Letters to the Editor

This letter is associated with the following article:
Does excess focus on a single DOJ lawyer obscure the broader responsibility for torture and other war crimes?
  • You are right.

    As Mullah Nasruddin was passing through a village one day he saw a crowd of villagers gathered near the village center. As Nassrudin approached he heard a heated argument going on. The village elder suddenly threw up his hands in despair and cried out, "Allah, be merciful and send someone to judge this before we come to violence!". Nassrudin walked over and said, "I heard you call out for help in judging your dispute. I am a famous jurist, and always judge righteously and truly as Allah himself would." At that the village elder asked Nassrudin to judge the dispute and Nassrudin agreed saying, "Bring the aggrieved parties before me and let them speak, one after the other."

    On hearing this one man jumped forward and said, "I will speak first! That man over there let his donkey get into my vegetable garden and the donkey ruined my garden! He should pay for the damage!" The man spoke until he was exhausted. Nassrudin listened intently until the man was done, held up his hand and said, "You are right!"

    At that, the other man jumped up and said, "But Mullah! You have not heard my side of it!" and went on to say how his donkey had been injured and his injury was the greater. When the second man had finally exhausted himself in making his argument, Nassudin held his hand up and said, "You are right!"

    With that, the village elder wailed as he jumped up and said, "But Mullah! They cannot both be right!" and Nassruddin held up his hand and said, "You are right!"