Whether it is life or the matter, every aspect of creation is programmed to find its own balance for sustainability.
Those individuals who achieve balance in life are the happiest ones. Indeed, our happiness is directly dependent on fulfillment of our desires; lesser fulfillment yields discontentment.
So, the Buddha says, fewer the desires, lesser the sorrow!
Thanksgiving is a day to pull ourselves together and tie up the loose ends of life. Through the year we receive a lot of good from others in the form of words and actions, and many a times it is a one way transaction and remains incomplete.
For every good we receive, we have to offer our gratitude to the giver. Absence of a simple thank you creates an imbalance in the relationship and the spiritual energy. A mere thank you will tie the loose ends and restores the balance.
For every hurt we hurl on others, an equal amount of energy is depleted from us, and until we say sorry and repent genuinely, the energy balance remains low and the transaction remains incomplete.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. As a spiritualist, I believe that for every wrong we do, an equal amount of energy is drained down from us and for every good we do, energy is recouped.
Life is a continual act of balancing between pain and pleasure. To lead a normal life, we have to maintain that equilibrium.
We are constantly receiving and giving energy, intake and output must be equal to have a healthy mindset. Otherwise, we are thrown off balance.
Ask Bill Gates whom God has blessed; he probably would say not enough! Ask the homeless, the answer would still be the same; not enough. Who has enough then?
Walk the Middle path, said Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), just have enough desires that you can fulfill them, happiness sticks with you. My mother used to say "don't stretch your feet beyond your sheet." In other words, stay within your means. Every faith and every family is enriched with such an advice.
More than any other holiday Thanksgiving brings Americans together despite their religion, culture or ethnicity. Everyone from an atheist to a Zoroastrian finds the time to be with family.
This particular tradition generates a sense of family cohesion. It's about catching up with each other, eating and watching the football game together. Indeed, it keeps the whole family together for most part of the day.
The bigger part of Thanksgiving is caring. It is a day to feel kindness towards those who are struggling with difficulties of life. It's a catalyst in uplifting our spirits and ought to bring out the best in us to relate with others.
Please carry a small piece of paper with you and whenever you find a quiet moment, make a list of all the people you want to thank. You will find a sense of relief in it.
Even if you don't call everyone on the list, you have already said your thanks by thinking about them. The tension of the action (good done to you) is released with your re-action of thinking about them or writing their name down and possibly calling them.
I thank every soul for contributing to my positive energy.
Mike Ghouse
Originally taken from here
Friday, November 25, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Remembering Fred Shuttlesworth : The Fire Brand Preacher
Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth died as he had lived, fighting strongly yet always in the shadows. His death on October 5, 2011 was not only overshadowed by the passing of another transformational American icon, Apple founder Steve Jobs, but was also later overshadowed by the celebration of the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington on October 16, a scene that is reminiscent of his confrontations with the charismatic civil rights leader.But those who knew Reverend Shuttlesworth say he was not out for recognition, and preferred to play the part of courageous warrior for the civil rights movement.
Yet, it was this blunt-talking preacher who braved beatings, bombings, and fire-hosings to propel the town of Birmingham, Ala., to become a beacon of the civil rights movement. In a magazine article in 1988, he famously declared his desire to shatter the walls of segregation in Birmingham and throughout the South, even if it cost him his life: “I tried to widow my wife and my children for God`s sake, because I literally believed that scripture that says `...whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.` I had no fear, you understand.”
Many prominent African Americans believe that without Shuttlesworth, the civil rights movement would not have achieved as much. In fact, although not a household name, Shuttlesworth was as important to the movement as King was, acting as one of the two major axes of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He led the campaign to desegregate Birmingham long before the arrival of King and was instrumental in bringing him to the city, which along with the town of Selma provided a backbone for the civil rights struggle. Despite being allies, there was a difference between Shuttlesworth and King, the former being a proponent for direct action and pushing towards confrontation and the latter being perceived as more conciliatory and someone who could better collaborate with white Americans. Nevertheless, the two of them together formed a dialectic that drove the movement forward.
Shuttlesworth's efforts were not without a price. By his own count, Shuttlesworth had been bombed twice, beaten into unconsciousness, and jailed more than 35 times.On Christmas night in 1956, Shuttlesworth was laying plans to lead a group into the white sections of buses, when approximately 15 sticks of dynamite exploded outside the parsonage. The blast destroyed his humble quarters, but he emerged unscathed. The next day he led 200 people onto Birmingham's buses.
With the bombing of the 16th Street Church by the Ku Klux Klan and the unleashing of police dogs and firehoses on demonstrators, the civil rights movement gained international prominence. The events led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after the historic Alabama marches from Selma to Montgomery that year that Shuttlesworth also helped organize. These laws were the bedrock of civil rights legislation.
I never had the honor of meeting Shuttlesworth, but a few weeks ago, I visited Birmingham, Ala., and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI), where I encountered his story through people who had worked and marched with him and King. For me, as an outsider and non-American, the focus has always been on the legacy of King. This is what we are taught and this is what the media tends to portray. Yet as I learned more about the civil rights movement, I began to appreciate that the perseverance of the fight was due in part to Shuttlesworth’s humility. Despite being in the shadows, he remained determined to break through the barriers.
