Muhammad Ayub, 36, a family physician, saw the carnage of war close up as a United Nations peacekeeper after the first Gulf War.
He treated victims of bomb blasts, vehicle collisions and poisonings, and saw that there were more victims needing help.
He said the experience left him helpless and disillusioned.
"I'm a physician, but I'm not able to do anything," he said.
That yearlong experience is among the lasting imprints that have motivated his involvement in the peace community. Since he moved to the area at the end of 2005, he immersed himself in several local organizations and causes.
He is a member of the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace and Olympians for Peace in the Middle East. As outreach coordinator for the Islamic Center of Olympia, he's helped organize sessions to share a better understanding of his religion.
Ayub is a member of the Sierra Club and Green Party and is a pacifist.
"There is no need for violence. ... There are other ways to get your message out there and resolve disputes," he said.
His beliefs were shaped just as much from his upbringing as from his later experience as a U.N. peacekeeper. During his childhood in India, he saw the conflict between Muslims and Hindus, the public rioting and the use of religion for political gain, he said.
The above is from Christian Hill's "Activists are a diverse group" (The Olympian) and was noted by Rob and Kara who had a statement they wanted noted: "It wasn't The Progressive, it wasn't The Nation that took a look at the peace activists, it was The Olympian. And we think think there's something really sad about that." Agreed.
He treated victims of bomb blasts, vehicle collisions and poisonings, and saw that there were more victims needing help.
He said the experience left him helpless and disillusioned.
"I'm a physician, but I'm not able to do anything," he said.
That yearlong experience is among the lasting imprints that have motivated his involvement in the peace community. Since he moved to the area at the end of 2005, he immersed himself in several local organizations and causes.
He is a member of the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace and Olympians for Peace in the Middle East. As outreach coordinator for the Islamic Center of Olympia, he's helped organize sessions to share a better understanding of his religion.
Ayub is a member of the Sierra Club and Green Party and is a pacifist.
"There is no need for violence. ... There are other ways to get your message out there and resolve disputes," he said.
His beliefs were shaped just as much from his upbringing as from his later experience as a U.N. peacekeeper. During his childhood in India, he saw the conflict between Muslims and Hindus, the public rioting and the use of religion for political gain, he said.
The above is from Christian Hill's "Activists are a diverse group" (The Olympian) and was noted by Rob and Kara who had a statement they wanted noted: "It wasn't The Progressive, it wasn't The Nation that took a look at the peace activists, it was The Olympian. And we think think there's something really sad about that." Agreed.
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