Dr. Oscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica
In the face of these terrible events, and as we receive the images and words of those lost in Tuesday's attack and feel the pain of their families and
friends, let us affirm our common bonds in shock, outrage, and sorrow. I extend my deepest sympathies to those who lost loved ones in this horrible
attack, and, along with all who love liberty and democracy and are committed to
non-violence, I condemn this and all acts of terrorism.
At this time of great suffering, I want to make a plea to the American people and to their government not to allow their hearts to be filled with
hatred, for this would be granting the terrorists the very response they seek and
expect. Instead, I pray that the United States and its allies collectively pause and take a deep breath before responding to this violence in
kind. It is essential that justice be done, and it is equally vital that justice not be confused with
revenge, for the two are wholly different. I beg of the United States government to exercise caution and prudence as they plan their response to this unimaginably grotesque display of disregard for human life. Let justice be
done, yes, but let the United States remain committed to its fundamental values, admired and emulated the world
over: respect for liberty and for life, especially of the innocent.
I want also to ask the people of the United States, in the midst of their anguish and very justified
anger, to remember that extremists of the kind who perpetrated this attack represent only a tiny minority of the Muslim
world, and that the vast majority of Muslims pray to the same God as the rest of us-whether Hindus or
Jews, Christians or Buddhists-and that is a God of love and not hate, of life and not
death. Therefore, let us call upon that God, that power which while being universal is known to each of us in a unique way, to give us the strength to stand firm against the darkness of hatred and violence that threatens us. Let us seek the
light, and reach out in peace to our Muslim brothers and sisters.
I want to suggest that we also take this occasion to re-examine our global priorities and the values upon which they are
based. Terrorism is one evil that should not exist in the world today, and there are many
others, including poverty, illiteracy, preventable diseases, and environmental
destruction. We have the resources-both material and spiritual-to eliminate many of these
ills. Let us channel them according to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable among us. Instead of building bunkers and shields that fail to protect
us, let us build good will and harmony, human capacity and understanding, and in this way we shall build the world we want to live in. We must be the change we wish to
see, as Gandhi once said, and not the darkness that we wish to leave behind.
Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Mexico City
Un voto por la cordura
Luego de conocer los sucesos que han conmovido al mundo desde las primeras horas de hoy, deseo hacer pública mi posición en los siguientes términos:
1. Condeno firmemente los repudiables actos terroristas que han costado miles de vidas civiles inocentes y han desatado una espiral de violencia de consecuencias imprevisibles. El terrorismo, venga de donde venga, es una conducta políticamente injustificable y moralmente inaceptable.
2. Expreso mi más profundo sentimiento de condolencia y solidaridad con las víctimas, sus familias y el pueblo estadounidense.
3. Hago un llamado a la serenidad y la cordura para evitar responder a la provocación y la insensatez con lo que podría resultar en una ofensiva revanchista que únicamente alimentaría una escalada de violencia que sabiendo cómo y dónde empieza, nadie podría prever cómo ni cuándo terminaría.
4. Invoco a extremar los recursos que hagan posible el diálogo entre un sistema mundial hegemónico, que incluye y excluye selectiva y unilateralmente, y la radicalidad desesperada de las respuestas que ha engendrado.
5. Alerto a la comunidad internacional sobre el peligro de que las acciones de estos grupos terroristas contribuyan a desatar una lógica de guerra, buscando dirimir viejas y nuevas controversias entre naciones y justificando acciones contra grupos y sectores que no han encontrado una disposición pluralista para el reconocimiento y respeto a sus expresiones identitarias en los marcos institucionales actuales.
6. Hago un llamado a los medios de comunicación a evitar el alarmismo fundado en interpretaciones de fuerte filiación ideológica, que sólo acrecienta la confusión y alimenta los fantasmas de la intolerancia.
7. Finalmente, convoco a la sociedad civil del planeta, a los Premios Nobeles y a quienes ostentan la responsabilidad de gobernar todos los países del mundo, a no precipitar conclusiones sobre los acontecimientos de hoy y comprometernos en un gran FRENTE DE LA CORDURA, que detenga la cobarde insensatez de la violencia y evite mayores sufrimientos a la humanidad.
Eine Stimme für die Vernunft
Nach Bekanntwerden der Ereignisse, die die Welt in den ersten Stunden des heutigen Tages bewegten, möchte ich meinen Standpunkt darüber in folgender Weise der Öffentlichkeit darlegen:
1. Ich verurteile in aller Deutlichkeit die verabscheuungswürdigen terroristischen Handlungen, die das Leben von Tausenden unschuldigen Zivilpersonen gekostet haben und eine Welle der Gewalt ausgelöst haben, deren Folgen unabsehbar sind. Der Terrorismus ist - woher immer er auch kommt - eine politisch nicht zu rechtfertigende Verhaltensweise, die auch moralisch inakzeptabel ist.
