World Without Hate

On the 11th day of the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth (9) month of the Islamic calendar, parents in Minab, Iran, did what parents everywhere do: they dropped their young daughters off at school, trusting that they would return home safely.

Instead, many families were forced to recover the bodies of their children. One hundred forty-eight elementary school girls were killed, and nearly a hundred others were wounded. Lives were shattered in a place that should have been safe - a classroom. Such a barbaric attack during the holy month of Ramadan makes the tragedy even more painful, demonstrating a profound disregard for human dignity, the sanctity of life, and the values that Ramadan represents to millions of Muslims around the world.

This kind of barbarism does not only destroy cities. It destroys childhoods, families, and our shared humanity.

Too often, the decisions that unleash death and destruction are made far from the battlefield - by those sitting safely in positions of power. Their sons and daughters are rarely the ones sent into harm’s way. Instead, the burden of war falls on someone else’s loved ones, often the poor, the working class, and those whose lives are too easily overlooked.

Imagine if those who authorize war were also required to stand beside the soldiers on the front lines - to face the same risks and sacrifices. Perhaps then the decision to go to war would be made with far greater humility, responsibility, and respect for human life. Because when life, comfort, status, and power are personally at stake, the cost of violence becomes impossible to ignore.

Every bomb, every bullet, every act of violence pushes the world further away from peace and stability. Violence carried out in the name of war, peace, or justice only deepens the wounds of our world. It creates more hatred, more suffering, more orphans, and more grieving families. In the end, it leaves a world that is harder for future generations to inherit and heal.

Imagine the laughter of little girls in their classroom - their voices playful, their drawings and decorations on the walls, their excitement as they talk about the upcoming religious festival (Eid al-Fitr). Then, in an instant, a decision made thousands of miles away by people who know nothing about them turns their tiny bodies into pieces.

What would you do if those children were your own? Or someone you loved?

Human life is not disposable. Our humanity is not negotiable.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/mourners-gather-in-tehran-to-bury-those-killed-by-israeli-us-strikes/vi-AA1XQhaw?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=69af0f96e74a4c07bf5c835c00cf6a8a&ei=68

Each screening of Pain and Peace is more than a film event - it’s an opportunity to use the film as a catalyst for conversations that heal, connect, and uplift, bringing people together across faiths, identities, and experiences. Recent survey feedback affirms that the film is fulfilling the mission we set from the very beginning: to inspire meaningful dialogue and foster deeper understanding.

We’re deeply grateful to the NYS Division of Human Rights and Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo for partnering with us to create such positive and lasting impact.

Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo