History of the world has largely written with the ink of red blood.
Violence today is being employed not only for gaining wider market and for possessions of more land, more territory or increased superiority of political influence. New causes have arisen. We speak today of conflicts of nations. We speak today of conflicts among civilization.
Globalization has brought to the surface a form of conflict, which was always present throughout the history of the world, but it has now come up in a new form, a new force and subtler means of subjugation.
That is Terrorism. There is no declaration of war. There is a continuous undeclared war. Dogmatism, fanaticism and cult of violence are being taught in more and more sophisticated manner. Suicide bombers attack innocent people suddenly and devastatingly. The worst part is that people begin to feel overwhelmed by fear and the very foundation of our culture seems to die before us.
The issue is: how can this menace be met?
Frankly, leaders have no answer. Even nations, which proclaim their opposition to terrorism often, encourage terrorist groups on their own land. So, religions have to realize that there are other religions and the hope to have only one religion in the world is both psychologically impossible and practically not feasible. Religions have to come together, learn to unite and live together. Civilizations have to realize that there are other civilizations.
To believe that there is only one civilization of uniform values is a vain chimera.
Civilizations have to learn from each other and have to realize that even the most universal values require for their practice rhythms of variations and richness of diversity.
It is for us, particularly students to reflect on these deeper issues. We have to be global, but also find unity in diversity and diversity in unity.