I Still Remember

This time around I thought I should speak for myself. If 2 years ago I wrote about "us" remembering, I'm not sure if "we" was well-defined.

Ten years ago on this day (it's already night time here, a little past 10 pm), my friend mentioned something about a plane, a building, and an explosion he heard from another person.

"It must be some urban warfare but where? Fighting in the Kosovo War ended some time back," I thought to myself. I now know it ended in 1999.

It all became clear over the next few days and ten years on, who doesn't recognize images of smoke billowing from the World Trade Center or the clip where the plane slammed into the building?

September 11, 2001 meant different things to different people.

For me, it sort of renewed my interest in conflicts around the world and studying why people did it. What was going on in their head when they planned to make headlines and taking lives – sometimes their own – in the process? From Jonestown to Oklahoma City; Waco, Texas; Madrid; London; Mumbai; or Beslan, Russia, we've often asked why they did it. What drives them? I guess we'd never get a satisfying answer.

I have a folder in my computer full of pictures, tribute videos, recorded phone calls, and saved copies of websites detailing the chronology of events both in and outside New York City. I remember getting all teary watching one clip in the middle of the night and reading about Flight 93*. It goes without saying that I watched (and I know I have to) United 93 when it was released in 2006.

Life goes on, as it always does, and this day like many other dates, is a reminder of the evil that human beings are capable of. It is also one that highlights the tenacity of the human spirit in the face of a horrifying adversary.

Try as I may, I will never be able to comprehend, fully, the grief felt by those who have lost their loved ones on that fateful day. But Americans remember. The world remembers. I remember.

*I'm glad to know that this page is still available online.
____________________
I'm not going to try and justify the events that took place following 9-11 but I know that the whole world felt it. War isn't a beautiful thing and it affects everyone. It is depressing to know we have to tighten our belts to save for fuel.

A Peculiar Pair of Itchy Feet

After much blood and bombs since the First World War, I’ve entered the Yugoslav Wars. Which got me thinking, how much does it take to start a conflagration fueled by ethnic dissensions? Not much when you have foul-mouthed bigots in the country. I shan’t afford them too much attention though. Spoils my day and wastes your bandwidth.

And as I trawled the net taking in as much as I could, I realized I’m “in Europe”. Every so often, I hear how many dream of (and many set foot on) Europe. The usual ones are England, Italy, Germany, and France. Nice places (see the background of the blog?) I must say. I find myself rather weird when it comes to my choice of places to go.

Whilst they screamed Paris, I chose Parnu. Others say Beijing and I looked at Baku. I have nothing against their choices but I prefer somewhere people don’t hear about everyday. I still want to see the aurora borealis one day and walk the streets of Bruges.

First on my list though, I’d love to visit Poland and Israel. I guess Auschwitz and Yad Vashem are the reason behind my choice; not because of any morbid fascination with death. The Smithsonian Institution will be next and then onboard a train on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Homeward Bound

Written by Moazzam Begg whilst in solitary confinement

Begins this journey without reins,
End in capture without aims;
Now lying in the cell awake,
With merriment and smiles all fake:

Freedom is spent, time is up -
Tears have rent my sorrow's cup;
Home is cage, and cage is steel,
Thus manifest reality's unreal

Dreams are shattered, hopes are battered,
Yet with new status one is flattered!
The irony of it - detention, and all:
Be so small , and stand so tall

Years of tear and days of toil
Are now but fears and tyrants' spoil;
Ordainment has surely come to pass,
But endure alone one must this farce

Still the paper do I pen,
Knowing what but never when -
As dreams begin, and nightmares end -
I'm homeward bound to beloved tend.

Moazzam Begg & Victoria Brittain (2006), Enemy Combatant: the terrifying true story of a Briton in Guantanamo

A Quote from Sir Ralph Turner

Another Saturday afternoon and I was reading some war histories - specifically the Vietnam War - and seeing how one event (Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution) could lead to war and a terrible aftermath (Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, Pathet Lao, and the Third Indochina War to name a few) when it ended in 1975.

Really, depending on how and where we read something, we'd always end with different conclusions and I've always maintained an open mind when it comes to that. I've always liked history (no, not the textbook history involving dates and nothing else) for that; it saves something for posterity, to mull over, to learn, and to decide who's who (if he or she ever wants to take sides).

War is definitely and ugly thing. It's funny how total war is outlawed in the Geneva Convention but then the act of taking lives in war seem to be legal. Figures! Man and his nature.

Crawling the web I inadvertently came upon blogs chronicling life during the Emergency and the bravery and honor of soldiers fighting for their country slash beliefs. I leave with the words of Sir Ralph Turner on the memorial of the Gurkhas:

As I write these last words, my thoughts return to you who were my comrades, the stubborn and indomitable peasants of Nepal. Once more I hear the laughter with which you greeted every hardship. Once more I see you in your bivouacs or about your fires, on forced march or in the trenches, now shivering with wet and cold, now scorched by a pitiless and burning sun. Uncomplaining you endure hunger and thirst and wounds; and at the last your unwavering lines disappear into the smoke and wrath of battle. Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had country more faithful friends than you.

-Sir Ralph Lilley Turner, MC (1888 - 1983)

Yesterday Again

Depending on how you see it, June 4 until June may be, in a way, significant. June 4 this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protest; or rather the day the military sent tanks to disperse students and intellectuals. Information is available on the web and I wouldn't add anymore to it.

