Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Boko Haram: Slavery, Death, and Love

Muslims are still upset about those 'Mohammed' cartoons in Charlie Hebdo.

That, I think, is understandable. Being upset is not an excuse for killing folks, though. (January 11, 2015)

I'm upset when my faith gets described as 'worshiping a cookie.' I was angry about a college professor's photo of a consecrated Host, a page from the Quran, and another book's page: treated as garbage. For that matter, I felt disgust when a preacher burned the Quran. (July 20, 2012; April 1, 2011; March 5, 2010)

Some of that comes from spending my youth in the '60s. When I became a Catholic, however, seeing humanity as one big family was no longer an option: it's a requirement. (Genesis 10:1-32; Catechism, 360, 396-409)

It's easy to demonize those who believe, act, or simply look, different. That doesn't make it right.

Charlie Hebdo, 20 Dead: Northeastern Nigeria, Thousands Dead



(From AP, via BBC News, used w/o permission.)
("Baga, seen here in April 2013, has been the scene of previous clashes between Boko Haram and the army"
(BBC News))


(From Digital Globe, via BBC News, used w/o permission.)
(Satellite images of Baga, a town in northeastern Nigeria, before and after a Boko Haram attack.)

The last time I counted, 20 folks died in the Charlie Hebdo offices, or as a result of that attack.

That's a tragic loss of life.

So, I think, are the recent deaths of 2,000 or so folks: killed by Boko Haram in Nigeria. (The Independent (UK) (January 11, 2015))

A key phrase there is "or so." Officials and others in Nigeria have earned a reputation for being — inaccurate, at best. (BBC News (January 13, 2015))

Boko Haram is an Islamic outfit: by their standards, anyway.

"Boko haram" means "Western education is forbidden" in Hausa. Boko Hamam opposed Western education, started military operations to create an Islamic state in 2009, and has killed thousands. The United States started calling Boko Haram a terrorist group in 2013. About 3,000,000 folks are affected by this lot. (BBC News)

Boko Haram achieved international fame last year, when they kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from a Chibok boarding school.

Boko Haram's assertion that the girls were "war booty," and would be sold as slaves, may be a mistranslation. Even so, what happened was not good.

A Wikipedia page says that some of the girls were married to Boko Haram members — for a 'bride price' of 2,000 Nigerian niara a head. That's about $12.50 USD, or £7.50. (BBC News (November 14, 2014; May 20, 2014; May 12, 2014; May 15, 2013))

I'm angry about what Boko Haram does, and think what they are doing is very wrong. But I try to not hate them: and will not make claims about their souls. I really don't need that kind of trouble.

Love and Conscience


My faith's basics are simple: love God, love my neighbors, see everyone as my neighbor, and treat others as I'd like to be treated. (Matthew 5:43-44, 7:12, 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31 10:25-27, 29-37; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1789)

I don't have to like my neighbor: but hating a neighbor is not an option. (August 26, 2014; December 9, 2010)

Judging whether an act is good or bad is part of using my conscience: it's a basic requirement for being human. We're even expected to think about the actions of others. (Catechism, 1778, 2401-2449)

Maybe that sounds 'judgmental:' but I'm not loving my neighbor, if I see nothing wrong with someone stealing my neighbor's lawn mower: or selling my neighbor's child.

This isn't the 'my way or the highway' self-righteous attitude I occasionally run into. It's a matter of hating the sin, loving the sinner: and leaving the judging of persons to God. (Catechism, 1861)

Laws and customs are always changing. What doesn't change are the underlying ethical principles they reflect: or fail to follow. I've talked about law, positive and natural, before. (August 31, 2014; August 29, 2014)

'Loving my neighbor' has to matter. I'm expected to:
  • Support religious freedom
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)
    • For everybody
      (Catechism, 2106)
  • Take an active part in public life
    (Catechism, 1915)
  • Contribute to the good of society
    • In a spirit of
      • Truth
      • Justice
      • Solidarity
      • Freedom
    (Catechism, 2239)
  • Submit to legitimate authorities
    • Refuse obedience to civil authorities
      • When their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience
      (Catechism, 2242)
    (Catechism, 2239)
    (November 4, 2012)
I could be overwhelmed by guilt at the thought that I haven't ended poverty, cured cancer, and achieved a lasting peace in the Middle East.

I could also believe that I can "...leap tall buildings in a single bound..." — but that would be crazy.

Humility, Catholic style, is having a balanced view of my abilities: or lack of them, and that's another topic. (August 10, 2014)

Happily, I'm expected to do what I can: not what I can't.
"As far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life. The manner of this participation may vary from one country or culture to another...."
(Catechism, 1915) [emphasis mine]

Making Sense



(From From Buz lightning, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
("Branford Clarke illustration in The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy 1925 by Bishop Alma White published by the Pillar of Fire Church in Zarephath, NJ"
(Wikimedia Commons))

Seeing folks who are different as a threat isn't unique to the Pillar of Fire Church in the 1920s.

