Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
The murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in UAE: A tragic echo of 26/11 Mumbai attacks
Thursday, November 28, 2024
People stand next to the coffin of Israeli rabbi, Zvi Kogan, who was
found murdered in the United Arab Emirates, during his funeral, in Kfar
Habad, Israel, November 25, 2024. REUTERS
Financial Express : Rabbi Zvi Koganās death is a painful reminder of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which targeted multiple locations across the city, including Nariman House, where Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka, were killed by Pakistani terrorists. Written by Huma Siddiqui.
On the eve of the 16th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist
attacks, the Jewish community worldwide was once again shaken by a
tragic event. Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad emissary based in the UAE, was
kidnapped and killed in Dubai under suspicious circumstances. The murder
has drawn significant attention due to its connection to the 2008
Mumbai attacks, where Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg, Koganās relative, was
also killed in a terrorist assault on Nariman House. The similarities
between the two incidents have raised serious concerns about the safety
of Jews living in the Middle East and other parts of the world,
particularly at a time when tensions with Iran and its allies remain
high.
A Deeply Personal Connection to the Mumbai Tragedy
Rabbi Zvi Koganās death is a painful reminder of the 26/11 Mumbai
attacks, which targeted multiple locations across the city, including
Nariman House, where Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka, were
killed by Pakistani terrorists. Rabbi Gabriel, a prominent Chabad
leader, was just 28 years old at the time of his death, and his murder
sent shockwaves through the Jewish community. Kogan, who was also 28
years old, was married to Rivkaās niece, adding a personal dimension to
this new tragedy. The resemblance between the two murdersāyoung rabbis,
both involved in outreach and community work, killed in terrorist
attacksāhas left the family grieving once again.
The parallels between the two events are not just coincidental. In
both cases, the victims were deeply committed to their communities.
Rabbi Kogan, originally from Moldova, had been active in the Chabad
community in the UAE, helping to establish Jewish life
and education in the country. His work was part of a broader effort to
strengthen ties between Israel and the UAE, which normalized relations
under the Abraham Accords in 2020.
