War's End and Refuse

According to the United Nations, a refugee is "a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country."

From an etymological or possibly more spiritual standpoint, one might also think of the concept of sanctuary as well as that deep human desire to not be "thrown away" like so much refuse.

War is over in Darfur.



Has sanctuary been established or is a mere "clean-up" now at hand?

What next for the region where, reportedly, there were "only 16" deaths in June as opposed to the 130 or so every month last year?

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Meanwhile, in the state of Orissa, India, more than 30,000 Christians live in refugee camps (where conditions are poor at best). In order to return home, according to threats of the majority, they must "reconvert" to Hinduism.

Such threats and destitution are not new phenomena or reality in India.
Violence and murder are sometimes the result, however.

According to USCIRF commissioners Imam Talal Eid and Don Argue in an op-ed featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution: "Last year, Maoists murdered a Hindu religious leader known for his anti-Christian rhetoric, and it sparked a violent campaign targeting Christians in Orissa. The violence, which went on for several weeks, was carried out by supporters of Hindu nationalist groups and resulted in the destruction of hundreds of homes, dozens of churches, and at least 40 deaths. Not only did police forces fail to protect Christians, but there were also indications of awareness, and perhaps assistance, by state and local officials."

Muslims have suffered and continue to suffer displacement, violence and injustice, too.

Continuing:

"The riots in Orissa were a painful reminder of the 2002 riots in the state of Gujarat, where over 2,000 Muslims were killed by Hindu mobs, hundreds of mosques and Muslim-owned businesses were looted or destroyed, and more than 100,000 people fled their homes. As alleged in Orissa, government investigations uncovered complicity by Gujarat state government officials and police inaction in the midst of these attacks.

Efforts to pursue the perpetrators of the Gujarat violence have made little progress. Seven years later, human rights groups report that many cases will likely remain unresolved or result in acquittals because of alleged lack of evidence or insufficient efforts on the part of local police."


When shall justice, any justice, be truly served?


"If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?"