Letters: Fighting hate and antisemitism requires us to seek to understand others

Chicago Tribune

8 hours ago

We fear what we do not know, and we hate what we fear. The recent attacks on Jews in Colorado and Washington D.C., along with the continuing slaughter of civilians in Gaza, indicate that the killers likely knew little about their victims, except that those people are somehow the 'enemy'. It is easy to dehumanize a person if you cannot recognize him or her as being like yourself in some way. In our world the hard thing to do, the courageous thing to do, is to reach out and attempt to understand others, especially those who seem to be our enemies. However, to end the violence that is what we must do.The recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, has once again shaken our collective conscience. As we grapple with the pain of another senseless act of violence, we are reminded of the urgent need for justice and unity in our society. No grievance, real or imagined, can ever justify harming innocent lives. Violence is never the answer.
As members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, we categorically condemn any act of violence, regardless of the motivation behind it. Our response is grounded in our guiding principle: 'Love for all, hatred for none.' This is not a mere slogan — it is the foundation of our beliefs, rooted in the teachings of Islam as exemplified by the holy Prophet Muhammad, and revived in our era by the promised messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.
The Holy Qur'an teaches us: 'Whosoever killed a person … it shall be as if he had killed all mankind' (5:33)
Muhammad showed this very example when he forgave the people of Mecca who had persecuted him for years. He entered the city in victory without raising a sword in vengeance. That act of mercy transformed enemies into brothers.
Likewise, the promised messiah instructed his followers to adopt nonviolence even when wronged. He said: 'Our weapon is only prayer.'
What happened in Boulder is tragic. Whether the attacker claimed to act in the name of religion, revenge, or any other ideology, we say clearly: this act was not righteous, it was not brave, and it was certainly not Islamic.
We offer our heartfelt prayers to the victims and their families. We pray for healing for the wounded, solace for the grieving, and wisdom for our leaders as they work to maintain justice and peace. We also pray for the attacker and all who harbor hatred in their hearts — that God may guide them away from darkness toward the light of peace.
Let us all stand united against violence, not just in word but in action. The best way to honor the victims of violence is to ensure that hatred does not have the last word. As Ahmadis, we will continue to uphold our motto — not only when it is easy but especially when it is hard.
Love for all, hatred for none. That is our answer. That is our mission.As Eid-al-Adha, or the festival of sacrifice arrives, we are reminded of the beautiful story behind this celebration — the story of a prophet and his son. Prophet Abraham's example, honored across many faiths, inspires us to adopt humility and selflessly serve others, while at the same time creating unity and spreading love and compassion around the world.President Donald Trump's latest moves with the foreign aid budget appear to cut against his own stated agenda. The president has stated that humanitarian assistance and controlling infectious diseases such as tuberculosis are legitimate purposes for foreign aid, yet he proposes cutting global health spending.
Included in the budget proposal is no request for either the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria or the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunization (GAVI). Both the Global Fund and GAVI have saved millions of lives and continue to do so. Cutting support for them will only lead to more need for emergency humanitarian assistance and increase the threat of infectious diseases around the world and thus also to the USA.
Global health programs have long enjoyed bipartisan support, so we do not need a Democratic Congress to restore the funds and our commitment to health security. This Congress can do so, if they recognize and reject the long-term costly excesses that have been proposed in the name of 'efficiency'.Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee 'No one has died because of USAID cuts.' There are multiple confirmed cases of deaths of children in Africa due to loss of food or medicine or closing of medical clinics following drastic aid cuts. It is hard to know how many people have died since the organizations that would keep track of these statistics were also closed due to cuts. Brooke Nichols, a Boston University mathematician has projected that 300,000 deaths may have occurred globally from the discontinuation of funding for HIV/AIDS, malaria, malnutrition, clean water and food aid. Her model estimates 103 deaths per hour. These are people that used to be kept alive by aid from the United States.
— John Regan, Lemont
While attending my son's T-ball game, I struck up a conversation with the man sitting next to me. During our chat, he mentioned that he had attended Carl Sandburg High School. I casually shared that my father had gone there as well. When he asked my father's last name and I replied 'Sabo,' his eyes lit up. 'Phil?' he asked in disbelief. When I confirmed, he was amazed — he had been my dad's catcher, and my dad had been his left-handed pitcher on the 1963 Carl Sandburg baseball team.
As it turns out, for more than 25 years, members of that very team have been meeting for lunch every Wednesday without fail. My dad was one of the few teammates they had lost touch with over the years, and this chance encounter reconnected him with a long-lost group of friends. The man was overjoyed to learn that Phil Sabo was alive and well.
Since that day, my father has become a regular at the weekly gatherings of the Carl Sandburg baseball alumni. Now in their late 70s, these men have maintained a remarkable tradition of camaraderie and loyalty. Among them is Al Budding, the former team captain and a distinguished coach who was inducted into the Moraine Valley Community College Baseball Hall of Fame after coaching there from 1987 to 2005.
Keep an eye out for this incredible group of teammates — you might spot them around the South suburbs every Wednesday, celebrating a lifelong bond built on baseball, friendship, and shared memories.