Peaceful protest and people power are true way to justice 
The Universe
(September 03, 2006)
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 fragile ceasefire remains in place, but what has the killing and destruction achieved aside from a death toll of thousands, with thousands more maimed?
In the Philippines, the assassination of suspected members of the left-leaning political parties and journalists goes on.
President Macapagal-Arroyo has established a fact finding committee, but despite the presence of a Catholic bishop on the panel it is, critics say, a toothless watchdog. The gruesome systematic killings believed to be perpetrated by the military under the command of General Palparan, continue.
In her state of the nation address in July, the president unleashed the dogs of war by declaring a massive campaign that would eliminate the communist rebels in two years. She was lavish in her praise of the generals and encouraged them to "just go and do it".
Many bishops and Church leaders worldwide are calling on President Arroyo to order a ceasefire. So far they have not been heeded.
Is this democracy, or creping dictatorship at work, critics asked. The violence unleashed by military power alienates whole nations, and sows the seeds for hatred, anger and revenge.
The recent terror plot to kill thousands with suicide bombs on planes in flight 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, a need to end the oppression and evil perceived to be coming from the world’s great superpowers.
Some of it is revenge for the declared injustices inflicted on the Palestinians and also for 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.
This will only create a cycle of revenge. More young people are flocking to the banner of the terrorists and war such as 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. This 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 the killing people with social conscience than by those with none.
Undoing the social injustice, implementing true land reform, and ending of the unjust disparity of wealth and exploitation of the poor is the only way.
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 is the driving force, not the aberration of a fanatical belief in a vengeful God bringing Armageddon.
If this 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 will end violence and hatred and it has to be given with humility. [End]
