Violent Extremism, Conflicts and War, and our Quest for Peace

ISIS, Taliban, Abu Sayyaf, Al Qaeda, Islamic Brotherhood, Boko Haram — we hear of these terroristic groups wreaking death and brandishing cruelty in different parts of the world.

We also hear about the aggressive and internationally illegal actions of China as it made a little island on the west Philippine Sea for its military purposes. And we hear about an upscaling of visiting forces agreement (VFA) exercises of the Filipino soldiers with American and Japanese soldiers. The aggressive moves of China in the West Philippine Sea do not bode well for our country and other affected countries. Worse, China doesn’t want to honor the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas.

And there’s the long-standing Mindanao conflict, also known as the Muslim conflict, in our own country. With the fate of the Bangsamoro Basic Law being awaited, we wonder if we can achieve peace in Mindanao. We wonder further if we can achieve peace in this world.

There has never been perfect peace in this world but rather, we constantly hear news of military exercises, war, terrorism, conflict over territories, and conflict of all kinds. Yet we want peace. We grope for peace. And those who desire peace propose solutions for peace, discuss how to have peace, and work to have peace.

Efforts are being undertaken to counteract terrorism. At the intellectual level, arguments are laid against terrorism and proposed measures for governments are given to counteract injustice and violence and resolve conflicts. Qur’an exegetes would argue that Qur’an condemns and sanctions terrorist activities. At the level of state, police and the military are ordered to arrest suspected terrorists. At the level of civil society, the efforts of peace NGOs are really helpful in offsetting conflict and violence in our country and in the world. In our own country, the efforts of civil society groups nurture peace and harmony among Muslims and Christians in the South and in different urban centers where Muslims have gone to due to the protracted war in Mindanao. But still, images of men on television screen wearing masks, chanting “Allahu-akbar”, and carrying high-powered guns with captives who are either half-naked or wearing prisoners’ uniforms and news of different atrocities and massacres committed by terroristic groups cause us to wonder when will evil end in this world and if peace will ever be achieved. Even MILF threatens to continue its rebellion if the Bangsamoro framework will not be passed.

The other thing to talk about is the fact that most, if not all, of these terroristic groups currently doing these atrocities are associated with the religion of Islam – which actually brings a crisis of rethinking and a flurry of discussions among moderate, peaceful Muslims all over the world. There are also discussions about the real origin of ISIS, for instance, which purportedly is a US-made or CIA-created group to demonize the religion of Islam. CIA-created or not, the crux of the matter is that terroristic groups are on the rise these days. Even as we grope for peace, we wonder who the real terrorists are, or who really are behind terroristic groups. We grope for the truth even as we grope for peace.

Is peace possible in this world? And how can we find peace? Can human efforts alone bring about peace in our world? Peace in this world has been so elusive, like perfect happiness, like perfect health. I believe that in order for peace to come about, there must be a change or conversion within human beings. This is where the Christian perspective comes in. Only an inner transformation can bring about peace, and this can come about through repentance and acceptance of Christ, the Prince of Peace into the hearts of human beings. Accepting Christ and receiving his gift of salvation and eternal life can change human hearts – including the hearts of terrorists. Without this inner transformation or transformation of hearts and minds, terroristic groups will still flourish and there will be no perfect peace in this world.
Christ alone can give peace that this world cannot give. Even now, He can give peace in our hearts that surpasses understanding even in the face of violent extremism, war, and seemingly never-ending conflicts in this world. And once the Prince of Peace comes back to vanquish the evil doers and bring in his perfect government, there will be peace at last in this world. Only then will we have perfect peace.

About the author: Belinda F. Espiritu is a faculty member of the University of the Philippines Cebu. She holds a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature and a PhD degree in Communication. She would like to hear from the readers about their feedback or comments on her articles through her email address: belinda.espiritu@gmail.com to set a conversation going even after her articles have been published.