Whose interpretive war is the rest of the world caught within; this civil war within Ukraine which murdered the travellers and destroyed our plane, or equally, the abuse of innocent Palestinian lives? Is this conflict really one involving Malaysia versus the West, or is it Europe versus the Russians?
These are my simple but hard questions as we reflect on the destruction and obliteration of 298 perfectly innocent lives; with another 600 and more counting in Gaza. They are all also termed collateral damage, right?
And who is really at war in the Middle East; is it really only just the Muslims versus Israel; or is it Israel and Allies versus the fundamental denial of the basic rights of the Palestinians? But did not these same allies artificially create Israel while they denied the Palestinians human rights? Was that not the beginning of double standards in human rights; us and them? Where does the UN stand in all of this?
Are not both sets of issues really similar in colour and form? In both cases, on that fateful July 17 when Flight MH17 was shot out of the sky and killed all 298 passengers and crew on board, the news media also reported that 299 Palestinians were also killed within Gaza.
Are these Palestinian deaths, which have now exceeded 600, really ‘cheaper deaths’ than our 298? Is one Malaysian life worth more than 1 Israeli or Palestinian life? What is our theology of human nature?
Is not every such death the same as any other human death anywhere in the world; whatever their causes? Is that not what makes us human individuals and is that not why we have unique dignity and our destinies should never be denied by other humans? But why then do we allow such careless snuffing out of human lives at the sheer human will which is the choice of both these sets of terrorists; on either side?
In fact, this is almost a repeat of MH370, and then the South Korean ship sinking; both of whom had more than 200 people who were killed. Is all such killing and murder right in the world of today; have we become so callous, thick skinned, and dull-hearted to think or say; they were not my relatives, or my close friends? After all, they were not of our skin-kind, right? Wrong.
Could we not instead say, I was also on that flight from Amsterdam to KL many times before but happened to be there at a different time and somehow the Good Lord allowed me a clear passage home; but, not them? Why? Is that not always also the case with our daily waking up and going to sleep; but we are aware that we could one day simply not wake up; for then our time is up, and we have been called up yonder
Therefore, in questioning and asking why all this happened; is it really not an attempt in futility even if we can never fully understand the mind or heart of God on such matters? I do not think so. It is always important to ask and wonder why, as this is the most human thingy to do. We must always seek the reasons why and must always wonder why; because that is what makes all of humans. Animals cannot and do not have that capacity.
Who then was responsible?
Pardon me, but I would like to lay the blame squarely on the US in the case of the Palestinians, and on the Russians, in the case of the Ukrainians. Why?
Both of them are taking their ‘proxy cold wars’ to unnecessary lengths reflecting duplicity through the gaps between their talk and walk; and, by provoking the abuse of their national integrity, as modern nations, who have actually signed up to the Human Rights Conventions.
In both cases such incidence of human tragedies are clearly stoppable but obviously in their larger calculation, these lives mean nothing to these so-called Big Powers. They are really pawns in a chess board on the ground.
My response to both of them is to say that God will not be mocked. He will hold their national leaderships, in both cases, to full account for the lives of these innocent peoples and victims, and the pains and suffering of so many global families. Human pain is at the centre of God’s heart.
In both cases, they are supporting illegal ‘terrorists who want to further some of their claims, even if they may be legitimate ones, but using the modicum of power and force through fear.’
In both cases these can also be resolved vide an alternative international system of jurisprudence and justice; if they so wanted. But in both cases; it appears they do not respect the rule of international laws enough but prefer to seek their own worldview of justice by force. And in both cases the Big Powers arm and supply the different technical capabilities and have been doing that for a long time.
Therefore, I urge both leaderships of the US and Russia to seize and desist their agents from causing so much unintended consequences. The world does not need to accept such values as given; we choose not to ignore them anymore, but instead the ordinary people of the world want the two Big Bullies to stop the force through fear approach of their colluding agents.
Responsible actors and agency
Who was responsible for the MH17’s obliteration from the face of the earth? While the debate continues, I am of the view that these two critical actors, in both cases, who can exercise sufficient influence over their agents and allies. They are US and Russia; in Palestine and Ukraine. In both cases they hold levers of control to stop their ‘collusion with blatant wrong-doing caused by the terrorists who use of force and fear’.
All that is really needed is true political will to do what is right, good and true. But, rather unfortunately, in the world today, what we lack most is such morally courageous leadership.
Whether in the US, with all their noise about democracy and free will propagated by their media channels, or in Russia, where leadership is defined by whoever sits at the top of the pyramid of authority and power, with no separation and balance of powers; they lack the moral integrity of the gap between their espoused theories and their theories-in-use.
In my mind and heart, these two nations are guilty of both sets of wrongs we see in the world today. Their inaction in the context of the rise of terror and abuse of lethal power upon others by illegal terrorists can be squarely blamed on them.
Although the UN Security Council found the moral courage to draw the line on the MH17 event; what is really required is for the UN to stop all forms of illegal terrorism, whether by Israel, or Boko Haram, or by anyone else. If we lose our framework for such rule of law; then maybe chaos will truly reign worldwide, and at that stage, please let us not have double standards for such chaos; yours and mine. Chaos has no relatives.
May the Good Lord protect and preserve his created order while we await His Second Coming.