The story of the civil rights movement is characterized by the stories of individuals such as Rosa Parks, Myrna Jackson, King, and Shuttlesworth, all of whom sacrificed personal freedoms and privileges at great risk to their lives in order to improve the common good.
The story of Shuttlesworth in particular is one of a single man who stood up for principled change and persevered, in spite of the lack of public awareness. This lack of public recognition has since been rectified as his name is immortalized in Birmingham. A street is named in his honor, a statue of him stands in front of the BCRI, and three years ago, the airport was renamed the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.
Shuttlesworth was the last of the civil rights movement's “Big Three,” alongside King and Reverend Ralph David Abernathy. His passing symbolizes the closure of a certain chapter of the movement, but by no means marks its end.
Since the 1960s, America has made enormous progress with regards to human rights, but there is still much to be done. The civil rights movement has new challenges to overcome, especially given the rise of anti-immigrant rhetoric and Islamaphobic sentiments. In addition, current international struggles, such as the Arab Spring and “Occupy” protests, are a testimony to the notion that the movement of people for civil rights and social justice is not dead, but perhaps has evolved into a different form. With the added advantage of social media, the movements now have the unprecedented ability to recruit and capture attention and mobilize for change more effectively than before.
Current protagonists would do well to look at the life stories of people like Shuttlesworth to understand not only the true sacrifices that are needed for success but also the humility and attitude in which to conduct their actions. What these stories teach us is that not only can change come from a single man, but also from individuals working together, striving to make a change collectively. This has to be done regardless of personal glory or ego. Ultimately, the ideal world is one in which we connect with other people, often beyond our immediate communities, and work together towards a single goal of fulfillment and well-being in an atmosphere of peace, compassion, and justice.
Amjad Saleem
originally published here
Yet, it was this blunt-talking preacher who braved beatings, bombings, and fire-hosings to propel the town of Birmingham, Ala., to become a beacon of the civil rights movement. In a magazine article in 1988, he famously declared his desire to shatter the walls of segregation in Birmingham and throughout the South, even if it cost him his life: “I tried to widow my wife and my children for God`s sake, because I literally believed that scripture that says `...whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.` I had no fear, you understand.”
Many prominent African Americans believe that without Shuttlesworth, the civil rights movement would not have achieved as much. In fact, although not a household name, Shuttlesworth was as important to the movement as King was, acting as one of the two major axes of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He led the campaign to desegregate Birmingham long before the arrival of King and was instrumental in bringing him to the city, which along with the town of Selma provided a backbone for the civil rights struggle. Despite being allies, there was a difference between Shuttlesworth and King, the former being a proponent for direct action and pushing towards confrontation and the latter being perceived as more conciliatory and someone who could better collaborate with white Americans. Nevertheless, the two of them together formed a dialectic that drove the movement forward.
Shuttlesworth's efforts were not without a price. By his own count, Shuttlesworth had been bombed twice, beaten into unconsciousness, and jailed more than 35 times.On Christmas night in 1956, Shuttlesworth was laying plans to lead a group into the white sections of buses, when approximately 15 sticks of dynamite exploded outside the parsonage. The blast destroyed his humble quarters, but he emerged unscathed. The next day he led 200 people onto Birmingham's buses.
With the bombing of the 16th Street Church by the Ku Klux Klan and the unleashing of police dogs and firehoses on demonstrators, the civil rights movement gained international prominence. The events led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after the historic Alabama marches from Selma to Montgomery that year that Shuttlesworth also helped organize. These laws were the bedrock of civil rights legislation.
I never had the honor of meeting Shuttlesworth, but a few weeks ago, I visited Birmingham, Ala., and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI), where I encountered his story through people who had worked and marched with him and King. For me, as an outsider and non-American, the focus has always been on the legacy of King. This is what we are taught and this is what the media tends to portray. Yet as I learned more about the civil rights movement, I began to appreciate that the perseverance of the fight was due in part to Shuttlesworth’s humility. Despite being in the shadows, he remained determined to break through the barriers.
The story of the civil rights movement is characterized by the stories of individuals such as Rosa Parks, Myrna Jackson, King, and Shuttlesworth, all of whom sacrificed personal freedoms and privileges at great risk to their lives in order to improve the common good.
The story of Shuttlesworth in particular is one of a single man who stood up for principled change and persevered, in spite of the lack of public awareness. This lack of public recognition has since been rectified as his name is immortalized in Birmingham. A street is named in his honor, a statue of him stands in front of the BCRI, and three years ago, the airport was renamed the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.
Shuttlesworth was the last of the civil rights movement's “Big Three,” alongside King and Reverend Ralph David Abernathy. His passing symbolizes the closure of a certain chapter of the movement, but by no means marks its end.
Since the 1960s, America has made enormous progress with regards to human rights, but there is still much to be done. The civil rights movement has new challenges to overcome, especially given the rise of anti-immigrant rhetoric and Islamaphobic sentiments. In addition, current international struggles, such as the Arab Spring and “Occupy” protests, are a testimony to the notion that the movement of people for civil rights and social justice is not dead, but perhaps has evolved into a different form. With the added advantage of social media, the movements now have the unprecedented ability to recruit and capture attention and mobilize for change more effectively than before.
