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Basic
Conditions
for
the Success of Non-violent Resistance
Fr.
Raed Awad Abusahlia
We
have often reiterated that violence would only breed violence and blood would
call for blood in an ever-ongoing vicious circle. We only reap whatever we have
sown from destruction, tears and bloodshed. Folks, we are neither advocating
submission or capitulation, nor are we calling off resistance. On the contrary,
we advocate its resumption but with a change in direction and adoption of a
different strategy that would lead to the same aim, but with a different and
more effective and less sanguinary methodology. Do you seek the game or do you
wish to argue with the gamekeeper? We seek to enjoy the game, freedom,
independence, and the end of occupation, to regain our land, liberate the people
and establish a state. All of this is right and legitimate. No one could ever
object to this, as it constitutes a part of the inalienable rights as laid down
by the international legitimacy. We have often cited the Olive Branch Strategy for peaceful resistance in
proceeding with the current Intifada. It is about time to take a decision to
espouse this new methodology. Hence, what are the basic conditions for the
success of this peaceful resistance?
No doubt non-violence is a complex weapon to wield because it rests on
the basis of self-control in countenancing violence and oppression. It is the
implementation of peaceful resistance as a basic strategy stemming from a firm
belief in the justice of our cause, the motive of our struggle. The spontaneous
human reaction is to counter violence with violence based on the principle of
“All that is taken by force could only be regained by force”—despite our
confidence and belief in Christ’s words: “Put up again thy sword into his
place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” This
would also mean: “Let not evil prevail over you but conquer it with your
virtue.” But in the case of the imbalance of military power the use of an
inferior force would lead to the supremacy of the stronger and his dominance
over the weaker party and causing the latter greater losses with a view to
weakening him further and teaching him a lesson that he is incapable of
defeating an army equipped with the most sophisticated military techniques.
Therefore, it is necessary to set military power aside and have recourse to a
different type of power: the power of the people, the power of Truth, the power
of Love, as these powers would not be defeated even by the mightiest armies
because they are simply based on paralysing the material force with a mightier
spiritual and moral force. However, these principles are in need of a particular education and a
certain frame of mind. With this, I mean an ideological training for all people
starting right at the base to ascend all the way up to the summit; starting with
the very young to attain all adults so that this mode of thinking would turn
into a life pattern and would then be adopted as the sole fundamental strategic
choice for resistance. Religious and positive moral values, on the one hand, and
comparing similar methods of resistance used throughout history, on the other,
could play a considerable role in supporting this mode of thinking. Certainly
this cannot be achieved overnight, nor could it be adopted swiftly, but requires
a time span, experimentation, school programmes, training camps and public
mobilization. However, it could, at least, be initially adopted in principle and
that which is immediately feasible could be realised there from. This, in
itself, would be a considerable achievement for a great people who knew how to
fight with steel and fire and would now know how to resume the struggle with
spirit and justice.
Tall standing trees do not start with yielding fruits and boasting of
branches but spring from seeds and roots to develop and grow before giving their
first fruits. Similarly, ideas start from a nucleus and a need, exactly as the
adage suggests: “Need is the mother of invention.” Seeds of peace exist in
all human beings but they need to be developed, protected and reared. The need
to adopt a means of peaceful resistance is increasingly felt at this time
because all people are experiencing a sense of disappointment with the great
loss of lives and the destruction of property along with minimal gains realised.
Some have even got into a state of despair and are unable to act. They ask
themselves: are we inching forward or going backwards? This is exactly why I overtly say that a charismatic leadership in place
could rally all the good intentioned and would work on a reorganisation, which
could succeed in embracing many, or even bring together the entire people around
it. We are in need of a Palestinian Ghandi, the like of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin
Luther King Jr., or Nelson Mandela. We had Mubarak Awad, founder of the
Palestinian Centre for Non-violence Research, who was active in the first
Intifada and who succeeded in sowing the seeds of an active non-violent movement
but was deported to the USA after being imprisoned. We also had Martyr Faysal
Husseini who enjoyed a great asset of struggle behind him that goes back to his
grandfather and father and who has gained experience and wisdom during the
popular strife to the point that he became the address for Jerusalem. He was a
great loss to the city and he left a vacuum behind him that could not be filled. We are now awaiting this leader who should possess all attributes of
historic and personal leadership. But as such a leader has not yet appeared on
the Palestinian arena, and perhaps would not appear in the near future, I dare
to suggest that the current leadership with President Arafat at its head, could
transform and espouse this historic choice through turning the struggle into
absolutely peaceful and non-violent means to a point of giving up arms and even
declaring a demilitarised Palestinian State. The reason for proffering these
suggestions is not only the “need and invention” but in consideration of the
historic balance in the struggle, in addition to the popular and international
support that President Arafat enjoys, being a recipient of the Nobel Peace
Prize. This provides him with the qualifications and the potential to lead the
people on a new and different path, provided necessary reforms are carried out
and steps are taken to secure this new strategy. If I were in the shoes of the
current Palestinian leadership, I would have asked Mr. Nelson Mandela and other
non-violence specialists to hold training sessions in this lofty art of struggle
that surpasses all military training. 3.
