Minute in Response to World Trade Center and Pentagon Tragedies and a Message to Our Neighbors in the Herndon Community

The FCNL is working hard to advocate peaceful, non-military ways to counter terrorism and advance justice, as well as increasing multilateral humanitarian relief and development assistance to the peoples of Afghanistan and the region. Please give them your support.

The above-mentioned Herndon Friends Minute includes a call to bring people in our community closer together and the challenge of not just urging an end to war but to wage peace.

In an attempt to meet these goals, we have started a message board for airing thoughts relevant to the peace-waging effort -- either for or against, large or small, in your own words or in the words of others.

Simply send your link or submission in an email and we'll try to get it posted as soon as possible.

Subject: A Call For Discourse
By Herndon Friend Gwen Zanin

We are witnessing a recent and increasingly virulent backlash in the popular media against peace and the people who work to attain it. (Read any recent Washington Post editorial by Charles Krauthammer or Michael Kelly or listen to WMAL talk radio if you have any doubts about this.) A moral obligation is present, I believe, for us to stand up in our backyards, with our neighbors, in our churches, on the Internet, and in any small way show that a call for peace does not mean a call against our government or a call on the side of terrorism. Asking if war is the right answer does not mean that we are ignoring the question.

"War is a failure of imagination, what's needed is the alternative.

What's needed, desperately, is sound bite language for a positive program that would combat terrorism far more effectively than military action."

We need to do our part to show that there is a place for finding the "third way" to peace, to not only tread the line between doing nothing and committing acts of destruction, but to walk the line so commitedly and so often that it becomes a well-trodden path for other people to read and follow.

It is important, in this time of apparently growing antipathy towards peace, to make our voices be heard. As E.J. Dionne says (in a recent Post rebuttal), "The pacifist reminds us that the violence we commit, even in the name of what we may rightly see as good ends, is still, in some sense, ungodly." He then goes on to quote theologian Reinhold Niebuhr:

"We who allow ourselves to become engaged in war need this testimony of the absolutist against us, lest we accept the warfare of the world as normative, lest we become callous to the horror of war, and lest we forget the ambiguity of our own actions and motives."

A Christmas Eve Letter to The Daily Journal
By Herndon Friend Gary Garriott

To the Editor:

Bill Kling ('Tis the season to be,' December 22/23) seems to have taken license with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Christmas Bells." Even though it was written following the sad news of his son's suffering from serious wounds during the Civil War, Longfellow never mentions the word 'evil' which Kling says 'walked the world of Longfellow's day, just as it does ours today.'

The problem with 'evil' is that after associating the epitaph with a person or group, as Kling does in naming Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida and the Taliban, there is no need for further inquiry. No attempt is made to understand the set of historical events causing the same label to be bestowed upon us, "the Great Satan." Both sides end up reinforcing the myths held about the other and the cycle of justifiable violence continues. No better example exists than the never-ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The chances that we, or the Israelis or any other aggrieved group, will root out and eliminate terrorism by killing its adherents are zero. As Mennonite mediator John Paul Lederach puts it, "Military action to destroy terror, particularly as it affects significant and already vulnerable populations, will be like hitting a fully mature dandelion with a golf club. We will participate in making sure the myth of why we are evil is sustained and we will assure yet another generation of recruits."

Kling says that slavery was the evil of Longfellow's day. But even the Emancipation Proclamation and cessation of the unspeakable horrors of the Civil War did not settle the issue. Loud echoes of slavery have continued to our present time. Arguably the period of greatest progress in U.S. human rights occurred during the 1950-60's when Martin Luther King, Jr. turned evil on its head by espousing nonviolent protest and acceptance of those who fought against him and ultimately took his life. He broke the back of the 'evildoer' myths through a philosophy of unconditional love, directed even at his enemies. King stepped outside violence and retribution and, during a special moment in history, was able to frame the problem of evil-and the solution-differently for all of us.

To me "Christmas Bells" is ultimately hopeful and optimistic. While Longfellow hopes that "The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail", he stopped short of characterizing these groups as 'Evil' and 'Good.' If we expect to heal our world, so should we.

Gary Garriott

A prayer
Offered from schoolchildren at the Red Cloud Indian School, Pine Ridge, South Dakota

Oh Great Spirit,
Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world,
Hear me, I am small and weak,
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in Beauty and forever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my ears sharp to hear your voice,
And my hands to respect the things which you have made.
Let me see the lessons which you have hidden in each leaf and rock.
Make me wise that I may understand the things which you have taught my people.
I seek wisdom, not to be greater than my brother,
But to overcome my greatest enemy, myself.
Let me walk a straight path with clean hands,
So that when life fades, like the fading sunset,
My spirit may return to you without shame.

The Challenge of Terror: A Traveling Essay
By Mennonite mediator John Paul Lederach

Here are just a few excerpts from an exceptional piece of writing. Please follow the links to their entirety.

...We need a new metaphor, and though I generally do not like medical metaphors to describe conflict, the image of a virus comes to mind because of its ability to enter unperceived, flow with a system, and harm it from within. This is the genius of people like Osama Ben Laden. He understood the power of a free and open system, and has used it to his benefit. The enemy is not located in a territory. It has entered our system. And you do not fight this kind of enemy by shooting at it. You respond by strengthening the capacity of the system to prevent the virus and strengthen its immunity...