2. Ich möchte den Opfern, ihren Familien und dem Volk der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika mein tiefes Mitgefühl und meine Solidarität ausdrücken.
3. Ich rufe zur Mäßigung und zur Vernunft auf, um zu verhindern, dass auf die Provokation und den Wahnsinn in einer Weise reagiert werden könnte, die eine offensive Revanche wäre und nur ein Ansteigen der Gewalt mit sich brächte, deren Art und Weise sowie ihr Ausgangspunkt, von niemandem vorausgesagt werden könnte und deren Ende nicht absehbar ist.
4. Ich rufe dazu auf, alle Mittel einzusetzen um einen Dialog zwischen einem hegemonischen System herzustellen, das einseitig und selektiv einschließt und ausschließt, und der verzweifelten Radikalität der Reaktionen, die es hervorgerufen hat.
5. Ich mache die internationale Gemeinschaft auf die Gefahr aufmerksam, dass die Aktionen dieser terroristischen Gruppen dazu beitragen, eine Kriegslogik auszulösen, im Zuge derer alte und neue Kontroversen zwischen den Nationen ausbrechen und Handlungen gegen Gruppen und Sektoren gerechtfertigt werden, die keinen pluralistischen Ansatz gefunden haben, um innerhalb ihrer bestehenden institutionellen Rahmen den Ausdruck ihrer Identität anzuerkennen und zu achten.
6. Ich rufe die Kommunikationsmedien auf, die Katastrophenberichterstattung zu vermeiden, die sich auf ideologisch geprägte Interpretationen stützt und nur die Verwirrung verstärkt und die Gespenster der Intoleranz nährt.
7. Ich rufe schlussendlich auch die Zivilgesellschaft des Planeten und die Nobelpreisträger sowie alle diejenigen auf, die Verantwortung für die Regierung aller Länder der Welt tragen, aus den Ereignisse von heute keine voreiligen Schlüsse zu ziehen und sich gemeinsam in einer großen ALLIANZ DER VERNUNFT zusammenzuschließen, mit der die feige Sinnlosigkeit der Welt aufgehalten und der Menschheit größeres Leid erspart wird.
(German translation by Brigitte Ornauer)
Dr. José Ramos-Horta, Cabinet Member for Foreign Affairs, East Timor
We are gathering here today to pay tribute to the many thousands of our American friends, brothers and sisters, who were brutally murdered by terrorist fanatics on September 11.
I lived a good portion of a quarter of a century in New York. In the course of the many years of living there and in the last few years of visiting the US several times a year, I can claim to know the US well, having visited almost all 50 States of the Union. There I met thousands of people of different nationalities and beliefs.
There is no other country in the world with this extraordinary ethnic, cultural and religious diversity. And it is this diversity that has made America such a unique country, resilient, creative and rich.
It was with horror that I learned the news of the tragedy that befell my American friends.
The four of us who travelled to Jakarta last week for official meetings, the SRSG Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, Mr. Xanana Gusmao, Mr. Mari Alkatiri and myself, have been horrified like each of you.
Our poor and humble people received the news of the tragedy with profound sadness. Hundreds of simple family people have visited the US Mission in Dili to pay their respects.
I have refused to watch more beyond the first pictures of the WTC collapsing. It is denial, self-preservation.
I must say that no cause, however noble, no grievance or claim however valid, will ever be great enough to justify the use of terror against innocent civilians.
Fanatics have existed through centuries and caused incalculable suffering to humankind. Let us not ever forget the greatest calamity of all, the Holocaust unleashed by Adolf Hitler, against Jews and Gypsies.
In the 60´s and 70´s we witnessed a wave of terror in Europe by extremes left fanatics such as Action Directe in France, the Red Brigade in Italy, the Bader Meinhof in Germany, Carlos "The Jackal", the Japanese Red Army and many others. This terror network has been effectively obliterated.
The European experience in successfully eliminating the terrorist organizations in Europe provides us with a glimpse of hope that democracies can prevail over terrorism.
However, we cannot forget other forms of organized violence such as state terrorism against it´s own citizens. The Khmer Rouge in Cambodia was a prime example of how a State uses it´s full power to unleash violence on it´s own people.
The difference between these two extreme forms of violence is that the first is practiced by non-states actors with or without the involvement of one or more governments that provide them resources and sanctuary, and state terrorism which is almost always directed at it´s own citizens.
But in recent years we have witnessed the rising of a new form of terrorism that is mostly located in the Islamic world notably in the Middle East and parts of Asia.
Terrorist networks branch our of Afghanistan and the Middle East. Some enjoy the support of certain governments, while other terrorist organizations claiming to be the true guardians of Islam have caused widespread suffering among their own people.
We all know Islam does not advocate violence. All religions represented here today call for tolerance, justice, and compassion.
