Violence always begets violence, but why still so blind?

 

 I’m a big fan of the Beastie Boys. I’ve been listening to them since the mid-1990s and watched them grow from dumb kids who sang about girls and reading dirty magazines right up till they became staunch defenders of human rights.

I was devastated when Adam “MCA” Yauch, who was one of the Beastie Boys along with Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, died of cancer in 2012. My friends and I all agreed that God had taken away the wrong MCA.

I remember in 1998, when the Beastie Boys won an MTV award, during the acceptance speech, MCA used the platform to talk about violence in the Middle East.

To paraphrase, he basically said all sides need to look at non-violent ways to solve the conflict because any violent response will always be seen as a retaliation which would then lead to more retaliation. Wise words from someone who started his music career fighting for his ‘right to party’.

I believe that over the years, I have grown as well, just like the Beastie Boys. I started in journalism thinking that it would give me a life of adventure. It did.

I have travelled the world covering conflict and wars. A majority of them were in the Middle East such as in Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Afghanistan. No, I’ve never been to Palestine but I have been close and covered its issues from the border in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt.

Cairo, Egypt

As much as I enjoyed the adventure, the things that I have seen during these times slowly caused certain priorities to change in my life.

I’m not going to deny that the thrill of travelling to these places still exists in me, but it has taken a very far back seat to the need of wanting to try as best as I can to persuade people that war and violence are something we must eradicate.

It is not fun when innocent people die and lives are ruined, no matter what side they are from.

Preventing, countering violent extremism

These days, I steer my journalism and filmmaking work to push for peace and non-violence. The content that I produce focuses on the theme of preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE).

I work with different governments and non-governmental organisations by using media to propagate the idea that there are many ways to solve conflict other than violent methods. I write books about it, make documentaries about it, and even give talks and workshops on it.

There are many ways to resolve conflict that don’t involve guns, bombs, or even fists. Dialogue or discussion is one very obvious and easy way.

Just talk about disagreements and try to understand all perspectives. Come to a compromise and then move forward. It really isn’t hard.

The problem is that ego, pride, and close-mindedness always stop this from happening. People are unwilling to listen and understand that everyone has a perspective.

We somehow think that our way is always the best and right way. If everybody who has different ways believes this, then it causes conflict.

How do we make people realise that other people’s ways may be different but it does not mean that they are wrong? We have to condition people’s thinking by exposing them to as many different ways as possible.

Expose them to different beliefs, cultures, contexts, and perspectives, but also show that everyone is human too.

Supporting Palestine

Sure, it is easier said than done. I know because I’ve been trying to do it for the good part of 20 years. A lot of people who are in the PCVE circle have been trying to do it too. It’s tough but we continue to do it because we see the importance of peace and harmony.

We keep hoping that, little by little, people in the world will realise that violence is never the answer. But then, sometimes, things happen that diminish this hope that we struggle to keep.

One such incident is when reports started surfacing about a school in Malaysia that organised a Palestinian solidarity event where the students were dressed up as militant fighters with symbols voicing support for Palestine while brandishing fake guns.

I am in support of Palestine too, but I do not believe that I must carry weapons to go and commit more violence. I write, I make videos, and I speak about it. Even our Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has refused to send troops to fight, instead opting to use his voice as a state leader to support Palestine.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

If this incident is true, then it breaks my heart to see teachers encouraging students to opt for radical, extreme, and violent ways to express themselves. I will fully blame the teachers and school for this.

How in their right minds do they think something like this is okay? These young kids who are in the most impressionable stage of their lives will think guns and violence are acceptable ways to express themselves and fight for what they believe in.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has said that a thorough investigation will be conducted. That is good. I hope it will be done swiftly and the findings be made public as soon as possible. Whoever is responsible needs to be held accountable.

More importantly, we need to know how this could have happened and then take steps to prevent it from ever happening again. How could we have let such extremism creep into our school system? It is unacceptable.

Personally, I don’t even think a Palestine Solidarity Week should have even been brought into schools. The schools and teachers can have discussions and dialogue about the issues but should avoid taking such a direct stand.

If the discussions happen properly, the students will be able to make up their own minds without a stand having to be forced down their throats. When that happens, they will really believe in the cause and what is right or wrong.

This is not a small matter and it needs to be addressed. There is no place for radicalism and extremism in our schools, or anywhere for that matter.

The Beastie Boys were right. Violence only begets violence. This has been proven time and time again. Why can’t people ever learn? A line needs to be drawn and only the bigger person can do this. Who is willing to be the bigger person? - Mkini

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ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist, and academic. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.