It's just that I'm bemused how the Chinese government could block access to various internet sites because its June 4. With their Ping Pong Diplomacy to reach out to the world, opening up and forming ties, its funny how controlled and calculated these attempts at "reform" are. Going into the tenth year of the 21st century, everyone sees how everything is controlled and anything critical of the Communist party is severely dealt with. All these occur daily beneath the lustre of vast development. More freedom of information wouldn't hurt the republic would it? Guess they' felt threatened. After all, a reform-minded Gorbachev worked to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Enter June 6, the year 1944.
It marked the day the Allied forces landed along the coast in Normandy, known popularly as D-Day. It was the largest seaborne invasion at the time and was part of a military campaign known as Operation Overlord and an important part of the Allied forces' battle in the European Theater during WWII; which culminated in the Liberation of Paris. Memorials are set up and the events remembered up until today. Nobody attempted to play down any events during WWII and countries like Germany and Japan do acknowledge their war past and seek reconciliation.


To sum it all up, history could be a good teacher only if we're willing to own up and subject ourselves to it.

A word of caution though, history is interpreted differently depending on how one sees it. Taking war for instance, history is a pride for the victors and humiliation for the defeated ones. Often, history is written, rather subjectively, by the victors. Which brings me to the point that one should view things from every angle and yet be enthralled as the events are replayed.

I am.

Send-A-Mail-To-The-President Drive

Students send e-mails to Obama to -- what?! I'm out of words for the "ingenuity" of some people to stop the conflict in West Asia. How should I begin?

History showed us that talks and discussions often involved a third person, a mediator. Some were successful and some ultimately failed. So far so good. I wouldn't criticize people, in this case the students, opposed to war and it's fine with me if they show solidarity with the Palestinians. Some are passionate and sincere, and I respect that. But there's one thing they ought to understand (and made to understand): It takes two to tango. If I have people lobbing grenades into my residence, I wouldn't look at that person and flash the "peace" sign.

I'm opposed to war and violence but these aren't happening only in Palestine. Take five and think for a moment, we'd come up with many hotspots in the world. Now, don't people die in these places? Aren't there violence and injustice?

It's good to inculcate love and the desire for peace in each and every child. I would, in addition to war and violence, talk to them about showing sympathy (for people and for animals), respect, the evil of corruption as well as the importance to have non-vacillating principles.

Camp David Accords, Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty, Oslo Accords, Taba Summit, Arab Peace Initiative, and the list goes on. Like I said, these talks and meeting ended with varying outcomes running the gamut from success to inconclusivity to failure but each is a milestone to achieve a possible peace in that region. To those that didn't take part in such discourse could do more than just burn flags, call for boycott, and now we have "Send the President an E-mail". It's true that the US could do more (I remembered seeing the picture of Rabin, Clinton, and Arafat) but like everyone else in the current economic situation, people are busy stimulating the economy. For all the talks held in various parts of the world and engineered by both the US and EU, the outcome hinged on the willingness of both parties (Israel and Palestine) to accept terms. If both are hard-headed, what else could others do?

If we have the resources and manpower, why not aid the suffering Palestinians directly? We sure have enough doctors. I'd be begging to join Mercy if I were a doctor. Leave all the talks to the politicians, which incidentally, think more of politicking than governing. There are many more pressing issues affecting the nation and the world at large and it'd be an oversight to just dwell on a matter. By all means, help the Palestinians but I can't stand the hypocrisy behind the drive. Do more and talk less. By doing, I meant actions that aren't laughable.

Anyone care to join me in sending PM Abdullah e-mails?

The Stone that Breaks the Camel's Head

"...if I were living in a glass house, I wouldn't be throwing stones at my neighbour's house who owns a stone quarry..."

Came upon this sentence today and it made me smile. How true! It covers - in the last few weeks - all the hypocrisy, the provocation, the lack of respect, arrogance, and the thought that the lives of a group of people is more valuable than the other; when in fact, all are created beings.

Some would bring the Almighty into war, giving the world the impression that God is behind a belligerent in a war. That is shallow to say the least, how our limited mind create space around God and then imagine that He's with us in whatever we do; wishful thinking isn't it?

Then there are people who support a cause blindly and no matter how hard one tries, those on both sides of the divide can never arrive at a right answer since no one is absolved from killing another human being. And also, just because one kills less than the other doesn't justify the act of killing at all. Life, whatever the colour, whatever the tongue, and whatever its geographical location, is precious. Let's not think we're superior to some and let's not bring the Almighty into our actions just to justify it.

I'm swimming in the pool between the divide. Already, I've come across debates (here and here) on who's at fault so I'll just dip in and cool off.

Ah! Dang lizards, ants, and roaches. Mozzies too.

When we see them, we're quick to grab the strategically placed aerosol can and direct its nozzle at the "enemy". For ants, we'd spray a white liquid to repel them. But lizards are driving us up the wall. Yet to try out the purported non-toxic lizard spray in the store though.

Now, however much we love other living creatures we can't stand the irritation and the sight of some of them. I forgot to mention mozzies as well. Can you fault me for killing them just to protect myself and my household from harm and possible diseases?

I don't go hunting for them down the water pipes nor do I disturb the ant mound in the garden and end up destroying half the area. When they stay in their zone and I in mine, then we'd coexist together. Take home words: coexist, harm, protect, disturb.

A friend and her scorpion sting terminology gave me this idea to include mozzies, roaches, ants and lizards. Like I said, I'd stop when I'm not provoked. A ceasefire. Sometimes, insects do learn from all the conditioning. The same can't be said about humans though.

Fireworks and Fiery Skies

A boom from afar heralds a new year
In a peaceful place, an explosion causes no fear
Yet faraway someone looks up with a tear
Hoping the next boom doesn't come near

Lest we forget the New Year is another number
For some, the continuity of yet another sneer and jeer
Whilst we indulge in a glass of beer amidst all the cheer
Know that some cling desperately, to life so dear

Ne'er forget that in some other places
People look for signs; for friendly faces
Therefore, make attempts this year
To be sensitive; into the other world we peer.