'Israel Loves Iran' initiative takes off on Facebook

An online call for peace initiated by an Israeli couple has managed to achieve the support of 1,000 Israelis and Iranians. And it all began with two posters.

Ronny Edry and his wife Michal Tamir, together with "Pushpin Mehina", a small preparatory school for graphic design students, uploaded posters to Facebook depicting images of themselves with their children alongside the words, "Iranians, we will never bomb your country, we Love you."

Attached to each poster was the caption, "To the Iranian people, To all the fathers, mothers, children, brothers and sisters, For there to be a war between us, first we must be afraid of each other, we must hate. I'm not afraid of you, I don't hate you. I don t even know you. No Iranian ever did me no harm."

"I'm not an official representative of my country. I m [sic] a father and a teacher", wrote Edry, adding that he wishes to send a message on behalf of his neighbors, family, students and friends. "[W]e love you. We mean you no harm", he wrote. "On the contrary, we want to meet, have some coffee and talk about sports."


In a conversation with Haaretz, Edry explained that he hoped his initiative would reach the Iranian citizens, but admitted that he never believed it would gain so much momentum. "On my Facebook page I have left-wing friends who always speak of these things; they all agree with me. Every so often a right-winger answers me saying what we're on about is rubbish, but I've never spoken to an Iranian."

"I thought that when you're constantly surrounded by talk of threats and war, you are so stressed and afraid that you crawl into a sort of shell and think to yourself how lucky we are to also have bombs and how lucky we are that we'll clean them out first," he said. "So I thought, 'Why not try to reach the other side; to bypass the generals and see if they [Iranians] really hate me?'"

At first, the posters were castigated, said Edry. "After the first poster people started criticizing me, saying I'm an idiot, that I’m naïve. 'Why are you telling them you love them? Why are you giving up before the war has even started?'" But very quickly the posters became a hit: the first image gained hundreds of "Likes" and "Shares," and numerous people asked to join the initiative.

It was not long before reactions from Iranians began trickling through. "I never imagined that within 48 hours I would be speaking to the other side," said Edry, who explained that most of the Iranians' messages had been coming through in private, but that there had been some who invited him to be their Facebook friend.

In a conversation that took place on Saturday evening, after a full day spent in front of the computer chatting to Israelis and Iranians, Edry was buzzing with excitement. "Something insane is going on here," said Edry. "I was just having a conversation with a few Iranians, trying to convince them to send me photos of themselves, and they told me that we [Israelis] might be able to publish photos, but they risk going to jail over such a thing." In the meanwhile, they conversed via private messages, with their identities concealed.

However, by Sunday morning, Edry began receiving the first signs of reactions from the other side.

"We also love you. Your words are reaching us despite the censorship," wrote one Facebook user from Iran. "The Iranian people, apart from the regime, do not hold a grudge nor animosity against anyone, especially not the Israelis… We never saw Israelis as our enemies. As such, the regime cannot gain public support for war."

"The hatred was invented by the propaganda of the regime, which will die soon", continued the Iranian Facebook user. "The ayatollah will die soon. [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad will disappear. He is nothing more than an opportunist, and more than anything – an idiot. Everyone hates him. We love you, love, peace. And thanks for your message."

By Sunday afternoon, faceless posters prepared by Iranians, sharing a similar message of thanks and love, were posted onto the Pushpin Mehina Facebook page and the "Israel Loves Iran" blog.

Source: Haaretz

March 21st 2012 , the Worldwide Hug will be organized in many cities all over the world!

Foto: spreadlovelikefire.com

Amsterdam, Den Haag, Berlin, Jerusalem, La Paz, Rome, Hiroshima, Cologne, Leiden, Melbourne, Maastricht, Utrecht, Lelystad, Nijmegen, Leipzig, Brazilia, Okinawa and also in every other village or town that might join this initiative.

We are all part of the collective consciousness, connecting everything with all. We are able to heal our planet and unite everybody with each other in peace and tolerance. So let us demonstrate our unity, showing our fellow-men that we are all One, no matter what kind of religion, race or culture we represent. We are able to love and respect each other.

Every individual person can participate in the Worldwide Hug. Just invite some friends in your home, club, gallery or community centre, on Wednesday, March 21 and focus together on peace and unity in yourself. You can share your personal stories, sing, dance and meditate. Make a human chain or do free hugs or a flash mob in the streets!

Let’s show the world that Peace is possible. By opening the heart and show compassion, by doing instead of talking, by holding hands and hug from the heart. Because when you do that love will flow like sweet nectar. That is its only true purpose. That is the true meaning of the Worldwide Hug.

Send your message for peace into the world. Use your webcam, share your stream and be connected to a worldwide network of people who join the Worldwide Hug! In this way the togetherness will be even stronger.

Come and join us and let us fill the Universe with Love that is so strong that it will bring joy and peace in the hearts of everyone.

We ask you to contact all your friends in the world in order to join a Worldwide Hug in their own city.

Please stream it on your own Livestream, Ustream, on your Occupy group or connect through worldwidehug@groups.facebook.com or skypegroup worldwidehug

The moment of the Worldwide Hug will be at 17:00 West European time, in Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne and Rome. Simultaneously this World-Wide-Hug will take place in Jerusalem (18:00 p.m.), La Paz (12:00) and Hiroshima (01:00 March 22nd).

Find out in what time zone your Worldwide Hug will take place and join us!

May Peace prevail on Earth
Rob Schrama

source: Worldwidehug