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Special Comment #1: Darfur & Faith Vs. Belief
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Special Comment #1: Darfur & Faith Vs. Belief |
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Mistletoe Angel 
since 2000-12-17
Posts 32816Portland, Oregon |
Inspired by Keith Olbermann, I have composed my first Special Comment for the KBOO Evening Newscast, which unlike Olbermann doesn't resort to real name-calling, but still speaks bluntly and emotionally about issues that especially touch my heart, as I believe our mainstream media very much needs more of that DIY approach. Here it is! Audio will be available later today! * * And now as promised, a Special Comment on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, and the more urgent need than ever for our press to actively draw attention to this moral issue. * This holiday season, while we think of those who have fewer, they’re often taken for granted all the same. In the Bible, Job 29:12 reads: "I rescued the poor who cried for help". We must awaken more to the cries of the poor not just as a nation, but as a global community. Each day I take my magnaminity mission to heart, and it is not just a physical routine I abide by, it is my spiritual experience, my religious experience. In Proverbs 19:17, it reads, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.” And that is why the humanitarian crisis in Darfur is the issue that I devote the greatest attention to in my time, that I believe wholeheartedly in the notion of speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute, in defending the rights of the poor and needy, in which these simple acts of kindness bring out the holiday cheer not only to others, but in ourselves. American classicist and educator Edith Hamilton wrote in her 1949 publication, Witness to the Truth, "Faith is not belief. Belief is passive. Faith is active." And now as a global community, we find ourselves pitted between two worldly mindsets; one of which is motivated by passive belief, the other which is motivated by active faith, as millions worldwide sit transfixed by the grim and inconsolable images of hundreds of thousands of impoverished, crestfallen men, women and children, all of which are victims of one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, which continues to escalate in Darfur, a region roughly the size of France that’s home to 8 million people, 50% of which are children, and dozens of diverse ethnic groups, most of whom are black and Muslim, located in the western part of Sudan and populated mainly by subsistence farmers. As you may already be well aware, the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan began in 2003, when government-backed militia groups called the Janjaweed stepped up raids and attacks against the region's farming communities. The Sudanese government allegedly began arming and recruiting the Janjaweed from local Arab tribes when African rebel groups in Darfur, organized in response to a widespread perception of the Sudanese government's neglect of the region, began attacking government forces. To this day, the Sudanese government has repeatedly denied having any relationship with the Janjaweed, but first-hand accounts suggest otherwise. Aside from other crucial social and political factors that attribute to this conflict that has raged as ardently as a brushfire on a savannah plain during an Indian summer, such as the distribution of land and resources in a nation where less than 7% of the land is arable, it is of course the civilian populations that have suffered most from the crisis in Darfur. Although the victims of the conflict are mainly black Africans from the Fur, Massalit, and Daju ethnic groups, millions of people, both Arab and non-Arab, have been forced to flee their homes and face starvation. Also widely documented are a seemingly limitless list of human rights abuses employed by the Janjaweed and others, sparking outrage among communities worldwide. One of the most atrocious examples is the sexual assault among tens of thousands of women there, where just yesterday, Dr. Kirsten Johnson of Physicians for Human Rights said rape has become a major weapon of war there, and 40 percent of women in Darfur have been raped or subjected to another form of sexual assault, with devastating consequences. In just one of many documented incidents, an eighteen-year-old woman was assaulted by Janjaweed who inserted a knife in her vagina, saying, "You get this because you are black." And while the physical violence is beyond unspeakable, starvation is actually the leading cause of death in the Darfur conflict. According to the Human Rights Watch, the Sudanese government and the Janjaweed have have implemented a "scorched earth" policy in Darfur, intentionally displacing millions of people in Darfur by destroying water sources, burning crops, stealing livestock. In a region where arable land and water are scarce, the destruction of property has been, for many, tantamount to a death sentence. In result, since the conflict began in 2003, an estimated 400,000 Darfurians have died, with ongoing assessments by independent organizations such as Doctors without Borders suggesting that their estimate may be conservative, and should aid become denied or