Dè th’ ann an ceannairc agus ciamar a ghabhas neach a mheas mar cheannairceach? Chaidh a’ cheist sin fhaighneachd agus a freagairt bitheanta thar nan làithean a chaidh seachad agus ann am beachd dhaoine sìobhalta sam bith saoilidh mi nach gabh murt borb inbheach agus chloinne neoichiontaich a mhìneachadh ann an dòigh sam bith eile ach mar cheannairc! ’S dòcha nach bi làn-fhios gu bràth carson a thagh Hamas a dhol an sàs san dòigh bhorb a rinn iad ach gu cinnteach thèid an cuid giùlain oillteil a chlàradh ann an eachdraidh an t-saoghail mar eisimpleir bhrùideil de dìth dhaonnachd mhic an duine. Tha an seanfhacal, gur e deireadh gach cogadh sìth, na dhearbhadh air mar a dh’fhoghlam daoine thar linntean. Tha còmhstri air a bhith ann bho thoiseach tìme agus a dh’aindeoin iomadh oidhirp uasal a dh’ionnsaigh fois-fòirneart leantainnich chan eil an t-sìth ach daonnan critheanach air feadh an t-saoghail.
Mar a chaidh làithean dorcha an Dàrna Cogaidh seachad dh’fhàs eòlas agus innleachdas chomasan agus neart armachd gu ìre sgrios a thug an t-sabaid gu crìch. Thachair sin an dèidh dà spreadhadh boma atamach air bailtean Iapanach Hiroshima agus Nagasaki eadar an siathamh agus an naodhamh latha den Lùnastal 1945, nuair a chaidh 355 mìle neach a mharbhadh, sìobhaltaich sa mhòr-chuid! Thathas a’ tuairmse gun deach 65 millean sìobhaltach a mharbhadh san Dàrna Cogadh, a bharrachd air 21 millean luchd-catha. Dà bhliadhna an dèidh crìoch a’ chogaidh thuirt Cathraiche Cheannardan Airm Ameireagaidh gun robh a bhith cleachdadh bhomaichean atamach “coltach ri bhith gabhail ri bun-thomhasan beusail shluagh borba Linn an Dorchadais”! Dh’òrdaich e an uairsin 400 boma! Nuair a spreadh an Ruis a’ chiad bhoma atamach ann an 1949 chruthaich Ameireagaidh boma hàidhdreaidean niuclasach a bha mìle turas nas cumhachdaiche na an fheadhainn atamach a leag e ann a’ Iapan. Gu tùrail thuig mòr-chuid de cheannardan an t-saoghail gun robh armachd niuclasach na chunnart dhan t-saoghal gu lèir agus tha caochladh iomairtean air a bhith a’ dol fad còrr air seasgad bliadhna gus armachd niuclasach a chasg agus a dhèanamh gu tur mì-laghail. Ach tha cuid de dhùthchannan a’ creidsinn gum bheil feum air leithid de dh’armachd sgriosail gus sgàig agus bacadh a chumail air ceannardan mì-rianail. Tha cuimhne air sgrios Hiroshima agus Nagasaki, agus a bhuaidh mhillteach agus na tinneasan air an fheadhainn a thug am beatha às, na mhac-talla an inntinn dhaoine ciallach.
Ach gu tric chan eil ciall a-staigh far am bheil cuthach dearg air feadhainn a dh’fhuiling ana-ceartas, agus a tha a-nise a’ sireadh dìoghaltas! Tha e furasta tuigsinn carson a tha dùthchannan eadar-dhealaichte eile draghail mun t-suidheachadh ann an Israel far nach gabh bàs agus dochann air sìobhaltaich neoichiontach a sheachnadh. Mar a h-uile còmhstri a thachair riamh tha daonnan feadhainn eile deònach leum an sàs a’ cur an tuilleadh teas dhan t-suidheachadh. Tha Mata (5.9) san Tiomnadh Nuadh ag innse gum bheil luchd-dèanamh sìth beannaichte, agus tha feum againn gun soirbhich iad an-dràsta!
The past 10 days have witnessed much debate about the definition of terrorists as opposed to “freedom fighters”, but in my opinion the wholescale massacre of women and children can never be justified in the cause of freedom. Having thus condemned Hamas’s action in Israel as terrorism, I have to recognise that man’s inhumanity to man is as old as time, and that despite many brave attempts at securing lasting peace, the objective seems as elusive as ever.
The Second World War was brought to an end by the exploding of two atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945. Some 355 thousand people were killed, the majority being civilians, and it is estimated that of the 86 million killed during the Second World War, 65 million were civilians!
Two years after the end of the war the chairperson of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff described atomic bombs as” an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages”, then he ordered 400 bombs. When Russia achieved atomic weapons, America responded with the hydrogen bomb, one thousand times more powerful than what was used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and it is little wonder that reasonable people realised the extraordinary danger of such weaponry and have sought for more than 70 years to have them banned.
While one can understand the desperate and tragic fury of Israel, and the desire for vengeance against Hamas, further wanton slaughter of innocent Palestinians cannot be justified, and the possibility of other groups joining the conflict risks an international escalation. Matthew 5.9 in the New Testament tells us that peacemakers will be blessed. The world surely needs them now!