War no solution to terrorism -- Henry

Root causes must be tackled, he tells Catholic Conference

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

The only way to curtail global terrorism is to address its root causes, Bishop Fred Henry told more than 1,000 people at the 2002 Catholic Conference March 9.

In his speech, the final keynote address of the March 8-10 event at Shaw Conference Centre, Henry also called for a more "inventive" and "resourceful" response to terrorism from religious leaders.

"It should be clear to everyone here today . . . that no country, no country, not even one as powerful as the United States can successfully end terrorism by warlike measures," Henry said, admitting his speech might lead to his losing his right to cross the border.

"The overwhelming U.S. military response (to terrorism) fuels anger and hatred and serves to inspire new recruits for the causes espoused by those who commit acts of terror.

"The key (to end terrorism) is to address the injustices and the root causes that create this fertile soil in which disinherited and disillusioned people are recruited into terrorism," the bishop said to thunderous applause.

Henry noted it's relatively easy to draw up a long list of concerns that have to be addressed. But he said the key one today is the Middle East.

"The world must heed the call for a Palestinian state and for security for Israel as the only way to bring peace," he said to more applause. "The current terrorism on both parts is morally unjustifiable. In addition, we have to condemn the usage of sanctions against innocent populations in Iraq."

When the shooting stops, he said, the challenge facing the newly-formed alliances will be to develop and maintain the political will to act decisively on behalf of the dispossessed of the world, which is going to require an awful lot more than emergency food aid in times of calamity.

"The world's political elite needs to recognize that inequality does matter and it has to be tackled if peace and security are to be achieved and if the globalization of terrorism is to be curtailed," he said.

"A new direction in the world-wide response to terrorism is called for and, with all due respect to President Bush, it is not enough to say, 'You either are with us or with the terrorists.'

"Each faith community needs to promote a respect for human life above all other benefits and interests." - Bishop Fred Henry

"That's a simplistic false disjunction and as people of faith we must engage in more dialogue and deeper discernment. We even have to rethink the whole just war tradition and look for a new paradigm for judging questions of war and peace today."

The current crisis also demands a more inventive and resourceful response from religious leaders, Henry said.

"Given the role of religion as a potentially mobilizing force in recruiting would-be terrorists we need to see and hear more from religious leaders than pious denunciations and interfaith peace gatherings that we witness today."

Henry recalled that during the conflict in Bosnia UN Secretary General Koffi Annan spoke of the need to restore religion to its rightful role as a peacemaker and pacifier.

"I think it's questionable as to whether or not religion has ever fulfilled that role," the bishop said. To do so now, the world's religious leaders would first need to acknowledge the ambivalence of their own religious traditions towards violence.

"The fact that all major faiths, Catholicism included, have at times sanctioned the use of force to protect and even to promote their own sectarian interests allows religious terrorists today to claim more justification for their actions," he said.

"It is not enough for religious leaders to disown the unacceptable actions of their fringe groups. What I believe we have to do is each faith community needs to promote a respect for human life above all other beliefs and interests. Until this happens religion will always have the potential to be a divisive and destructive force in the world."

To speak of the need for tolerance is also wholly inadequate when considering that terror is perpetrated in God's name, Henry said. The concept of tolerance was developed essentially as a reaction to the growth of pluralism in belief and practice.

"But the crisis today in our global human relationships calls for a much more proactive approach to diversity. It demands from those within faith and those outside of it to acknowledge and protect more vigorously the rights of others to think, to believe and to act differently."

Terrorism is one of three challenges and core issues facing the Church as it tackles the phenomenon of globalization, Henry said. The others are world trade and the unpayable debt of the poorest countries of the world.

"If we are to create a new world order we need to confront these three issues," the bishop said. "We need to develop concepts to address the reality that we are facing."

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