Current protagonists would do well to look at the life stories of people like Shuttlesworth to understand not only the true sacrifices that are needed for success but also the humility and attitude in which to conduct their actions. What these stories teach us is that not only can change come from a single man, but also from individuals working together, striving to make a change collectively. This has to be done regardless of personal glory or ego. Ultimately, the ideal world is one in which we connect with other people, often beyond our immediate communities, and work together towards a single goal of fulfillment and well-being in an atmosphere of peace, compassion, and justice.
Amjad Saleem
originally published here
Sunday, August 14, 2011
The English Riots - Where do we go from here?
The riots that have engulfed London and other major cities in the United Kingdom over the last week are finally receding in intensity but in the wake of the horrific scenes of violence, looting and arson that has left people shaken, the real issues look set to take centre stage especially as post mortems are carried out.
Whilst a lot of ground is being examined as to what the causes were, very little in my opinion is being said about where to go from here. Yet unfortunately, in the debate in Parliament following David Cameron’s speech, MPs seemed to skirt around the issues of tackling the degeneration of moral values in society instead choosing to talk about policy, funding and policing. It was as if the proverbial elephant in the room was ‘how do we tackle moral decline?’
So maybe it is not up to the politicians to take the first step. Perhaps it is up to us as communities and society who will have to swap markets for morals in politics, business and community life. We have to rediscover the moral agency that will allow us to apply universal ethics and values to our daily lives. This is not something that can be enforced by a government, but is something that has to be internally generated before it can be lived. For this, we will have to go back to the basics to develop a shared language of morals, ethics and values, which will feed into respect and understanding.
In essence, we will have to rediscover a spirituality of commonality which will allow us to recognise the common space and substance amongst all doctrines that will provide the fuel for social change and trigger action for the unity of humanity. This shared language will enable us to develop a set of ideals that continue to stir our collective conscience; a common set of values that bind us together despite our differences; a running thread of hope that makes this improbable experiment of reconciling and rehabilitation of vulnerable communities possible. These values and ideals will have to be living, which cannot find expression on paper or monuments or in the annals of history books, but which remain alive in the hearts and minds of people inspiring us to pride, duty and sacrifice. These living values will have to help us to build on shared understandings and should be the glue that binds every healthy society.
People might scoff at the naivety of this statement but the point is that we have no choice. We have got to a position where something new needs to happen. For too long, narrow interests have vied for advantage with ideological minorities seeking to impose their own versions of absolute truth.
In order for this to happen, as many people have already been talking about, we need to engage: with each other, at different levels and ultimately with the authorities. The Bishop of London talked about nourishing relationships in order to develop an understanding of right and wrong. I would go even further to say that an extension of nourishing relationships and engagement is the concept of linking and partnership for mutual learning. What we need is a change of paradigm of the post Second World War twinning initiative between towns in England, France and Germany which was done as a means to prevent future conflict in Europe through international friendship and solidarity at community level. What we need now is the development of partnerships in solidarity between towns, local authorities, schools, hospitals, religious organisations, youth clubs to not only understand each other but to strengthen communities, add to social cohesion and contribute to personal and professional development through friendships made and work undertaken across the partnerships. Whilst this is needed within the UK, it is also a feature that this should be undertaken between the UK and counterparts in the Global South.
The concept of linking and partnerships are increasingly important to people (especially those with counterparts in the Global South) because with the increasing global nature of the workforce; movement of industries and companies; the narrowing of the information border and the gradually interdependency we as a globalised community seem to be becoming, people (especially the youth) in the UK need to understand the cultural contexts of other countries so that they develop the skills to be employed in far flung areas; they develop the skills to interact with each other and ultimately they develop the skills to respect one another. It increases not only community cohesion within the UK but will also contribute to social skills and global cohesion.
Within this spectrum of partnership and linking, we cannot disassociate ourselves from the role of faith. As we talk about the development of new morals, ethics, values and spirituality, we need to consider faith and the role that faith organisations will have in adding to this new narrative. Faith provides a narrative and a space in which one can start to explore some of these discussions of ethics and morals. In many of the smaller communities (especially the minority ethnic and immigrant communities), faith and faith organisations play a pivotal role in responding to the demands and pressures of the local community, where they operate with local knowledge to address specific community problems. They are highly active in many fields of social service, healthcare, education, human rights, youth development etc. They are self reliant, capable of harnessing the communities’ manpower, skills and resources. They serve very often as role models; variously taking a stand against corruption, developing infrastructure, delivering “sharp end” programmes and offering relief, healthcare and educational resources- where they would not otherwise be found. They are invariably unswerving in their zeal and commitment and many organisations work entirely voluntarily in a spirit of service.
We need to realise that each of us (with our own faith, culture and community spirit) bring something to the table. Only by coming together can we ever hope to move out of our silos and attain a much more cohesive community that better understands, respects and accepts each other. We need to collectively work such that breeding violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate. We need to ensure that our youth are given accurate information about other traditions, religions and cultures. We need to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity and to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings.
