Religion’s Role in Battling Terrorism

The abuse of language concerning recent Mideast events has created a prism of distortion through which America views the latest developments and it causes us to perceive a dangerously twisted image of reality. Israel’s most recent blow against international terrorism with its capture of Sheik Obeid cannot be called a “kidnaping”.

I would like to invite public attention to the fact that in common English parlance, criminals are captured, seized, arrested, or apprehended; not kidnaped. Only innocent people are kidnaped. We are allowing ourselves to be trapped by the semantic deceptions of terrorism if we accept a label such as “kidnapers” when referring to Israel. We continue surrendering our moral values and our linguistic autonomy when we refer to Sheik Obeid as a “hostage”. He is an accessory to murder who enjoyed total immunity until Israel acted with dazzling brilliance and surgical precision. Only innocent individuals are termed “hostages.” Obeid is a prisoner.

RABBI IRVIN BRANDWEIN

Temple Beth Emet

Anaheim