I think it's involved in the "God Hates You" church's beliefs, the 2011 Norwegian mass murders, and folks who call Muslims "towelheads" — or blame Western civilization for the world's problems.

I'm also pretty sure that those folks aren't typical examples of Protestants, Norwegians, Americans, or whatever. (July 23, 2011; June 14, 2011)

I also think these folks make sense:
"...The birth of South Sudan was welcomed with high jubilations: mainly the years of slavery, persecution of Christians and oppression has gone, but also hopes of new beginning, of development and provision of essential services. In fact, the two Sudans and rest of the African nations are faced by enormous challenges such as nation building, healing wounds of our painful pasts and present, managing the expectations of our people, withstanding international investors who do not care about the safety and wellbeing of the local people...."
(Monsignor Edward Hilboro Kussala, Bishop of Tombura-Yambio (Sudan))
"...Despite the impression often given by the world media, I want to stress that Christians in Nigeria do not see themselves as being under any massive persecution by Muslims. Our population of about 160 million is made up of Christians and Muslims in equal number and influence. We have not done too badly in living peacefully together in the same nation. We believe we have learnt some lessons which may be useful for the rest of the world on Christian-Muslim relations...."
Monsignor John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan; Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria
"...A more Nuanced perspective on the Boko Haram phenomenon in Nigeria:

"Interesting to note is the fact that not only Christians have lost their lives from the bombs and bullets unleashed by Boko Haram. But even a good number of Muslims too, as some statistical data show.

"It is not every Muslim who cherishes what Boko Haram is seeking to perpetuate in Nigerian.[!] Many admire the Christian virtues of Love and peace, which they claim are equally enshrined in the Koran.

"Many of our Muslim brothers and sisters long to convert to the Christian faith but cannot achieve this, for fear of losing their lives...."
Monsignor John Ebebe Ayah, Bishop of Ogoja (Nigeria)
("XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops" (October7-28, 2012))
More recently, the Vatican's representative in Geneva talked about recent high-profile examples of slavery: and some that aren't so obvious. (Roman Curia (September 9, 2014))

Things Take Time


Slavery, treating others as if they're property, is a bad idea: and we shouldn't do it. (Catechism, 2414)

Expecting slavery to disappear overnight isn't reasonable.

After 19 centuries of passing along 'love God, love your neighbor, everyone's your neighbor: quite a few folks in some countries decided that owning other people was wrong. I'd be surprised — astounded — if everybody suddenly followed suit. (October 26, 2014; May 6, 2012)

Remarkably, western Africa's national leaders seem to be giving serious thought to working together to remove Boko Haram from their territories. And that's yet another topic.

Meanwhile, we'll keep passing along the best news humanity's ever had: that God loves us, and wants to adopt us: all of us. (John 3:17; Catechism, 52, 1825)

And that's yet again another topic. (November 16, 2014; August 5, 2011)

More about living in a big world:
Background:
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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

South Sudan: New Nation, Old Trouble

There's trouble in South Sudan: a bit more than what's usual for our world.
  1. "Mediated Political Talks," "Ethnic Divisions," and People
  2. South Sudan: Statements
  3. Hope and Decisions

Trouble in South Sudan

As far as I know, what's happening in South Sudan hasn't been called a war: not officially. Folks are systematically killing each other though, so it's not "peace," either.

What apparently set off this month's conflict was disagreement over who should have won the recent election. That was just the trigger, though. I gather that at least two ethnic groups in South Sudan have been at odds for a long time. That's not unusual, which doesn't make it right.

Maybe it's obvious, but war is not a good thing. People get killed, things get broken. Avoiding war is a good idea. So is working for peace, although it's okay to keep someone else from killing you, and that's almost another topic. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2302-23017)

South Sudan's troubles aren't the sort of thing I enjoy thinking about on Christmas Day. On the other hand, one of my Lord's titles is Prince of Peace - and we've got a mandate to make this a better world. (Catechism, 1928-1942)

I'm not personally involved with anyone in South Sudan, but know about some folks who are:
I think folks in South Sudan need to work out their own way of accepting each other. Meanwhile, many folks there have very serious, immediate needs. That's something we can help with, which is why I included those Caritas International links. No pressure, of course.

I plan to be back Friday morning, discussing an entirely different sort of news.

1. "Mediated Political Talks," "Ethnic Divisions," and People


(From AP, via BBC News, used w/o permission.)
"South Sudan crisis: Increased efforts to end bloodshed"
BBC News (December 25, 2013)

"International efforts are intensifying to end the bloodshed in South Sudan, where thousands of people are believed to have died in the past 10 days.

"The UN Security Council is almost doubling the number of peacekeepers to 12,500 in the world's newest state.

"US Secretary of State John Kerry urged both President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar to end hostilities and begin mediated political talks.