unavailable, as many as a million people could perish. In addition, over 1.8 million have been displaced by the Janjaweed and widespread famine, sparking mass concerns that move beyond Darfur’s border, including neighboring Chad, where insecurity concerns there even prompted Chad’s President Idriss Derby to threaten to expel all Sudanese refugees from Chad when Western governments witheld payment for the country's oil funds over concern the money was being spent improperly. And the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum recently issued its first ever genocide emergency, where John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group warned, "We have not yet hit the apex of the crisis." Add all the numbers, and it cannot be doubted this is the illustration of a genocide in slow-motion. Of course, as Edith Hamilton also once said, “When faith is supported by facts or by logic it ceases to be faith.” Simply by looking at aerial photographs of destroyed villages and the desolate landscape of Darfur using Google Earth, they are not merely worth a thousand words, they may very well bleed a thousand emotions as well. Millions worldwide have felt the taproot of their grief and sorrow, and have taken faith to heart in hope that we can re-assuredly proclaim “Never again!” following previous pleadings of “Never again!” after the genocides in Burundi, in Cambodia, in East Timor, in Bosnia, and in Rwanda. Unfortunately, the mass media remains notably silent in coverage regarding the conflict, ranking tenth in an annual vote by the Associated Press yesterday deciding the top story of 2006, while coverage of the content of John Mark Karr’s stomach, of Paris Hilton’s hankering for an In ‘N Out burger, and Kevin Federline’s altercations with professional wrestlers squeeze the headlines, at least until wardrobe malfunction 2.0 is unleashed. Even while the silence is bad enough toward one of history’s worst humanitarian disasters, it gets worse still. Yesterday morning on CNN's noontime International News program, anchor Jim Clancy featured an interview with George Clooney and Don Cheadle, designed to talk about their efforts for Darfur, including travels to Egypt and China to advocate for Darfur, who should be ashamed of himself tonight for addressing a most offensive question to his guests, asking seven minutes into the interview, "Gentlemen: Is there a movie in this?" Pause and shock followed Mr. Clancy’s question, with Clooney finally responding in a subdued voice, "Let's just hope it isn't a Hotel Rwanda." A brief reminder, Mr. Clancy; all the atrocities that are happening as we speak in Darfur are not being done so on cardboard figures. All the fire and gunpowder and dust storms there are ubiquitous sights and sounds that are not being generated from studio equipment. The refugees are not actors being coordinated by dolly shots. And no movie can ever fully make justice and touch upon the extreme emotions and bleeding pangs of strife endured by the millions of innocent lives in Burundi, in Cambodia, in East Timor, in Bosnia, in Rwanda, and now, deep in Darfur. Yet, despite the brownout in our corporate media regarding this evolving and aggrandizing humanitarian disaster, there is great reason to remain optimistic. It hasn't stopped an alliance of over 100 faith-based, humanitarian and human rights organizations named Save Darfur to come together and air a powerful recent television and press ads campaign and mobilize hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens to pressure national and international governments to take a stand. It hasn't stopped Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention and the 30-million strong National Association of Evangelicals to unite with other faith leaders and evangelical groups and form “Evangelicals For Darfur”, pressuring President Bush to take the lead in sending a multinational peacekeeping force to Sudan. It hasn’t stopped students from elementary school to college worldwide from making stands both as individuals and as groups, from children drawing heartfelt finger paintings expressing their feelings toward the conflict that can make the most generally hardened heart cry, to high school students like Kate Koreto earlier this week at Suffern High School in New York promoting the idea “Dress Up For Darfur”, and encouraging many fellow students to donate $512 to help buy tents and other supplies for the civilians in Darfur. And it hasn’t stopped some of our own representatives from drawing thoughtful attention to the issue, including Senators Sam Brownback of Kansas, Barack Obama of Illinois and Richard Durbin of Illinois, who have received top marks for co-sponsoring legislation and leading efforts to help establish a UN peacekeeping operation in the region, and even co-authoring a newspaper column for the Washington Post titled “Policy Adrift on Darfur”. All of these gestures epitomize faith in action; attempting to rescue the poor who cry for help, speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves, speaking for the rights of all who are destitute, in defending the rights of the poor and needy. And as we prepare to enter this new year, the necessity for volume is more urgent than ever. We must demand the deployment of the already authorized UN peacekeeping force, and strengthen