Responding to Terror
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The horrendous attacks in Paris have sent shivers down the spine everywhere in the world. This is a direct assault not only on the European way of life but on values that are common to all liberal societies. India has also suffered greatly due to terrorism over many years. Repeated attacks have caused a certain numbness in the human psyche in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places.
When such incidents happen, we hear a lot of cosmetic condemnation and diplomatic sympathy. We need to go into the root cause of the mind-set – the source of funding and the arms supply. When an inhuman act is committed with a misplaced religious sanctity and pride, then common sense, reason and dialogue do not find place at all. Any military action only makes things worse and results in the regrouping of the ideology. We have seen this over and over again.
If a society has to live in fear all the time, it does not speak well of the century we are in. Where have we gone wrong? Who can take action? Many such questions arise and remain unanswered.
Are the religious leaders, at least, at this point ready to take up responsibility?
Can they risk their position and lives to speak up against such ideologies that do not respect life?
Will the government ban the arms lobby and check the funding that goes into terror groups?
Will the world ever move towards a common goal where there is justice, where compassion and brotherhood reign as life’s central philosophy?
Can diversity be celebrated instead of tolerated?
Can our education system promote reason over blind faith?
A zillion such questions float only to leave the common man more frustrated and depressed. There are some who turn a blind eye towards any such happening and switch over to entertainment channels while others are numb watching violent movies. In this world we do see many heroes amongst commoners who come along to help and bring a ray of hope, and are also committed to uplift the mood of the society. Theses common heroes are a boon; they are the real Spiritual Beings. The media should highlight such acts of bravery and sometimes does too!
Educationists will have to wake up and bring an education in peace so that the coming generations are both sensible and sensitive to life. Religious leaders will have to come together to promote the common good of mankind and reform the misguided. I strongly believe this is all doable in our generation.
Many times people who feel very passionately for a cause feel justified in adopting violent means in its pursuit. They are driven by a sense of righteousness, though misplaced, and their commitment to their cause is commendable. They are willing to resolve differences through dialogue if approached in the right way.
We have been able to successfully bring back many extremists from a life of violence and rehabilitate them in mainstream society. In fact, many of our free tribal schools in terrorist-affected regions in India are being run by former extremists. They were hostile in the beginning, threatening our volunteers but when they saw that these efforts were benefiting their own communities, they became volunteers themselves.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the attacks. Such incidents cause anger which can lead to polarisation based on ethnicity and religion, but the real polarisation is between open and narrow-mindedness. While a narrow fanatic outlook can only lead to differences that divide us, it requires wisdom and a broad vision to go past them and arrive at values that unite us. The world needs the latter and not the former!
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Very good post. Agree with you, the world needs to go further to combat terrorism.
Jai Gurudev
Human beings we all.
Guruji’s perspective is always the right one.
He preaches, practices compassion.
Being with him = striving for a stress free world.
Ik Onkar Sri Waheguru ji ki FatehIk Onkar Sri Waheguru ji ki FatehIk Onkar Sri Waheguru ji ki Fateh
Exactly ! We should be celebrating and embracing each others differences than ‘ tolerating’ them 🙂
This was likely a false flag by Israeli Mossad. The Jewish media lies about everything. We now know that 9/11 was committed by Mossad as well. You have to be discerning today. The CIA invented Al Qaeda using Arab double agents and of course renamed it to ISIS. The global elite (mostly Jews) want perpetual war. They foreshadowed the attack the day before on The Blacklist and The Player. Watch them and see for yourself. No coincidence.
The Main Reason of all Human suffering is the International Jewry.but ofcourse in my opinion i dont want Sri Ravi Shankar to oppose this maniacs for his own safety.
The situation is getting out of control. The root cause is a combination of greed and faith. Faith is amenable to reason and self limiting in terms of violence. When greed feeds faith, the limiting factors disappear. There is need to find who feeds greed and how and cut off the channels that feed greed. The complexities come back to faith. It is a vicious circle. If faith feeds greed, only time will limit and that how much is that time , we have to wait. I pray that time is not long. Meanwhile, immunisation, sanitisation, isolation, securetisation and intelligence are the methods
Guruji has rightly said. We need to get into the root of the problem and together as one family should work to bring harmony. Religious preachers should play major role in this. Paris attack and other similar attacks are black spot for our society.
There is necessity to connect faith, science, and art, only combining need for good ( faith), need for truth (science), and need for beauty ( art) we will live love and freedom. With separated parts it is impossible. We can create autopoietic society or we can live in allopoietic society. All depends upon us.
Very rightly said by SriSri. There is an urgent need to spiritualize the world with Human values. Guys, lets focus on bringing these techniques to each and every individual on the planet. So that we can eliminate the terror from its root.
Very rightly said by Sri Sri, unless we address the root, the menace of terrorism can’t be overcome.
A transformation of mind and heart in the terrorist is a long term prospect.It cannot happen overnight or even for years to come.France will also have to retrospect in its hour of pain and devastating loss.Provocation never pays..if we cannot empathise with other faiths we must still refrain from lampooning their sacred figures .Tolerance if not consensus is the only middle path France and the western world will have to take…so with other countries like India.
World Culture Festival 2016 at Delhi during March 11-13 is greatest such response to acts of intolerance by You where each & every one who will like to see a “just” society to join.
Terrorists are the happiest lot at this moment.To many, no religious, political,ideological differences can produce and harbor them. But, they can annihilate humanity. Alas ! Humanity is so fragile and incompetent to deal with it.
Absolutely apt SriSri. The world needs to unite against such acts and sideline everyone who support such activities in any form.
Great vision by our own visionary : Diversity to be celebrated rather than to be tolerated
Very aptly said Gurudev !! Educationists can do a lot to impart values among children from the childhood. Once they are brought up with Humanity and compassion- they care for the society. AOL schools are doing such a great job under your guidance.
With sincere respect and deep regards Guruji, I feel that persuasion works only with extremists who truly believe that they are fighting for a cause.
You say “They are driven by a sense of righteousness, though misplaced, and their commitment to their cause is commendable.”
But today it is not always so. Many extremists are into it for pecuniary gains, power and pelf and not for the ’cause’ although they may have initially taken to terror out of misplaced zeal.
Terrorists today aren’t really interested in resolving issues since it is those very issues which gain them the moral authority to wield the power of terror.
A True Guruji you are and I bow to you for your wisdom.
A guru is a must to guide us on the right path for universal peace, in this darkest hour of terrorism we definitely need wise people like you and many more likewise.
I am with you for a great cause of Humanity to leave on this One Planet as humans with great harmony among us, respecting each one’s faith and differences.
It is time for Walk the Talk
Make this world a safe place for all of us and future generation.
A True Guruji you are and I bow to you for your wisdom.
A guru is a must to guide us on the right path for universal peace, in this darkest hour of terrorism we definitely need wise people like you and many more likewise.
I am with you for a great cause of Humanity to live on this One Planet as humans with great harmony among us, respecting each one’s faith and differences.
It is time for Walk the Talk
Make this world a safe place for all of us and future generation.
Guruji under your visionary guidence we will work for stress free voilence free world
Guruji we are with you… Under your guifance we will go to any extent solving this issue.
Agree GURUJI . Guide us we are ready to fight against terrorism & corruption. No more Tolerance , No more Violence
Great Quesions… Why don’t we celebrate diversity than tolerate it? Lead us….
Yes very rightly said giruji