Amjad Saleem
This is a summarised post of an article originally published here in the website of the Journal of Inter Religious Dialogue
Whilst a lot of ground is being examined as to what the causes were, very little in my opinion is being said about where to go from here. Yet unfortunately, in the debate in Parliament following David Cameron’s speech, MPs seemed to skirt around the issues of tackling the degeneration of moral values in society instead choosing to talk about policy, funding and policing. It was as if the proverbial elephant in the room was ‘how do we tackle moral decline?’
So maybe it is not up to the politicians to take the first step. Perhaps it is up to us as communities and society who will have to swap markets for morals in politics, business and community life. We have to rediscover the moral agency that will allow us to apply universal ethics and values to our daily lives. This is not something that can be enforced by a government, but is something that has to be internally generated before it can be lived. For this, we will have to go back to the basics to develop a shared language of morals, ethics and values, which will feed into respect and understanding.
In essence, we will have to rediscover a spirituality of commonality which will allow us to recognise the common space and substance amongst all doctrines that will provide the fuel for social change and trigger action for the unity of humanity. This shared language will enable us to develop a set of ideals that continue to stir our collective conscience; a common set of values that bind us together despite our differences; a running thread of hope that makes this improbable experiment of reconciling and rehabilitation of vulnerable communities possible. These values and ideals will have to be living, which cannot find expression on paper or monuments or in the annals of history books, but which remain alive in the hearts and minds of people inspiring us to pride, duty and sacrifice. These living values will have to help us to build on shared understandings and should be the glue that binds every healthy society.
People might scoff at the naivety of this statement but the point is that we have no choice. We have got to a position where something new needs to happen. For too long, narrow interests have vied for advantage with ideological minorities seeking to impose their own versions of absolute truth.
In order for this to happen, as many people have already been talking about, we need to engage: with each other, at different levels and ultimately with the authorities. The Bishop of London talked about nourishing relationships in order to develop an understanding of right and wrong. I would go even further to say that an extension of nourishing relationships and engagement is the concept of linking and partnership for mutual learning. What we need is a change of paradigm of the post Second World War twinning initiative between towns in England, France and Germany which was done as a means to prevent future conflict in Europe through international friendship and solidarity at community level. What we need now is the development of partnerships in solidarity between towns, local authorities, schools, hospitals, religious organisations, youth clubs to not only understand each other but to strengthen communities, add to social cohesion and contribute to personal and professional development through friendships made and work undertaken across the partnerships. Whilst this is needed within the UK, it is also a feature that this should be undertaken between the UK and counterparts in the Global South.
The concept of linking and partnerships are increasingly important to people (especially those with counterparts in the Global South) because with the increasing global nature of the workforce; movement of industries and companies; the narrowing of the information border and the gradually interdependency we as a globalised community seem to be becoming, people (especially the youth) in the UK need to understand the cultural contexts of other countries so that they develop the skills to be employed in far flung areas; they develop the skills to interact with each other and ultimately they develop the skills to respect one another. It increases not only community cohesion within the UK but will also contribute to social skills and global cohesion.
Within this spectrum of partnership and linking, we cannot disassociate ourselves from the role of faith. As we talk about the development of new morals, ethics, values and spirituality, we need to consider faith and the role that faith organisations will have in adding to this new narrative. Faith provides a narrative and a space in which one can start to explore some of these discussions of ethics and morals. In many of the smaller communities (especially the minority ethnic and immigrant communities), faith and faith organisations play a pivotal role in responding to the demands and pressures of the local community, where they operate with local knowledge to address specific community problems. They are highly active in many fields of social service, healthcare, education, human rights, youth development etc. They are self reliant, capable of harnessing the communities’ manpower, skills and resources. They serve very often as role models; variously taking a stand against corruption, developing infrastructure, delivering “sharp end” programmes and offering relief, healthcare and educational resources- where they would not otherwise be found. They are invariably unswerving in their zeal and commitment and many organisations work entirely voluntarily in a spirit of service.
We need to realise that each of us (with our own faith, culture and community spirit) bring something to the table. Only by coming together can we ever hope to move out of our silos and attain a much more cohesive community that better understands, respects and accepts each other. We need to collectively work such that breeding violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate. We need to ensure that our youth are given accurate information about other traditions, religions and cultures. We need to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity and to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings.
Amjad Saleem
This is a summarised post of an article originally published here in the website of the Journal of Inter Religious Dialogue
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
A Hopeless Existence
In 1989, Mohamed Lateef had just got married and had taken ownership of a rice farm and was looking to settle down to a quiet life of farming and raising his family. That dream quickly shattered in 1990, when Lateef and 70,000 other members from the Muslim community were forcibly evicted from Northern Sri Lanka by the LTTE, only taking with them minimal possessions and limited amounts of cash with everything else being confiscated by the Tamil Tigers.
Without knowing where they were going, these desperate people moved south in whatever mode of transport they could find. Most of them trekked miles and miles, days on end with many perishing on the way. Eventually Lateef and the survivors found themselves in Puttalum, a town with a sizeable Muslim settlement. There they were received by the locals and housed in makeshift refugee camps.
Twenty one years on, and Lateef is still in Puttalum with his family, living in the makeshift refugee camp, in a coconut-leaf hut affording little respite to the elements, relying on daily wage earnings to support his family which has now grown to include 3 children, the oldest being 15, all born in the Saltern Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp in Puttalum.
