Hello, this is Blase Bonpane with a comment.

The United Republic of the Middle East The present government of the United Republic of the Middle East was formed after much unnecessary pain and suffering. The cause of over a half-century of war is identified as an outdated attempt to manipulate politics under the banner of religion.

Separatism in an age of globalized solidarity was counterproductive to any hope of human rights and social justice. Palestinians formed an inter-religious unity among their Christian and Islamic people. Israel identified its fundamentalists as an obstacle to unity comparing them to both Christian and Islamic fanatics. The Israeli peace movement became a majority denouncing nuclear weapons and militarism as clearly suicidal. Israel joined the Republic together with Palestine.

If demagogical religious manipulation continued, it was clear that Sunni would fight Shiia forever so Iran and Iraq became members of the United Republic of the Middle East. Jordan was quick to join the Union, as was Lebanon with a mix of Maronite Christians, Islamics and Druse. Syria did not want to become an international ghetto, so it joined the union as did the family states of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The birth of this new republic in 2002 was sparked as the Israeli people rejected the continuing military oppression of Palestine. Islamic states also accepted the conviction that religion cannot be the basis of a functional polity.

History proves that such efforts only lead to inquisition, exclusion and violence. Non- Zionist Jews rejoiced in the realization that they would no longer be marginalized from their ethnicity by a nineteenth century ideology. Nonreligious Jews, Islamics and Christians rejoiced to know that they would no longer have their lives curtailed by religious taboos. Millions of Islamic, Jewish and Christian women celebrated their new found equal rights with men.

The constitution of the United Republic of the Middle East is no longer based on disputed sacred texts. Separation of Church and State became a reality which protects the practice of all religions:

The new republic borrowed the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. Another component was borrowed from Article Six of the Constitution, Section three; "…No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United Republic of the Middle East." Contemporary polities must be based on social justice and human rights. Public policy is properly derived from sociology, not religious doctrine.

What about the Holy City of the three Abrahamic religions, Islam, Judaism and Christianity? Jerusalem remains and as international shrine to the separation of church and state. Just think only eighteen years ago, in 2002, the Middle East was enmeshed in The politics of terror and hysteria. Today, in 2020, it is a functional and prosperous United Republic of the Middle East, which rejoices in religious freedom and tolerance. If This new republic had not been visualized, it never would have become a reality.

Another World is possible. Let us love one another.

For a free copy of this commentary, call the Office of the Americas at 213/852-9808 or visit the OOA web site at http://OfficeOfTheAmericas.org.

This is Blase Bonpane.