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Forgive your enemy

By no means should any crime go unnoticed. The severity of the crime will determine the severity of the punishment. But at the same time, justice will have its toll on the criminal for whatever they have done. And for this, forgiveness is a must at some point in time. 

Last year seven Israeli Arabs who have been identified as affiliated with al-Qaida and Global Jihad allegedly murdered a taxi driver. In addition to this, the Arabs were arrested for potentially carrying out a series of terrorist attacks, according to the Shin Bet, which is the Israel Security Agency. 

Between May 11 and June 21, a joint police-Shin Bet operation resulted in the arrests of Ahmed Ahmed, 21, Jalib Jenam, 26, Wassim Allam, 23, Khidar Ziddana, 22, Ahbed Abu-Salim, 19, Adi Azzam, 23 and Oman Kakhibi, 22. The head of Amakim Police’s Central Unit Avi Elgrisi even went so far to say “this is one of the most dangerous cells we have uncovered.” Their targets were Christians and the US. 

On Monday all seven were indicted at the Haifa District Court. Although the investigation was originally centered on two suspects, it eventually opened up to the total of seven suspects with more arrests in connection with the investigation probably. 

The Shin Bet will continue the investigation as it was found after the murder that Ahmed and Janam attempted to travel to an al-Qaida training camp in Somalia. Their intentions were to join the fight against the Christian “heretics” while continuing the war against the U.S. Before they could act on the plan, they were barred from entering Somalia at the Kenyan border. 

Move to Kabul, Afghanistan where 10 Christians were brutally murdered at point blank range for no reason whatsoever. Six Americans, a Briton, a German and four Afghans were just wrapping up a pleasant picnic in the Sharrun Valley located high in the Hindu Kush mountains in the northern part of Afghanistan. 

As they began the trek back home following a three-week hike on foot to deliver free medical care to the furthest region of the country, the aid workers were ambushed by gunmen with long dyed-red beards according to police. The gunmen took them hostage into the forest, stood them in a line and shot 10 of them one by one as police found the bodies on Friday. Seven men and three women sadly had their last meal at that picnic. 

Finally, go to Iraqi forces where they have begun to enter a building telling parishioners “We will save you.” At this moment a suicide bomber sets off his explosives creating an earth-shattering blast to the church. By the end of the siege at Our Lady of Salvation church on Sunday night, 58 people were dead and 78 wounded. 

How can anyone look at these events and actually forgive those who caused so much pain, grief, turmoil and death on the lives of innocent Christians? But in Matthew 5:44, it asks for those who persecute the Christians to be forgiven. While justice is more than necessary, forgiveness cannot be absent.