Recent Terrorist Attacks

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These terrorists committed their acts of death and destruction out of nothing but pure hate, a loathing of their fellow man, and an unspeakable lack of conscience. Undoubtedly, good people everywhere are outraged.

Sadly, due to the fact that the terrorists were of Middle Eastern origins, a few individuals have either taken it upon themselves to "punish" the Arab and Muslim communities or are likely considering doing so. This kind of blind rage is always wrong. Even if its scale is markedly smaller than the beastly acts of that Black Tuesday, any act of revenge inflicted on innocent persons, is no different from the acts committed by the terrorists. Those terrorists did not differentiate between right-and-wrong, innocent-and-guilty. In turn, those persons who would exact cruelty on innocent members of the Arab and Muslim communities, or any other person for that matter, do the same.

Almost 60 years ago, Christopher Dawson wrote so eloquently in The Judgment of the Nations, "As soon as men decide that all means are permitted to fight an evil, then their good becomes indistinguishable from the evil that they set out to destroy." This observation is as true today as it was then.

While the pain of the terror will linger for quite some time, it is imperative that people everywhere resist the urge of responding to hate with hate. It is imperative that people think clearly at a time when the need for such thinking is more urgent than ever. It is imperative that people do their part to help in any way possible.

What can people do to help?

People can let the proper authorities--law enforcement, rescue personnel, and military--do their jobs. Engaging in acts of hate can only disrupt the efforts to bring the terrorists and their supporters to justice, as they divert personnel and resources away from this endeavor.

People can donate blood, supplies, and money. In the hours and days following the tragedy, there has been such an outburst of generosity that people have, at times, been urged to refrain from donating blood and various supplies.

People can resume their normal lives. They can go to work, visit the shopping malls, take advantage of their freedom to travel by flying to their desired vacation spots, attend ballgames or cultural events, savor their time with their families and friends, and cherish the indescribable beauty of love. This courage to live life is as powerful a rejection of the terrorists’ evil as anything. By refusing to stop life, every person can ensure that no terrorist can never have power over us.

People can be “soldiers” against hate. They can resist all temptations to hate any person on the grounds of race, religion/lack of religion, ethnicity, language, etc. Instead, they can judge each person strictly on his or her individual acts while rejecting any efforts at collective judgments of any kind. When people join together to reject hate, this “fortress” for good will prove insurmountable. When the distinction between right-and-wrong, innocent-and-guilty governs people’s lives, actions, and words, civilization will be invincible against the shadow of massive barbarism the world recently witnessed. Today, the call for duty against hate is as strong as ever. All good persons must enlist in this noble fight.

And the Future?

Whatever one does in these difficult days, weeks, and months ahead, our actions will determine what kind of world we will create. When charting one’s course, every person should seek to use this timeless advice as one’s compass, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

In the end, as great as the evil was on September 11, the good that followed immediately afterward was far greater. People everywhere came together in one big, unbreakable, caring human family. There were countless acts of courage, generosity, kindness, and compassion. The world witnessed the best of what humanity can be. A precedent for the ages was established. Our challenge is to heed this precedent.

Rest assured, Washington, D.C. and New York City will rebuild and heal. No person or group can ever break these cities and destroy the spirit of those who live there. These cities and their residents will be stronger and better than ever. If each person builds on the sure foundation of goodness that was forged on that day and succeeding days, all of us will play our part in creating a future that will be ever better, ever brighter, and ever more wonderful.

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