Is it possible?
The past four days have been a journey for me. I was at the Criminalize War International Conference and Exhibition at PWTC, Proceedings of the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission and Hearing of the Kuala Lumpur War Crime Tribunal.
I first heard about this initiative to "Make War a Crime" or also known as "Criminalize War", back in 2007. The year before, 2006, there was a war at Lebanon. Not many people would have given a thought about that war because it does not effect them. But that war had me had a certain fear, its hard to describe. I feared of losing someone I know, that he may die anytime. My "son" Elie, (a child whom I have been sponsoring the past 5 years under the World Vision programme in Lebanon) could have died anytime at that war. Because of that war, I decided to visit the exhibition then in 2007. It changed my perspective.
The past four days have been surreal. I was among world leaders, judges, professors, activists, lawyers, experts, etc... and of course the general public (like me). Witnessing the Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib torture victims giving their testimonies was like watching a movie, unfortunately it was real life story. It really boggles the mind of; how man can stoop so low to commit such henious barbaric acts.
Its kind of hard to put into words or construct proper post for this blog. But here are some of my thoughts.
1. My brother who knew I went for the conference asked, if it was about bashing the Israellis. If only he was there to listen to the talks. I understand the sensitive fear of religion that is involved or nationality or even skin colour. But if only, if only we can move beyond that, put all aside, religion, colour, nationality and see, see for yourself; an individual loved by God, made in His image, the humanity involved, killed in war. While I was there listening to the conference, not once was it about religion, tho some crazy people tried to stroke it, the speakers are really to be admired to remind the audience that really, its not about all that. Its the humanity that is involved, mass killing of innocent people, children, women, old, disabled....
2. I have always admired Tun Mahathir for his leadership and putting Malaysia on the world map. I have always wished to listen or to meet him live. And my wish came true. He gave the keynote address at the conference. It is really simple and easy to follow, it makes sense, it is logic.
Back in 2005, when he called the former US president a murderer, I thought that was outrages. I mean, who dares call a powerful nation leader that? He must have been out of his mind. Actually, my little mind couldn't comprehend then what it was all about. I, among the many were ignorant about wars because it does not affect me. It does not effect me, so I didn't care, till 2006.
The quote that I liked most from the keynote address is "If the killing of one person is murder, a crime deserving of the most severe punishment, why must we regard the mass killing of people as legitimate and proper?" It is quite logic, doesn't it? I mean, read the papers, read the murders or crimes that is going on. People seek justice for it. Therefore, what about war? Where INNOCENT thousand dies? Where is justice?
The call is quite radical, it calls for a change of mindset..... Therefore the question... is it possible to make war a crime?
3. Depleted Uranium.... What is it? Its kinda hard for me to explain 'coz i'm no expert on this subject, but simple research on the net would help. Depleted Uranium, its quite scarry what it can do to the future generation. The exhibition showed pictures of babies, tell me how would you feel he/she is yours?
The future is actually quite terrifying, if war continues... Greedy crazy lunatics invent weapons, each even more sophisicated than the other. Each, able to kill more than the other. And the fact that nuclear weapon is involved, it really does scare me. Imagine the contamination that will be in the air and water, the whole world will be affected! People will die. Even nations who are not at war will be affected, just because of the fact that we need air to breathe, breathe radioactive contaminated air.
4. Guantanamo Bay. I've seen it on paper, I didn't bother to read about it. Moazzam Begg and Sami Al'Hajj both gave testimony at the commission, both were wrongfully accused and of mistaken identity to be part of the Al-Qaeda terrorist. Both were held at Guantanamo bay, Moazzam 3 years, and Sami 5 1/2 years. Together with these two men, were 4 other victims who were detained at Abu Ghraib, one of them was a women. All were innocent civillians accused of crime they did not commit. They were guilty until proven innocent, instead of innocent till prove guilty.
Just sitting there listening to them share about the dastardly torture they went through, (the woman was hit plastic chair repeatedly till it broke, a man being pulled around with leg tied to rope in a pool then put into a cold air-con room naked with ice shoved up the head in a hood, being hog-tied for 18 hours, mentally and physically humilited, rape, pictures and torture taken in nude, psychiatrist were sent in to suggest suicide to prisoners, solitary confinement for 2 years, lights on for 24 hours for 1 year without ever seeing sunlight, water boarding, sensory depreviation, exteremely loud blasting music 24 hours, and many more torture that are not mention here). It is clearly inhuman, how can such treatment be subjected to a human being? Imagine, you going through it. You were wrongfully accused, and subjected to the many torture. Just imagine will you? Will you go insane? Will you commit suicide? Will there be any dignity left in you?
I, I don't know how these victims endured or overcome the psychological effect of the ordeal (some 6 month, some 3 years, some 6 years). I just want to honour them for their ability to stay sane and strong, and to share of their testimony. It was also revealed, children as young as 9-15 were detained at Guantanamo Bay. Children!
So is it possible to make war a crime? It needs a radical change of mindset.
