On death of a Terrorist

“The US laser guided bombs killed Al-Zarqawi”, was the breaking news when I woke up the other morning, unusually too early, and turned on TV almost compulsively. I tried to stretch on the couch to watch the news with half closed sleepy eyes to shield them from glare.

I did not know what to feel about the death of the most dreaded murderer and terrorist. I thought I should feel something. Of course, he was the most wanted man. Moments later my mind started to replay thoughts of the previous night when I was going to bed thinking of ways to set up democracy in Iraq once and for all. But terrorism was not letting up. I thought terrorism was there because there was no democracy in Iraq and there was no democracy because terrorism was not letting it take roots. With this chicken and egg question, I drifted back to sleep a little while later.

The morning chores, long hours at work and a dinner lecture that offered me a chance to doze off for few minutes while trying to concentrate on the monotonously flowing lecture did not let me think of Zarqawi at all.

I turned on the radio while driving back home. Panel discussion was on the air. The topic could not have been any thing but death of Zarqawi. Pundits were speaking from both sides of their mouths not risking of being wrong as they were experts.

The announcement came that they had invited the man whose wounds might have started to smart again today in the midst of jubilation of politicians and terrorism experts on the news of death of zarqawi. It was Mr. Michael Berg, the father of Nicolas Berg who was beheaded by Zarqawi. “What was your feeling at the news of death of your son’s killer”; asked the host of the show? Each word of the father’s response, whose son was beheaded, made me honor the goodness of human spirit. It let a sadness creep over me. It was something that I wanted to feel when I had woken up that morning but I could not. Now a sad feeling took me over. It was for death of a human who must have been connected in human bonds with friends and family. I don’t know. No, but that’s not right to feel like that, I tried to tell myself. Zarqawi was a brutal man, an evil incarnate! Of the evil human spirits, one less on the face of the earth. The world is a cleaner place without him. Well, he is not truly absent, just rendered incapable of committing any more crimes against humanity; an expert’s opinion echoed in my mind. What a virtuous task it was to put him to death.

Michael Berg had expressed sadness over the death of his son’s killer, immorality of warfare and insanity of humans who resort to violence. Zarqawi also resorted to violence but still he was a human who got killed. Someone said his death will breed another generation of terrorist because there is no democracy in Iraq. Gosh! Democracy and terrorism again on my mind!

I am not sure if democracy is the biggest of the virtues or terrorism is worst of all evils but I know that nowhere laws of morality or ethics condone democracy that does not ensure social justice and terrorism that is gruesome outcry for grievances. Iraq has both of them at the same time. It is a social paradox.

Michael Berg lamented on death of his son and so did he on death of his son’s killer. I am sure he must have resolved this dilemma of love, hate, revenge and sadness. He must have found the way out of the tragedy of current situation as an individual where collective irrationality of humans has led him to. Countries fight against countries. Nations try to subjugate other nations. National interests take over humanitarian interests and human species resorts to violence just too easily.

There have been lots of holy book and sermon of divine wisdom but none has changed violent consciousness of humans and by some accounts violence is actually on the rise over the course of time, indeed! Never before the eyes of history have witnessed man made atrocities on such a scale as did the modern times. The humans have developed antibiotics to save life and invented nuclear bombs to terminate life also – What a paradox of human endeavors.

Once, Michael Berg rode a bus to take part in an anti-war rally when he was shot at. The bullet missed him by inches. Now, harassment is a daily event for him. Insults are hurled upon him for advocating peace. He goes on though. He knows he has to appeal the good nature of humans to assuage violence collectively. Otherwise, individual grief will continue to be the fate of humans. The young blood of almost two and half thousand soldier and countless civilians has already been spilled and the end is nowhere in sight. Dry sand of Iraq absorbs blood of innocent civilians, terrorists and peacemakers with indifference. But this leaves scars on the psyche of those who are left behind to grieve. Grieving families of the killers and their victims suffer the same way.

Here is another evening in the US after death of a brutal killer. The air is fresh in the evening, calm and silent, oblivious to turmoil in the world. The sun has already gone down. Coziness of homes is drawing the tired workers back to their homes after a long day. At this time there no rush of anxious people on the streets. It’s a visible tranquility in shadows of trees that are already faded in darkness.

Radio in the car catches my ear again. Civilians are killed on Gaza beach by shelling of Israeli military. It was a revenge attack for home-made rocket launched by Palestinian terrorists in an ongoing cycle of revenge. And I came to the realization that the air was not fresh and calm anymore. It smelled heavy with gun powder and it is angrily silent.

And, I thought violence is human madness that is sometimes legal and sometime norm in grievances but peace is the most desired end of all violence. And this is another paradox of human existence. May be we ask spirit of Michael Berg to resolve this one for the human race!