"The fighting has exposed ethnic divisions in South Sudan.

"Mr Kiir is an ethnic Dinka, while Mr Machar represents the Nuer tribe.

"The violence erupted on 15 December when Mr Kiir accused Mr Machar, who was vice-president until his sacking in July, of plotting a coup.

"Mr Machar denies trying to seize power...."
I think "mediated political talks" are a good idea. I'm also quite sure that political ambition is just part of South Sudan's troubles.

Phrases like "ethnic divisions" may be cliches, but it's a fact human beings aren't all alike. I like it that way, and think diversity is a good idea. That's real diversity, not the 'my way or the highway' version.

Not everybody sees the world that way.

It's easy, in a way, for me to be tolerant. Nobody's trying to kill me because I'm the 'wrong sort.' I probably had kinfolks on both sides of the Lindisfarne incident, but that was a dozen centuries back now, and not quite another topic.

2. South Sudan: Statements


(From FoxNews.com, used w/o permission.)
"UN official says 'absolutely no doubt' thousands dead in South Sudan"
FoxNews.com (December 25, 2013)

"The United Nations' humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan said Tuesday that he had "absolutely no doubt" that thousands of people had been killed in violence that threatens to tear the world's newest country apart a little more than two years after it won independence.

"Toby Lanzer made the remarks quoted by Sky News after U.N. investigators discovered two mass grave in the rebel-held city Bentiu in the oil-rich Unity state. Human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told the Associated Press that one grave contained 14 bodies and a site nearby contained 20 bodies. Originally the U.N. said 75 bodies had been seen but later corrected that statement to 34 bodies seen and 75 people missing and feared dead.

"In New York, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to beef up its peacekeeping force in South Sudan. It condemned targeted violence against civilians and ethnic communities and called for 'an immediate cessation of hostilities and the immediate opening of a dialogue.'..."
A spokesperson getting statistics wrong in an early statement doesn't surprise me. What's going on in South Sudan isn't a nicely organized ball game, with referees keeping score.

Under the circumstances, I think it's remarkable that the count was correct, and all that needed correcting was to change "dead" to "missing and feared dead."

About the U.N. Security Council's vote, I think it's a good idea. What some diplomats say, thousands of miles away from South Sudan, probably won't make much difference. Still, what they said makes sense: and might encourage enough folks who do make a difference that talking is better than killing.

I'm not a great fan of the United Nations, by the way. But that outfit is the closest thing we've got to Tennyson's 'Parliament of man ... Federation of the world."

Eventually, I hope we will have an "international authority with the necessary competence and power" to stop wars. (Catechism, 2308)

Right now, the United Nations is what we have to work with. For the moment, it will have to do. (June 16, 2011)

3. Hope and Decisions

"South Sudan conflict 'spreading around the country' "
BBC News video (December 24, 2013)

"New evidence is emerging of alleged ethnic killings committed during more than a week of fighting in South Sudan.

"The violence follows a power struggle between President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, and his Nuer ex-deputy Riek Machar.

"The BBC's Africa analyst James Copnall reports."
BBC News is either taking the usual precautions about not jumping to conclusions, or the "alleged" part of "alleged ethnic killings" has to do with motive: not whether or not folks are turning up dead.

Either way, they're dead. I hope enough folks in South Sudan decide that staying alive and making their country work is more important than killing the 'other' people. My ancestors eventually made that decision: so it's not a forlorn hope.

Related posts:
Background:
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Friday, February 3, 2012

My Take on the News: East Africa Drought; Cotabato, Two and a Half Years Later

There are droughts in progress in South America, Mexico, Africa, and Texas. I'm focusing on what's happening in and near the Horn of Africa: that bit of the continent at the south end of the Red Sea.
  1. Droughts, Politics, and Getting a Grip
  2. Cotabato Cathedral, Two and a Half Years Later

1. Droughts, Politics, and Getting a Grip

"African Union summit, food crisis in the Sahel and global hunger figures"
Claire Provost, Poverty matters, guardiannews.com (January 31, 2012)

"Despite gathering to boost intra-African trade, delegates at the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa found discussions overshadowed by a high-profile leadership race. The summit, which ended on Monday, failed to produce a clear winner and another election will be held in Malawi in six months. South Africa's interior minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, had challenged the incumbent, Jean Ping of Gabon, for the post of AU commission chairman.

"Before the summit began, the AU's new headquarters had already courted controversy. Built and paid for by the Chinese, some questioned why the 20-storey building, which was inaugurated on the eve of the summit and is Addis Ababa's tallest building, wasn't built by Africans.