the understaffed African Union force already there before they pull out this December 31st. We must enforce a No-Fly Zone in Darfur already established by the United Nations. We must increase humanitarian aid and ensure access for delivery. We must urge President Bush to back the strength of his words and work with other world leaders to ensure that the United Nations has the leadership and the tools it needs to do the job he is asking it to do. We must urge Congress to provide both the oversight and the funding necessary to ensure that the will of the American people to help end the genocide in Darfur is being carried out effectively. And we must urge the United Nations and all of its member states to put the real needs of the Sudanese people in Darfur ahead of the false concerns of the Sudanese government in Khartoum by placing already agreed upon targeted sanctions on regime officials, enforcing the already approved no-fly zone, and providing troops for and deploying the already authorized UN peacekeeping force to Darfur. Finally, Nicholas Kristof wrote in a July 26, 2005 New York Times opinion column titled "All Ears for Tom Cruise, All Eyes on Brad Pitt" (which I still have tacked to my bedroom wall): "To sustain the idealism in journalism—and to rebut the widespread perception that journalists are just irresponsible gossips—we need to show more interest in the first genocide of the 21st century than in the `runaway bride.'" We must urge our mainstream media to sustain the idealism of journalism, focusing on these issues that truly affect our global community rather than vicariously awaiting Wardrobe Malfunction 2.0. We MUST encourage our media not to believe, but to have faith, not to be passive toward the conflict, but active. This holiday season and beyond, may we become the miracle, and become active with faith, as it's truly the ebullient faith bubbling in the hearts of millions that can let the healing begin, to be active......and to have faith. I’m Noah Eaton, happy holidays, and stay cool! *  Sincerely, Noah Eaton "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other" Mother Teresa |
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| © Copyright 2006 Nadia Lockheart - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Huan Yi Member Ascendant
since 2004-10-12
Posts 6688Waukegan |
. Would you send American troops there? . |
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Mistletoe Angel
since 2000-12-17
Posts 32816Portland, Oregon |
In essence, I would favor sending American troops there. However, it should be one of the more last-resort options in my mind, as traditionally African nations have shown strong resistance to non-African nations intervening in conflicts on the continent. Darfur is a sensitive issue in the minds of many Africans in that though they certainly condemn the genocide and want peaceful resolution to be restored to the whole region, they also fear intervention in the region could serve as a precursor for Western imperialism of sorts, something which also concerns and worries many there. We have to be mindful of that should we consider this option I overall am supportive of, and have a plan behind it to convince the Sudanese citizens and African neighbors that our aims there are well-intended for a humanitarian purpose and not for some ulterior motive. Sincerely, Noah Eaton "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other" Mother Teresa |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
Noah, when you speak of sending a "peacekeeping force", you are referring to an army. Would that be your alternative....and I am certainly not saying I disagree. I applaud the report you have posted here. You have put a lot of work into it and it shows your sincerity on the subject which is, no doubt, one of the most horrific events of our time. If speeches could make results, it would be a good things. If words were bullets, more would be accomplished. The phrase "The pen is mightier than the sword" was not stated by anyone holding a sword, I assure you. The world, the press, George Clooney and you should be appealing to one entity - and it's not the President of the United States, no matter who it is. You should be appealing to, and putting pressure on, the United Nations. That is what it is supposed to represent - the stronger countries taking care of the weaker or less fortunate ones. Negotiations have shown to be non-productive. Public opinion has shown to be a non-factor. The United Nationsmust be pressured to act with a multi-national force. The peace-loving countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and othersmust threaten to pull out of the organizations if it does not act and validate its existence. Your presentation is a good one.....that will make little difference, I'm afraid, but I applaud your attempt. |
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Huan Yi Member Ascendant
since 2004-10-12
Posts 6688Waukegan |
Remember the British went there, (too late for Gordon), more than a hundred years ago. What changed for their blood and effort? Are you suggesting an altruistic military effort? I thought we had enough of that with Vietnam. Think carefully before you send other Americans to die, (and have no illusions, they would). |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
