THE HUMAN RIGHT TO LIVE WITHOUT TERROR — Draft Charter

This is not simply a Christian formula of peace. Rather, it is a common formula, recognized by almost all the religions in one form or another. The Prophet of Islam has expressed the same principle in these words. Render what is due to the rulers and ask for your dues from God. (Sahih al-Bukhari) Similar is the case with other religions. Hinduism preaches nishkam karma or selfless service. Jewish scriptures say: “Blame thyself.” According to Jainism and Buddhism, ahimsa or non-violence is the greatest virtue. The essence of all these teachings is the nonconfrontational or non-political approach. Non-political activism is only another name for non-violent activism. Political activism generates hate and violence while non-political activism brings about peace and brotherhood. Terrorism begins from the mind, not from the gun. It must be countered with an ideology, not with guns. Religious ideology is based on the relationship between man and God. On the other hand, the ideology behind present terrorist movements is based on what can be called a 'man-versus-man' concept. It is this 'man-versus-man' activism that results in violence and terror. Contrary to this, activism based on the relationship between Man and God produces love and peace in society. This is not a passive attitude. Rather it is activism in the complete sense of the word. It leads us to avoid political conflict and to avail of the opportunities present in fields other than politics. It is a way of buying time. To put it briefly, it may be called 'positive status-quoism', that is, accepting the political status quo, and at the same time, availing of opportunities in non-political fields. This religious formula provides the ideology by which we can achieve our goals through peaceful means. If we are to succeed in ensuring the “Human Right to live without Terror”, there are a few other matters that must be addressed. Here are some issues that must be considered in any draft charter for the “Human Right to Live without Terror”.