"Meanwhile, ahead of the summit, Mohammed Abdul Aziz, Libya's deputy foreign minister, said his country's new government is still taking stock of extensive investments made in Africa by Muammar Gaddafi, former chairman of the AU...."
Oh, yes. There's also the matter of food:
"...Severe food shortages continue to threaten communities in the Sahel. Reporting from Niger, Mark Tran finds erratic rainfall and the global financial predicament are stretching improved crisis preparations to the limit. Earlier this month, the EU's top humanitarian official, Kristalina Georgieva, visited Niger and Chad and announced new funding for humanitarian work in the region...."
(guardiannews.com)
The Sahel, in this context, is a swath of land running across Africa; just south of the Sahara Desert; from Senegal to Eritrea, Etheopia and Djibouti.

I could complain about the mess that the African Union is in, or how China shouldn't have built the AU headquarters, or how the British article didn't - not once - mention Spicewood, Texas.

The first two points almost make sense, and I'll get back to them.

Helping Folks Who Need It

Before anything else, though, folks in and around the Horn of Africa are short on water. And just about everything else. More about that:
I took care of some of my household's charitable stuff by contributing a little to the CRS. No pressure: but it wouldn't hurt to check out their website. They're all over the world, if you've got another area in mind.

Now, back to what that article brought up.

African Union

I've mentioned the African Union a few times, mostly in another blog:
It's big: 54 African nations are members. Back in 2008, they took the usual 'it is the fault of the Jews' position. Maybe that'll change, now that Libyans decided that they'd had quite enough of Muammar Gaddafi. I've discussed the situation in Libya elsewhere, including:
I don't see the African Union as a shining light on a hill, a beacon to unity and a good five-cent cigar.

But I think many people involved in the African Union are trying to make sense of politics and economics on the continent. Cleaning up the mess left by the Treaty of Versailles is a huge job.

Like the United Nations, America's Congress, and Nintendo, the African Union is part of today's world. I think it's okay to recognize that we can probably do better: but meanwhile, it's prudent to deal with what we've got.

'Not Built by Africans?'

I didn't know quite what the article meant by folks being upset that the AU's new headquarters "wasn't built by Africans." That could mean anything from folks being upset that a Chinese contractor ran the project, to folks from places other than Africa being employed for the construction crews.

Turns out, it's the latter. From a political point of view, with about a third of Ethiopia's citizens below the poverty line, and a regional drought, this is incredibly clueless:
"Construction criticism casts the spotlight on intra-African trade"
Mark Tran, guardian.co.uk (January 27, 2012)

"Sleek and glinting in the sun, combining a traditional office tower with a more unusual spherical conference centre, shaped like a flying saucer, the new African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, is an impressive symbol of modernity.

"Some, however, harbour mixed feelings towards the complex, which is scheduled to be opened by President Hu Jintao on Saturday, the eve of the AU summit. Why was it, they ask, that the 20-storey main office building and conference centre, which can seat more than 2,500 people, was built by a Chinese company with Chinese labour, rather than by Africans?..."
[emphasis mine]
Maybe the African Union took a page from American government federal and state procedures, and had to give a contract to the lowest bidder. I think responsibility in government spending is a good idea. I also think rewarding contractors who lowball, thereby penalizing those who give honest estimates, is a bad idea. Maybe someday "on-budget government project" won't sound like an oxymoron, and that's another topic.

2. Cotabato Cathedral, Two and a Half Years Later

"Guarding Our House"
"A K of C marshal service in the Philippines defends worshippers from potential terrorist attacks"
Ferdinandh B. Cabrera, Columbia Magazine, Knights of Columbus (January 27, 2012)

"Before dawn breaks on Sunday morning, retired Philippine Army Sgt. Teodorico Bautista, 48, prepares himself with a flashlight before hitting the road to Immaculate Conception Cathedral, about half a kilometer from his home. He either rides on a padyak - a pedaled tricycle - or walks, but he makes sure that he is at the church before the first bell.

"Bautista is the chief of a marshal group formed by Cotabato City Council 3504 in Mindanao, Philippines, to augment military and police forces against bombing threats in the cathedral compound. Once a specialist in intelligence work, Bautista now coordinates all threat information and immediately informs the parish and authorities of any potential dangers.

" 'I am doing this voluntarily to serve God because of my patriotism for this country and my promise of charity as a member of the Knights of Columbus,' he said...."
I posted about the Cotabato bombing in July of 2009. Very briefly, several people were killed when a bomb went off near:
  • A cathedral
  • A woman
    • In public
    • Doing business
      • Involving pigs
  • Soldiers
    • In a passing truck
    • Guarding the cathedral
As far as I could tell at the time, from what got into the news, the intended target could have been the:
  • Cathedral
  • Woman
  • Pork
  • Soldiers
  • None of the above
"None of the above?!" It's possible, if unlikely, that the bomb was being carried to another location: and went off accidentally.

According to the Columbia article, we still don't know who planted the July, 2009, bomb, who else was involved, or why folks were killed. I don't think that Islamic terrorists are responsible: but I don't think someone with that set of beliefs isn't responsible. I simply do not know.

