It is easier to focus on the evil of the Taliban than to confront the evil of “the American own policies. We have to speak against the evil of the Taliban, and we have to recognize that they too—as in the United States of America—are responsible for a great evil over there. They too have used drones to kill thousands of civilians in these countries, including hundreds and hundreds of children. At that level, it is worth asking the tough question: if Malala had been killed or injured by an American drone, would she be celebrated? If she been injured by an American drone, would she be meeting with President Obama and featured on Jon Stewart? If the answer to that question is a no—and let us be honest about the fact that they do not feature victims of American violence—then they have to confront the betrayal of their own silence. In short, all of us, including the millions of people inspired by the example of Malala, have to move forward by insisting on a holistic sense of justice where we speak simultaneously against injustice here and injustice there, connecting the sanctity of life here to sanctity of life there. The way for Malala is the same way for all of us: to stand against brutality anywhere and everywhere, whether it is state-sponsored violence or terrorism violence. A better future for all of us depends on this stance for a holistic sense of justice.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 10:23:00 +0000