We are at war.
Twelve new wars have broken out in the world since the dawn of the new millennium, including the United States’ war with Afghanistan, Iraq, and the even more recent civil wars in Libya and the Ivory Coast.
So much global unrest is enough to make anyone uneasy, despite the recent death of Osama bin Laden. His death by U.S. Navy SEALs this past Monday may, in fact, increase our uneasiness, simply because we have no idea what’s coming next.
Who’s War?
Despite our nation’s involvement in these wars, I am not at war with the Afghani people. My government is at war with the Taliban and Afghan insurgents. You personally were not at war with Iraqis.
As tense as the relationship is between the U.S. and Pakistan right now, you and I are not at war with its people.
So many innocent civilians are trapped in the game of war that began without their consent. War brings sorrow, death, economic hardship. War is not chosen, simply experienced by civilians, and it changes their lives forever.
It may be tempting in the coming days to blame the Pakistanis for their role in bin Laden’s concealment. It’s important to remember who exactly the enemy is, and that is not the general population.
Insurgent attacks on Pakistani civilians in 2010 could be approached as war crimes. According to Amnesty International, at least 41 people were killed in April 17, 2010, as they waited for relief supplies. Two more bombings took place during the same week, killing an additional 24 people.
Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director said in an April 19th report that “the Pakistani Taliban and other insurgent groups seem to be escalating their attacks on civilians, in clear violation of the laws of war. Such attacks could constitute war crimes.”
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in the regions caught up between the insurgents and Pakistani government.
The Victims
On a more personal note, I worked in a refugee center in the Netherlands six months after former U.S. President George W. Bush declared war on Iraq. I remember the fear in America after 9/11, the fear directed at Muslims. I remember going with a friend after our morning class in college to cut down a person hung in effigy – a person with robes and a turban, with a sign below that read “Muslims – 1; USA – 0.” I remember the looks I received from class mates and family when I spent time with a close friend who happened to be Iranian and Muslim.
And then I remember the soft brown eyes of the young children in the refugee centers in Europe, most of them Kurds who had been severely persecuted by Saddam Hussein. Many of them watched family members as they were killed. I remember the women, hesitant at meeting an American, who offered us tea in their caravans. I remember the men, unsure of how to act around an American woman, laugh and joke with us after a few meetings. I remember their tears as they said that we made their children laugh as we painted their faces, and I remember their dance and ululations as we played guitar and sang our American music.
Ways to Help
Aloha Bay works with a group of salt miners in Pakistan. They use the salt in products like bath and body salt, Himalayan table salt and salt lamps. Their company offers permanent employment opportunities to an area where work is hard to come by.
The Madina Handicrafts Community, sponsored by One World Projects, sells handcrafted jewelry created by women in war-torn Afghanistan. Their mission is to “empower vulnerable and disabled women by promoting literacy, health education, life skills and basic business training to help them and their families become self-sustainable.”
Other stores that support people in war-torn areas or impoverished regions are Ten Thousand Villages, The Global Exchange Store, and Green Heart Shop.
Our purchases of everyday items and gifts can affect these victims of war and poverty in a powerful way. Many non-profits and social enterprises are springing up to help these areas of the world. As you are shopping – possibly for Mother’s Day – consider these small businesses with a huge heart.