Cotabato Cathedral: Life, and Mass, Goes On

After the bombing, folks are understandably edgy about celebrating Mass at the Cathedral. I'll get back to that. There are Knights of Columbus in the Philippines, including Council 3504:
"...In response to the decline in worshippers, the parish sought assistance from Council 3504, which led to the creation of the Knights' marshal service...."

"....Dressed in long-sleeve white shirts and black pants, a squad of Knight marshals is deployed in every corner of Immaculate Conception Cathedral, working in shifts for each of the nine Masses that are offered every Sunday. The marshals, supervised by Bautista, ensure that motorcycles are thoroughly inspected and parked safely inside the cathedral gymnasium, which is 100 meters away from the church. Other vehicles are parked in a designated lot where routine checks are made with the use of bomb-sniffing dogs.

" 'We gained trust with churchgoers, treating them with respect, dignity and courteousness as we check their bags or vehicles,' Bautista stressed...."
(Columbia)
On the whole, I'd just a soon not have the family van checked when we go to Mass each Sunday. But I'd much rather have that done, than risk the lives of everybody who's there.

I think it's worth pointing out that it's the churchgoers who are having their stuff checked out. Maybe it'd be convenient if the Knight marshals could just 'look for terrorists,' or focus their attention on 'suspicious parcels.' But that's not going to work.

Cotabato City is home to just under a third of a million people, and a marshal isn't likely to know everybody who shows up for Mass personally.

Even here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, with a population of about 4,000, I see unfamiliar faces at Mass now and then. Particularly around holidays, when folks visit family and friends.

Besides, terrorists don't carry signs saying "I AM CARRYING A BOMB: SEARCH ME." And, some old-time movies notwithstanding, the bad guy doesn't always have
  • Slick hair
  • Pencil mustache
  • Thick eastern European accent
Like I've said before, stereotypes can show moviegoers who's the bad guy: and that's okay. But the real world doesn't work that way.

Fear and Worship

"...On July 5, 2009, while Archbishop Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato celebrated morning Mass, a powerful bomb packed with nails and jagged iron exploded in front of Immaculate Conception Cathedral, killing five civilians immediately and injuring at least 30 others. The explosion occurred after persistent bomb threats had been leveled against churches in central Mindanao, and it was the fourth attempt to plant an improvised explosive device in the area surrounding the cathedral since 2003.

"Apart from the tragic cost in human life, the blast had a second consequence: a noticeable drop in Mass attendance.

" 'The news broke my heart,' said Balbina Pasawilan, a 53-year old woman who was returning from an earlier Mass when she heard about the explosion. 'After that, there was apprehension that the incident would be followed by more bombings, so I decided not to attend Mass for the next few Sundays.'

"For 71-year-old Zenaida Tato, the incident was a test of faith, as she continued attending Masses despite the danger. 'We lived here for more than five decades, mingling with other cultures and beliefs, and we are used to news about violence. But I was never affected by these atrocities,' she said. 'Instead, I continued my relationship with God.'..."
(Columbia)
This is where I could do a little heroic posturing, and say that I'd never stop celebrating Mass with the rest of the parish each Sunday: no matter what. That's not gonna happen.

I'd like to think that I'd continue to fulfill my Sunday obligation, but I've never had to make a decision like that. Maybe I'd be sensible, maybe not. I hope I never find out.

My hat's off to Zenaida Tato, and others, who decided that worshiping God is more important than staying safe.

Not that staying safe isn't a good idea, provided that higher priorities aren't sacrificed in the process. And that's a whole lot of other topics.

Related posts: More: In the news: Background:
  • "African Union"
    Wikipedia
  • "Djibouti"
    World FactBook, CIA (last updated November 10, 2011)
  • "Ethiopia"
    World FactBook, CIA (last updated January 11, 2012)
  • "Horn of Africa"
    Wikipedia
  • "Japan"
    World FactBook, CIA (last updated January 24, 2012)
  • "Niger"
    World FactBook, CIA (last updated December 27, 2011)
  • "Norway"
    World FactBook, CIA (last updated January 12, 2012)
  • "Philippines"
    World FactBook, CIA (last updated January 10, 2012)
  • "Sahel"
    Wikipedia
  • "Senegal"
    World FactBook, CIA (last updated January 17, 2012)
  • "Somalia"
    World FactBook, CIA (last updated November 10, 2011)
  • "South Sudan"
    World FactBook, CIA (last updated January 11, 2012)
  • "Sudan"
    World FactBook, CIA (last updated January 17, 2012)
1 Being "ready to deal with natural disasters as Texans" doesn't mean being Texans. Any more than Norwegians became Japanese. But folks in both countries learned how to cope - and prosper - in today's world. But they didn't do that by keeping all the social customs and institutional structures of their Viking or shogunate years.

