Reflections

Sometimes certain events force most of us to take a break and reflect. I just could not help but think about Roxana Saberi, the journalist who was recently sentenced for an 8 year prison term.

An 8-year prison sentence for “buying a bottle of wine” is so absurd that it makes better sense to accuse this woman of being a spy. It’s good thing that people are showing their outrage and if everyone continues to monitor what goes on in the world, every country that wants to be taken seriously or to have a positive role in the world, will have to re-evaluate every bad move that they made. This 8-year sentence for buying alcohol seems like one of these moves that Iran should look into if Iran is to play a positive role in the world community. In time, and with the exercise of common sense, decency will prevail just as in the shoe-throwing episode in Iraq.

Many people seem to forget that every one of us is alike and because of the regions we live, we are different. Regional and cultural differences must be accepted. It is ok for Americans to buy alcohol and to drink just as much as it is ok for Muslims to cover their heads. There’s no law in America that forces Muslims to remove their head covers while they are in America and Americans don’t imprison Muslims for wearing symbols allowed in their culture and in their homeland.

The worst any country should do in non-violent cases, is to expel the perpetrator from their country and bar them from re-entering.

Reflection helps everyone to correct errors and to facilitate growth.