Tui Motu InterIslands “I feel in the innermost recesses of my heart that the world is sick unto death of blood-spilling” Mahatma Gandhi 1931 editorial Peace is a duty Contents 2-3 editorial and interview with ossibly the best Christmas present the world in a sense did listen, and within Margaret Bedggood Pthe world received in 2003 was a year the United Nations Organisation 4 Securing a future for Tui Motu the news that the leaders of India and came into being. You could say that Tom Cloher Pakistan are at last prepared to try Gandhi was its angel Gabriel and Dag 4-5 letters and settle their differences. This new Hammerskøld its midwife. Now, 56 6-7 response: ‘Dear Bishop Peter...’ Anna Holmes; Desmond Smith prospect of peace on the subcontinent years on in 2003, two of the founding 8-10 War & Peace after so many wars, so much bitterness nations flouted all the conventions of Richard Falk and bloodshed, is the best monument the UN and its explicit veto, and went focus on Marriage to the memory of Gandhi (see J to war unilaterally in Iraq. 11-12 For better or for worse Honoré p 30). It is also a reminder that It is no surprise that Professor Richard John & Kerry Kleinsman his doctrine of non-violence is more Falk has turned to Gandhi’s heritage 13 response: Love and marriage relevant than ever in 2004. Ron Sharp in his assessment of the Iraq war, the events of 2003 and prospects for 14-15 Sampling a trifle: religion in Korea It was Gandhi who ended British rule Br Christopher John SSF in India. He accomplished it without 2004 (see pp 6-8). Meanwhile, in the 16-19 interview: Cry the beloved country recourse to any tricks of demagogue aftermath of that war the Arab world Katie O’Connor & Megan Adams dictators or power-crazed presidents. looks on, embittered and hateful of all 20-21 What if they all turned up.. again! He single-mindedly insisted on the that America and the West stands for. Chris Duthie-Jung literal following of Christ’s injunction or me, 2004 starts with a dream. 22-23 Trespasses will be forgiven to turn the other cheek, and when an The dream is that somewhere on Glynn Cardy impasse was reached, he broke it with F earth another Gandhi will arise. I see 24 poem the simple act of depriving himself Joy Cowley a person unimpeachable in firmly-held of food. Churchill contemptuously 25 Reflecting on Luke principles of non-violence and justice dismissed Gandhi as a ‘half-naked fakir’; Susan Smith RNDM for the poor of the world; one who yet the British had no answer to his 26-29 books cannot be bought, who seeks no per- simple message of justice for his people, Jessie Munro; J M Hill sonal gain, who has unwavering faith to be obtained only by peaceful means. IC in the goodness of God. In any election 30 crosscurrents that person would certainly have my John Honoré World War 2 universalised his plea. Says 31 A failing system for finding bishops Dominique Lapierre: “The holocaust the vote. I would not necessarily expect such Humphrey O’Leary CSsR world had just lived through, the spectre a one to be a Christian, but I suspect he 32 postscript of nuclear destruction now threatening or she would have a brown skin. That is Robin Kearns it, were to Gandhi the conclusive proof my dream – it is Scriptural for old men that only non-violence could save to dream dreams! “we should be building bridges, mankind. It was his desperate desire that The world is crying out for leadership not putting up walls” (in Palestine) a new India should show Asia and the of the type that perhaps only Gandhi world this way out of man’s dilemma” gave in the century that is past. The “educate for peace... if peace is (Freedom at Midnight p 23). alternative could be another and more possible, then peace is a duty” terrible holocaust. It is priority number Gandhi’s words did not prevent a million (Pope John Paul) one for 2004. deaths accompanying the partition. Yet M.H. Tui Motu-InterIslands is an independent, Catholic, monthly magazine. It invites its readers to question, challenge and contribute to its discussion of spiritual and social issues in the light of gospel values, and in the interests of a more just and peaceful society. Inter-church and inter-faith dialogue is welcomed. The name Tui Motu was given by Pa Henare Tate. It literally means “stitching the islands together...”, bringing the different races and peoples and faiths together to create one Tui Motu-InterIslands Pacific people of God. Divergence of opinion is expected and will normally be published, although that does not necessarily