Insight about our war on terrorism from THREE CUPS OF TEA

Just finished THREE CUPS OF TEA (the link is to a summary of the book and other information) by Greg Mortenson (the link is to his blog) and David Oliver Relin about “One man’s mission to promote peace … one school at a time.” Greg Mortenson probably will win the Nobel Peace Prize at some point in the future. He is establishing schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Greg believes strongly that you fight terrorism not with guns, but with books. Terrorism is ignorance played out to the max.

On the back of the book is this information:
“’Here (in Pakistan and Afghanistan), we drink three cups of tea to do business; the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything – even die.’” ~Haji Ali, Korphe Village Chief, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan. The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his remarkable humanitarian campaign in the Taliban’s backyard.

“In 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K2. Moved by the inhabitants’ kindness, he promised to return and build a school. ‘Three Cups of Tea’ is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just on but fifty-five schools – especially for girls – in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit.”

Tom Brokaw wrote this about the book: “Thrilling … proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world.”

Greg Mortenson works through his nonprofit Central Asia Institute (CAI). As of 2009 he had established eighty-one schools … amazing … truly amazing.

A lengthy quote from page 310:
“Bashir (Brigadier General Bashir Baz) paused to watch a live CNN feed from Baghdad. Staring at a small video window inset into the flight manifests scrolling down his monitor, Bahsir was struck silent by the images of wailing Iraqi women carrying children’s bodies out of the rubble of a bombed building.

“As he studied the screen, Bashir’s bullish shoulders slumped, ‘People like me are America’s best friends in the region.’ Bahsir said at last, shaking his head ruefully. ‘I’m a moderate Muslim, an educated man. But watching this, even I could become a ‘jihadi.’ How can Americans say they are making themselves safer?’ Bahsir asked, struggling not to direct his anger toward the large American target on the other side of his desk. ‘Your President Bush has done a wonderful job of uniting one billion Muslims against America for the next two hundred years.’

“’Osama had something to do with it, too,’ Mortenson said.

“’Osama, baah!’ Bahsir roared. ‘Osama is not a product of Pakistan or Afghanistan. He is a creation of America. Thanks to America, Osama is in every home. As a military man, I know you can never fight and win against someone who can shoot at you once and then run off and hide while you have to remain eternally on guard. You have to attack the source of your enemy’s strength. In America’s case, that’s not Osama or Saddam or anyone else. The enemy is ignorance. The only way to defeat it is to build relationships with these people, to draw them into the modern world with education and business. Otherwise the fight will go on forever.’”

A great insight into a difficult situation by someone who cares deeply about the outcome … and is a friend to America and all that it stands for.