“I don’t think about the past. It just makes me sick. There is no future for me to think about. I gave up thinking about the future a long time ago. I just think about the present and how I can give my family at least two square meals a day,” he says wearily.
This incident has been largely forgotten in the annals of the Sri Lankan conflict. Successive governments have failed to provide adequate reprieve and support for the displaced who find themselves in a political wilderness without much of a voice despite having representation in the government. Problems with education, proper shelter and sanitation plague the camps and so the displaced people are dependent on menial jobs or handouts from philanthropists or the government and humanitarian organisations. On top of this, it has also become a delicate commercialized, criminalized and corrupt political scene.
“Yes we get support” remarks A.B. Niyas, the camp leader of the Saltern IDP camp, cynically. “Every so often we get the refugee tourists, who come and see us, take photographs, give us some money, promise additional help and disappear.”
Puttalam still houses approximately 100,000 displaced persons across 141 welfare centres, from the five districts of the Northern Province. Over the recent years, Puttalam has also played host to some Tamil and Sinhala IDPs who have been driven away from their homes in Batticaloa and Trincomalee. The town is beginning to buckle under the pressure of hosting a large IDP population.
Recent incidents in the town have exposed these cracks. There is now a new fear that tensions between the area's original Muslim inhabitants, who have grown tired of the newcomers taking their jobs and, increasingly, buying their land, could lead to further crisis.
"We did all we could for them when they first arrived," says Naleer, an amiable businessman and Puttalum Resident. "But they're placing an unbearable strain on resources. They work cheap, so they've taken people's jobs. They take education, healthcare, too. They are supported by the government and INGOs on top of this. We do not get anything from them. The situation has created a lot of hate." Many critics go on to say that the refugees are perpetually in this situation of desperation without doing much to help themselves, since they know that there will always be sympathetic support.
This is a charge that M. Rahman, an activist from a local CBO set up by the displaced people refutes. “We just want to go back home. We don’t want to live anywhere else. We are from Jaffna or Mullaitivu. We lived side by side with our Tamil neighbors without much problem. We want to go back to that”
Until the 1990 incidents, the communities co-existed fairly harmoniously in the north. Eighteen years after the evictions, the displaced Muslims still speak affectionately of their old Tamil neighbours and given the chance would return back to their home towns. 34-year-old Fatima Shafeek, a mother of two, vouches for this. “I was born in Jaffna and that will always be my home. If I am given the chance I will go back“
After the Ceasefire Agreement was signed in February 2002, a number of these displaced families returned to their homes in the North only to find their houses occupied by displaced Tamils, or rebels, or destroyed. Those who stuck it out once again left back to Puttalum when the security deteriorated.
As for Lateef, what does he make of the situation? Well just ask his ten year old son Mujeeb where home is. He will reply that home is the coconut-leaf shanty in a camp in Puttalam.
So as the world celebrates World Refugee Day, 21 years on from when they were first evicted, the flame of hope needs to be reignited for these forgotten IDPs of Puttalum, to one day find resolution to their problems.
Amjad Saleem
----------
a slightly longer version of this was posted on Groundviews
Without knowing where they were going, these desperate people moved south in whatever mode of transport they could find. Most of them trekked miles and miles, days on end with many perishing on the way. Eventually Lateef and the survivors found themselves in Puttalum, a town with a sizeable Muslim settlement. There they were received by the locals and housed in makeshift refugee camps.
Twenty one years on, and Lateef is still in Puttalum with his family, living in the makeshift refugee camp, in a coconut-leaf hut affording little respite to the elements, relying on daily wage earnings to support his family which has now grown to include 3 children, the oldest being 15, all born in the Saltern Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp in Puttalum.
“I don’t think about the past. It just makes me sick. There is no future for me to think about. I gave up thinking about the future a long time ago. I just think about the present and how I can give my family at least two square meals a day,” he says wearily.
This incident has been largely forgotten in the annals of the Sri Lankan conflict. Successive governments have failed to provide adequate reprieve and support for the displaced who find themselves in a political wilderness without much of a voice despite having representation in the government. Problems with education, proper shelter and sanitation plague the camps and so the displaced people are dependent on menial jobs or handouts from philanthropists or the government and humanitarian organisations. On top of this, it has also become a delicate commercialized, criminalized and corrupt political scene.
“Yes we get support” remarks A.B. Niyas, the camp leader of the Saltern IDP camp, cynically. “Every so often we get the refugee tourists, who come and see us, take photographs, give us some money, promise additional help and disappear.”
Puttalam still houses approximately 100,000 displaced persons across 141 welfare centres, from the five districts of the Northern Province. Over the recent years, Puttalam has also played host to some Tamil and Sinhala IDPs who have been driven away from their homes in Batticaloa and Trincomalee. The town is beginning to buckle under the pressure of hosting a large IDP population.
Recent incidents in the town have exposed these cracks. There is now a new fear that tensions between the area's original Muslim inhabitants, who have grown tired of the newcomers taking their jobs and, increasingly, buying their land, could lead to further crisis.