The past four days have been a journey for me. I was at the Criminalize War International Conference and Exhibition at PWTC, Proceedings of the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission and Hearing of the Kuala Lumpur War Crime Tribunal.
I first heard about this initiative to "Make War a Crime" or also known as "Criminalize War", back in 2007. The year before, 2006, there was a war at Lebanon. Not many people would have given a thought about that war because it does not effect them. But that war had me had a certain fear, its hard to describe. I feared of losing someone I know, that he may die anytime. My "son" Elie, (a child whom I have been sponsoring the past 5 years under the World Vision programme in Lebanon) could have died anytime at that war. Because of that war, I decided to visit the exhibition then in 2007. It changed my perspective.
The past four days have been surreal. I was among world leaders, judges, professors, activists, lawyers, experts, etc... and of course the general public (like me). Witnessing the Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib torture victims giving their testimonies was like watching a movie, unfortunately it was real life story. It really boggles the mind of; how man can stoop so low to commit such henious barbaric acts.
Its kind of hard to put into words or construct proper post for this blog. But here are some of my thoughts.
1. My brother who knew I went for the conference asked, if it was about bashing the Israellis. If only he was there to listen to the talks. I understand the sensitive fear of religion that is involved or nationality or even skin colour. But if only, if only we can move beyond that, put all aside, religion, colour, nationality and see, see for yourself; an individual loved by God, made in His image, the humanity involved, killed in war. While I was there listening to the conference, not once was it about religion, tho some crazy people tried to stroke it, the speakers are really to be admired to remind the audience that really, its not about all that. Its the humanity that is involved, mass killing of innocent people, children, women, old, disabled....
2. I have always admired Tun Mahathir for his leadership and putting Malaysia on the world map. I have always wished to listen or to meet him live. And my wish came true. He gave the keynote address at the conference. It is really simple and easy to follow, it makes sense, it is logic.
Back in 2005, when he called the former US president a murderer, I thought that was outrages. I mean, who dares call a powerful nation leader that? He must have been out of his mind. Actually, my little mind couldn't comprehend then what it was all about. I, among the many were ignorant about wars because it does not affect me. It does not effect me, so I didn't care, till 2006.
The quote that I liked most from the keynote address is "If the killing of one person is murder, a crime deserving of the most severe punishment, why must we regard the mass killing of people as legitimate and proper?" It is quite logic, doesn't it? I mean, read the papers, read the murders or crimes that is going on. People seek justice for it. Therefore, what about war? Where INNOCENT thousand dies? Where is justice?
The call is quite radical, it calls for a change of mindset..... Therefore the question... is it possible to make war a crime?
3. Depleted Uranium.... What is it? Its kinda hard for me to explain 'coz i'm no expert on this subject, but simple research on the net would help. Depleted Uranium, its quite scarry what it can do to the future generation. The exhibition showed pictures of babies, tell me how would you feel he/she is yours?
The future is actually quite terrifying, if war continues... Greedy crazy lunatics invent weapons, each even more sophisicated than the other. Each, able to kill more than the other. And the fact that nuclear weapon is involved, it really does scare me. Imagine the contamination that will be in the air and water, the whole world will be affected! People will die. Even nations who are not at war will be affected, just because of the fact that we need air to breathe, breathe radioactive contaminated air.
4. Guantanamo Bay. I've seen it on paper, I didn't bother to read about it. Moazzam Begg and Sami Al'Hajj both gave testimony at the commission, both were wrongfully accused and of mistaken identity to be part of the Al-Qaeda terrorist. Both were held at Guantanamo bay, Moazzam 3 years, and Sami 5 1/2 years. Together with these two men, were 4 other victims who were detained at Abu Ghraib, one of them was a women. All were innocent civillians accused of crime they did not commit. They were guilty until proven innocent, instead of innocent till prove guilty.
Just sitting there listening to them share about the dastardly torture they went through, (the woman was hit plastic chair repeatedly till it broke, a man being pulled around with leg tied to rope in a pool then put into a cold air-con room naked with ice shoved up the head in a hood, being hog-tied for 18 hours, mentally and physically humilited, rape, pictures and torture taken in nude, psychiatrist were sent in to suggest suicide to prisoners, solitary confinement for 2 years, lights on for 24 hours for 1 year without ever seeing sunlight, water boarding, sensory depreviation, exteremely loud blasting music 24 hours, and many more torture that are not mention here). It is clearly inhuman, how can such treatment be subjected to a human being? Imagine, you going through it. You were wrongfully accused, and subjected to the many torture. Just imagine will you? Will you go insane? Will you commit suicide? Will there be any dignity left in you?
I, I don't know how these victims endured or overcome the psychological effect of the ordeal (some 6 month, some 3 years, some 6 years). I just want to honour them for their ability to stay sane and strong, and to share of their testimony. It was also revealed, children as young as 9-15 were detained at Guantanamo Bay. Children!
5. "Apathy is our biggest enemy in efforts to make war a crime". I totally agree with that statement. If only you have seen the pictures, the horrors of wars, your conscience will tell you what to do. Stop the apathy!
So is it possible to make war a crime? It needs a radical change of mindset.