imply editorial commitment to the viewpoint expressed. Independent Catholic Magazine Ltd P O Box 6404, Dunedin North, 9030 ISSN 1174-8931 Phone: 03 477 1449 Fax: 03 477 8149 email: [email protected] Editor: Michael Hill IC, Assistant Editor: Frances Skelton, Illustrator: Don Moorhead Directors: Rita Cahill RSJ, Tom Cloher (chair), Margaret Darroch, Robin Kearns, Chris Loughnan OP, Elizabeth Mackie OP, Judith McGinley OP, Kathleen Rushton RSM Printed by Rogan McIndoe Print Ltd 2 Tui Motu InterIslands him, we were to accept him without The Third Way anxiety? We say who we are by the way we treat others. If we approach the stranger with an attitude of trust, we ne of the most publicised ‘justice’ In fact Jesus, suggests Wink, advocates are saying: ‘we accept you as innocent Oissues we have been recently a third way which might be summed unless – and until – you show yourself facing in New Zealand is the detention up as ‘don’t retaliate against violence to be otherwise’. and treatment of Ahmed Zaoui, who with violence but with courage and If we in New Zealand are committed arrived here in December 2002 seeking imagination; facing evil down, not with to the cause of peace, we have to ask refugee status. It was alleged that Zaoui, evil, but with discomfort and unexpect- ourselves: what price for our security? who had played a significant role in edness.’ An unexpected response pulls Do we really want to go down the path opposition movements in Algeria, was aggressors up short, raises unwelcome of paranoia and put armed guards on in fact a terrorist. The SIS, it appears, questions and forces them to look again our overseas planes? Do we want to received intelligence from an unnamed and recognise the humanness of the face every protest march with Red and allied power indicating that to admit supposed victim. Blue squads armed with riot shields? Zaoui would be a security Are we going to fling every risk for us. From Paremoremo suspect refugee who turns Zaoui was locked up in What happens to the time that goes heavy? up on our shores into a Paremoremo prison in Is he pulling heavy metal or a heavy load? dungeon? Auckland and kept in What is happening to the time? He seems obstinate. Why does time drag? Is there a rope around time’s neck that it is pulling? We were outraged when solitary confinement for What is happening that time in prison becomes so long and it is though it is Indonesia annexed East nine months. The Cath- eating me from my inside? Timor. We sent frigates olic and Anglican bishops What happens that the time in prison is so long and I am alone? No one here is with me. I have no companion to counsel me. to protest against French have joined their voices in I have no news from the outside not even a letter. n u c l e a r t e s t i n g i n protest against this arbi- No family. No writer. Mururoa. We dissociated trary treatment of one No one who is born to a human being. I am the same as the prophet Joseph when he was in the prison. ourselves from the Bush- seeking asylum. Amnesty Why is the gaze of the jailer like steel and his sight seems corrupted and Blair invasion of Iraq. International had con- aggressive and contemptuous? But the acid test of our demned Zaoui’s deport- How come my world is being ruled by one who threatens so much? How come my world is threatened by one who cannot think? commitment to the non- ation from Switzerland. How come the days are becoming darker and darker? violent way is how we My heaven will never be touched by those who do not accept truth. At a meeting of the I am very proud of my heaven and it is my paradise. behave at home, how we Conference of Churches I lament my past. Remembering past events does not comfort me. respond when there is a of Aotearoa New Zealand Alas for a prisoner, for one who is imprisoned unfairly or dies unfairly while perceived risk to our own (CCANZ) last Septem- asking for salvation. He finishes tortured but feeling patient seeking only safety security. and calling for prayer and consolation. ber, Margaret Bedggood He finished broken, cowering feeling broken and suffering. suggested a Christian Ahmed Zaoui A familiar contemporary evaluation of this and parable of the unex- similar justice issues. She proposes that t might well be argued: ‘But suppose pectedness of the Christian response we look at a ‘third way’, proposed in a Iit turns out that Zaoui is a terrorist?’ is spelt out dramatically for us in the recent book by the renowned Christian The fact is we simply don’t know – but Lord of the Rings.