The last, best hope for mankind is love. Campuses across the nation have turned into battlegrounds over Israel.  Don’t let that happen at the University of Minnesota.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a Bahá’í from Palestine who spoke in Minneapolis in September 1912, while traveling in the U.S. said this, as published in “Promulgation of Universal Peace”:

“God created one earth and one mankind to people it.  Man has no other habitation, but man himself has come forth and proclaimed imaginary boundary lines and territorial restrictions, naming them Germany, France, Russia, etc.  And torrents of precious blood are spilled in defense of these imaginary divisions of our one human habitation, under the delusion of a fancied and limited patriotism.

“After all, a claim and title to territory or native land is but a claim and attachment to the dust of earth.  We live upon this earth for a few days and then rest beneath it forever.  So it is our graveyard eternally.  Shall man fight for the tomb which devours him, for his eternal sepulcher?  What ignorance could be greater than this?  To fight over his grave, to kill another for his grave!  What heedlessness!  What a delusion!”

Don’t protest, don’t march and don’t create a hostile environment for fellow Americans.

If God created one earth and one mankind to people it, anyone born on earth has the right to inhabit any part of it.  People earning trillions from fossil fuels need to move over for climate refugees.

Both religions claim God gave them the land.  Did God give the land to the ancient Hebrews for then or to recent Jewish immigrants for now?  Did God give the land to those people who faithfully follow His most recent Messenger? Since 1863, that’s been Bahá’ís, but Bahá’ís are forbidden to settle there permanently, on Bahá’u’lláh’s orders.

Solomon answered it: one baby, two women claiming it.  The woman okay with cutting the baby in two was not the mother.

Israel cut the baby in two with fences and is pushing Palestinians out.  Hamas is fine with killing the entire baby.  Iran may nuke it so no-one can have it.  The land belongs to mankind.  Don’t create dissension here for murderers’ sakes.

Minnesotans, love one another and uphold justice.  Hamas is unjust.  Israel is unjust.  Everybody on Earth is literally related to each other, family.  Borders are man-made constructs used to control other people and their economic output.  Don’t be unkind to Muslims, Jews or any American over foreign dirt.

TV news said Hamas met with Putin first.  Putin’s goal is to cut off U.S. funding to Ukraine and have our streets run with blood.  A Hamas leader in Lebanon essentially said Hamas wants the IDF to cease fire against them but Hamas will never cease fire against the IDF.  In that interview, the Hamas leader said Hamas wants Muslims and others to march in protest worldwide against Israel. The Hamas leader admitted they killed over 1,000 innocent Israelis and took more than 240 hostages for feet in streets, for public pressure, for bloody protests.  Americans aren’t dummies and we aren’t pawns for contending political parties’ and nations’ manipulation.

In 1962, Al Milgrom founded the U Film Society and brought us international films.  Americans attended their homelands’ films and we got to practice languages.  The people on the screen felt like family, you began to understand them and that built love in Minnesota for other nations.  Jews like Al Milgrom have blessed my life.

How can you not love Jews who protest on behalf of Palestinians?

My niece is the first Muslim in our Catholic and evangelical Christian, Swedish-German family.  She was the best of the grandkids, always serving others, loving, smart.  She learned Arabic and memorized a third of the Qu’ran in Arabic.  She’s raised her five kids to be blessings to humanity and lovers of everyone.  American Muslims are a blessing to all of us (but no midnight adhans, please!).

I regret that in March 2020 when an Asian man ran to the front of a packed bus for protection by the driver after a Black youth in the back of the bus yelled about Asians bringing covid, I didn’t stand up and shout, “We’re all Americans here!  Stop it!”

The FBI’s Chris Wray reported to Congress our enemies are sending people to foment race riots and kill us.  When we’re at each other’s throats, Russia can nuke us with no response from us.

Jews and Muslims deserve to be safe everywhere on earth, especially here.  Speak up for love.  Let’s cleanse our hearts from ethnic and racial prejudice.  Don’t let race riots incited by Russians happen here.

Susan Frenzel was a staff member at the University of Minnesota in 1974 and between 1980-1985, as well as attending classes.