The other week on the Media Watch show one of my guest’s asked why there is no emphasis on a Spiritual solution to the troubles in the world, a case in point ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Consider also the Gaza and Israel conflict. Sadly, all involve land rights and a variety of religious issues. This sect vs that sect etc!

Yet the fundamentals of what makes us human seem to be forgotten. Yesterday’s upsetting news about beheading of a journalist by a  jihadist is hard to comprehend.

NB The English jihadist who beheaded the American journalist James Foley is believed to be the leader of a group of British fighters holding foreign hostages in Syria, sources have told the Guardian.

It is disgusting that someone even recorded the event and posted it onto a social media site ?! People seem to have forgotten that it is a privilege to be on this Earth and no one has the right to take it away.

I ask, why are the religious leaders so quiet at this time of need? Where are the bold speeches of universal truth and the importance of valuing our presence and mutual respect? If all religions preach love and peace, the misguided souls of evil need to be reigned in ASAP. Is there not an opportunity for religion to encourage sense.

They (religious leaders) may suggest that apathy rules, a thought that words fall on deaf ears. Sadly, I can’t hear anyone shouting about reconciliation, negotiated peace or even the bond of humanity, i.e: We are one family that realistic owns no land. We seemed to have lost sight of the message of life, to help each other and grow together. We seemed to have lost touch with reality of many considering how many Christmas’s we got left to see ourselves through? No one knows but at least whilst we are here we need to consider our finite lives and what we leave behind.

The Financial Times says:

An American victim. A British killer. A region in turmoil. A Western world united in outrage but bereft of ideas. As the UK Prime Minister cuts short his holiday for crisis talks and President Obama joins the chorus of condemnation, the murder of US journalist James Foley has made one thing brutally clear: the relentless rise of the self-styled ‘caliphate’ in Iraq and Syria is a problem the UK can no longer ignore.

In 1969 John Lennon with Paul McCartney wrote, ‘Lets give peace a chance’. Humankind or maybe we should rename the latter Human-unkind has chosen to ignore its message. Its now 45 years since the song and 100 years since WW1, yet still we fight each other in the trenches. Today these trends have expanded to a global audience that aims to adopt a shock, see and support tactic. Instead we need a new paradigm, one that values the spiritual bond of family & togetherness, reducing ego / materialism and works towards positive outcomes.

Private arms deals, politicians who are not afraid to communicate the truth of their relationships with the old guard, skilled negotiators, a UN with more guts with a global peace army that exposes the reality of war, the ability to harness disaster recovery resources and guarantees peace are some strategies we should pursue.

It is now time for religious leaders to emerge from behind their smocks and suggest that humanity is the place to start. Killing and brutality on the scale that we are seeing is only generating more grief.

Today we need the universal message that all people of faith exercise – Tolerance, Peace and Love – Its time to give peace a chance, with action more than words.

Categories: Featured Articles, Interfaith, Media Convergence, Media Watch, Sikhs, Spirtuality