Jihad is not for children

Peace in the Middle East. It sounds so exotic and strange. Like a mirage someone dying in the desert might see. What path do we take to arrive at the magical time and place known as "Peace in the Middle East?"\nWe need to start with the children. If we teach peace to children today they will practice it in the future. Unfortunately not everyone is teaching their children that peace is the ultimate goal. The Palestinian Authority incites children to kill, not to compromise and reach peace. The statement, "remember the final and inevitable result will be the victory of the Muslims over the Jews," appeared in "Our Arabic Language," a fifth grade textbook approved by the Palestinian Authority. These are not the kinds of words that encourage peace and co-existence.\nWe can also take a look at a textbook approved by the Palestinian Authority for sixth-graders. "The honorable soul has but two objectives: Achieving death and honor," is taken from Abd al-Rahim Mahmud's "Song of the Martyr."\nThe textbooks in Palestinian schools don't show Israel on the map. A seventh grade textbook "lughatuna Al-Arabia" refers to Israel as "the gang state."\nThese are not the kinds of messages children should be taught. By teaching these kinds of things to children, the Palestinian Authority is laying the foundation for a type of extremism that will harm the peace process in unfathomable ways.\nThe extortion of children's minds leads to one thing -- more deaths of innocent people. Don't take my word for it. Listen to Arafat's own words: "With our soul and blood we will redeem you Palestine."\nThe Palestinian Authority media are a tool of incitement as well. "My goal is not to be injured, but rather something higher: Martyrdom," a thirteen year old Palestinian told the Palestinian Authority newspaper Al-Hayat - Al-Jadida, Nov. 8, 2000. One can argue the newspaper reaches only adults so the incitement in the paper doesn't involve children, but the Palestinian Authority TV does reach children. A program sponsored by the Palestinian Authority called "The Children's Club" appears to be a normal children's program. The programming on the show is anything but regular. In one episode a young girl about seven years old sings, "O my sister sing constantly about my life as a suicide warrior." One commercial even urges children to put down their toys and pick up rocks to throw at Israelis.\nWhile kids here in the states are going to summer camp, kids living under the Palestinian Authority are going to a whole different kind of camp. They are going to summer camps to learn how to kill Israelis and handle guns, according to Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch.\nIt doesn't matter what your political viewpoints of the Middle East are, inciting children to kill is wrong. Jihad is not good for children. For more information regarding the use of children as weapons, check out www.opsick.com. To find out how the Palestinian media have been used as a tool of hate and incitement against the Israelis and Americans, check out www.pmw.org.il. If you are still not convinced, check out www.memri.org for information on incitement throughout the whole Middle East.