I may not know much about Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal beyond what has been reported about their arraignment in Iran for the last two years on charges of illegal entry and espionage.However, that didn’t stop me from celebrating their release on Wednesday.

They might have lost two years in an Iranian Jail but they’ve at least been spared 8 more years, which they had been sentenced to. A lot can happen in that time.

Stories like these put a smile on my face because they show that much as we live on different continents and profess different faiths, there are still issues that unite us, things like compassion, forgiveness and generosity.

People across the world have been praying, blogging and lobbying for the two hikers and it has all finally paid off. However, not all stories have happy endings.

I was saddened by Troy Davis’ execution, late Wednesday night. I stayed up late because I wanted to know his fate. In case you didn’t know, Troy was convicted of the 1989 murder of Mark MacPhail, a police officer.

Because Troy’s execution had been delayed a couple of times before, many sympathizers had hoped the same would happen even this time.

When he wasn’t killed at the scheduled time, my hopes went up. Four hours later, he was still alive so I went to bed, certain his legal team had once again bought him time.

First thing I did Thursday morning was to tune into BBC and the news that Troy had eventually been executed really saddened me.

I can only liken that sinking feeling to the one you get on learning that a relative or close friend was involved in a terrible accident.

You pray and hope against hope that they’ll make it. Time goes by and the doctor’s assessments are promising. You relax, believing that your patient is on the road to recovery.

Then without warning, he or she dies. I cannot say for certain that Troy was innocent. But something about his face and eyes made me wonder whether he just wasn’t caught in the wrong place at a wrong time.

I wish the judge had given life imprisonment instead. For one, Troy had already been jailed for over 20 years.

But there is also the fact that there was no incriminating physical evidence linking him to the murder. What if two, three or maybe even 10 years down the road we learn that another innocent man was killed?

Can Troy’s accusers live with the guilt? The other thing I find disturbing about the death penalty is the fact that people can watch as a convict is strapped to an electric chair or given the lethal injection.

I wouldn’t step into that death chamber if you paid me but I guess we’re different. R.I.P Troy Davis.

Moving on to other recent deaths, including the former Afghan President, Burhanuddin Rabbani who was assassinated in his own home and the British couple whose vacation turned into a nightmare by assailants thought to be al-Shabab militants.

I can’t even begin to imagine the pain and horror the wife went through as she watched the rogues shoot and kill her husband. Now in captivity, who knows what they’ve done or plan to do to her?

Terrorism is the new killer disease and God knows when we will find a cure. I’ve tried really hard and failed to comprehend what drives them and how they feel those few minutes or seconds before they detonate bombs.

I pray God touches every fanatic’s heart because too many people have been killed already.

To be continued...
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