“My Plan to End Religious Terror and Violence and Achieve Lasting Peace” by E.S.

     To achieve lasting peace, the world leaders and majorities of populations of nations must all be knowledgeable and aware of a plan for peace. Education is one extremely important concept and is needed worldwide. An establishment such as the United Nations would be the perfect tool needed to help achieve world peace and help end religious terror and worldwide violence. If encouraged and large groups voiced the need for reform and reorganization, the United Nations can be the much needed leader in helping achieve our goals.
     Educating in developing countries of the world is a challenge right off the bat, and part of the problem. Afghanistan is the perfect example of a nation that while under the rule of the Taliban, repressed its people and forbid any education with the exception of studying the Quran. This type of repression limits the people from being a part of the goal of peace and ending the violence. If the United Nations “had an international law against repression, the world opinion supporting that law would influence the leaders behavior.” (http://www.peace.ca/worldpeace.htm)  This concept is great, but to form unity in the world there are so many bridges we as humans have to cross. I truly feel that education is the key and to teach tolerance is the start necessary.
     To work on my plan for peace, I realized there aren’t that many outlets for a working mom who also goes to school. I want to do my part though. Then I realized that having children gives me access to something great, precious innocent minds. My daughter is 6 years old and my son is 9 months. My daughter’s school is diverse and she seems to understand that everyone is different but of course to her being different is cool. She hasn’t formed any negative views at such a young age, but I know growing up its inevitable. So where I am going with this? Well I would like to help the world achieve peace by educating children about harmony, tolerance and different religions and cultures.
     I researched the United Nations online to see what type of community activism is available and it was limited. I was a bit surprised but considering the map of territory the UN covers it’s understandable. There were many different stories involving after-war successes and tolerance type readings. My plan is to prepare a presentation and present it to my daughter’s first grade teacher and see if it would be acceptable for me to discuss with the class. Of course war stories and bombings wouldn’t be appropriate but diversity and tolerance would be. This many seem like a small effort to end world terror and achieve lasting peace, however if my message can effect 25 children who will discuss what they learned with friends, parents, grandparents etc, I might end up indirectly educating over 100 people.
     Religion in a secular country such as ours seems to be a touchy subject, especially in schools. I don’t feel this is necessary. I think to promote tolerance you don’t leave things out of an education, but rather teach it all and allow children to make their own interpretations. Last year my daughter’s school taught them about Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, and Las Posadas. My daughter loved learning about these four separate holidays that take place in December.  
     The terrorist problem we are dealing with in this world is also right here on American soil so we need to be activist in the peace process. In Oklahoma City I would imagine the workers in the federal building felt comfortable that they would only see terrorist type activity on television. The idea of a cosmic war sets everyone at risk. As I mentioned in my previous essay, “The idea of a cosmic war can turn followers of a particularly extreme version of a religion into believers that their actions can save the world. These types of thoughts create actions those followers feel are justified due to their religious needs or their ‘just war’” (Essay #3 paragraph 1) This type of thought can involve any person in any town in any country. The just war attitude is not isolated to Middle East. There are many different types of extremists and in many cases the way they talk seems so ignorant, probably due to lack of education or involvement with diversity. Something from one of our readings in “Terror in the Mind of God” by Juergensmeyer that I will never forget was the story about the young Hamas member. I highlighted this story on the discussion board in my post. I mentioned “Of the solutions the most everlasting to me is the healing politics with religion. J points out examples of how this approach weakens the stand that terrorists have that the governments are evil since the governments are taking moral/religious approaches. I thought J’s piece in the chapter about the Hamas suicide bomber who discussed his love of soccer was fascinating. It shows some sort of common bond can prevent attacks.” (Week 12 Forum Author Erin Snyder) I was referring to an example by J in Chapter 11 of a jailed Hamas member who attempted to detonate a bomb in a crowd of innocent Israeli bystanders. An interviewer talked with this young man and asked him about his feelings toward Jews. The Hamas member stated “I despise them.” The interviewer knew the young man was a soccer fan and questioned him about Israel’s soccer team, and the young man told the interviewer he admired the soccer team’s players and knew them by name. When the interviewer asked if the young man would carry out his suicide mission in a soccer stadium, J puts “the young man seemed genuinely troubled. ‘On a soccer field?’ he asked, his sensibilities clearly offended. ‘No’ he said, ‘I couldn’t do that.’” (J pg 247) This story tells the real story of what we are dealing with in the world involving peace, terrorism and war. This story may seem like a small one, but to me it was huge. This gave me hope. The Hamas suicide bombers are young men, humans just like us. Soccer fans like my husband. There is a common bond with all humans; we all appreciate similar things, family, traditions, and our children. I really do think that the problem is deep rooted into everyone of us. I have heard in many occasions people say after 9/11 “why don’t we kill them all, just drop a bomb right on the Middle East.” I have said to those people, “then you are no better than the 9/11 terrorists. That was their attitude. Genocide.”
     Although my plan will not single handedly solve the problems of world terror and violence, it will show children to respect others and there are other options other than violence. One of the existing problems is that terrorists feel violence is there only means. Another interesting post in our discussion boards tells us “Religious leaders, throughout history, have resorted to violence and self-sacrifice when no other worldly option has existed in their minds.” (Week 9 Forum, student Melanie Barry) The key part of her quote is that no other option existed in their mind. Killing should not be an option. Anything seems better than killing. Whether it’s boycotting, protesting or speaking out, killing should never be an option unless it is self defense.
     I hope with my efforts I can open the minds of some young children. Without bringing up the troubles of the world, I will enlighten them with how interesting different religions and cultures are. Small steps are powerful. While politicians and foreign leaders discuss worldly matters, there are millions of people who have never met someone that is different than them, or traveled outside of their own state. To sum it all up, my plan is to educate children and to promote tolerance, respect and diversity so that our future leaders are peace promoters.