"A pictures is worth a thousand words," so the saying goes, but images can have an emotional impact no poet could muster. Middle Eastern violence has been broadcast consistently, and images of Palestinians celebrating the attacks of 9/11 have been over-televised. Here are some pictures that tell the rest of the story, the larger part, actually.
These very modern-looking woman, mourning the loss of lives in the 9/11 attacks, are Palestinian.
This candlelight vigil in memory of the victims of 9/11 was held on September 18, in Tehran.
These Muslim men in Bangladesh were expressing their sympahy for Americans.
Here are two more traditionally clad Muslim women, lighting candles and saying prayers for American victims.
Some scenes from Afghanistan:
Current...
This is one of the historical Buddhas from Afghanistan, with the scaffolding erected by the Taliban for its demolition.
...and older:
This is a street scene from the capital of Afghanistan, taken in 1977. Before that country's protracted war, Afghanistan was in the process of modernising, and the old ways lived side-by-side with the new.
Finally, an image of a different sort. While the representation of Bush in this is overdone, I feel that Kerry's reputation for "dithering" is reasonably comparable to this cartoon's portrayal.