| July 9, 2002
Contact:
Stephen M. Apatow
Founder, Director of Research & Development
Humanitarian Resource Institute
Humanitarian University Consortium Graduate Studies
Center for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine & Law
Phone: 203-668-0282
Email: s.m.apatow@humanitarian.net
Internet: www.humanitarian.net
INTERFAITH
& PEACE GROUPS URGED TO EMBRACE SOLUTION ORIENTED INITIATIVES
Marc
Gopin,
Visiting Associate Professor of International Diplomacy and Senior
Researcher
at The Fletcher School, Tufts University, and Visiting Scholar at the
Program
on Negotiation, Harvard University, summarized the new War Against
Terrorism
in the following excerpt from the paper "This War is About Religion, and Cannot be Won Without
it:"
"The
sooner
we face facts, the more powerful our chances to succeed in making
religious
terrorism a temporary phenomenon of human culture. But we cannot do
this
if we hide our heads in the sand. Politically incorrect or not, this
war
is about religion. In case anyone thinks that it is not about religion
then
they should take a good hard look at the document written by the
terrorist
mastermind of the World Trade Center bombing, Mohammed Ata, in order to
help
his soldiers prepare for their sanctified deaths. It is one of the most
profound
religious documents I have ever seen, and its preparation for a
beautiful
death and afterlife is so compelling that I almost forgot, as I read it
transfixed, that it was really about mass murder. I felt tempted to
join the journey myself.
If I felt tempted as a non-Muslim, how much more tempting to tens of
millions
of alienated young Muslim men in search of significant lives and
meaningful
deaths. This death wish is a careful weaving of purification rituals to
be
accepted into Paradise, including asking God for forgiveness of sins!
Mass
murder is, of course, not one of the sins in this unique reading of
Islam.
It is, on the contrary, a supreme religious act of struggle with the
forces
of evil. But the atrocity is not even mentioned by name. It is simply
the
struggle with evil. In fact, it is overshadowed in the letter by the
holy
rituals of death preparations, as if a meditative concentration on
Paradise
is at the core of every act leading to the end, rather than revenge or
murder."
Silence,
in regards to the causative factors of aggression, combined with
threats
and counter aggression only perpetuate the cycle of violence.
Temporary
fixes overlook the solution oriented initiatives needed for democracy,
religious
tolerance, human rights, women's rights and the pursuit of peace and
social
justice.
As
Gopin
emphasized, "Technology and intolerant religious power create a
chemistry
that human civilization cannot survive." Therefore we call all
faith
groups, non governmental, intergovernmental and diplomatic
representatives
in every United Nations member country to embrace a solution oriented
strategic
focus during this time of relative calm, a scenario that will rapidly
change
in a crisis responsive environment following a nuclear, biological or
chemical
attack on the United States or international community.
In
the
context of this appeal, we continue to request the review and support
of
the International Interfaith Peace Declaration. On the web: http://www.humanitarian.net/peace/declaration.html
The
Humanitarian
Resource Institute International Peace Center is a collaborative
initiative
to share information and enhance academic discussion of issues related
to
Crisis Management/Intervention and the prevention and settlement of
conflicts between and within states, with emphasis on policy research
and development. On the web: http://www.humanitarian.net/peace
.
Related Sites:
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