THE first reaction after an act of terror, is to start looking suspiciously at the community from which the terrorist came from. In our anger against the dastardly act, in our reaction against the sometimes vividly graphic and bloody pictures that filter into our sitting rooms through our plasma, wide screen, flat screen TV sets, we stare out of the window at same neighbour who is equally shocked by the incident, and we whisper vengeance against him or her.
By doing that, by harbouring anger or ill feeling, bordering on hatred, you have played into the hands of the terrorist. This is exactly what the Hamas had in mind after their terrorist attack, and it seems to be working as the world is speedily getting divided.
Do not for a moment be swayed into thinking that these acts of terror are just acts of revenge by a group against some jailing or killing or occupation or shooting of one of their own. That is what they will have you believe, but the actual reason for such acts of terrorism is to ignite anger, sow hatred, instill feelings of suspicion and form a divide between communities.
How easily we walk into the trap. The terrorist attack has only one target: Your reactive mind! It is not those bodies, not the victims in the hospital, but you who is the victim, and if that act of cowardly terror does not make you turn onto any particular group or community, the terrorist has failed.
Our counter attack should therefore be to turn a deaf ear to whispers, rumors or insults heaped on any community and also stop others from speaking such. So that when Mr Terrorist looks at the result of his attack, he, the perpetrator of that evil deed, should be shocked by reactions of love. Instead of having been able to sow suspicion, he should see scenes of friendship and closeness between communities. We have to react differently, and that reaction will be the end or beginning of terrorism!
This isn’t easy; but do realize that if we have to form an army against terror, as all world leaders love to emphasize at most world summits, then this army should not have grenades or bullets but armed with love and protected by the armour of truth we should thrust forth with the spear of peace and inflict understanding.
There’s no choice: To all of us who spend time bad mouthing another community, stop, because all that you are helping do is to maybe one day be brought home headless, limbless, or plain dead! Start this closeness in your housing societies, in your neighbourhoods, in your minds! Then and only then will you win the war against terror..!
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