It is the “other” who is obviously threatened by “my” existence! Instead of becoming a neighbour to the “other,” I perpetuate the cycle of retribution and become a war-head or a rocket or a destroyer air-craft!
Human history has not known peace. Perhaps because it is ‘human’! Once more, in a so-called ‘civilized’ world barbaric hatred has surfaced by way of a full-scale war between Israel and Palestine. Terrorism is not dead; it is alive with even a mightier force. The Hamas in the Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean waters has exposed its power by waking up the Intelligence failed Israel. In retaliation, with no stones unturned, Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas from the ‘face of the earth.’ War and war again in the Biblical Land not ever knowing ‘peace’ that the Sacred Scriptures have never ceased to proclaim to this day!
It is Christmas again. The raging war in the land where God of all people, of all races and of all languages, and a God who came as Peace in the tiny babe of the Nazareth family, is the only “bitter Gift” which the humans who are homeless, displaced from their legitimate homes can receive, people who are deprived mercilessly of having even a cup of cold water and electricity. Families whose children are slaughtered barbarically, living or even eliminated by now in that land of a God who was born as a Child, have only tears as their gift or hatred in their heart as a sword waiting to pierce the enemy. This is the irony of reality and the expression of the bane human existence. Is this all that for which human beings come into this world and disappear through conflicts and wars, hunger and nakedness, physical sufferings and psychological distress?
Christmas, as it is celebrated throughout the world, momentarily satisfies the external hunger, leaving one frustrated when it is all over. Instead of establishing stronger solidarity, human compassion, neighborliness as shown by the Samaritan man in the Gospel of Luke and friendship among people, the mere external pompous celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ only widens the chasm between neighbours. It is not that the Child of Bethlehem who causes division and cold, silent indifference but the egoic human hearts that prefer to live without compassionate concern and bring about terrorism of destruction with violence and war. The acts of charity done on Christmas day do not often cause a radical turn towards the well being of others, instead only keeps one self-content and righteous. Charity is exhibited on one day; whereas all through the rest of the year neigbour does not exist. Because one’s conscience pricks about the existence of the “wounded”, grandiose generosity is sentimentally exercised most often around Christmas time. This gives the impression that God exists only around the Christmas time when charity devotions are enacted, perhaps with all good intention too!
Whole of humanity is facing an unprecedented crisis ranging from the economic distress to political instability to violent aggressions. Not only the current impending war in West Asia and the Ukrainian invasion by Russia inch by inch, but also the political war among parties in India as they prepare for the approaching General Election in the country. The political heat will increase in the coming months which eventually produce hate speeches. In the mean time people are forgotten for power and money, thus enlarging the gap which is already existing in the exigency of life. When playing with religion with a spread of hate in thought, word and deed, how does Christmas fit in, unless its annual celebration drastically marks the end of violence and violent feelings, and creates an atmosphere of harmony and neghbourliness? Unless the latter becomes an existential commitment of people because the Saviour was born to become humanity’s neighbor and eliminate the distance that keeps people from one another, the celebration of his birth would only produce greater selfishness for an autonomous existence. It is a common knowledge that even though his birth took place in a “no man’s place,” his teachings clearly showed the rightful existence of every person in one’s own land in freedom, and that every human being has the right to live there. His own displaced status, both in his infancy as well as in his adulthood, point to the reality of the economically and of the politically displaced people in the world, as the Gaza Palestinians and Ukrainian refugees face today. This situation is obviously caused by the avaricious ones creating constant conflicts between states and diverse communities of people, and due to natural upheavals divesting them of whatever belongs to them by right.
Terrorism and the terroristic activities are ever to be condemned. They are nothing but a cycle of retribution perpetuated, resulting in the death of human beings. Contemporary world has grown up with it and has nurtured it in varied forms. What is un-understandable is that no question has been addressed by world leaders for the causes of terrorism and no appropriate answer is consciously discovered. Perhaps the world is not eager to find an answer! The world political leaders take definite stand or side to the issue but not make a deliberate effort to resolve it. Terrorism is dehumanizing. Should the heads of nations with its instrument of peace, the UNO, sit and watch human lives caught up in the cycle of retribution or find a way to eliminate animosity and violence which is rooted in humanity? Perhaps, from the ground level on, the fundamental right for a life in freedom is not promoted by people. Or perhaps the existence of the “other” on the same level ground has become a problem for human beings. This has generated apartheid, racist or ethnic and religious feelings so much so that conflicts and wars are daily phenomena in the world. The recent histories of Sri Lanka, West Asia or the Manipur crisis bear testimony to this situation. Means of eliminating anyone who does not fit into our scheme of thinking have been constantly on the surge, resulting in actually causing irritation one way or another or inciting hate or threatening with terroristic ploys, as in the case of Hamas in the recent past. The answer to terrorism is not to be sought in condemnation but in the exercise of what is “human”, not as a mere philosophy, but as a compassionate approach leading towards dignified existence with rights proper to citizens. Have the world leaders and their respective institutions and political organizations done enough on this even after the two World Wars in the last century? If this is not done, the result is what the Hamas did to Israel which instantly blew up into a full scale war with horrendous destruction of human lives and property, particularly the killing of innocent children.
Condemning terrorism and the acts which accompany it by the world leaders from their fixed positions is all proper because most of the time it suits their convenient profit. However, to burn their fingers in establishing lasting peace and justice among warring factions or listening to the rightful grievances of an oppressed people is something no leaders of our world have willingly come forward to do. If the crisis in West Asia is seventy five year old and remains un-resolved, the world is only providing on a platter the possibilities of tension by a group of people to break their long-standing patience by terroristic activities and create attention from the bystanders. Deep-seated enmity and cruel hate keep brewing in such people, and as a vengeance it is manifested in physical attacks. Who is the cause of this venomous and destructive hate? It is the “other” who is obviously threatened by “my” existence! Instead of becoming a neighbour to the “other,” I perpetuate the cycle of retribution and become a war-head or a rocket or a destroyer air-craft!
Christmas in the cycle of retribution and in the atmosphere of war which has been lingering for years on by way of inciting hate feelings and physical annoyance, cannot be a celebration merely of a past, historical event, rather it is a strong message that this world belongs to all; that every race, colour, language and peoples have a definite right to live with freedom, and that the deep seated enmity must be rooted out in order to embrace every person’s existence is as sacred as one’s own. The world is dehumanized by people’s irrational behavior and their murderous attitudes whose only aim is to destroy the enemy. Christmas peace begins with the destruction of the enemy within every individual. Christmas is a “message,” not a grandiose celebration. Christmas pushes forth a strong and a determined sense of compassion, one that turns into a ‘cycle of gentle peace’ from the ‘cycle of retribution,’ revealing to the “other” that he or she really matters!
∎
