Injustice will never end because there will always be people
who consider themselves better than others, or different, or they will somehow
justify their actions by believing they have a special need that no one else
could conceivably have. Possibly more pervasive is the “belief” that a
particular gender, skin colour or religious persuasion gives a “right” to
persecute or denigrate those not of that gender, that skin colour or not of
that religious persuasion.
This type of “injustice” happens everywhere. Take for
example Israel’s flouting international law and ignoring United Nations
requests for them to stop their annexation of Palestine, by stealth, with their
continued building of new Jewish settlements in occupied lands. (I choose to mention
Israel as their apparently intractable difference with the Palestinians affects
us all and Israel is a topical issue in Australia at the moment vide “Prisoner X” and the apparent
injustice of this incident).
The differences (at least in the Middle East), and the
injustice, appear to stem from a strict adherence, by their followers, to the required
observances written in two books – the Old Testament - the Jewish Torah, and
the Koran – the book of Islam, and to the sacredness or otherwise of the land
now claimed by both Israelis and the Palestinians.
If the situation was reversed I am sure that Israelis would
defend by every means at their disposal their “right” to claim what "should" be theirs.
But they deny the Palestinians that very “right”.
There are always two sides to every story, as the saying
goes, and the Palestinians are not blameless in this. They apparently object to
a Jewish presence in their “homeland”. All this may be relevant and true but it
is important to go behind the need (if that is the correct word) for injustice,
whomsoever the perpetrator and wherever it takes place.
All humans are diminished – the human family is diminished -
by injustice. In this regard it seems almost impossible for humans generally to
accept the fact that we need each other; that we cannot live in total isolation;
that our “needs”, our desires and wishes are much the same as those of everyone
else.
In other words we need to observe the “Golden Rule” - to
treat others as we would like to be treated. ALL religions, ALL moral teachings
and ethical concepts have the “Golden Rule” as the cornerstone and principle for
ALL effective human relationships.
For those who believe in the importance of “differences”
this may be an unpleasant idea and difficult to accept. It is important,
however, for them to realise that theirs is an intellectual resistance to
Nature which seems to demand that mankind include others in their schemes lest
their selfish desires lead to general chaos and destruction. But even with Nature’s
inner demand and all the centuries of ethical and moral teachings it is
patently evident that mankind (to paraphrase Jung) “has only very imperfectly
learned that it is in his own interest to consider his neighbour and that it is
impossible for him to ignore the needs of the body social of which he is a part”.
It is necessary to remember that conflict (more often than
not the result of some injustice) can never be resolved at the level at which
was created – at that level there can only be winners and losers – not
reconciliation. Resolution and reconciliation needs a greater understanding of
human nature and a higher level of awareness and education.
Resorting to laws, rules and regulations or ancient texts
(however sacred) with the same mindset that held at the onset of the conflict
(or the injustice) will not resolve anything.
Written on the gravestone of Paul Robeson (African American
singer April 9, 1898 – Jan 26, 1976): “The artist must elect to fight for
freedom or slavery. I have made my choice. I had no alternative.”
This is why without real education for all (not just “book
learning”) we face the rather depressing idea that injustice will never end.
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