...The way to break such a process is not through a frame of reference of who will win or who is stronger. In fact the inverse is true. Whoever loses, whether tactical battles or the war itself, finds intrinsic in the loss the seeds that give birth to the justification for renewed battle. The way to break such a cycle of justified violence is to step outside of it...

...Let's choose democracy and reconciliation over revenge and destruction...

...Let us take up the practical challenges of this reality perhaps best described in the Cure at Troy an epic poem by Seamus Heaney no foreigner to the grip of the cycles of terror. Let us give birth to the unexpected.

So hope for a great sea-change
On the far side of revenge.

Believe that a farther shore
Is reachable from here.

Believe in miracles
And cures and healing wells.

Subject: "Avenging murder with murder is wrong"
An interview with Friends Community School student Pedro Panissett in College Park

"A war to make peace is...a contradiction...Words are always much more powerful than any weapon."

Subject: "Please stop bombardments on the Hindukush and the Pamir's slopes and heights for 15 days..."
A note from Islamabad by way of the Mountain Forum mailing list

Through the Mountain Forum may I appeal to the super powers who claim to be highly civilized also to please stop bombardments on the Hindukush and the Pamir's slopes and heights for 15 days at least so that some food items could be supplied to the millions of pauper children as well as old and young women. The Red Cross and other Aid Agencies are ready to do that provided the Bombardment is stopped. Let me draw the attention of the so called civilized world that food supplies will not be possible in that region after 10 or 15 days because of heavy snows which will block the remote passes and approach routes to various valleys and millions will die of starvation for no fault of theirs. To kill millions for the sake of an old Assama, against whom there is no solid proof except stories and suppositions, is neither bravery nor Justice.

M. Hanif Raza

Subject: The Power of "Unarmed Truth and Unconditional Love"
A letter from Herndon Friend Gary Garriott to The Washington Post

To the editor:

Charles Krauthammer does a disservice to Susan Sontag ("Voices of Moral Obtuseness," September 21). Krauthammer lumps Sontag's circumspect warnings that the tragic events of September 11 are connected to a larger picture with the hatemongering pronouncements of Robertson and Falwell.

Krauthammer apparently cannot accept that anybody could question linear, connect-the-dots explanation of international historical events and circumstances such as his, especially another thinking American. Unfortunately, it is clear that we ignore interpretations other than those proffered by the conventional wisdom at our own peril. His narrow "moral clarity" strikes me as yet another example of an arrogant American mindset when dealing with the rest of the world. Perceived arrogance is a root of many of our problems in other lands.

Every Peace Corps Volunteer learns that situations appear differently through the lens of culture, language and history. This past weekend returned volunteers had planned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Peace Corps. Most events were postponed to a later date; one that went on was a peace vigil on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, a plea for the kind of intimate international understanding that could keep future September 11's from happening.

One of the most moving presentations was made by Virginia E. Hayes Williams, mother of DC's mayor. After leading us in song, she closed with the hopefully prophetic words of Martin Luther King, Jr:

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daylight of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."

'Unconditional love' especially sticks in my mind--as a possible antidote to arrogance.

Gary Garriott
(RPCV Ecuador and a patriotic American)

Subject: Waging Peace
A letter from Herndon Friend Ting-Yi Oei to The Washington Post

To the editor:

The evening news tonight (9/25) brought pictures of Afghan refugees fleeing their cities and warehouses in Pakistan packed to the ceiling with bags of American wheat. What irony and what an opportunity! Instead of bombing who-knows-what in Afghanistan, let's "bomb" the refugees with food right behind their lines, leading them back into Afghanistan. It will certainly ease the plight of the Pakistani government as they try to cope with the refugee crisis, and, at worst, confuse the Afghans as to what the U.S. is up to. Then, phase two begins. Afghanistan's neighbors, fellow Muslims, will peacefully "invade" Afghanistan with more food. The Taliban, already isolated and repudiated, may find its days numbered-not through relentless bombardment, but in the rejection by the people of beliefs that provided shelter for terrorists and their horrific crimes.

Ting-Yi Oei

Subject: CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

CIVICUS is an international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world. Herndon Friend Gary Gariott recently forwarded their weekly newsletter which contains various statements and calls to action in regards to recent world events. Here are just a few of the links:

...calls for the US to take stock of past foreign policy decisions which helped prop up the Taliban, one of the most reprehensible regimes in modern history...

...The arduous hours spent by these aid workers and officials in dangerous and volatile conditions, and in the face of extreme climates and an unfamiliar terrain, is inspiring, humbling and extraordinary...

...we urge world political leaders to promote an understanding of the systems which generate terrorist violence and to address the root causes rather than the symptoms. We recognise that economic and social justice are preconditions for true security...

...we urge that no people should be victimised for the actions of their rulers and others...

...inspire debate and dialogue about how to mobilize an effective, collective response in ways that point towards closer global cooperation and increase prospects for global peace, security, and sustainable development...

