Peace be with you WarriorNew; welcome to the forum; and I have no problems with you disagreeing;
format_quote Originally Posted by
WarriorNew
Respectfully I disagree with you Eric H. Ghandi was being peaceful because he did not have power. I think his preaching message of "forgiveness" is a bad signal. His enemies will see it as weakness when a man forgives.
Forgiveness is a profound subject.
Can I mention another inspiration; Bertha Lucia Fries; I met her last year. She spent years in hospital after being an innocent victim in a bomb blast in Columbia. She spent years being angry and wanting justice, but when she came out of hospital, she wanted to track down Rodrigo Londoño, the leader responsible for the bomb. This link shows Bertha and Rodrigo hugging, after many meetings together. The two former enemies are now working together for peace and reconciliation.
Bertha is a woman of great courage. She receives death threats from people on her own side; who still want justice/revenge, rather than peace and reconciliation.
https://uk.rodeemoseldialogo.org/202...n-in-colombia/
There has been over fifty years of conflict in Columbia, true justice can never happen. About five million have been forced out their homes, about 250,000 murders, plus rape, violence, theft etc. If you were to draw a line today, and catalogue every victim that has never received justice, the number would be several million. Imagine one of your relatives getting shot. You know justice is unlikely to happen, so you, and your relatives get together with guns, go to the place you think the shooters came from, and you shoot a few people. There are now more victims, they will get guns and dish out their idea of justice. The trouble with civil war; is your neighbours and enemies don't live too far away.
The conflict has gone on for three generations, should the conflict be passed forwards to the next generation of children and grandchildren. Why should innocent children and grandchildren be dragged into a conflict, that was nothing to do with them? How can a lasting peace happen between neighbours, when so much injustice has already happened?
Three of Allah's names are the forgiver, he is also merciful and compassionate. The prophet, pbuh, forgave his enemies.
May Allah bless you on your journey.
Eric