Their old familiar carols play, and mild and sweet their songs repeat, of peace on earth good will to men.”
Thus, paraphrasing Luke 2:14, currently, as many expatriates celebrate Christmas in Oman alongside our amiable hosts, we pause to reflect upon the life of others, less fortunate than ourselves.
Tragedy is something of an overused word, especially in the global media, yet, our hearts should go out to those suffering in the border regions of Myanmar and Bangladesh. It seems incongruous that the people who can trace their origins in what was formerly Burma, are denied nationality on the basis that they are not one of the eight chosen “national races”.
Our hearts must go out to these people, who appear to want little more than to be allowed to live their lives peacefully, in the only homes they have ever known.
“And in despair I bowed my head. There is no peace on earth I said, for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.”
The greatest shame is that so many of us supported Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi as she fought initially from a position of exile, then 15 years of house arrest, before sweeping the country with 85 per cent of the vote in 2015. Yet, in December 2017, two and a half years after taking power Suu Kyi persists in her denials of ethnic cleansing.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 14, 1991. The citation of the Nobel Committee, in part, reads: “The Nobel Peace Prize for 1991 goes to Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar (Burma) for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights. Suu Kyi’s struggle is one of the most extraordinary examples of civil courage in Asia in recent decades, and honours her unflagging efforts to attain democracy, human rights and ethnic conciliation by peaceful means.” Where are those unflagging efforts now?
“But the bells are ringing ‘peace on earth,’ the choir is singing, ‘peace on earth.’ Does anybody hear them?”
On June 14 this year, we were witness to another tragedy. The 24-storey Grenfell Tower block in London’s Kensington Borough was razed by fire. Fortunately, 223 of the 294 inhabitants escaped, while 71 souls perished. London mourned the catalogue of errors, safety omissions and even suggestions of malpractice, corruption and profiteering that led to those fatalities. Shame, if these allegations prove true.
“And the bells are ringing, peace on earth. Like a choir they’re singing, peace on earth. In my heart I hear them, peace on earth. Peace on earth, and good will to men.”
The Ariana Grande Manchester Arena concert bombing on May 22, the Route 91 Harvest Festival shootings in Las Vegas in October, the Rancho Tehama School Shootings in California last month, the Mogadishu truck bomb attack during October, the London Bridge terrorist attack, the Resorts World Manila Casino attack and the Egyptian Church bombings are all indicative of human failings. The real tragedy is that people of all races, creeds and colours continue to think they are creating solutions, when all they do is create more problems.
“But the bells are ringing ‘peace on earth,’ the choir is singing, ‘peace on earth.’ Does anybody hear them?”
Tragedies take many forms and forgiveness towards those responsible may not be easy. However, on this one day, tomorrow Christmas let’s all pray, not only for those caught in the maelstroms of conflict, hardship, dispossession, hunger, and suffering, but for those who have caused that suffering, and pray that the next to follow in their footsteps, can find another, different, and less tragic way, to make themselves heard.
“Then rang the bells more loud and deep. God is not dead, nor does he sleep (peace on earth, peace on earth). The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace...”
Ray Petersen
petersen_ray@hotmail.com
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