Mader and Hermann at the latter's recently
completed home in Florida.
Brother-Sister Team to Head Shia-Sunni Peace Initiative
A Disassociated Press Report, Naples, October 11, 2005
By Michael Festadus
U.S. President George W.
Bush today appointed a sibling team to head his administration's new Shia-Sunni
Peace Initiative. Weber C. Hermann
of Brookfield, Wisconsin and his sister Marie A. Mader of Naples, Florida will
head to Iraq in November to set up and oversee a special task force intended to
quell the rising tide of inter-ethnic violence in the country.
"The new task force will seek to establish dialogue and problem
solving mechanisms in those places in the country where tensions are
highest," said White House spokesman Snott McClellan. "The president has the highest
confidence that these two appointees will be able to have a significant effect
on the situation on the ground.
We'll be sending them directly to the trouble spots."
Speaking at a press briefing, McClellan also indicated the new task
force was part of a new administration effort to "cover all the
bases" in the war on terrorism.
"We seek not only to fight the terrorists militarily," he
said, "but to help the Iraqi people bury the grievances of the past and
reach a new level of tolerance and understanding. The Hermann-Mader team is a crucial part of this
effort."
Many experts on the region fear Iraq is on the verge of civil war.
"I'm hoping Marie and I can do something to straighten these
people out," said Hermann in a telephone interview. "I'm thinking they need more
leisure activities and less in the way of rallies and radicalism. I'm going to try to use leisure
activities as a way to bring them to a more peaceful lifestyle."
Hermann is a successful oral surgeon with a fondness for boats. His sister has her own ideas about the
problem.
"Leisure is certainly something they need more of," she
said. "But I think their main
problem is their holy book, the Koran.
It's the wrong holy book, and it's got them all messed up."
Asked if she intended to use the Bible as a means of bringing peace,
Mader adopted a pragmatic approach.
"Look," she said, "I'm well aware these people are quite
sensitive about their religion. So
I'm not planning on coming out right away with the Bible as the solution to
their problems. It is the solution
to their problems, but I'm not going to be bringing it out right away. I have to work them to it slowly. We'll be starting with something
else."
Mader explained her plans to use joint Shia-Sunni Creative Beading
Seminars as a first step toward peace.
According to this plan, Shia and Sunni leaders would join in making bead
necklaces and other bead items around the same table.
"I thought of gardening first," Mader said, "but from
what I've seen on TV it looks pretty dry over there. So I think beading is the way to go."
Neither of the siblings has any experience leading a governmental
organization, nor do they have experience in the Middle East or any Arabic
ability. This has led some
Democrats to question the wisdom of Bush's decision to appoint them.
"It's another case of Bush cronyism," said Rep. Nancy Pelosi
(D - CA). "These two have
been lifelong Republicans, and the administration is obviously rewarding them
with these important posts."
Mader adamantly denies the charge of cronyism.
"What the hell do Democrats know?" she said. "That Bill Clinton with his cigar
tricks brought such shame to this country."
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