Subject: Going to War or Waging Peace
A letter from Herndon Friend Ting-Yi Oei to President Bush

Dear President Bush,

Just a few thoughts:

Since we really don't want to go to war just to kill Afghans, why do we need to bomb or attack the country? We have them all discombobulated anyway with tens of thousands of them streaming towards Pakistan. Why not drop food instead of bombs just behind the refugees as they approach the Pakistan border? At worst it will confuse them and make them wonder what the U.S. is up to. At best, they will not go hungry and think twice about how evil the U.S. It will also ease Pakistan's problem of how to deal with a growing refugee problem. Why are we even thinking about "bombing them back to the stone age" when they seemed to be heading in that direction on their own anyway? We might want to overfly the country continuosly (which would keep them in a terror of sorts) but drop leaflets or relief supplies instead. Not long after the end of World War II, we were building up our former enemies. We don't have to prove we can destroy Afghanistan. Let's just say that's a foregone conclusion and get to the aid part directly. The people there might then just get rid of their misguided leaders and terrorists on their own.

Instead of sending in American troops to find bin Laden or whatever else we intend to do, maybe an international force (U.N.?) constituted predominantly from Muslim nations should go in there to root out terrorists. If many of the Muslim nations are serious in their pronouncements, they can make real their support in this way. That might mute the charge that the real agenda of the U.S. is to suppress Islam.

It's time to look at our domestic agenda, too. At the root of a lot of the unrest in the Middle East is oil. If we can consume less oil, develop more intercity rail and efficient mass transit, one of the reasons we are so despised may dissipate. Air travel will always be important, but the events of 9/11 will put far greater demands on airport security and hamper air travel for a long time. Some airports, notably Reagan National, may be better off being shut down entirely as commercial airports.

As we emerge out of this tragedy, I hope the dialogue increases on alternative approaches to international and domestic crises. We are in a new era that demands new approaches.

Sincerely,
(Mr.) Ting-Yi Oei

Subject: A Poem by Robert Service
Submitted by Herndon Friend Alan Mahood

This powerful anti-war message came from Service's experiences as a volunteer for an American ambulance unit on the French front line during World War I.

Forward
I've tinkered at my bits of rhymes
In weary, woeful, waiting times;
In doleful hours of battle-din,
Ere yet they brought the wounded in;
Through vigils of the fateful night,
In lousy barns by candle-light;
In dug-outs, sagging and aflood,
On stretchers stiff and bleared with blood;
By ragged grove, by ruined road,
By hearths accurst where Love abode;
By broken altars, blackened shrines
I've tinkered at my bits of rhymes.

I've solaced me with scraps of song
The desolated ways along:
Through sickly fields all shrapnel-sown,
And meadows reaped by death alone;
By blazing cross and splintered spire,
By headless Virgin in the mire;
By gardens gashed amid their bloom,
By gutted grave, by shattered tomb;
Beside the dying and the dead,
Where rocket green and rocket red,
In trembling pools of poising light,
With flowers of flame festoon the night.
Ah me! by what dark ways of wrong
I've cheered my heart with scraps of song.

So here's my sheaf of war-won verse,
And some is bad, and some is worse.
And if at times I curse a bit,
You needn't read that part of it;
For through it all like horror runs
The red resentment of the guns.
And you yourself would mutter when
You took the things that once were men,
And sped them through that zone of hate
To where the dripping surgeons wait;
And wonder too if in God's sight
War ever, ever can be right.

Yet may it not be, crime and war
But effort misdirected are?
And if there's good in war and crime,
There may be in my bits of rhyme,
My songs from out the slaughter mill:
So take or leave them as you will.

Subject: Verse from Friend James Nayler
This was also the text of a spoken message during Herndon Friends' vigil the night of September 11th:

"There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end.

Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself.

It sees to the end of all temptations.

As it bears no evil in itself, so it conceives none in thought to any other.

If it be betrayed, it bears it, for its ground and spring is the mercies and forgiveness of God.

Its crown is meekness, its life is everlasting love unfeigned; it takes its kingdom with entreaty and not with contention, and keeps it by lowliness of mind.

In God alone it can rejoice, though none else regard it, or can own its life.

It is conceived in sorrow, and brought forth without any to pity it; nor doth it murmur at grief and oppression.

It never rejoiceth but through sufferings; for with the world's joy it is murdered.

I found it alone, being forsaken.

I have fellowship therein with them who lived in dens and desolate places of the earth, who through death obtained this resurrection and eternal holy life."

Subject: A poem by American Friend Kenneth Boulding
No. 7 of the Nayler Sonnets

And to Weary Out All Exaltation and Cruelty

What patience must we cherish, to out-wear
The sleepless hosts of hell, who lie in wait
Against our slightest weakness, early, late,
With perseverance more than we can bear.
How can we wait the many a weary year
Before the rock of pride, and cruel hate,
Into a fruitful earth disintegrate
Under the tears of love and near despair?
Who then can blame us if we lose our trust
In love's slow ways, and hastily rush to blast
The rock to pieces--but to find at last
When smoke has cleared not earth, but barren dust.

Only by the endless rain the soil is given,
And endless patience is the way of heaven.