| On October 17 1979 Mother Teresa of Calcutta in | | | | Barely a decade ago, in December 1998, a brawl in |
| India was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for | | | | Poso, one of the islands of Indonesia, led to months |
| work undertaken in the struggle to overcome | | | | of religious violence in which hundreds died. Poso is in |
| poverty and distress which also constitute a threat | | | | central Sulawesi, the fourth largest Indonesian island |
| to peace”. Had it been now would she have | | | | which has 80% Muslims and 17% Christian residents. |
| tried to overcome terror that is fuelled by religious | | | | In July this year the Hezbollah’s attack on |
| hostilities? | | | | Israel caused hostilities in Lebanon and caused |
| She declared in her prize acceptance speech that | | | | hundreds of deaths and injuries on both sides. |
| “I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today | | | | Infrastructure experienced extensive damage and |
| is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing- | | | | several persons were internally displaced. |
| direct murder by mother himself-, .Because if a | | | | On 9th October this year, North Korea bravely made |
| mother can kill her own child –what is left for | | | | its first nuclear test in defiance of the will of the |
| me is to kill you and you kill me-there is nothing | | | | international community. It provocatively showed -off |
| between {http:// nobelprize.org/peace/ laureates | | | | its possession of weapons of mass destruction. |
| 1979/teresa- lecture.html} | | | | Laureate Teresa’s solution to the current |
| If that laureate would still be alive now then she | | | | problem that is robbing the peace would be |
| would have said that the greatest hindrance to peace | | | | ecumenism.she once said that,”there is only |
| today is terror, because terrorists do plan to eliminate | | | | one God and he is God to all, therefore it is important |
| the person they fear or hate. They are actually so | | | | that everyone is seen as equal before God. |
| intimate with death that they do not seem to love | | | | I’ve always said we should help a Hindu |
| life. They do not operate by the rules and are willing, | | | | become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better |
| if necessary to die to deliver their explosives to their | | | | muslim, a catholic become a better catholic. She |
| target and they do not care who dies with them. | | | | offered her work in the missionary of charity |
| Indeed there seem to be no physical protection | | | | organisation as an example of the benefit of |
| against these terrorists who are bedevilling our world. | | | | ecumenism. She said that “we have among us |
| With the assumption that the western world is | | | | 475 souls -30 families are catholics, and the rest are |
| Christian while most of the nations allegedly being | | | | all Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs-all different religions. But they |
| forced to adopt democratic governance are Islamic | | | | all come to our prayers.{[ |
| or do belong to the eastern, or even traditional | | | | After series of serious wars and rumors of wars |
| religions, then religion becomes the main world | | | | which have presumed religions overtones, world |
| problem. | | | | leaders should be now thinking of gifting the chaotic |
| In August this year, president Bush of America used | | | | and insecure world with peace premised on one |
| terms like”Islamic fascists” for both | | | | world with one creed. |
| Hezbollah and the suspected bomb plotters who | | | | This automatically calls for all religions of the world to |
| were held in London. The same week, during a press | | | | borrow a leaf from the hindus whose supreme being |
| conference in his ranch in taxes, he said that | | | | has already said that in whatsoever way men |
| “terrorists try to spread their jihadist message- | | | | approach me, even so do I receive them, for even |
| a message I call---Islamic radicalism, Islamic | | | | the paths men take from every side are mine. {Gita |
| fascism”. | | | | IV, 11}. This has made Hindus to peacefully co-exist |
| Those statements offended a vast majority of | | | | with other religions by not lobbying for more |
| moderate Muslims. To their defence, it may be true | | | | members. Lobbying is among others what causes |
| that there is nothing Islamic about the fascism of | | | | religious hostilities. |
| terrorists. | | | | To Christians this does not come as a surprise but as |
| It’s true that the UN which is presently the | | | | a fulfilment of the scripture that says work while it is |
| supreme world body does not favour or oppress any | | | | still day time because night will come (Amos 8:11-12). |
| religion. Indeed the UN and the US relieved the | | | | When the night is already due then the believers of |
| Muslims from the Christian oppression in the | | | | those scriptures should accept to down their tools |
| Yugoslavia in the 1990s. As a matter of fact, the US | | | | and accept the dictates of its fulfilment. The pope |
| has put it in its Bill of Rights, Amendment I that | | | | Benedict who recently inadvertently offended |
| “congress shall make no law respecting an | | | | Muslims in his speech in Germany should realize that it |
| establishment of religion or prohibiting the free | | | | is time to embrace the post Vatican II Catholicism. |
| exercise thereof.” | | | | This catholism states in part that, Islam, |
| Mf… | | | | Hinduism,Buddhism, Judaism, and any other religion |
| Rotich/Teresa/2 | | | | which seek to help humans to overcome their sense |
| This law that does not respect or prohibit religion is | | | | of alienation from ultimate realities are all valid a |
| becoming the best recipe for peace in a word which | | | | venues to salvation. |
| is bedevilled by the debacle of religious hostilities. | | | | |