It’s exactly two hours to go before the US set deadline for Iraq expires. In two hours, the war could start. It brings back memories of the similar situation in the first Gulf War back in 1991. I was in class 12 then. With about an hour to go for the start of “Operation Desert Storm”, me and a few of my classmates excused ourselves from the class and went to the school chapel to pray for the harmless civilians who will inevitably die in the war. Seeing us, the teacher joined in too.

On hindsight, it surprises me of the kind of maturity and compassion we had back then. Even as kids, we were clear that War was not the way to go. The stand continues to this day. Only, its become stronger.