Peace is never won by resorting to war 
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By: Father Shay Cullen
Peace is never won by resorting to war, violence and brutal killing. That is what the Bishops of the Philippines hope the government will understand and accept.
The war in Lebanon is on hold as a cease fire is in place, fragile as it is. What has the killing and destruction achieved? Hardly any political advantage to neither side, what it has achieved is a death toll of thousands, thousands more maimed and the massive loss of property, human suffering on an untold scale all in the space of a month.
In the Philippines, the killing machines are shooting and assassinating the suspects of the left leaning political parties and outspoken journalist goes on. President Macapagal-Arroyo has established a fact finding committee, despite the presence of a Catholic Bishop on the panel, its critics say but a toothless and powerless fig leaf to cover the gruesome systematic killings believed to be the hand of the military under the command of general Palparan.
In her state of the nation address last July, the President unleashed the dogs of war by declaring a massive counter-insurgency campaign that would eliminate the communist rebels in two years. She was lavish in her praise of the generals and encouraged them to "go and just do it". Senator Aquilino Pimentel said panels can’t stop only the presidential order. The international reaction from churches and democratic leaders has been growing, many bishops and church leaders are calling on president Arroyo to order a cease fire and end the death squads. So far they have not been heeded.
Is this democracy at work or creping dictatorship at work, critics asked? The violence unleashed by military power, the shock and awe kind, alienates whole nations, sowed the seeds for hatred, breeds, anger, revenge and retaliation. The massive plot to kill thousands with suicide bombs on ten planes recently is a frightening reminder of the power of fanatical belief in revenge at any price. Also, at work here is the belief in the righteousness of revenge, the hunger for justice, an end to oppression and the evil perceived to be coming for the great superpowers of the world.
Some of it is revenge for the declared injustices inflicted on the Palestinians and the more coming from western supported dictatorships and torture practicing tyrannies of the Middle East. Whatever the source of aberrant religious terrorism more violence and killing is not going to solve it. That is only creating a cycle of revenge and vengeance seeking. More young people are flocking to the banner of the terrorists and war like that in Lebanon is heaping fuel on the fires of anger.
Peace making has to begin with understanding these realities. The invasion of Iraq has brought nothing but mayhem and murder and unleashed mindless killing. That kind of forceful spreading of democracy and regime change is a contradiction. Democracy develops from the will of a free and educated people. They can t be bombed into it.
No more can the Philippine insurgency be solved by killing more people with social conscience by those with none. Undoing the social injustice, implementing true land reform, the ending of the unjust disparity of wealth and the exploitation of the poor is the only way forward. Enlightened and just rule with a sense of social reform and justice will bring true peace to the Philippines.
Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator and killed hundreds of thousands, so was Ferdinand Marcos, on a lesser scale, perhaps, but he was overthrown by the growth of an educated freedom loving God believing middleclass. They worked for a bloodless change of power and I was glad to be part of that. The people power solution has worked and it can work again in the Philippines and other places too.
It is inspired by the practice of true Christianity where selfless concern for others well being is the driving force. Not the aberration of a fanatical belief in a vengeful God bringing Armageddon where christens will triumph over all and be taken to heaven in rapture and all others will be condemned to hell. If that is the belief operating in Washington or the Philippines I want no part of it. Jesus showed us the way by declaring that “Blessed are the Poor and theirs is the kingdom and their hunger for justice will be satisfied.” Justice is what will end violence and hatred and it has to be given with humility. [End]
