Ariel Sharon

abuayisha wrote: To Palestinians Sharon was not a hero, but a brutal operator who sought for years to destroy Palestinian Liberation Organization founder Yasser Arafat and eventually succeeded, said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the PLO's executive committee. Arafat died in 2004. The cause of death is disputed. His wife claims he was poisoned with radioactive polonium by Israel. "To us he represents violence, militarism, preemptive moves, undermining the political process -- and a long history of pain," Ashrawi said. http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/11/world/meast/ariel-sharon-life-and-times/

He would only be considered a hero by people who value war crimes, house demolitions, and mass murder. Shame on our Canadian leaders who lauded him as "staunch defender" and an "architect". The Americans weren't much better.

While I don't believe it is right to celebrate his- or anyone else's- death, he should not be lauded or praised.

I wasn't a fan of Arafat either, and both he and Ariel had a lot of blood of innocent people- Palestinians and Israelis- on their hands; though Sharon ran an occupation, not Arafat.

Hopefully both of them repented before they died, and will receive more mercy than they showed their victims in the afterlife.

abuayisha wrote: There is no problem with saying good things provided what is said is true and without exaggeration. Celebration, on the other hand, must be viewed in context in my estimation.

I agree with you that it's OK to say good things, but context is necessary. Hitler did some good things too- like opposing smoking. That does not however make him a "hero". There were tens of millions of people he helped murder.

I don't think it's right to celebrate anyone's death, even if that person was a psychopathic killer like Sharon who causes suffering to you. I view celebrations of Sharon's death like celebrations of Bin Laden's death- understandable, but still wrong.

abuayisha wrote: Narrated Abu Qatada bin Rib'i Al-Ansari: A funeral procession passed by Allah's Apostle who said, "Relieved or relieving?" The people asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What is relieved and relieving?" He said, "A believer is relieved (by death) from the troubles and hardships of the world and leaves for the Mercy of Allah, while (the death of) a wicked person relieves the people, the land, the trees, (and) the animals from him."

I don't disagree. I still don't think we have excuse to celebrate someone's death.

Remember Americans dancing in the street when Bin Laden and Saddam's sons were killed? Is it any less primitive and disgusting when others do it?

I also don't think we have excuse to celebrate someone's death. Ariel Sharon did nothing that would lead to peace between Israelis and the Palestinians. Like the Hamas leaders he was a democratically elected hate monger.