Quote of the Day: Michael Totten in Iraq

If you're not reading Michael Totten on his journey through the Middle East, you're missing out. Today on his blog, he has a fascinating glimpse into life with the Yezidis, who make up a small segment of the Kurdish world in Northern Iraq.

Michael got to "interview" Baba Sheikh, the Yezidi version of an Imam or chief priest, in which Baba Sheikh made several distinctions about Muslims; these included a statement that the Christians were wiser than Muslims because the Muslims tried dozens of times (unsuccessfully) to conquer the Yezidis, while the Christians had not.

Later, Michael asked his translator (a Muslim) about the words he'd heard:

I asked Birzo if he found Baba Sheik’s comments about Islam and Muslims offensive.

“Of course not,” he said. “I understand his mentality and he understands mine. It’s okay. We are Kurds. Kurds don’t get upset about religion. We aren’t like Arabs. We believe in arguments based on reason, not emotion. If people don’t agree with me about something, I’m not going to get mad at them. We will just have different opinions.”

I, and much of our country, could learn a few things from these peaceful, (dare I say?) simple people.