Why The Israeli Flag?

Why is the Israeli flag on a website founded by a Lebanese national one might ask? Considering that Israel is considered a national enemy in Lebanon.

The answer is that I believe that it takes heroic strength of mind, larger than Life selflessness, and great nobility of heart and soul to love one's enemy.

How is something contrary to human nature possible? My answer is that it is possible if one tries. "Love your enemy" taught Jesus and "Pray for those that persecute you".

Petty souls hate. Great minds feel nausea and disgust. However, the greatest teachers of mankind, they felt compassion.

At its root I believe Hate arises from an assertion of the egoistic separate self, from attachment to earthly possessions, from illusory concepts of fear, security, happiness, from selfish Desire as Buddha would put it.

An epiphany once hit me: If you love your enemy, they are your enemy no more. And more recently, I figured a deeper meaning of the Islamic shahada (testimony)
of "La iLaha iLLa l'Allah" (there is no god but God): it means that if you love money more than God, or if you hate someone in your heart, even if it is your enemy, then there is a place in your heart where you have set up an idol, the idol of money or hate, instead of filling that place with love for God. Same as Jesus's teaching of loving one's enemy and his story of the good Samaritan.

Mahatman Ghandi put it using his beautiful words. He said:

"I do not want to hate them for flaws that I too possess. I want to change their minds."

To change their minds gentlemen. If you believe someone wronged you, they probably did it out of ignorance of which were all are/were guilty of at some point in our lives.

The crucified Christ prayed on the cross: "Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing".

I am a Lebanese national who hopes I will one day be able to drive down a long coastal highway stretching from North Lebanon all the way to Alexandria, Egypt passing through Israel and Palestine. I don't just hope ofcourse, I work toward spreading this vision of peace and tolerance.

Rami E. Cremesti BS, MS

Founder - AMALID