It is true that the world is infested with several hot spots where anger, killings, violence and hatred are a part of daily life. It is equally true that many nations, including our own, have a tendency to solve violence with more violence, even though recent experience has shown us it is not very successful. Anger, violence and hatred seem to breed more violence and hatred; leading many to believe there is no way out of this vicious cycle. To those I would strongly recommend “No Enemy to Conquer; Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World,” by Michael Henderson (Baylor University Press).
In the foreword, the Dalai Lama points out our greatest human joys come when we are motivated by concern for others. At first blush that sounds like Pollyannish nonsense. But the author makes a compelling case that the power of hatred and revenge can be won over by the greater power of forgiveness and personal reconciliation. While forgiveness has an image problem, he provides convincing examples to bolster his thesis that humans, even those who have empirically sound reasons to hate, can be radically changed in the way they view their real or perceived enemies.
All religious faiths share firm teachings of peace. That includes Islam, which sees itself as a religion of peace but is now, unfortunately, associated by many with murder and mayhem. Recent polls show that about 75 percent of Americans say they know nothing about Islam or are hostile to it. On the other hand, figures in the Muslim world are equally alarming with anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism. But these chasms of ignorance can be bridged by contact and dialogue.
One example among many would be the example of Professor Judea Pearl, father of Daniel Pearl who was beheaded in Pakistan. He was, as a Jew, transformed through his association with Dr. Akbar Ahmed, a Muslim and chair of Islamic studies at American University.
A serious obstacle to forgiveness is “remembering” distorted versions of past atrocities. Forgiveness cannot condone evil, but neither should one wallow in victimhood. Apologies are always powerful, particularly when accompanied with some kind of restitution. Of particular value are the numerous empirical examples in the book where dialogue, forgiveness, understanding, restitution and apology have been able to overcome decades, and sometimes centuries, of animosities and violence. There are excellent chapters on changes brought about in, among others, South Africa, Northern Ireland and Sierra Leone.
