Violence Fuels More Violence

The terrorist attacks in Paris, have shaken the world and once more reminded the global family of humanity that we have a crisis on our hands. In a series of co-ordinated attacks at six locations in central Paris, more than 130 people - including the perpertrators - were killed and many injured. It is one of the deadliest and daring attacks against a European and Nato member state. Undersrandably, France and its allies are angry and have started meting out revenge. They have been dropping bombs in Syria, targeting Islamic State strongholds. While the outrage against the Paris attacks continues, let us not forget that since then, more than 50 people have died in Nigeria alone due to the activities of terrorist group Boko Haram. There have been a further 10 or more terrorist attacks around the world. These include a shooting in the West Bank during which a Palestinian opened fire on a line of traffic; the hostage-taking at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, Mali, during which more than 30 people were killed; and teh suicide attack in Yusufiyah, Iraq, in which seven people died and 28 were injured.

Except for the perpetrators, all those who were killed were ordinary men and women getting on with their daily lives. They come from different countries and are of diverse nationalities, underscoring the fact that terrorism affects us all. We need to confront it as a collective and find innovative ways that will give us lasting peace. The reaction we have thus seen to these terrorist attacks is more attacks. But we all know that violence breeds more violence. As much as nations have every right to protect themselves and retaliate where they feel they have been wronged, wars often fail to solve problems and ultimately make them worse. Look at the mess the world is sitting with today as a result of the violent overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Ditto Libya. Those countries are today finding it difficult to stabilise even after the wars that were waged there. If war was the solution, there would be peace in those countries. President Barack Obama has already shown us that there is an alternative to banging the drums of war. Through the Iran nuclear agreement with Tehran, Obama agreed to end sanctions against that country in exchange for its nin-pursuit of its nuclear ambitions. He had the choice to go to war with Iran or to give diplomacy a chance. With the benefit of hindsight, afte a few disastrous military interventions by the US in several countries, Obama chose diplomacy over war.

I believe the same can be achieved with Islamic State. Unthinkable as this may sound, a meeting between Islamic State and world leaders can set us on a path of long-lasting peace. There was a time in South Africa when it was inconceivable that the erstwhile apartheid governement could sit down and negotiate with the ANC. But once the two sides agreed to talk, South Africa ushered in an era of peaceful co-existence among its citizens and with the other countries in the region. there are lessons to be learnt from that experience. But this is not a matter only for the politicians to resolve. To the extent that the violence we see is linked to religious extremism, there is a role we as religious leaders can and should play. With Islamic State, one is encouraged to see that its ideology and atrocities have led to it finding opposition from various Islamic leaders and groups. These efforts must be strengthened at both national and global levels and should involve inter-faith initiatives. The one mistake religious groups must not make is see this as an Islam challenge.

They must muster their resources to try find solutions. It is time for all religious groups to join hands in unity to find a much-needed peaceful solution to this global challenge facing all of us. Significantly Indonesia, which is the worlds most poppilous Muslim nation, has banned support for Islamic State. Countries all over the world may want to follow a similar approach in the short term while long-lasting solutions are being worked out. And these can't be more wars. We also call on all religious groups to take a moment to pray for peace and unity. Let us give peace a chance.