Socrates proclaimed, "Let him that would move the world first move himself." His message echoes with meaning today as we listen to the Bush Administration handing out daily aggressive rhetorical threats here and there around the world. It makes me ache.
There is such a limitless power in genuine dialogue vs. acts of military might and aggression. In a recent article in the The Christian Science Monitor by James Brandon this truth was brought to life.
"When Judge Hamoud al-Hitar announced that he and four other Islamic scholars would challenge Yemen's Al Qaeda prisoners to a theological contest, Western antiterrorism experts warned that this high-stakes gamble would end in disaster." To the contrary it did not. "If you can convince us that your ideas are justified by the Koran, then we will join you in your struggle," Hitar told the militants. "But if we succeed in convincing you of our ideas, then you must agree to renounce violence." The prisoners eagerly agreed.
Since December 2002, when the first round of dialogues ended, there have been no terrorist attacks, even though many people thought that Yemen would be come terror's capital," says Hitar, eyes glinting shrewdly from beneath his emerald-green turban. "Three hundred and sixty-four young men have been released after going through the dialogues and none of these have left Yemen to fight anywhere else.
Judge Hamoud al-Hitar went on to explain that the dialogue process included mutual respect, acknowledging freedom of expression, intellect and opinion. He shared that you must listen and show interest in what others are saying.
We have much to learn from others. My prayers are for peace. May our leaders discover the power of trust, mutual respect and human dignity for all. May our own lives be beacons of this message.
Debbe Kennedy
Author, Action Dialogues:
Meaningful Conversations to Accelerate Change
Refresh yourself, visit www.globaldialoguecenter.com
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