"...a young U.S. soldier and evangelical
Christian, Joshua Casteel, was sent to the prison to work
as an Arab language interrogator.
One day, during his interrogation of a self-described
jihadist from Saudi Arabia, the contradictions became all
too glaring.
Eager to trip up this composed and confident
young Saudi, Joshua asked him, "Why did you come to
Iraq to kill?"
The young Saudi quickly turned the question
back on Joshua, asking, “Why did you come here to
kill?”
A lengthy discussion ensued in which both Joshua
and the young Saudi talked about their duty to their
people and their country...
Joshua noting his Christian
faith and the Saudi referencing his Muslim faith.
Finally, the young Saudi looked at Joshua and said,
“You claim to be a Christian, but you are not following
the teachings of Christ to love your enemies, to pray for
those that persecute you, and to turn the other cheek.”
Joshua immediately felt the irony of being schooled on
the Sermon on the Mount by a self-declared jihadist.
Joshua soon realized that he had lost all objectivity in the
interrogation and could no longer continue....
“We were both idealistic kids devoted to our people, and
devoted to our religions, willing to kill and to sacrifice...
"Wouldn’t it be great if we were both able to put down our
weapons and find a different path?”
This experience became the energizing catalyst leading
Joshua out of the military with a conscientious objector
discharge.
Joshua’s vibrant voice for peace,
sparked in the dark cauldron of war,
blessed many until his death
from cancer in 2012."
from "Returning Veterans, Returning Hope"
The Peace and Justice Support Network
www.PJSN.org/vets
What a heart-breaker and healer of a true story!
Do you know of a another story that could be included with ones like these?
Live for Peace and Justice in the Light,
Daniel Wilcox
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