Rethinking Needed

By Rev. S.J. Emmanuel –November 25, 2015 

Rev. Dr S.J. Emmanuel

Today the world, especially the western, is filled with fear of IS-attacks, and leaders are nervously conferring about further security measures and escalating all forms of attacks against those suspected of terror and suicide attacks. In Sri Lanka we have had our own history of state terrorism vs Tamil terrorism. At present while the Sinhalese are narrating their experience of terrorism, Tamils are remembering on the 27th.Nov. of each year, the victims of the war and honoring those who gave their lives in defense of the land and people.

Though with the proclaimed victory of the state forces against the LTTE, the war-memorials have been bulldozed and commemoration of the fallen have been prevented/discouraged, the memory of those who voluntarily gave their lives and of the victims cannot be erased from Tamil memory.

Merely condemning these acts of terrorism and suicide or looking at them merely from one side of the divide, will not help to find the root-causes of these symptoms and eradicate them. Only a sincere and honest search for truth and justice can help towards eradicating them.

In the present context of fear about IS attacks, terrorism, suicide attacks etc. both in and out of Sri Lanka, I like to share my reflections on what I wrote as an Asian theologian in 2003 at the invitation of a well-known theological magazine called Concilium. (It also appears as Ch.8 of my book Agonies and Aspirations of the Tamil Struggle, Pp62-69 of 2004)

RETHINKING SELF-IMMOLATION

(A Christian theological view of Martyrdom in an Asian struggle for Life and Dignity. This article first appeared in Concilium 3/2003 – an International Theological Quarterly)

1. Need to Revise the old concept of Martyrdom

Karl Rahner, on the eve of his death, rightly called for an enlargement of the concept of martyrdom in the context of active struggles for truth, justice and peace in the world. This call is increasingly justified in the context of the many struggles for life and dignity going on within the Asian continent. Though this continent of peoples is blessed with great religions and age old cultures and traditions, human life is still conditioned and threatened by many man-made practices of social injustices, oppressions and discriminations.Read More