My ancestors eventually stopped conducting human sacrifices. If a bunch like us could turn that around, I'm pretty sure that folks in Africa can upgrade their domestic technologies, and learn alternatives to cattle raids. And stay as distinctive, culturally, as Norway and Japan are today.
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Friday, January 6, 2012

South Sudan, the Táin Bó Cúalnge, and Working for a Better World

South Sudan is in the news again. Some Lou Nuer attacked folks around Pibor; after folks who had fled Pibore killed some Lou Nurer. The situation reminds me of what my ancestors were doing, a thousand years ago or so: Njal's Saga, the Táin Bó Cúalnge, and all that.

One of the immediate issues in South Sudan is that the new nation's government has thousands of folks who desperately need food, shelter, and medical attention. South Sudan's government is asking for help:1
"...The clashes around the town of Pibor are a result of cattle raids that have spiralled out of control.

"On Thursday South Sudan declared a disaster in Jonglei state...."

"...Several UN agencies are taking part in the aid effort, which will focus on food distribution, providing water and sanitation, and treating the injured, Ms Byrs said...."
(BBC News)
English-language news on both sides of the Atlantic, what I've seen, focus on the United Nation's efforts to help 2,000 of the 50,000 folks immediately involved. Happily, South Sudan doesn't have to rely exclusively on the United Nations.

Working in South Sudan, Before there was a South Sudan

I've mentioned Catholic Relief Services, CRS, before. They've been in Sudan, including the Darfur area, for years:

The United Nations, Congress, and Me

I don't 'trust' the United Nations, in the sense that I assume every decision they make is right. Using that definition, I don't 'trust' Congress, either. But, and I think this is an important point: right now the United Nations, the American Congress, and Nintendo are what we have to work with. "Nintendo?!" I'll get back to that.

Eventually we may have an "international authority with the necessary competence and power"2 to keep national leaders in line; and give citizens legal, peaceful, means to deal with tyrants and nitwits. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2308) Until we have something like Tennyson's parliament of man, we're stuck with we've got.

We're also expected to work with what we've got, and I've been over that before:

The United Nations, the American Congress, and Nintendo?!

No, I do not believe that Nintendo, the Walt Disney Company, and the Illuminati, are controlling people's behavior with radio waves from invisible helicopters. Intriguing as the notion is, for a storyteller.

I included Nintendo in that list, because I don't think that an "international authority with the necessary competence and power" needs to be a government. For example, the Hanseatic League brought a measure of order to people from Novgorod to London from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Then Europe got nation-states. Today, about a half-millennia later, maybe the European Union will work out: and that's another topic.

Using the same definition of "trust" that I used earlier, I don't "trust" Nintendo, the Walt Disney Company, or Bharti Airtel. I think corporate leaders can make mistakes. As America's big three automakers demonstrated a few years ago.

But maybe that "international authority with the necessary competence and power" will be more like the Hanseatic League, and less like the sort of folks who gave us the Hundred Years' War, Reconstruction and the Treaty of Versailles.

Related posts:
In the news:Background:
  • "South Sudan"
    CIA World FactBook (last updated November 10, 2011)
  • "Sudan"
    Catholic Relief Services
1 From today's news:
"South Sudan's Jonglei clashes: UN begins aid effort"
BBC News (January 6, 2012)

"The UN has launched a 'massive emergency operation' to help those affected by ethnic clashes in South Sudan's Jonglei state.

"Food distribution has begun for 2,000 people, UN spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told the BBC.

"The operation aims to help 50,000 people who have fled recent clashes between rival ethnic groups, she said.

"The clashes around the town of Pibor are a result of cattle raids that have spiralled out of control.

"On Thursday South Sudan declared a disaster in Jonglei state.

"Some 6,000 ethnic Lou Nuer fighters attacked the area around Pibor in recent days, outnumbering South Sudan's army and UN forces.

"This is the latest round in a cycle of violence which has lasted several months - in one incident last year some 600 Lou Nuer were killed by attackers from the Murle community, the group which fled from Pibor...."
"South Sudan appeals for humanitarian aid amid fighting"
CNN (January 6, 2012)

"South Sudan appealed for international aid for a remote region that has been under attack by roaming fighters, as thousands of residents fled into the bush to avoid the violence.

"The government declared Jonglei state a 'humanitarian disaster area' and called on international aid agencies to help provide urgently needed assistance.

"It is not yet clear how many people have been killed or injured in the violence.

"The United Nations said Thursday it was mounting a 'massive emergency support programme' to help those displaced by fighting...."

"...Ethnic tensions in Jonglei state have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights, leading to cattle raids and abduction of women and children.

"Government officials have urged the two ethnic groups to return women and children abducted in the spate of violence.

"More forces will be deployed and a committee established to push for reconciliation between the two groups, according to government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin...."
2 Cited September 11, 2011:
"All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war.

