Remembering a few terms from junior high school
geography like Mesopotamia, Babylonia, and The Fertile Crescent,
I jumped on the world's greatest research library to stir my recollections.
The Fertile Crescent is a rich food-growing area that
begins on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, and curves around like a quarter
moon to the Persian Gulf. Some of the best farmland of the Fertile Crescent is in a
narrow strip of land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The Greeks called this
region Mesopotamia, which means "between the rivers."
Many different civilizations developed in this small
region. First came the Sumerians, who were replaced in turn by the Assyrians and the
Babylonians. Today this land is known as Iraq and is ruled by the dictator Saddam
Hussein. What we know today as Baghdad was once the great walled city of Babylon,
one of the seven wonders of the world.
What developed in this area between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers from about 6000-3000 B.C. were the beginnings of western civilization.
Here the warrior peoples of Assyria reigned with a fearsome hand over Sumerian and
Babylonian culture. In their wake were produced systems of writing and communication,
literature, a codified set of laws, a calendar and system for ascertaining time.
Wheeled vehicles became common — and water management evolved into irrigation
dams, drains and basins.
As I watch scenes of death and destruction on
television, I'm reminded of childhood schooling and how this land has been fought
over many times before. There is still a huge debate running through my head about
whether the American-led liberation of Iraq was the right thing to do. However, now
that we are there, I'm in full support of our service men and women. I hope that our
leaders, both political and military, will remember the history, culture,
and spirituality of this "cradle of civilization."
Dear friend
Jann, wrote a short prayer
yesterday that describes my feelings exactly, "... to any God that will listen: Protect
the innocent. Eradicate the guilty. Do all things honoring humanity."
