Respecting rights of others

Anisur Rahman | Published: December 02, 2023 18:58:03

Samuel P Huntington said in his book 'Clash of Civilisations' that people's cultural and religious identities would be the primary source of conflicts in the post-Cold War era. That does not mean he wanted conflicts. He just alerted the world to the necessity of doing the needful to avert such conflicts.
Sadly, in the twenty-first century we see conflicts in different corners of the world. These conflicts are taking place because of the differences in terms of religious belief, culture and so on. They are even leading to bloodbaths. Gaza, Ukraine and Myanmar are some of the examples.
Have the world powers done enough to mitigate the conflicts or even try to understand how to avoid it? The answer is a plain 'No'. Rather they are pitted against each other to dominate not only the world but also outer space. Their lust for dominance has turned this world into a hell, not an abode of peace. They are obsessed with their own safety and security. To meet their end, they are doing whatever they like. They are imposing wars on other peoples. They are dividing the peoples along even religious lines, and dehumanizing them to earn the right to kill them. They are developing nuclear weapons and missile defence systems to ensure their own security. But are they really safe? They are coming under bombardments on another front. The Mother Nature is taking her revenge on them for destroying the Earth. No superpower is immune from it. Droughts, floods and other extreme weather conditions are more prevalent now than before in different parts of the world. Scientists say 2023 is on track to the hottest year on record.
So, the big powers should realise that their biggest enemy is not their opponent political party or group. Rather their biggest enemy is the global warming that is causing devastating cyclonic storms and other natural disasters almost round the year.
This world could be turned into an abode of peace, if only human rights could be upheld in every part of the world equally. The security of a nation does not lie in annihilation of their rivals. Rather it helps evoke hatred of others and even hastens one's own downfall. For example, the Myanmar military is now losing ground to the rebels who were once unarmed and peace-loving people. The country is now at risk of disintegration. When Russia attacked Ukraine, it was believed that the superpower would take over the latter easily and shortly. But one year on, the situation has changed to a great extent. Nobody now can say when the war will end.
Likewise, when Hamas took many Israelis hostage in a bloody raid inside Israel October 7 last, Netanyahu's forces launched torrents of missile attacks on the Hamas targets. The war still rages on. Sadly, most of the victims, thousands in number, killed in the attacks so far are women and children. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has sent ground troops inside Gaza to hunt down the Hamas men. Backed by missile attacks, the ground troops are operating in Gaza. But they are not going unscathed. They are facing strong resistance from Hamas and their allies who are also inflicting heavy casualties on their opponents. Initially it was believed that the Israeli forces would soon overpower the Hamas. But the war has dragged on beyond forty days. The Gazans are destroyed but not defeated.
Do we have heads over our shoulders? If we had, in the twenty-first century we could realise that there were alternatives to such mindless bloodletting. Every problem can be resolved through negotiation. Killing is no option. Not only human beings but also the tiniest creatures on the Earth have the right to live. So, respect and uphold the rights of others. Live and let live.
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