However, 'as long as the danger of war persists and there is no international authority with the necessary competence and power, governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed.'106"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2308)
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Monday, September 26, 2011

Zambia, America, and Two Millennia of Weaseling

Zambia has a new president, Michael Sata. He won by a 43%-36% margin. I'm cautiously optimistic about Zambia's new leader, but not because
  • His title is President
  • He promised to "support the church"
I've put links to news about President-elect Sata under - what else? "In the news," near the end of this post. President Sata, a Catholic, may turn out to be the best thing Zambia has seen since their independence. Or, not.1

Titles, Leaders, and Morality

Titles like "president" and "prime minister" have been quite popular for the last few generations: partly, I think, because they lend an air of respectability to whatever warlord shot his way into the Presidential Palace this time. Which isn't what happened in Zambia. Other parts of Africa haven't had it so good, and that's another topic.

A president could be a good national leader. I think the same is true when the leader's title is prime minister, king, or anything else. It's how the leader behaves, not the title, that makes a different.2

Morality in government? I think America is ready for public officials who care about something besides getting re-elected:
We've tried leaders with "personal" beliefs that didn't interfere with their public behavior.

Saying "although personally opposed ... I don't think I have the right to force my views on anyone else" sounds open-minded. Until you substitute "slavery" for the missing word. Like I've said before, morality isn't just about "morality."3 Yet more topics.

Politics, Religion, and Getting a Grip

I have some sympathy with establishment4 types who go crazy when someone with religious beliefs starts talking. I read the news, and know what can happen when "religious beliefs" go bad:
  • Bogus 'End Times' predicitons
  • Burning
    • Books
    • Crosses
  • Genocide
And, once, an art critic with a crowbar.

There's more to faith than the flakes, and more to environmental concerns than the coming ice age ozone holes global warming climate change. More topics.5

Then there are folks who confuse personal preferences and cultural habits with religious belief. Add passionate political views to that mix, and you can get a sort of 'Jesus is an American/Palestinian/whatever' attitude.6 And I'm wandering off-topic. Again.

The Decalogue as a Nation's Law: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

I think the Decalogue is important. More to the point, the Catholic Church says the Ten Commandments are important. (Catechism, 2052-2082)

So why am I only cautiously optimistic about this statement by Zambia's new president?
"...'This government will be governed on the Ten Commandments,' pledged Sata. 'For the first time this country has a Catholic president, and our government will support the Church.'..."
(Catholic World News Brief)
I know European history, particularly what happened after kings started nationalizing churches. President Sata probably isn't planning to set up an old-style state church in Zambia. At least, I hope not.

My hope is that his pledge to "support the Church" means taking what Zambia's bishops say seriously: not doing what put Henry VIII on top of the British heap.

Europe isn't the only place that's had state religions. Iran's Ayatollahs are a current example, and that's another topic, for another blog.7

Freedom of from Religion?

When I was growing up, America's freedom of religion was presented as a strength of this country.

These days, it seems like we're supposed to have 'freedom from religion,' and that's yet another topic.8

I think some of America's fears of 'religion in politics' are rooted in cultural fallout from Europe's state churches and fed by today's zealots. Chauvinist varieties of America's Protestant beliefs haven't helped.

Then there's 'the media.'

Print and televised news focus on news: people and events who aren't routine and ordinary.

Not all Muslims are terrorists; not all Christians put burning crosses in their neighbor's yard: but those are the folks we see and read about. Someone living in a secularized subculture could get a disturbing image of 'those religious people.'

State Churches and Me

My family history doesn't encourage enthusiasm for a state religion. One of my ancestors had trouble getting out of her homeland because she didn't exist, officially: she belonged to the 'wrong' church, and so didn't have a birth certificate. Another root of my family tree is planted in Irish soil: enough said.

But not wanting a state church is not the same as feeling that religion is a strictly private matter, with no place in public life.

The Catholic Church, Public Life, and Two Millennia of Weaseling

I'm a practicing Catholic, so I have to believe that moral principles apply in public life. I also have to believe that religious freedom is necessary. (Catechism, 2104-2109) For everybody. (Catechism, 2106) Again, "morality" isn't limited to sexual ethics.

The Catholic Church has learned quite a lot over the last two millennia, including how the two rules in Matthew 22:36-40 make a difference in public life. Or should.

I think one of the reasons the Church developed so many detailed rules and long explanations of simple principles is that folks kept trying to weasel out of the basic 'love God, love your neighbor' thing. After a couple thousand years, that can add up.

Here's a short selection of what I believe, and where it says I have to:
  • Should
    • Citizens
      • Be concerned about social justice?
      • Submit to legitimate civil authorities?
        • Yes
        • When ordered to perform immoral/unethical acts?
          • No
    • Civil authorities
      • "Exercise authority ... as a service?"
        • Yes
      • "Respect the fundamental rights of the human person?"
        • Yes
    • The Church
      • "Pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics?"
        • Yes, "whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it"
      • 'Get involved in politics?'
        • No, not as part of the political community
        • Yes, as a guide and "safeguard of the transcendent character of the human person"
      • Respect Religious Freedom?
  • What about
Those last two items, liberation theology and armed resistance to civil authority, may need need a little clarification.

