To call what took place over 7 hours in Peshawar brutal and inhuman would seem like a cliche. To term it as retribution would seem like commiting another horrific crime. To term it a wake up call would be to insult the memories of all those who lost their lives during terrorist attacks the world over. The sheer brutality of the massacre has left all of us scarred and some of us permanently. Such has been the impact of this carnage, that it seems like a travesty to even feel and express a sense of pain and anger at the perpetrators of the crime. So, it is with great trepidation that I even attempt to look for a lesson from this horrific brutality on humanity. Trepidation, because I do not want the scar inflicted on us to heal lest we conveniently forget the children who sacrificed their lives to bring to us a very important lesson on humanity.
What kind of a monster have we created from what we call as religion? How did we even leave enough room for such brutality and violent intent in our grand design of evolving human life? Of what purpose is religion, if in its defense people have to resort to violent and brutal means? Of what purpose are the teachings of religion if all it does is make our horizons narrower? Of what purpose are religious rituals and customs if all that emerges from them are militant thoughts and gruesome deaths? Why did we let this genie, of religion, out if its most spectacular manifestations are gruesome, brutal and inhuman? I am certain that the prophets did not want it this way. Is this massacre of innocent lives a signal of our futility to live together in harmony or symbolic of human helplessness? Whatever the context, violent acts of terrorism borne out of religious fundamentalism have only one way to go-OUT!!! This is not even a matter to be negotiated and solved. Let us admit it, we cannot have a dialogue with people who have lost their basic sense of humanity. Is this the moment that we were waiting for-the inflection point if you will, for a world without religion? Why do we persist with a system that does not spare innocent lives. Can even the worst natural calamity come close to this wilful intent at snuffing out innocent lives? In Peshawar, religion stood exposed in all its ugliness.
It is not anger, outrage, condemnation or a punishing attack that will annihilate this monstrous force of terrorism borne out of religious fundamentalism. If there is one thing that can, it is resolve, a firm and unrelenting resolve for securing and strengthening humanity for now and for posterity. A resolve is an affirmation and not a reaction, because reactions lead to escalations and resolve defines a new path, a new beginning. It is only resolve that can bring our attention to a future without fear. The longer we linger our attention to the tragedy we would be unwittingly playing into the hands of those who unleashed this barbaric action. This unrelenting, unremitting resolve should emerge from each one of us, in equal measure, no matter how far away we are from Peshawar. A collective and determined resolve of humanity, not in anger, not in retribution, but in affirmation of our ability to live together in resonance and harmony.
If there is one lesson, that the 132 children of Peshawar taught all of humanity, in those horrifying 7 hours, it is to redeem the humanity in each one of us and resolve to secure our future for all times to come. Let us not allow this lesson not go away, ever.
What kind of a monster have we created from what we call as religion? How did we even leave enough room for such brutality and violent intent in our grand design of evolving human life? Of what purpose is religion, if in its defense people have to resort to violent and brutal means? Of what purpose are the teachings of religion if all it does is make our horizons narrower? Of what purpose are religious rituals and customs if all that emerges from them are militant thoughts and gruesome deaths? Why did we let this genie, of religion, out if its most spectacular manifestations are gruesome, brutal and inhuman? I am certain that the prophets did not want it this way. Is this massacre of innocent lives a signal of our futility to live together in harmony or symbolic of human helplessness? Whatever the context, violent acts of terrorism borne out of religious fundamentalism have only one way to go-OUT!!! This is not even a matter to be negotiated and solved. Let us admit it, we cannot have a dialogue with people who have lost their basic sense of humanity. Is this the moment that we were waiting for-the inflection point if you will, for a world without religion? Why do we persist with a system that does not spare innocent lives. Can even the worst natural calamity come close to this wilful intent at snuffing out innocent lives? In Peshawar, religion stood exposed in all its ugliness.
It is not anger, outrage, condemnation or a punishing attack that will annihilate this monstrous force of terrorism borne out of religious fundamentalism. If there is one thing that can, it is resolve, a firm and unrelenting resolve for securing and strengthening humanity for now and for posterity. A resolve is an affirmation and not a reaction, because reactions lead to escalations and resolve defines a new path, a new beginning. It is only resolve that can bring our attention to a future without fear. The longer we linger our attention to the tragedy we would be unwittingly playing into the hands of those who unleashed this barbaric action. This unrelenting, unremitting resolve should emerge from each one of us, in equal measure, no matter how far away we are from Peshawar. A collective and determined resolve of humanity, not in anger, not in retribution, but in affirmation of our ability to live together in resonance and harmony.
If there is one lesson, that the 132 children of Peshawar taught all of humanity, in those horrifying 7 hours, it is to redeem the humanity in each one of us and resolve to secure our future for all times to come. Let us not allow this lesson not go away, ever.
