No War on Iran

PEACE, LOVE, RESPECT, AND UNDERSTANDING

NO WAR ON IRAN

To desire peace, to have freedom, justice, and democracy, to respect human rights, to wish for the happiness of one's family, and to seek secure and safe life are all the shared sentiments of people everywhere.

And the most important question is: Can wars bring all these shared sentiments?

The human being's historical experience shows that the answer is clearly negative.

And yet, human history has been stained without ceasing by the horror of war and meaningless suffering. Despite the bitter lessons of millennia of blood and tears, humanity remains unable to free itself from the shackles of folly and hatred. There is no parent anywhere who does not grieve at the death of a child in the war.

So the following question arises:

How, then, can we transform enmity into empathy and conflict into coexistence?

The only answer that I always find is: to respect our cultures and civilizations, to learn from each other, to understand our common sentiments, and spread love among all nations. Therefore, it depends on every culture's ambassadors (particularly artists) how to promote peace and love, mutual respect, and understanding.

We are all from the Earth. This is what is materialized in the following poems of the great Persian poet, Saadi, who says:

The children of Adam are limbs of each other

Having been created of one essence.

When the calamity of time afflicts one limb

The other limbs cannot remain at rest.

If thou hast no sympathy for the troubles of others

Thou art unworthy to be called by the name of a man.

Wars are disasters! We must not beat the drums of war!

War is caused by people. It is, therefore, up to people whether they create a world of peace or not. Let's have a peaceful life for ourselves, our children, and the next generations! Let's promote kindness and courtesy, as Hafiz, the shining star of rich Persian literature, says:

The ease of two worlds is the explanation of these two words:

With friends, kindness; with enemies, courtesy

I, as a drummer, invite all artists of the world to unite and start a new peace campaign before it is too late!

Peyman Nasehpour

Date of Publication: March, 21. 2004.