[983] in peace2
Attacking the Root of Terrorism: Violence
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Felix F AuYeung)
Sat Sep 15 21:46:01 2001
To: peace-list@mit.edu
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2001 21:38:05 -0400
Message-ID: <20010915.214806.-155629.10.FelixAuYeung@juno.com>
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From: Felix F AuYeung <felixauyeung@juno.com>
the definition of peace (a state of nonviolence) as both the absence of
war and the presence of social justice; short mild piece:
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Attacking the Root of Terrorism: Violence
An Interview with Satish Kumar
By Sara Buckwitz, Special to Utne Online
As a young man, Satish Kumar walked 8,000 miles for peace. Tuesday
Satish, now in his mid sixties, found himself in New York, witness to the
demolition of the World Trade Center by hijacked airliners. This man of
peace shares with Utne Reader Online his unique perspective on the
September 11 attack. He challenges Americans to retaliate with compassion
and to end the spiral of violence.
"I think the whole world is filled with compassion and sympathy and
sorrow," he says. Beyond the tragedy is an opportunity for America to
rise above the West’s tradition of violence.
"America should respond with wisdom and grace and statesmanship…America
being the most powerful in terms of wealth and power and weapons, has the
potential to be the flagship and lead [the world] in a different
direction," he says quickly, emphatically. Because of America’s status,
he feels that it’s the only country capable of responding differently. If
it doesn’t, he warns, there will be another World Trade Center and
another Pentagon attacked, if not here, then elsewhere. He condemns the
hijackers’ use of innocent women, children and seniors as weapons of mass
destruction.
However, instead of focusing on this one event, Satish emphasizes the
need to look at the larger issue. He sees Tuesday’s attack as evidence of
a deeper trend of violence and injustice that can be connected to the
protests in Seattle and Genoa, Satish says. This is part of that same
problem.
As much as he recognizes the necessity of supporting the CIA, FBI and
Secret Service, Satish says he hopes that America can somehow balance
them with an equally powerful push to end the world of the root causes of
violence: hunger and poverty. "I would propose that America lead the way
and use the forum of the United Nations to bring together all nations…
[to show that] not only will we suppress terrorism, but we’ll not
tolerate violence in any form." He challenges America to eradicate all
violence. For 50 years he listened to countries speak of removing
poverty. "Words, words, words," he says. "In the meantime, countries like
us, become richer, richer, richer." This is one of the most overt acts of
violence he sees today. He sees no reason why, with all the food,
technology and science, we do not erase hunger and poverty from the
earth. Ending violence, he argues, will bring about peace, "the ultimate
security," he says.
As a follower of Gandhi and editor of the spiritual magazine Resurgence,
he believes that violence will only beget more violence. He says: "If
there is a fire you do not put more fire or wood or oil, you use water,"
he says. "You will overcome violence with compassion, with peace; that is
a the missing element."
http://www.utne.com/bPractSeeker.tmpl?command=search&db=dArticle.db&eqhea
dlinedata=Attacking%20the%20Root%20of%20Terrorism%20Violence