"We did all we could for them when they first arrived," says Naleer, an amiable businessman and Puttalum Resident. "But they're placing an unbearable strain on resources. They work cheap, so they've taken people's jobs. They take education, healthcare, too. They are supported by the government and INGOs on top of this. We do not get anything from them. The situation has created a lot of hate." Many critics go on to say that the refugees are perpetually in this situation of desperation without doing much to help themselves, since they know that there will always be sympathetic support.
This is a charge that M. Rahman, an activist from a local CBO set up by the displaced people refutes. “We just want to go back home. We don’t want to live anywhere else. We are from Jaffna or Mullaitivu. We lived side by side with our Tamil neighbors without much problem. We want to go back to that”
Until the 1990 incidents, the communities co-existed fairly harmoniously in the north. Eighteen years after the evictions, the displaced Muslims still speak affectionately of their old Tamil neighbours and given the chance would return back to their home towns. 34-year-old Fatima Shafeek, a mother of two, vouches for this. “I was born in Jaffna and that will always be my home. If I am given the chance I will go back“
After the Ceasefire Agreement was signed in February 2002, a number of these displaced families returned to their homes in the North only to find their houses occupied by displaced Tamils, or rebels, or destroyed. Those who stuck it out once again left back to Puttalum when the security deteriorated.
As for Lateef, what does he make of the situation? Well just ask his ten year old son Mujeeb where home is. He will reply that home is the coconut-leaf shanty in a camp in Puttalam.
So as the world celebrates World Refugee Day, 21 years on from when they were first evicted, the flame of hope needs to be reignited for these forgotten IDPs of Puttalum, to one day find resolution to their problems.
Amjad Saleem
----------
a slightly longer version of this was posted on Groundviews
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Living with each other's differences
The story of the ‘The Imam and The Pastor’, is one that needs to be revisited to fully comprehend the concept of the need to move beyond the concept of a clash between each other to reaching out and developing an alliance with ‘the other’.
Emerging from the 1990s in Northern Nigeria after being in the frontlines of confrontations between Christians and Muslims which saw the killings of thousands in inter-religious warfare, Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye are two of the most unlikeliest of allies, forging new grounds with their Interfaith Mediation Center, responsible for mediating peace between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria's Kaduna state.
They both came out of the heart of the religious teachings of their communities (Imam Ashafa was once committed to the total Islamization of Nigeria and Pastor James to its total evangelization) and were sucked into the religious conflict, becoming bitter enemies, determined to kill each other. Pastor James recounts that ‘My hate for Muslims had no limits’ whilst Imam Ashafa says that ‘We had a zeal to protect and revive the glory of Islam’.
Joining rival militias and fighting against each other, the Pastor had his hand hacked off while defending his church against Muslims and the Imam had his spiritual adviser and two of his brothers killed by Christian extremists. Imam Ashafa recalled that time ‘ For 48 hours, we were killing and maiming each other. Each of us were fighting believing that we had to defend our faith’.
In 1995, a chance meeting between the two at a mediation conference held under the auspices of the Kaduna State Women’s Commission, saw them discovering a lot of commonalities between themselves. This started their journey towards healing and forgiveness. They each began to question the cost of violence, reverting back to their scriptures for guidance on common approaches. The culmination of this was the Interfaith Mediation Centre which has been described as a prototype of global conflict resolution. The journey has been a tough one. They were labeled as betrayers by their own people and when they visited each other’s religious institutions, they were met with suspicion. Their personal journey was equally tough. Moving away from hating each other was a hard one. The turning point for Imam Ashafa came when he heard a jummah khutbah about forgiveness and the example of the Prophet (PBUH) who forgave the Quraish upon the conquest of Makkah. For Pastor James, it took him three years to really overcome his hatred. He says that sometimes when they would be travelling together, even sharing a room, he was sometimes tempted to try and suffocate Ashafa in retaliation for the loss of his hand. However it was with the sickness of his mother and the support shown by Imam Ashafa that Pastor James began to really embrace the concept of reconciliation. He was further helped by the words of a fellow evangelist: ‘You can not preach to someone you hate. You must begin to forgive them for every hurt against you.’ The two men are now working together and more importantly helping to empower others to understand and rejoice in the commonality in the faith of others and to speak of those faiths with the respect they deserve whilst remaining faithful to their own religions.
The story of Imam Ashafa and Pastor James is one about the power of the responsibility placed upon the shoulder of the individual to take the lead in becoming a true citizen of the country and of the world, where he / she can rise above their narrow confines of individualistic concerns to face the broader concerns of all humanity and to redress the contradiction of society. This is not just something that should be left to the politicians or the institutions but really no one can be ruled out having a part in contributing. Ultimately the contradiction of society will be redressed when people come together confident in their universal principles; strengthened by their common values; defenders of pluralism in their society and respectful of identities of others, which means that they will take up the challenge of joining forces in a revolution of trust and confidence against the tide of discrimination and intolerance and poverty.
Their journey of forgiveness and reconciliation is about taking an individual responsibility to create a safe space for people to talk and share ideas. This safe space entails not only moving beyond victimhood but also being cognizant of the past (accepting and facing up to the past honestly)
The story of the Imam and the Pastor shows that strong ethical commitment in religious traditions can sharpen identity politics but more importantly can form the basis of inter and intra faith collaboration. Thus religious pluralism can not only lead to an absence of violence mainly due to better understandings and interaction but it opens a space for discussion, dialogue and engagement. In short, we must learn to listen closely to one another, not simply because it is polite, but because it is just possible that we might learn something important about ourselves, and build a better global village in the process. This is perhaps the greatest lesson we can get from the story of the Imam and the Pastor.
