To the Editor:
Boston University encourages student expression and involvement in community and world affairs. Our right to expression as students is enshrined in our nation’s founding principles of freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of speech. When one of these rights is violated, it is a crime against the student body of BU.
On Tuesday, Nov. 27, pro-Israel students at Boston University voiced their free speech by planting 1,200 flags in the ground outside of Hillel. These flags represented the 12,000 rockets fired by Hamas at Israeli civilians over the last 10 years. Also, signs were displayed that represented and called for hope in this new peace process for Israel and the Palestinian people. The display was intended to stay up for approximately a week. The intent was to promote dialogue in our community. This was done with permission from not only the Hillel House but also from BU’s Buildings and Grounds Department. By the morning of Nov. 28, the flags were stolen.
Wherever you stand on the Middle East conflict, as Boston University students we must stand united in our outrage and condemnation of this spiteful desecration of a peaceful display.
On a personal note, I want peace. I believe we all do. But I am worried. I am scared. How can the promotion of peace be supplemented with vandalism and theft? If we can’t even encourage dialogue 5,470 miles away, at Boston University, how can we expect to achieve peace in the Middle East?
Kimberly Zar
CAS 2016
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Kimberly, beautiful sentiment. May Israel soon see peace and may her Arab neighbors focus on building up their own economies instead of seeking to destroy others.