no answers to photographs
I look at the photograph of two Muslim men "beaten up for no reason" in the Mumbai Mirror edition of July 27, 2006. The men were beaten up in local trains in Mumbai, a few days after the bomb blasts, by angry citizens. I've looked at the photos of the people who lost their limbs, their loved ones in the bomb blasts.
I look at the photo of mothers lined up under the banner of 'Parents of Disappeared Persons' in Srinagar in the Asian Age edition of July 26, 2006. The association claims that more than 8000 people have disappeared after their reported arrest by security forces.
I look at the photo of a father with his dead child in his arms in today's edition of the Asian Age and the Mumbai Mirror. Around 25 children have been killed in Israel's last attack on Lebanon.
I look at the photos published in the newspapers, and try to imagine what life will be like for those people, after that flash. Can I, safe, untouched, unharmed, imagine the hatred, the anger, the violence festering inside those who have been maimed or bereaved?
Can our words, our pleas for rational thought assuage the grief, of Hindus or Muslims, Israelis or Palestininians, blacks or whites, who have actually suffered?
I don't have the answers. Do any of you?
I look at the photo of mothers lined up under the banner of 'Parents of Disappeared Persons' in Srinagar in the Asian Age edition of July 26, 2006. The association claims that more than 8000 people have disappeared after their reported arrest by security forces.
I look at the photo of a father with his dead child in his arms in today's edition of the Asian Age and the Mumbai Mirror. Around 25 children have been killed in Israel's last attack on Lebanon.
I look at the photos published in the newspapers, and try to imagine what life will be like for those people, after that flash. Can I, safe, untouched, unharmed, imagine the hatred, the anger, the violence festering inside those who have been maimed or bereaved?
Can our words, our pleas for rational thought assuage the grief, of Hindus or Muslims, Israelis or Palestininians, blacks or whites, who have actually suffered?
I don't have the answers. Do any of you?
posted by Banno at 11:57 am
6 Comments:
These traumatic experiences are unique to those unfortunate people that experience them in a real and personal way. While you and I can only empathize and at best try to imagine how it must feel we can’t. For their sakes we speak out. For their well being we wish them well or pray or what ever we can to let the world know that these actions are unacceptable.
The world may be a dark and cold place but imagine our fate if no one wrote spoke or protested all of these vile acts of hatred. When these voices grow silent then all hope will be gone. Until then keep this suffering near your heart and never let your voice be silenced.
Rafael
Can our words, our pleas for rational thought assuage the grief, of Hindus or Muslims, Israelis or Palestininians, blacks or whites, who have actually suffered?
I certainly believe that they can. Do not underestimate the power of such thoughts and the effect you can have on others by presenting such thoughts to the world. Do not allow yourself to be distracted by the smokes and mirrors. Hold the wise world of Mahatma Gandhi close to your heart
First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.
Keep writing and hence you will keep fighting. Your work / our work. is not only vital , but crucial if not by creating the type of world that we want , at least by preventing the kind of world that some of 'them' want.
Yes, Rafael, Leif, _h_,
I also believe that our words are valid, and will mean something, will change something. But yes, one does tend sometimes to get distracted by helplessness. I also wish there was a way of directly engaging people who have actually suffered with our dialogue, our writing. The formal media only seems to incite more grief.
Beautifully stated.
I didnt agree with you. So you didnt post my comments, is that freedom.
Yes its the sort of freedom that we would all have if the world was an Islamic state.
How dare you get indignant when you would seek to snuff out opposition to YOUR thoughts.
Batul,
I did describe my personal experiences at Baroda where we had formed a group of Hindus and Muslims to go and visit the injured and the dying in the hospitals...this is there in one of my earlier posts.
Hate spreads faster than love, at the same time the average citizen in India abhors all this senseless
violence, retribution and revenge which leads to a vicious cycle.
Much more needs to be done, frankly. Writing itself is a good beginning, no doubt.
cheerz!
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