Amjad Saleem
This is an edited version of an article originally submitted for OnIslam. Please click here for the article
Emerging from the 1990s in Northern Nigeria after being in the frontlines of confrontations between Christians and Muslims which saw the killings of thousands in inter-religious warfare, Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye are two of the most unlikeliest of allies, forging new grounds with their Interfaith Mediation Center, responsible for mediating peace between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria's Kaduna state.
They both came out of the heart of the religious teachings of their communities (Imam Ashafa was once committed to the total Islamization of Nigeria and Pastor James to its total evangelization) and were sucked into the religious conflict, becoming bitter enemies, determined to kill each other. Pastor James recounts that ‘My hate for Muslims had no limits’ whilst Imam Ashafa says that ‘We had a zeal to protect and revive the glory of Islam’.
Joining rival militias and fighting against each other, the Pastor had his hand hacked off while defending his church against Muslims and the Imam had his spiritual adviser and two of his brothers killed by Christian extremists. Imam Ashafa recalled that time ‘ For 48 hours, we were killing and maiming each other. Each of us were fighting believing that we had to defend our faith’.
In 1995, a chance meeting between the two at a mediation conference held under the auspices of the Kaduna State Women’s Commission, saw them discovering a lot of commonalities between themselves. This started their journey towards healing and forgiveness. They each began to question the cost of violence, reverting back to their scriptures for guidance on common approaches. The culmination of this was the Interfaith Mediation Centre which has been described as a prototype of global conflict resolution. The journey has been a tough one. They were labeled as betrayers by their own people and when they visited each other’s religious institutions, they were met with suspicion. Their personal journey was equally tough. Moving away from hating each other was a hard one. The turning point for Imam Ashafa came when he heard a jummah khutbah about forgiveness and the example of the Prophet (PBUH) who forgave the Quraish upon the conquest of Makkah. For Pastor James, it took him three years to really overcome his hatred. He says that sometimes when they would be travelling together, even sharing a room, he was sometimes tempted to try and suffocate Ashafa in retaliation for the loss of his hand. However it was with the sickness of his mother and the support shown by Imam Ashafa that Pastor James began to really embrace the concept of reconciliation. He was further helped by the words of a fellow evangelist: ‘You can not preach to someone you hate. You must begin to forgive them for every hurt against you.’ The two men are now working together and more importantly helping to empower others to understand and rejoice in the commonality in the faith of others and to speak of those faiths with the respect they deserve whilst remaining faithful to their own religions.
The story of Imam Ashafa and Pastor James is one about the power of the responsibility placed upon the shoulder of the individual to take the lead in becoming a true citizen of the country and of the world, where he / she can rise above their narrow confines of individualistic concerns to face the broader concerns of all humanity and to redress the contradiction of society. This is not just something that should be left to the politicians or the institutions but really no one can be ruled out having a part in contributing. Ultimately the contradiction of society will be redressed when people come together confident in their universal principles; strengthened by their common values; defenders of pluralism in their society and respectful of identities of others, which means that they will take up the challenge of joining forces in a revolution of trust and confidence against the tide of discrimination and intolerance and poverty.
Their journey of forgiveness and reconciliation is about taking an individual responsibility to create a safe space for people to talk and share ideas. This safe space entails not only moving beyond victimhood but also being cognizant of the past (accepting and facing up to the past honestly)
The story of the Imam and the Pastor shows that strong ethical commitment in religious traditions can sharpen identity politics but more importantly can form the basis of inter and intra faith collaboration. Thus religious pluralism can not only lead to an absence of violence mainly due to better understandings and interaction but it opens a space for discussion, dialogue and engagement. In short, we must learn to listen closely to one another, not simply because it is polite, but because it is just possible that we might learn something important about ourselves, and build a better global village in the process. This is perhaps the greatest lesson we can get from the story of the Imam and the Pastor.
Amjad Saleem
This is an edited version of an article originally submitted for OnIslam. Please click here for the article
Monday, January 3, 2011
Understanding the Need to Talk
The moment was poignant. A Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka addressing a group of religious leaders in Tamil. The meeting was held by the North East Interfaith Forum at the Mahatma Ghandi Centre in Colombo in January 2011 to discuss practical actions that religious leaders could take towards post conflict reconciliation in the country.
For a country that has been ill at ease with the close relationship between Sinhala nationalism and Buddhism, the feat of a Buddhist Monk being able to converse in Tamil should not be underestimated. Sri Lanka is emerging from a conflict that has been rooted in a difference of culture, language, ethnicities and ultimately religion. Ultimately it has been rooted in miscommunication and misperceptions.
Hence any steps towards reconciliation would have ultimately started with the need to address miscommunication and misperceptions. The acknowledgement of the need to speak in a common language (either one that is neutral or the language of the ‘other’) is a first step.
