The Reverend John Hubers, apparently failing to realize what a complete ass he's making of himself, elected to extend his "dialogue" with Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA. You can find my synopsis of the beginning and middle of this story here. This is, hopefully, the end.
Hi, Aaron,
I would be interested if you have time in getting into a dialogue about what the Israeli government is doing on the West Bank. We visited several refugee camps and also were informed about the Wall that is being built in such a way that it becomes yet another land grab by your government. I have seen that you are committed to getting out the truth about what is happening in the Middle East. I'm wondering if that extends to what your own government is doing on the West Bank in terms of destroying peoples' homes and livlihoods in the name of security.
And by the way, sir, when did you stop beating your wife? But I digress. The paragraph that follows the above example of honest and open-minded inquiry is the one that really blows me away.
Does your desire to get the truth out extend here, as well? I would be interested to hear your take on this at least partly because we didn't have the chance to meet Israelis on this trip except those young soldiers who threaten people at the checkpoints. One of the reasons I was so tentative in responding to your query about our trip to Syria, in fact, was because I got your first note while we were in Jerusalem and my experience with your security apparatus was anything but welcoming. I took your first note more as a threat than as a desire to learn the truth.
Let's review. The Reverend lies about the content of his conversation with President Assad ("We did meet with the president but studiously avoided all politcal matters. We spoke only of Christian Muslim relations nothing more.") He then acknowledges that the matters discussed were, actually, very political indeed but argues that, as they were "centered on Christian/Muslim relations," his previous statement had been true. Now he claims that he was "tentative" ("This report is not accurate") because he believed that Dr. Lerner's email inquiry (as to the accuracy of the Syrian report) was "a threat." What kind of "threat" is it that Rev. Hubers feared at the hands of the director of IMRA? Or was he so confused at that point in his trip that he thought he was enjoying the hospitality of a police state where people are arrested or have their brains bashed in for saying the wrong thing? It's a mystery.
But let's look once again at the money quote:
. . . we didn't have the chance to meet Israelis on this trip except those young soldiers who threaten people at the checkpoints.
The man travels to the Middle East -- to Egypt, Lebanon, "Israel/Palestine" and Syria -- on a good will mission for his church, sucks up and regurgitates Arab propaganda at every stop, including, of course, "Israel/Palestine," never even bothers to speak to an Israeli and then has the nerve to pontificate about fairness, balance and "desire to get to the truth?"
I have to admit, that certainly is one way to improve Christian/Muslim dialogue.
Yikes. (And there's more where that came from.)
