Friends,
a comment on "forgiveness and reconciliation". In my opinion it can become
necessary trying to find a solution to a difficult problem, a way to get on
with life. Itīs a very seldom practiced conflict-solving-model.
Here in Denmark I have noticed, that some people have been to South Africa
and studied how this reconciliation has been established, and if it has
solved the problems. Among other things they say, that first of all itīs the
"victims" who suffer, and still do even after such a process. They conclude
that it sometimes is necessary even in such a reconciliation-process to
establish a more "normal court act" so the criminals are given a sentence.
First in that moment, when itīs up to the victims to say that they forgive
the reconciliation can take place. Many victims feel that they have not
heard the "criminals" admit they did a crime, or the authorities condemn
them in public with their names published, or the court given a sentence, so
they feel they are still carrying the burdens of being victims and not
getting satisfaction. They feel that they should just forgive some faceless
criminals, who did not suffer anything for what they have done. Even they
are prepared to forgive and help the reconciliation, they want it published.
that there are persons who made crimes, and they want to hear them saying/
admitting so.
If one should find such a process acceptable, I think that we need an
exceptional situation or case. And you also need to recognize, that there
are people who had committed a crime against others, and both parts must
come together, one part to admit that they did a crime, they take
responsibility for it, they regret it and ask the offended or the victims to
forgive them. And the other part to accept and say that he forgive him.
Itīs not a third part that have to publish that something has gone wrong,
and we ask every body to forgive those you did wrong or even a crime. It is
something which can only be solved between the people involved. The criminal
must face the victim and ask for forgiveness. So before a reconciliation can
take place, you got to find the people who committed the crime, and you also
got to get the victims to stand up and face the other part and be ready to
say "we forgive".
If I should add another point to this "forgiveness and reconciliation", it
should be that this idea of forgiveness is central in Christianity ("if
someone hit you just turn the other cheek" - "be ready to forgive" - "if you
fail you can ask God to forgive you, and He will do so, and you can go on
with your life" etc..). But I donīt know how this function in Islam, or if
itīs also central in Islamic practice.
Let me finish. We all make cruel mistakes. Former danish governments have
via legislation oppressed, tortured people, accepted slavery. Our Kings have
send people into wars, killed, burned, slaughtered, murdered . The church
has even tortured and killed people in the name of God, etc. And history has
and will judge us.
There have in the past few years been some attempts from some nations/groups
of individuals to establish some sort of a healing- or reconciliation-
process on such historic events. There are nations who has decided to admit
to former oppressed people, that we made a cruel mistake, a crime against
humanity. We know that we did wrong, and we regret it on behalf of our
nation/people, and try this way around to create some sort of a
reconciliation process, even itīs up to the oppressed (indians, aboriginals,
inuits, africans, latin-americans etc. etc....) to decide if they want to
accept the confession and go on.
And within the last century we have tried to establish a certain norm for
our common behavior. Some governments have ratified the human rights
principles into legislation. There are also some "civilian rights" even if a
state has a "war-like", internal uprising or fight, or when states have
official declared war. In Europe we know that all too well, and we can now
see that some politicians and military persons are brought before the
international court and sentenced for "war crimes and/or crimes against
humanity". It a way of saying that even there is a political problem in a
country or conflict between countries, that gives you no authority to do
what you have done, such as torture, war of extermination, ethnic cleansing
etc.. But we have not heard many ask for "forgiveness and reconciliation" on
the Balkan. The Haag-law-suit is seen as some sort of an instrument trying
to give the victims some satisfaction, even it will never and can never
overcome the sufferings, the killings which so many people have gone
through.
Some thoughts from
Asbjørn Nordam
on 19/04/01 17:20, Jabou Joh at [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> A while back, some of the Jammeh emmissaries were dispatched to the L to feel
> out the atmosphere for "forgiveness and reconciliation" as they called it,
> reminding us that South Africa was able to have a truth and reconcialition
> committee. This was a mission to feel the pulse of those most likely to push
> for justice once these people are out of office. This talk of "forgive and
> forget" was not well received here.
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