What is Peace?
After eleven days of heartbreaking images of destruction and
death in Gaza, there was some respite as a ceasefire was announced. But is this
peace?
The Caledonian chieftain, Calgacus speaking of the Roman invasion
of Scotland, in 84 AD said “To ravage, to slaughter, to usurp under false
titles, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace.”
Most western definitions of peace have been the cessation of
war, derived from the Roman word pax which meant a call for truce. As capitalism and colonialism offered new
opportunities for economic prosperity
and international markets, it was believed war could be avoided by a balance of
power. However as modern history has
shown us, maintaining balance of power itself becomes a cause for war.
Nuclear deterrence, the rise of democracy, and economic
interdependence are cited as reasons for why there have been no wars in Europe
since World War II, a period called “The Long Peace”. However, European armies
have continued to wage wars, or support wars, in other countries.
The British economist John Maynard Keynes, proposed peace
would be achieved in a society of economic equals. However he warns, “For at
least another hundred years we must pretend to ourselves and to everyone that
fair is foul and foul is fair; for foul is useful and fair is not. Avarice and
usury and precaution must be our gods for a little longer still. For only they
can lead us out of the tunnel of economic necessity into daylight.”
World prosperity, and therefore peace, was to be attained by
macroeconomics, through international bodies like the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund. All western economies had adopted his guidelines
by the 50s, and we are all witness to where that has led, and how far we are
from an equitable and peaceful world.
E.F.Schumacher rejected “soul destroying and mindlessly monotonous
big businesses and large scale consumption” which he saw as “a crime against
humanity.” His concept of Small is
Beautiful, while widely read, is seen as a great idea whose ship has sailed.
Western philosophies continue to focus on peace as the
cessation of hostilities, while Eastern philosophies see peace as a positive state
of being. Buddhism envisions peace as an inner state of mental tranquility
which spreads outward. The Sanskrit term Shanti is chanted to infuse the mind,
spirit and body with a feeling of peace.
The Chinese
concept for peace, ho p'ing, and the Japanese, heiwa, reflect a tranquil mind,
leading to social harmony and ordered statecraft.
All religions promote peace.
Some like Judaism and Islam, accept defensive wars or wars to resist
oppression, although both offer peace with their greetings, Shalom Aleichem and
Salaam Aleikum. While Judaism rarely
mentions the afterlife, for Muslims the promise of true peace is in the
hereafter. Zoroastrians see humans in a continuous struggle between good and
evil. The Gandhian strategy of satyagraha,
non-violent political resistance, was adopted by Martin Luther King Jr, the Sixties
anti-war movement, and continues to be an effective form of protest today.
There is no waiting for the right economic or political conditions
for peace to prevail, it cannot be achieved by meditation, removing oneself from
a troubled world. The real achievement of peace would be the ability to keep
one’s eye on peace in the centre of the storm, in the midst of disaster and
difficulties.
Social media has proved its worth, as millions of humane and
peace loving people across the world have made their voices heard for Me 2,
Black Lives Matter, the oppression of Palestinians, and one hopes the momentum
will carry on for Kashmiris, the rights of indigenous people and many other
injustices that suffer the conspiracy of silence. It is an example of one of the
Quranic phrases for peace: Tasaalamatil khail - horses moving together,
synchronizing their feet and galloping in tandem.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, veteran of two World Wars and president
during a tumultuous period of American history, conceded: “I think that people want peace so much that
one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have
it.”
Durriya Kazi
June 5, 2021
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