What you and others in the media need to do, Noah, is place the pressure where it belongs. Stop calling for U.S. troops. Stop demanding Bush do something. There should be headlines in every major newspaper in every major country: WHERE IS THE U.N.???? ...with pictures of the massacres displayed right there on the page, rotting bodies and all. There should be more demands like the Human Rights Organization's: (New York, September 15, 2006) The situation in Darfur demands that the United Nations Security Council members act on their responsibility to protect civilians in Darfur from further massive human rights abuses, Human Rights Watch said today. Such action should include imposing sanctions on Sudanese President Omar El Bashir and other senior officials who fail to protect civilians by impeding the deployment of a U.N. force to Darfur. Security Council members must make protecting Darfur civilians their highest priority, said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. The secretary-general has reminded President Bashir and other high-level officials that the responsibility to protect means that they will be held personally responsible should their failure to accept a U.N. force result in continuing civilian casualties. September 17 marks one year since world leaders agreed on a common responsibility to protect populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Human Rights Watch called for the U.N. Security Council to immediately impose asset freezes and travel bans on the highest-level Sudanese officials including President Bashir who are failing to protect civilians by impeding deployment of a U.N. force to Darfur. You do very well in your article, Noah, pleading to the UN, calling on the UN, calling on the US to help the UN......but there needs to be some DEMANDING to the UN. |
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Huan Yi Member Ascendant
since 2004-10-12
Posts 6688Waukegan |
Mike. This is nonsense. Six billion people in the world and yet the US is supposed, as is fashionable, to be the cop on the block with no armor . . . Not anyone I care about. Send the French. John |
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Mistletoe Angel
since 2000-12-17
Posts 32816Portland, Oregon |
I wholeheartedly agree with you, and believe though there are many well-intended individals within the UN that are doing what they can to demand the organization collectively gets tough on building the peacekeeping operation there, the UN is lagging collectively in terms of actions, just as they lagged in Rwanda, despite there being officials on an individual level there who made genuine efforts. I feel in my comment that I provided an equal deal of weight to each of the organizations and government bodies that must be consulted to drive the fullest promise of the Darfur peacekeeping operation. I also am aware that essentially it's the supreme duty of the United Nations in carrying and maintaining the operation. But I also believe that each effort by each national government worldwide helps symbolically build the urgency in acting rather than merely talking, and while I indeed praise both President Bush and Congress for last year agreeing that the atrocities in Darfur and genocide and voting unanimously in favor of the Darfur Peace & Accountability Act, and also praise President Bush for drawing more attention to problems in Africa than any other American president, there is still even more we can do, particularly in seeing to it world leaders including Bush, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac and African political and civic leaders agree on strengthening the peacekeeping forces on the ground before the AU's ground force expires this December 31st, which that crescendo should keep the United Nations more urgently focused. Hope that cleared up any misunderstanding!  Sincerely, Noah Eaton "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other" Mother Teresa |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
There's no misunderstanding, Noah. I know your heart is in the right place and I applaud you doing whatever you can to focus attention on this terrible situation. You are a good man, sir. The problem is that there has been a ton of rhetoric and little action. The victims of Darfur could care less about speeches, good intentions or promises. They need action...they are dying daily. The UN passes a resulotion to go in there with troops and then back off and downsize the numbers. Yes, Bush and Blair and Chiroc and the others should do more. They should tell the UN to do something or disband. Bush should tell the UN to stop the situation or get its offices the hell out of New York. They should be demanding UN action IMMEDIATELY. What they are allowing to continue while trying to negotiate with, and bowing down to, a terorist government, is criminal. There should be world-wide anger against the United Nations....only then will they do something, if ever. |
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Huan Yi Member Ascendant
since 2004-10-12
Posts 6688Waukegan |
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238717,00.html . Ethiopia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia . Guess who is next door . . . |
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