Though the conflict was not directly related to faith, because of the inter relationships between culture, ethnicity and religious belief, faith has ultimately become a theatre in which the conflict has played out (your faith intertwined with your ethnicity has often highlighted your support for or against the conflict). Thus the coming together of the religious leaders was symbolic in attempting to arrest the misperceptions surrounding the role of faith in causing the conflict. The role of the religious leaders should also not be underestimated because for millions of Sri Lankans, religious leaders hold an influential role in their lives. By gathering together to express solidarity, the religious leaders were conscious of the influence they could hold on others.
In their deliberations, the religious leaders touched on many issues of concern for them which they felt they needed to address. What was also significant was the realization to move away from just rhetoric and to address burning issues of concern between them.
The deliberations touched on 6 aspects that was felt to be important to the group:
1) The realization of the need to move from an atmosphere of clash to an atmosphere of alliance. In other words, the first step towards understanding and reconciliation is the need to take a conscious decision that the moment for conflict is over. If anything the transcendental moment of lucidity has meant that there needs to be an alliance to move forward.
2) The realisation of the need to acknowledge the 'other'. This in effect means that importance is placed on someone who is 'different' to you. The Buddhist Monk speaking in Tamil provided an opportunity to recognise Tamils as a significant player in this process.
3) The need to move beyond victimhood. Very often it is easy to play the victim and to say that everyone is against us. However this does not get us very far and we become isolated and distrustful
4) The need to take responsibility. Playing the victim means abrogating responsibility for one's actions and blaming everyone else apart from yourself in what has happened to you.
5) The need to create a space. This can not be underestimated, as a space opens opportunities for dialogue and starting the process of understanding each other. The space for discussions is what has somewhat been constrained in the past
6) The need to acknowledge the past. This is an important step as it gives credence and importance to every stakeholder. The past should not become a ball and chain for the future, but it should be understood in order for us to move forward but not allowing the negative feelings associated with the past to weigh us down.
These 6 steps are somewhat a progression in terms of ideas as they represent certain milestones in people's journey's towards reconciliation. The mere fact that religious leaders are now taking the initiative to get involved highlights how important reconciliation is for the country away from the political nuances of the corridors of power. The religious leaders had assembled to share a declaration of solidarity in calling for a new environment to establish village level action committees in order to address grass roots issues. As they deliberated over key action points, it was clear that they were united in one thing: the need to develop a new vision for the country.
This in itself needs support.
Amjad Saleem
For a country that has been ill at ease with the close relationship between Sinhala nationalism and Buddhism, the feat of a Buddhist Monk being able to converse in Tamil should not be underestimated. Sri Lanka is emerging from a conflict that has been rooted in a difference of culture, language, ethnicities and ultimately religion. Ultimately it has been rooted in miscommunication and misperceptions.
Hence any steps towards reconciliation would have ultimately started with the need to address miscommunication and misperceptions. The acknowledgement of the need to speak in a common language (either one that is neutral or the language of the ‘other’) is a first step.
Though the conflict was not directly related to faith, because of the inter relationships between culture, ethnicity and religious belief, faith has ultimately become a theatre in which the conflict has played out (your faith intertwined with your ethnicity has often highlighted your support for or against the conflict). Thus the coming together of the religious leaders was symbolic in attempting to arrest the misperceptions surrounding the role of faith in causing the conflict. The role of the religious leaders should also not be underestimated because for millions of Sri Lankans, religious leaders hold an influential role in their lives. By gathering together to express solidarity, the religious leaders were conscious of the influence they could hold on others.
In their deliberations, the religious leaders touched on many issues of concern for them which they felt they needed to address. What was also significant was the realization to move away from just rhetoric and to address burning issues of concern between them.
The deliberations touched on 6 aspects that was felt to be important to the group:
1) The realization of the need to move from an atmosphere of clash to an atmosphere of alliance. In other words, the first step towards understanding and reconciliation is the need to take a conscious decision that the moment for conflict is over. If anything the transcendental moment of lucidity has meant that there needs to be an alliance to move forward.
2) The realisation of the need to acknowledge the 'other'. This in effect means that importance is placed on someone who is 'different' to you. The Buddhist Monk speaking in Tamil provided an opportunity to recognise Tamils as a significant player in this process.
3) The need to move beyond victimhood. Very often it is easy to play the victim and to say that everyone is against us. However this does not get us very far and we become isolated and distrustful
4) The need to take responsibility. Playing the victim means abrogating responsibility for one's actions and blaming everyone else apart from yourself in what has happened to you.
5) The need to create a space. This can not be underestimated, as a space opens opportunities for dialogue and starting the process of understanding each other. The space for discussions is what has somewhat been constrained in the past
6) The need to acknowledge the past. This is an important step as it gives credence and importance to every stakeholder. The past should not become a ball and chain for the future, but it should be understood in order for us to move forward but not allowing the negative feelings associated with the past to weigh us down.
These 6 steps are somewhat a progression in terms of ideas as they represent certain milestones in people's journey's towards reconciliation. The mere fact that religious leaders are now taking the initiative to get involved highlights how important reconciliation is for the country away from the political nuances of the corridors of power. The religious leaders had assembled to share a declaration of solidarity in calling for a new environment to establish village level action committees in order to address grass roots issues. As they deliberated over key action points, it was clear that they were united in one thing: the need to develop a new vision for the country.
This in itself needs support.
Amjad Saleem
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