The morning of September 11th I woke up with nothing more on my mind than the day ahead of me and worry of getting to my meeting on time. No different than any other day.

At 9 O’clock that morning my world was shattered. I, along with millions, was forever changed. As we witnessed thousands of people die right before our eyes I knew instantly that this was the beginning of more atrocities on both sides.

A friend of mine astutely pointed out that if we are any more horrified by the events of September 11 than the atrocities committed against innocent people anywhere else in the world on any given day, we are hypocrites and need to take a closer look at what we value. He’s right. We must dissect and analyze our part in all of this

Human history has shown that war does not serve humanity. It serves to oppress and it serves to impose one’s will over another.

It’s not about freedom as we choose to believe. After all, how much freedom has it brought us to this point? It has merely brought us enemies who seek to destroy us in the name of revenge, retribution, justice.

It’s about power, greed and economics. The 3 are synonymous. Make not mistake, whoever has done this wants to bring the economy to its knees for their own gain. This is not a religious war on either side. The Muslim faith, nor any other, condones or permits bloodshed in the name of its god. Any terrorist organization that defends their acts in the name of their religion are not representatives of that faith. It is a ploy by a smart man to have his way and fulfill his lust for power and money. He is indeed an enemy of Islam.

Right now, there are people who believe that Afghanis are dancing in the streets and "by God they need to pay". There may be some very small, ignorant groups who did dance but they do not speak on behalf of their neighbors. Attacking Afghanistan would result in the deaths of countless innocents, just like the American nuclear attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII. Today, as then, innocent people will be made to pay for the sins of their leaders.

War serves no lasting or redeeming purpose. Humans serving each other and embracing each other with all of our differences is the only logical step forward.

I have heard very well educated people who oppose the death penalty say "hunt the perpetrators down and slit their throats". It is no more our place to kill than it is for those who have acted against Americans.

People who have been stripped of everything they hold dear and who live in abject poverty have their reasons, too. It’s the same old story of the "haves" vs. the "have-nots". People with nothing to lose will do whatever it takes to achieve their ends.

Why then are we not discussing the plight of the "have-nots"?

In the past two weeks most people have learned more about global politics and economic terrorism than they have in their lifetimes. Most people had no idea the severity of the poverty that our Afghani brothers and sisters live in. They literally have nothing. They live in deplorable conditions and we are going to invade this country? Why? These people have been beaten down, oppressed and murdered by the ruling Taliban. What more could we possibly do to them?

When we begin to serve our neighbors across the oceans, when we begin to share our wealth, our resources and our hearts, then and only then will we stop creating terrorists. To honor and sever each other is the only way.

September 11th has provided us in the most devastating way an amazing opportunity. We can be lazy and give in to our fear and anger to do as we have always done and be doomed to the perpetuating cycle of murder and the subjective notion of right vs. wrong.

Or we can simply say with love in our hearts and strength in our voices "WE WILL NOT BE PROVOKED".