The general public or popular participation The secret of success of the weapon of non-violence lies in the general
public’s power, similar to that of a raging fire that cannot be doused by the
waters of a deluge. This is why it is necessary to enlist everybody in this
struggle, young and old, men an women, so that the burden of struggle does not
rest only with a number of children who were the stone throwers during the first
Intifada or a handful of armed men who opened fire at tanks in the second
Intifada, while the general public remained the spectators suffering and paying
double the price in lives and property as a result of the occupation forces
retaliation. This struggle, also, should not be confined to peace groups or
organisations that are convinced of this method, because in this case their
necessary efforts would be wasted due to any act of violence that erupts from
any party whatsoever. How many large demonstrations in the streets of Tel Aviv
were neutralized by one single martyr’s action in a close-by street! The power of the general public means that everybody is to take to the
street and make it contagious to reach the enemy’s streets and their midst
through gaining friends and supporters and travel beyond the frontiers to nearby
Arab and Moslem countries and even further to friendly world countries that
support our just cause. The participation of the entire public with all its
sectors and orientations, in all its towns, villages and camps would cause
confusion in the opponent’s side, would paralyse the mobility of its forces
and tanks and would reduce its weaponry into children’s toys that could not be
used. However, if they dare to use them they would be censured by the world over
and would fall into the media traps. Some of the generals had warned the Israeli
Government that recourse of Palestinians at large to the weapon of non-violence
would paralyse the movements of the army; therefore Palestinians should be
prevented from using this weapon because we simply have well-trained forces for
warfare and fighting but not for confrontation with an unarmed public.
Therefore, our use of force, violence and weapons would provide an excuse for
the Israeli army to justify its use of excessive force in self-defence.
The factor of perseverance is very important. It is not enough to
organise a demonstration, a march or a sit-in then stand idle until the next
action is called for in several months to come. No, there should be a general
public mobilisation with resolve towards determination and perseverance for the
realisation of the gradual, strategic or ultimate aims, always bearing in mind
that this would require time and patience. Therefore, it is necessary to have
symbolic creative ideas, diversify the means of non-violent action and commit
all such weapons to the battlefield. Hence, it is absolutely necessary to study
such techniques that had been utilised throughout history and to create other
appropriate means that conform to our current situation and are capable of being
adapted to the changing events. It is very important not to despair nor to lose
courage and to kindle hope in the hearts because those who persevere attain
their destination. No right is lost so long there is a claimant to it and that
justice will prevail in the end no matter how long it takes. I believe that, in
this domain, we have become experts in endurance and patience. We have tried all
means throughout more than a century and we have been long waiting. So why
should we not try this method at present as long as we are certain that if it
were not effective soon it would have to succeed later on. Also if we were not
able to realise all our ultimate goals at once we shall be satisfied with the
little that we can obtain and continue to claim the lot knowing that if we do
not gain everything we shall not lose anything. We shall not lose our dignity,
we shall not have our homes demolished, we shall not have our blood spilt and we
shall not lose our humanity. On the contrary we shall hold our heads up high and
we shall regain our humanity and restore humanity to our enemy and bring him
back to his senses.
If we were to consider the modern news media as the fourth power in the
world, if not the peak, and if we were to consider that it has attained a high
degree of accuracy, speed and efficiency in that it reaches all the nations in
all countries of the world in the four directions, then we should use it
cleverly and wisely. This factor is very important for several reasons:
regretfully, our image is very much distorted at present. Despite our heroic
struggle we are identified with terrorism; despite the equity of our cause the
world not only does not understand it but carries a erroneous and fallacious
view about it; despite the availability of oil wealth the Arab world has not
established universal news media channels to cover or to counterbalance the news
media directed and consecrated to the service of the Jewish propaganda.
Therefore the latter one remains devoid of objectivity or even excels in its
screaming partiality. I am not saying this as publicity, nor with an intent to beautify the
image or to present it in an affected manner, but to display the naked truth and
to talk to the world in a new and understandable language far from the
conventional resounding rhetoric. It is necessary to create a new image,
considering that the media is the art of drawing interest and providing
diversity to ensure attraction. The world can get accustomed to all things even
to war and death to the point that these become a natural occurrence. It got
bored with images of the stone throwers and the firearm shooters, it resents the
bombings and is sickened with watching funerals despite their solemnity and the
personal sacrifice involved, as they are now presented in a manner that depicts
violence and are accompanied with loud shouts and the burst of bullets fired in
the air… Our battle is one of information as much as it is political; so,
should we not appreciate the importance of the media in our battle of
non-violence? It is even an integral part of the struggle itself! We have a dire
need for an information office with specialised expertise in addition to funds
and modern techniques. The mere fundamentals are unfortunately unavailable at present. Yet it is
best to start with the first step now before it is too late. The thousand-mile
journey starts with one step. ***
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