Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Call could not be louder and clearer

Dec.26, 2007

Call could not be louder and clearer


Pope Benedict XVI could not have picked a better theme for his Christmas Day message to the world: An appeal to political leaders around the globe to find the "wisdom and courage" to end bloody conflicts. The Pope mentioned in particular the conflicts in the "tortured regions" of Darfur, Somalia, northern Congo, the Eritrea-Ethiopia border, Iraq, Lebanon and the Holy Land, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Balkans.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church also said he hoped Christmas would bring consolation to "those who are still denied their legitimate aspirations for a more secure existence, for health, education, stable employment, for fuller participation in civil and political responsibilities, free from oppression and protected from conditions that offend human dignity." Such injustices and discrimination are destroying the internal fabric of many countries and souring international relations, he said.
The theme of social injustice and bloody conflicts was reflected in almost every Christmas Day message in an emphatic reminder that while the world marked the birth of Jesus Christ with celebrations, the crises facing tens of millions of people remained static with little sign of solutions.
Indeed, the high number of pilgrims visting the Holy Land for this Christmas and the high turnout of Iraqi Christians for church services in the embattled country were particularly highlighted in the media as signs of positive turns. The launch of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations was cited as the reason for cheers in Palestine while a decline in violence was deemed to have kindled a new positive spirit among Iraqis.
Beneath the surface, however, the situation has changed little, whether in Palestine or in Iraq.
Despite the beginning of peace talks, the fear is high that Israeli intransigence and insistence on having its own way with the Palestinians would lead to a deadlock in negotiations. And the people of Gaza continue to suffer in isolation and increasing difficulties in daily life while the Hamas control of the territory remains yet another serious hurdle in the effort for peace in the Holy Land.
The relative calm in Baghdad is at best uneasy. The general feeling is that those waging the bloody war against the US military presence in the country are lying low in the face of the increased number of American soldiers and their crackdown against anyone coming under the slightest trace of suspicion, and the insurgents and sectarian militiamen could and would renew their campaign of bloodshed at the first opportune moment.
Tuesday's bombings in Iraq that killed nearly 30 people were a reminder of the terror that Iraqis have to live through on a daily basis.
As the Pope emphasised, the suffering of the people around the world is the direct result of political leaders taking the wrong decisions based on their vested interests — some may be national interests while others could be personal interests. Yet some others do not make sense at all.
The Pope's message was simple but eloquent: "May the child Jesus bring relief to those who are suffering and may he bestow upon political leaders the wisdom and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions."
Indeed, the world at large heard the message loud and clear. But the question is: Did those to whom the message was intended hear it at all?