Posts by MacaryMehssen:
Arab malicious dance
March 16th, 2015By Mehssen Macary.
“On my knees I beg you to turn away from the paths of violence and return to the ways of peace. You may claim to seek justice. I too believe in justice and seek justice. But violence only delays the day of justice. Violence destroys the work of justice. Do not follow any leaders who train you in the ways of inflicting death. Those who resort to violence always claim that only violence brings change. You must know that there is a political peaceful way to justice”.
The Pope Jean Paul II, Drogheda, Ireland, 29 September 1979
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One Major Dream for the Middle East- the most unstable region in the world and whose insecurity is a crucial and persistent threat to global peace- is to help ensure a lasting peace, proper justice and indubitably a true Democracy.
In the Aftermath of a history crammed with clashes and killings that portrayed our region, the Middle East, cradle of faith 🙁 Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and the grown land of values 🙁 Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Phoenician).
In an eternal inquiry for Peace and Dialogue, that occupied in a way or another, our past, present and most probably our future, without doubt the largest part of our lives.
In a vain pursue to end the struggle that blackens the horizons of our constituency in order to ensure our prominent mission to build a nonviolent world, able to resolve its misunderstandings, its crisis with dialogue and talk. Some questions call for reasonable answers.
What brought us to the present situation? What are the obstacles before us?
The issues are extremely complex and are consequent from ancient and modern-day political, social, educational as well as religious history.
Despite of what some assume, it has never been only about the Arab- Israeli Conflict from World War I to the present, even it was and still the foremost, critical crisis that needs to be resolved, it is from decades a way of life, a thinking method and before all a belief issue.
In a chronological appraise, facing the wave of conflicts and troubles, one should never disregard the hostility that lead us from breakdown to another in structuring our modern State, the State of Law in all its components. This Nation or this State associated to Culture and Tradition as a source of identity accompanied by codes of intellectual and moral behavior.
There are elderly along with evolving ruptures in the Middle- East region, among people and their rulers, their leading “Elite”, among Arab people themselves, people belonging to multiple differing religious identities.
We are still the inheritors of that structure by which one is defined by the social order, the religious sectarian identity, which in turn derives its authority from a hypothetically unbroken tradition.
Hatred and suspicions in the Middle –East are too ingrained in our character and pride is too great for any of the disputing parties to offer incitements or concessions. Whole generations have no other experience than war, students who are taught to read their own sectarian as well as tribal classics (wrote to praise and distinguish their Confessions as well as their clans) before, if not without, they read others are likely to appreciate and belong loyally, most often uncritically, to their constituency and traditions while demeaning or fighting against others and by all means refusing the other.
Other, more delicate factors are also at work, the innate tendency of historians, scholars and writers to present their society, and its past in a favorable light; a defective memory or incomplete knowledge; and the spoiled effect of perfect perception. A memoir sits at the dangerous junction of policy, aspiration, and history (Present, Future and Past), where it is tempting to focus on instances of good judgment, and to shape or forget times when one made mistakes.
In our desire to make ourselves heard, we tend very often to forget that the world is a crowded place, and that if everyone were to insist on the radical purity or priority of one’s own voice, all we would have would be the unpleasant disturbance of continuous rivalry, and a bloody political mess, the true horror of which is beginning to be noticeable here and there.
There are no more places for continuous violence, which tends to undermine, although disloyal; peace initiatives, and perpetuate hatred and combat. A morally reprehensible and politically counterproductive war. These reprehensible acts have brought pervasive condemnation and discredit on the entire Arab community and are almost desperate for just causes as the Palestinian crisis.
Still that the terrifyingly familiar ideas about aggressive refusal or death or extended punishment or repression represent a part of our approach of how to act within the inner circle of our Middle Eastern society, as well as with the outer challenges, “others” mainly understood force and violence best, “they” are not like “us”.