Armed resistance?

Now and then I've run into folks who apparently think that America is doomed, unless someone overthrows the government. That would be illegal. It's also, in my considered opinion, not necessary. We're nowhere near having it so bad that armed resistance is a reasonable option.9

Liberation theology?

I've run into serious misconceptions about the Catholic Church, including how 'dangerous' the Church is to civil authorities.

Have some revolutions involved Catholics, even priests? Yes. Some priests and a few bishops have violated Church rules. That's nothing new. The pedophile priests hoo-ha wasn't the first case of priests behaving badly, and I'm quite certain it won't be the last.

The Gnostic heresy, liberation theology, and whatever gets thrown at the Church in the 38th century, won't change the sort of authority my Lord gave the successors of Peter. Or His promise. (Matthew 16:17-19)

Gnostics? Liberation theology? 38th century?? Yet again another topic. Topics.

Related posts:
In the news:
Background:
  • "United States"
    The World Factbook, CIA (last updated August 31, 2011)
  • "Zambia"
    The World Factbook, CIA, (last updated August 23, 2011)
  • "Zambia"
    People on the Move N° 109 (Suppl.), Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (April 2009)
1 Zambia's President Michael"King Cobra" Sata isn't perfect. I'd be much more concerned about Zambia's immediate future, if the Western press had nothing but praise for him: and that's yet another topic.

Excerpts from BBC News:
"...Many Zambians see him as a man who gets things done, from his time as a minister in the governments of two former presidents - Kenneth Kaunda and the late Frederick Chiluba.

"His nickname conjures up two views on him - ready to strike or slippery and dangerous....

"...Some recall that when he was local government minister, the country's roads were clean and the councils worked properly.

"He later served in the health ministry, where he once more shook things up...."

"...But others associate him with political thuggery after his days as minister without portfolio, a position the man himself admitted at the time 'was the ministry for the MMD [ruling party]'.

"The gravelly voiced veteran has an abrasive style, unsuited to the refined diplomacy of international politics, his critics say...."

"...He is known to be hostile to Chinese investors and has in the past threatened to deport them, along with Indians and Lebanese accused of mistreating Zambian workers...."

"...Analysts say Mr Sata has a poor relationship with another neighbouring leader, Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika.

"In 2007, Malawi detained and deported Mr Sata after he tried to enter the country.

"His deportation followed allegations - which he strongly denied - that he was plotting a coup in Malawi, where he had close ties with ex-President Bakili Muluzi.

"A Catholic married to a doctor, Mr Sata was born and brought up in Zambia's Mpika, Northern Province...."
(BBC News (September 23, 2011))
2 I think that what a leader does is more important than if the title is president, king, or something else: and that there isn't one 'correct' form of government. Or economic system, for that matter. Which isn't the same as feeling that anything will do:
In another blog, I gave examples of how 'nice' titles and adequate leadership aren't necessarily connected:
"...No, I don't really think so, but look at this:
  • Government by Religious Leaders
    Example: Afghanistan under the Taliban
    Result: Terrorism
  • Government by Monarch
    Example: Saudi Arabia
    Result: Terrorists
    • (15/19 of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudis)
  • Government by Elected Leaders
    Example: Somalia
    Result: Terrorists - and pirates
  • Government by Military Ruler
    Example: Guinea
    • Assuming that the elections were as well-managed as critics claim
    Result: No terrorism (and no pirates, either)
You see?! That 'proves' that military rule is superior to old-fashioned monarchies, theocracies, and constitutional democracies...."
(Guinea, Military Rule, and Terrorism: Beware Hasty Judgment," Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 29, 2008))
3 I use "ethics" as a label for these posts, because that word means pretty much the same thing as "morality." I'd use "morality," but too many Americans seem to think that morality refers only to ethical sexual behavior:
4 Back in the '60s, the establishment was somewhat conservative, mostly male, and pretty much all white. Today, not so much:
5 I doubt that any large group could be entirely free of crackpots. Maybe it's part of that Job 5:7 thing. America's current establishment may realize that the CIA didn't blow up New York City's World Trade Center - and that not all liberals believe they did. When it comes to Christians, and particularly the Catholic Church, the folks in charge seem a bit more shaky:
6 I've posted about parochial views and living in a big world before, including this set:
7 I don't think Iran's leadership is wrong because they're Muslims. But I don't think the way they're using Islam is a good idea, either:
8 Being part of a religious minority isn't the only reason I think freedom of religion is important. As a Catholic, I have to support freedom of religion. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104) For everybody. (Catechism, 2106) More of my take on freedom and faith:
9 I'm looking forward to getting some new nitwits in Congress after next year's election, and maybe a new president. I don't think America is experiencing a post-WWII-style 'happy days' economy. But I do not think we're doomed, and have said so. Fairly often:
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Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.