Terrorism: A New Mode of Dehumanizing People into Targets
Terrorism: A New Mode of Dehumanizing People into ‘Targets’
Fr. Mathew Cherian cmi
1. Introduction
The twentieth century (1900-2000) witnessed two world-renowned figures who were also contemporaries. Both had a powerful influence upon the world. But the means they adopted to influence the world were entirely opposite. Indeed, the philosophy of life they proclaimed was such that the course of history chronicled a number of offspring to their ideologies. The first one was Adolf Hitler (1889-1945). To mount the stairs of power, he literally followed the way of terror and might. The net result of his thought-pattern gave birth to a notorious event in the twentieth century described as World War II (1939-1945). He followed his philosophy to the hilt, which resulted in nothing but the blood and tears of millions of human beings. Diluted in the culture of assassination and mixed in the flavors of hatred and chaos, Hitler dreamed of a world of vain-glory by making humans as enemies to each other and degrading them to a level of mere means or targets. The second figure was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, fondly called Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948). He too had a philosophy of life but blended with the jewels of truth (satya) and non-violence (ahimsa). He had an uncompromising attitude to his principles and the corresponding result was that of a bloodless struggle for the freedom of a nation, and of love, peace and everlasting joy in the hearts of millions and millions of humans. Uplift of the human dignity was his sole aim. Sarvodaya (welfare of all) was his secret and sacred mantra for glory and success. He believed in the culture of inter-human and intra-human relationship and love was the powerful weapon he used. According to Abdul Quddus, “Hitler worshipped power: Gandhi believed in Truth and Love. The conflict between these two ideas is as old as history. Here, the world conquerors stand on one side, the apostles of human brotherhood on the other and it still
Fr. Mathew Cherian cmi
1. Introduction
The twentieth century (1900-2000) witnessed two world-renowned figures who were also contemporaries. Both had a powerful influence upon the world. But the means they adopted to influence the world were entirely opposite. Indeed, the philosophy of life they proclaimed was such that the course of history chronicled a number of offspring to their ideologies. The first one was Adolf Hitler (1889-1945). To mount the stairs of power, he literally followed the way of terror and might. The net result of his thought-pattern gave birth to a notorious event in the twentieth century described as World War II (1939-1945). He followed his philosophy to the hilt, which resulted in nothing but the blood and tears of millions of human beings. Diluted in the culture of assassination and mixed in the flavors of hatred and chaos, Hitler dreamed of a world of vain-glory by making humans as enemies to each other and degrading them to a level of mere means or targets. The second figure was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, fondly called Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948). He too had a philosophy of life but blended with the jewels of truth (satya) and non-violence (ahimsa). He had an uncompromising attitude to his principles and the corresponding result was that of a bloodless struggle for the freedom of a nation, and of love, peace and everlasting joy in the hearts of millions and millions of humans. Uplift of the human dignity was his sole aim. Sarvodaya (welfare of all) was his secret and sacred mantra for glory and success. He believed in the culture of inter-human and intra-human relationship and love was the powerful weapon he used. According to Abdul Quddus, “Hitler worshipped power: Gandhi believed in Truth and Love. The conflict between these two ideas is as old as history. Here, the world conquerors stand on one side, the apostles of human brotherhood on the other and it still