Writers are seldom at a loss for words. Post Peshawar
16/12 I was shell shocked, and am still struggling to piece together my
thoughts. No words suffice to condemn this carnage, described by some as
beastly or insane. I beg to differ, because this is not animal behaviour, nor
were the perpetrators of this crime against humanity insane. They were as highly focused as the SS Nazi
troops of Hitler, who exterminated millions of Jews during World War II.
Most
perpetrators of genocide justify their acts under some ideology or other,
especially when they perceive somebody else as the “other”. So they are not
insane, nor their actions inane. They are so strongly motivated, brainwashed if
you like, that they are actually inured to the “other’s” pain, and even their
own impending suicidal death. Religious fundamentalists, under the pretext of
“Islam” are killing indiscriminately in Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, and Kenya; and
most recently in Australia and now Peshawar. Be it the ISIS, LeT, Boko Haram or
the Taliban, they all have a common denominator – to decimate the “other”.
History
is replete with religious wars in the name of crusades, jihad, dharamyudhs etc,
in which the perpetrators justify their actions. I am no one to judge the past,
or see things out of context; but such actions have absolutely no place in our
modern world; where there are ample opportunities for dialogue and dispute
resolution with the support of information technology and international
arbitration.
Since
Peshawar happened just a week before Christmas my thoughts flew to Bethlehem,
the place of Jesus’ birth, which we are now commemorating. At that time the
angels heralded “Glory to God in the highest and peace to people on earth”.
This touching nativity scene, popularized in Christmas cards, cribs, carols and
tableaux, was rudely shattered shortly thereafter. The reigning Jewish king,
Herod, perceived a threat to his hegemony. Who was this “other”, this pretender
to the throne? The king would brook no challenge. The challenger had to be
eliminated immediately.
The
Bible recounts the subsequent horrific act of infanticide. “Herod was furious
on realizing that he had been fooled by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its
surrounding district he had all the male children killed, who were two years
old or less, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men.
Then were fulfilled the words spoken through the Prophet Jeremiah” (Lk
2:16-17).
Jeremiah
had prophesied about 700 years earlier: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting
and weeping bitterly: it is Rachel weeping for her children, because they are
no more” (Jer 31:15). Rachel was the grand daughter-in-law of Abraham,
considered the patriarch of the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ramah is in the
vicinity of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. This genocide occurred during the
Babylonian Captivity of the Israelites in what is modern day Iraq.
The
first case of infanticide recorded in the Bible was several centuries earlier
when the Israelites were in Egypt. Feeling threatened by the increasing number
and economic clout of the Israelites in his territory, Pharaoh issued this
diktat, “Throw every new-born boy into the river, but let all the girls live”
(Ex 1:22).
God
then sends Moses to reason with Pharaoh, to let the Israelites return to the
land of their forefathers. But Pharaoh digs in his heels; so God sends ten
plagues, in ascending order of intensity. Pharaoh doesn’t budge. Moses again
goes to Pharaoh to warn him of the impending tenth plague. God said through
Moses, “At midnight I shall pass through Egypt, and all the first-born in Egypt
will die, from the first-born of Pharaoh, heir to his throne, to the first-born
of the slave-girl at the mill, and all the first-born of the livestock. And
throughout Egypt there will be great wailing, such as never before, nor will be
again” (Ex 11:4-6). These scenes were immortalized in the epic movie “The Ten
Commandments”, with the parting of the Red Sea, and the free passage of the
Israelites, led by Moses.
It
was Moses who gave the thumb rule “an eye for an eye”, oft referred to as the
Mosaic Law. This is well documented in the Book of Exodus quoted above. It is
significant that the three major Semitic religions – Judaism, Christianity and
Islam venerate Abraham, Moses and the first five books of the Holy Bible. The
Jews refer to it as the Torah, the Muslims as the Toreth and Christian scholars
as the Pentateuch (Greek for five books).
The
question that arises is, should we continue with the Mosaic Law of tit for tat?
Here is where the heraldic tidings of Bethlehem come – Peace, not war or
revenge. It is for this reason that Jesus is referred to as the Prince of
Peace. Even in his farewell discourse to his disciples he said, “My peace I
give to you, the peace that the world can’t give”.
This
Christmas after we have finished with the fun and frolic of cakes and carols,
let us get back to the real task of promoting peace in the New Year. A good
beginning would be to recognize the “other” as a brother or sister, and not as
a threat. Let us all collectively strive for peace. That indeed should be the
last word, not the loss of words. Peace – Shanti – Salaam!
No comments:
Post a Comment