If I must Pray...

On the Anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy in the USA, I received a series of emails and calls, inviting me to pray for the American troops who are fighting the 'war on terror' in Iraq & Afghanistan. I was asked to offer a prayer of hope for victory as soldiers fought a war on people considered to be hostile, violent and undemocratic. I was asked to pray for the families who lost relatives and loved ones in the tragedy and families who now look forward to a victory in Iraq & Afghanistan.

But, if I must pray, I would not pray for war, except a prayer of comfort for those who grieve the loss of loved ones, or a prayer for a better way to resolve our differences, than war.

The lives lost in the tragedy of 9/11 will be forever remembered. Every one of them, regardless of race or national origin, is a member of the human family - our brothers and sisters. We sympathize with the families and friends who must carry on, even if only with the memories to cherish. I sincerely share in the grief and sorrow of the event, and also hope for healing as we remember the pain and suffering. Nothing justifies such an atrocity and nothing justifies further atrocities that lead to an unending cycle of death and destruction.

Unfortunately, the history of mankind is plagued with too many of these moments of mass killing, in the name of religion, politics or economic power. History is replete with instances where almost every major religion, nation and major world power has contributed to, or participated in the mass killing of another people in the furtherance of religious, economic or political agendas. No one wants to be a victim and no one wants to be among the vanquished. But it is very possible that our haste to anticipate & prevent victimization often leads to the likelihood of victimization being perpetuated by ourselves.

So as we remember the lives lost, and appreciate the lives of each other, let us not perpetuate this cycle by endorsing wars and attitudes that will continue to cause an endless cycle of mass killings, anywhere in the world - because every man woman and child is the child, relative or friend of someone. Pro-war movers consider those of us who favour diplomacy as weak or naive. However, we believe that the best in us should be provoked above the worst in us. We believe that communication and cooperation have gained more lasting solutions than wars that leave deep wounds yet to be healed. We also believe that no one among us has the moral fortitude to pronounce judgment via annihilation, invasion or coercion of any other group. We believe this, because the history of mankind is rife with too many examples of various groups exacting violent and atrocious acts on fellow human beings; we have seen too many instances of groups that often, after ascension to global dominance, seek to dictate to other groups, what they have come to define as desirable, rather that to seek mutually beneficial solutions; we have seen too many groups that seek to demonize other groups, while refusing to exorcise their own demons.

So today, if I must pray, I would not pray for endorsement on any military/army charged with a mission of vengeance; instead, I would pray for wisdom for us to maintain cool heads and exercise the cerebral cortex that distinguishes our fore brain from that of the other animals, that allows us to claim the faculty of reason and rational behaviour. I would pray for the courage to forgive:

* Courage to forgive Europe for the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade and the murder of millions of Africans (my ancestors). I pray that all Africans will not yearn to rise up and build an army to avenge Europe's centuries of crimes against her descendants

* Courage to forgive The USA for the Black Code & Jim Crow Laws institutionalizing segregation and facilitating lynching; for the agony of many people who suffered and died in the name of white supremacy - I would pray that Afro-Americans will not seek to build barriers or armies that need our blessing to avenge past pains.

* Courage to forgive Mugabe's turn; I would pray that he take a page from Mandela’s book, where Millions of South Africans did not rise up and kill their Boer/Afrikaner & English oppressors, after the African National Congress (ANC) ascended to power

* Courage to forgive Russian aggression against its neighbouring states, like Estonia, Latvia and Georgia - I pray that we don't see it fit to cause world war three with hard talk, but to talk our way into peaceful solutions.

* Courage to forgive the atrocities of ethnic cleansing in Darfur

* Courage to forgive the USA, again, for the extermination of millions of Native Americans

* Courage to forgive the bombing of Pearl Harbour, Hiroshima and Nagasaki

* Courage to forgave Israeli aggression & expansion; the capture and military occupation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank (Gaza Strip) following the six-day war in 1967

* Courage to forgive Palestinian, Hezbollah, and Hamas suicide missions and bombs on Israel

* Courage to forgive Christians’ crusades, ambuscades and massacres in the name of Jesus Christ – the burning stakes and fake confessions by ‘witches’ and co-called heathens

* Courage to forgive Saddam's chemical warfare on Kurds especially in Halabaja in 1988

* Courage to forgive EACH OTHER everyday

* And the same COURAGE it will take for millions around the world to forgive Europe & The USA for the centuries of white supremacy doctrines, lynching, invasions, racial extermination, religious and political oppression. I would pray for Americans to now have the SAME COURAGE to FORGIVE, EVEN group leaders like Mohammed Atta, Ziad Jarrah, Hani Hanjour, Marawan al-Shehhi et al. who piloted the fateful flights of American Airlines, Flight 11 & 175 on 9/11.

If we must pray, let us not pray for armies to rise up and kill in the name of vengeance. But, if we must, let us pray for world leaders to realize that we have had enough. Because when one army returns from vengeance, another is getting ready to strike back in like manner. If we must pray, let it be for truth, justice, reconciliation and peace. Let us pray that common sense will prevail and leaders bring to justice, Osama and others who are determined to disrupt the world with violence and extremism. Let us not pray for this eight year war with no end in sight, where women and children have been killed and rendered collateral damage. But let us pray for greater peace building efforts.

If I must pray, I would sincerely pray that the entire Muslim world will not rise up in vengeance against the occupation and desecration of their homes, holy land and lives.