In a world shifting on the edge of instability, violence, wars, starvation, and diseases, it is important to resort to logic, grasp the irreversible disasters caused by wars, the lust for power, and listen to what perspicuous persons say while viewing the ailments of the world.
During his visit to Canada, July 24–July 30, 2022, His Holiness Pope Francis said, “We do not need to divide the world into friends and enemies, and to rearm ourselves to the teeth. The arms race and deterrence strategies will not bring peace and security.” He added: “How much need we have to listen to each other and to dialogue, to distance ourselves from the prevailing individualism, from hasty judgments, from rampant aggression, from the temptation to divide the world into good and bad! The large maple leaves, which absorb polluted air and return oxygen, invite us to be amazed by the beauty of creation and to let ourselves be attracted by the healthy values present in indigenous cultures: they are an inspiration to us all and can help heal harmful habits of exploiting “: in addition to” creation, also relationships and time, and to regulate human activity only on the basis of profit and profit.”
The words expressed by the Pope are timely, as the deteriorating situation of the world affairs in every respect is proceeding unabatedly while precipitous action is needs to heal the wounds of the bleeding world. A panacea is urgently needed to rectify the ailing global situation in every aspect.
In the midst of the world’s deteriorating situation, some countries are resorting to the threat of nuclear weapons in order to settle disputes and to ensure maintaining the upper hand in world affairs. Billions of dollars are being wasted on the production of such destructive weapons while many world countries are wasting exorbitant spending on the production and deployment of their nuclear arsenals. Such funds are worthy to be spent on the establishment of projects that eliminate the spiking global unemployment, hunger, social problems, and diseases, as well as solve the problems of poor countries whose people suffer from the proliferation of diseases and malnutrition.
His Holiness Pope Francis has all the time been an outspoken opponent to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and arms race. It is to be remembered that during his historic visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 2019, he declared that “the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possessing of nuclear weapons is immoral,” and added that the world “must never grow weary of working to support the principal international legal instruments of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”
In this regard, it is important to hasten Pope Francis’ call by averting dividing the world into friends and enemies, and establishing friendly relations among all world countries, eliminating political enmities, and entrenching everlasting ties of peace and cooperation based on mutual respect.
From this premise, it is important to stop arms race and to avert the grip of the frightening cold war by cementing relations among countries and nations, while jointly working towards ensuring the world populations a flowery future that ensures the generations to come hopes for a decent life free from fear, with efforts pooled towards the entrenchment of security and equality based on mutual respect. So, let us avoid dividing the world into friends and enemies, but rather spread the spirit of permanent friendship and establish a camp of enhancing global peace.
By Munir Bayouk/ en.abouna.org
