On 16 April 2015, the Italian police arrested 15 Muslim African refugees for the murder on 12 fellow, Christian, African refugees who travelled on the same boat to Europe (link 1, link 2, link 3). This tragedy within a tragedy is almost too much to bear. For the refugees, for any compassionate human being or for any Christian. How often should you turn the other cheek for another blow?
For days, the Dutch government has been discussing the “bed, bath, breakfast” arrangement for (mostly African) refugees who were turned down a visa but refuse to leave. The liberal party, for which I used to vote, appears to deny this very basic “bed, bath, breakfast” arrangement as they argue that it will attract even more refugees. Don’t these politicians have a heart or conscience? Even the liberal mayors in big cities acknowledge that these refugees must have a bed, bath, and breakfast. They will continue offering it despite the liberal party’s view.
It’s not easy being a Christian nowadays in certain regions of the world. The persecution of Christians does not feel random any longer. On Easter Monday 6 April 2015, Pope Francis expressed his hope that the international community does not look on, “silent and inactive”, in the face of the “unacceptable crime” of the persecution of Christians around the world. (source)
Pope Francis: “Your itinerary on the streets is over, but what must continue on the part of all is the spiritual journey of prayer, intense prayer; the concrete participation and tangible help in the defense and protection of our brothers and sisters, who are persecuted, exiled, killed, beheaded, for the only reason of being a Christian,” said Pope Francis. “I sincerely hope that the international community does not look the other way,” he added. (source)
We feel safe living in Australia, Europe or USA and prefer to see such incidents as local events. When Christian refugees arrive by boat after a horrible journey, we see economic refugees with a different skin colour rather than fellow Christians.
Terror organisations like ISIL/ISIS and its foreign affiliates, are clearly provoking Christians into a new global religious war. There is a famous saying: They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind. Actually, I didn’t even realise that this saying comes from the Bible. This whirlwind is slowly emerging by multinational and multi-religious efforts to destroy ISIL/ISIS and its foreign affiliates.
Development aid or any other form of redistribution of global wealth may stop economic refugees. Religious refugees have a very limited choice. If Muslim countries are not willing to protect all of their citizens then a new religious confrontation is inevitable.
Hatred is corrosive of a person’s wisdom and conscience; the mentality of enmity can poison a nation’s spirit, instigate brutal life and death struggles, destroy a society’s tolerance and humanity, and block a nation’s progress to freedom and democracy. Liu Xiaobo (1955 – present)
Buddhism recognises 3 poisons: ignorance, attachment (e.g., greed) and aversion (e.g., hatred). These three poisons are considered to be the cause of suffering. All these 3 mental poisons appear to have joined each other in the 21st century. This fills my heart with sadness.
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