chose 'Doctors Without Borders' because they were already in the area and are neutral as far as government," Zaarour said.

Tom Stern, coordinating member of Jews for A Just Peace-NC, said citizens in the Triangle need to work together as a community and work for humanitarian aid to help create peace for the Lebanese, Israelis and Palestinians.

"This coalition is here to help with the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, support a real, lasting, and just peace between the Israelis, Palestinians, and Lebanese and we oppose further military actions in that area," he said.