Death and destruction on non-violence day

 

Every Oct 2, the world observes the International Day of Non-Violence. But what’s the use?
For we never seem to learn.

There are currently 56 active conflicts, the most since the end of the Second World War, according to think-tank the Institute for Economics & Peace.

And a total of 92 countries are currently engaged in a conflict beyond their borders. Obviously, these nations did not observe the UN’s International Day of Non-Violence yesterday.

As I reflect on it, I feel helpless about the direction the world is taking, and sad about the sufferings of tens of millions of people due to conflicts and wars.

This is a terrible indictment of human propensities: We are still tribals underneath our civilised veneer.

How can we say we are civilised when we cannot settle or manage our differences without resorting to war?

How can we say we are civilised when millions are killed and displaced by conflicts all around us?

The sad thing is that most of us have become inured to the violence in the world. One reason is because it has become all too common.

Some political leaders start wars; some utter calls for peace to seem concerned; some support violence by their allies; and some maintain silence unless it affects their people or their co-religionists.

This saddens me, as I’m sure it does you. But what is more sad and worrying is that some ordinary people cheer when violence is perpetrated in the name of their race or religion or by a 

friendly

 nation.

What a shame!

Right now, there are fears of a full-blown war between Iran and Israel. If what’s happening in Lebanon and Gaza gets out of hand, the global economy will suffer, not just the combatant nations.

On Oct 1, the eve of the International Day of Non-Violence, Iran launched between 150 and 200 missiles at Israel in response to the recent killing of Iran-backed Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon.

Israel is now fighting on two fronts: with Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

According to the Palestinian ministry of health, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and about 92,000 injured since Oct 7 last year when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 others hostage.

Israel invaded southern Lebanon on Sept 29, accelerating the Middle-East conflict.

An all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel will result in more death and destruction. It was reported on Sept 30 that at least 125 people had been killed in Lebanon by Israeli attacks since Sunday morning.

Already thousands of Lebanese are fleeing the country.

Where will this end? Will it be a never-ending war, just as that between Russia and Ukraine?

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022 and since then more than 1 million people have been estimated to have been killed and injured in the war that does not seem to end.

What if nuclear weapons are used in this conflict? On Sept 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted that if any state which was backed by a nuclear power were to attack it, his country might resort to nuclear weapons.

Most Malaysians are concerned only with the conflict in the Middle-East and hardly discuss devastating conflicts elsewhere.

For instance, how many are bothered that about 50,000 people are estimated to have been killed since the Feb 1, 2021 military coup in Myanmar, our Asean neighbour?

According to a report by a UN team monitoring the conflict between the military and several armed guerrilla groups, the military killed at least 2,414 civilians, including 334 children, between April 2023 and this June.

How many Malaysians know that more than 20,000 people have been killed in Sudan in the last 16 months? Or that the ethnically-driven civil war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has displaced more than 10 million people? Or that about half of Sudan’s population is suffering from acute hunger?

Also, thousands of civilians have been killed and millions displaced in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in West Africa at the hands of jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda or Islamic State.

But most Malaysians and Malaysian political leaders are, strangely, only concerned about the war in the Middle East. Why is that?

The Institute for Economics & Peace says fewer conflicts are being resolved, either militarily or through peace agreements.

It says in its 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI) report that the number of conflicts that ended in a decisive victory fell from 49% in the 1970s to 9% in the 2010s, while conflicts that ended through peace agreements fell from 23% to 4% over the same period.

Conflicts are also becoming more internationalised, with 92 countries now engaged in a conflict beyond their borders, the most since the inception of the GPI in 2008, complicating negotiation processes for a lasting peace and prolonging conflicts. The internationalisation of conflict is driven by increased great power competition and the rise of middle level powers, who are becoming more active in their regions.

In marking the International Day of Non-Violence, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, UN secretary-general António Guterres said: 

Across the globe, conflicts are raging. From Ukraine, to Sudan, the Middle East, and far beyond, war is creating a hellscape of destruction, destitution and fear.

He added: “We commemorate the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, and reaffirm the values to which he dedicated his life: equality, respect, peace and justice.

Gandhi believed non-violence was the greatest force available to humanity – more powerful than any weapon. Together, let’s build institutions to support that noble vision.

The question is: How many leaders are listening? - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.