Let me say a little here of what I have in mind, I do not want to be misunderstood; and far from any perfect judgment, how can we make sense of the seemingly never- ending spectacle that is violence? How can we make it through this vicious circle of brutality and misunderstanding? How we get on from this “desperate hellhole”?
Digging profound, alternatives were and will always be present; efforts to end the ongoing impasse should be more often elaborated. One fact should be understood: if we failed the “Crisis” would continue for generations to come, and our legacy would be a gory “War”.
Any Peace effort does not have a life of its own; it is not self sustaining, The State of Law either, it has never been a “built in” structure in our society. Both should be strategic as well as moral responsibilities. A strong emphasis should be on moral responsibility and accountability.
Who we are and what we must do if we aspire to be moral agents and true Peace seekers, not servants for power and tradition cronies?
A strong affirmative will, a clear planning along with obvious areas of agreement should provide a basis for progress. No one can predict or impose on others the ultimate outcome and any final management has to be voluntary and adequate to all sides.
Become aware of that, in an increasingly globally interdependent world, mutual understanding is both important and necessary; would not be the case in a minuscule geographical constituency as the Middle East?
Dialogue is a requirement between all, compromise is necessary from all sides, with clear distinctions made between what their dreams and ideology dictate and what is pragmatically and humanly possible.
A “Cultural Diplomacy” is a necessity; dialogue, understandings, preserving ongoing personnel as well as state relations, mutual gain, community interests, and indeed it has never been and will never be a contest of wills, and finally human values will be the preeminent funds and vital goal.
Undermined the old despotism, tolerant with others culture, sympathetic with others desires and fears, would be the accurate defy and outline the essential steps of the ladder toward the State of Law and Values, toward Justice. The State in which prevail the Sovereignty of Law, in which Diplomacy and Dialogue triumph over Violence and Misunderstanding.
What are the parameters and guidelines of Middle- Eastern reform? Should it be a restoration of the past or a process of reinterpretation and reconstruction? Is the future of the region to be left in the hands of traditional leaders so called “Elite”? Is there any place for a pioneering generation? If change has to occur, how much is necessary or possible?
A suspended human laboratory, that needs to be put in work and most needed to be put on the right path.
A cradle in which each Muslim has a Christian facet in his entity and each Christian has a Muslim element too. Living together is a challenge, understanding each other is a mission.
The argument of this article reside in the fact of aspiring a superior mission of this Arab world that I belong to and respect, plus the support of several objective reasons that I had no control over, and that made me grew up as an Arab loaded by values, with Western Education that devotedly appreciate Democracy moreover Public life significance and regulation. Ever since I can remember, I have felt that I belonged to both worlds, without being completely of either one or other. Most probably it is the case of an entire generation that I stand for in a way or another, a generation that faces the dilemma between ones heritage and ones ambition, a generation of a frequent development, the up-raise generation.
Twisting around in a malicious dance, pursue wind, is it predestined? Is it our craft in the name of justice, to disregard Law, to wipe out any Dialogue, to demolish any Peace?
I do not want here however, to give the impression that we are the only defective element in this edifice; yet we are the key actors in managing our conflicts furthermore our destiny.
To emphasize the magnitude of the Culture of Negotiation and the Peace building Diplomacy, genuine efforts are required to defeat the structural, relational and cultural challenges which lie at the origin of any conflict or misunderstandings and which prevail over any potential solutions. Problem-solving theory exploits the presented tools of institutions, social relations, social significance, which are often taken for granted, with the target of supporting this order to make it work efficiently. New important theory starts by examining this given construction or social order with the aim of considering its origins and how it might be altered, explaining probable alternatives, and offering insights into ways of transforming it.
Changes on all levels are required, social, political and cultural. Specific structural changes, a new culture of measurements and seeking out for shared values.
To end up, it is all about changes. Changing minds is winning Peace and above all earning Justice and a blossoming Democratic future.
Greatness is all the more admirable if it is achieved against odds.
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