We must resist the temptation to blame entire nations, religions, or people for the actions of a small number of political extremists. And if it develops that certain governments have supported the terrorist conspiracy, we should remember that these regimes hold power in their countries by terror and violence, and are not supported by the majority of their citizens or neighbours.
The attacks against New York and the Pentagon killed also many Muslims and Arab-Americans, innocent victims like the rest of the casualties. In bringing the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice, we hope that there will be no more innocent victims.
The cycle of violence must end.
The tragedy that befell our brothers and sisters in America is already impacting on the lives of many Arabs and Muslims all over the world.
Arab and Muslim Americans are now being labeled "enemies" and are harassed.
They are already feeling hostility growing around them from their non-Arab and non-Muslim neighbours.
The Bush Administration must be commended for it´s emphatic appeals to ail Americans not to blame their fellow citizens of Arab and Muslim background.
The Palestinian dream of a homeland has been obliterated and at least postponed for long time.
Europeans and Mediterranean complexion will also be suspected and face hostility, police search, interrogation and humiliation. And I know that from now on when I check-in in an American or European airport, walk into an airport or hotel lounge, many eyes will turn to me. I know I will be stopped, searched, questioned. But I will understand.
While we mourn out American friends, pay tribute to them, show the American people our friendship, I should add that Islamic fundamentalist terrorists do not discriminate. Their targets and victims have been very diverse.
We should remember that Islamic terrorist groups in Algeria have murdered at least 100,000 innocent Algerian woman and children in the last 10 years alone.
These victims were not Americans or Christians. They were devout, poor Muslims. Pursuing an effective counter-terrorism campaign, the Algerian authorities have managed to cause severe disruption in the terrorist network.
The target and the victims of the terrorist groups in Afghanistan are fellow Afghans and the same can be said of Sudan.
As in Europe in the 60´s and 70´s, the terrorists are small and fanatic elements that kill indiscriminately men and children, of any nationality and religion, and have no popular base.
As we gather here today, leaders and people of many different convictions, we are saying "no!" to all forms of violence, intolerance and terrorism.
The East Timorese people have known much violence in this last quarter of a century. It is estimated that at least 200,000 died between 1975 and 1979 alone. In 1999 a wave of violence and destruction befell our innocent and defenceless people.
But in the 24 years of our own struggle, though effectively abandoned by most of the world, we did not betray the values that actually were our moral sustenance.
We did not allow the injustices that befell us to destroy our own humanity. We did not allow our sadness and anger to turn into hatred towards another people.
We resisted the temptation to manipulate religion in order to win the sympathy of our fellow Christians around the world.
In the course of our struggle we never instigated ethnic hatred and religious bigotry, we never hurt ethnic slurs against those who declared us to their enemies.
Now we are at peace. There are few places in the world today as peaceful as our country.
We have no organized crimes, no drug cartel, and no terror network has set base on our soil.
However, our new nation is still profoundly traumatized and fragile. The peace that we are living needs to be nurtured and consolidated.
Our people have shown great tolerance and compassion against fellow East Timorese who were on the other side of the fence. We harbor no hatred towards those who harmed us and called us their enemy.
Just two weeks ago, we did not hesitate to offer our poor land as temporary asylum for the 400 or so Tampa refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan who were stranded in dangerous seas.
We are a destitute people, extremely poor in material possession. But our people have a great heart.
To many American brothers and sisters, speaking as someone who has lived in an known your country for many years, I join with my East Timorese compatriots in mourning your loved ones, and appeal to you not to allow your anger to betray your compassion.
Do not despair, keep the faith, and America will be ever greater.
Prof. Sir Joseph Rotblat FRS, Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs, London
In the attempt to punish the groups responsible for the tragic events of 11. September we must not fall into the trap of emulating them, by unlawful killing. There were such US reactions in the past, as for example, the 1998 bombardment of a pharmaceutical plant in the Sudan, with the loss of many innocent lives.
The basic principle in any contemplated action must be: keep within the law. If need be, new laws should be enacted to deal with the situation, but with the approval of the majority of nations. We must always be accountable for our deeds. This is self-evident, but in a state of shock, in which we are now, there is risk of it being overlooked.
In my opinion, a proper procedure would be along the following lines: Fist, obtain definite evidence about the identity of the leaders of the terrorist group. Having achieved this, proceedings should start to bring them before a Court in the Hague on charges of mass murder and crime against humanity (the multiple killings and the hijacking of civilians airplanes justify such charges; the deed occurred in the USA but the onslaught was against humanity.) The State (or States) harbouring the terrorists should then be requested to surrender them into the custody of the Court. Should it refuse to abide by this request, if itself should be denounced as a partner in the crime, and the matter should be referred to the Security Council for appropriate action. Pacifist as I am (but not an absolute pacifist), I would not exclude military action, provided it is carried out by the organ set up to deal with world security: the United Nations.
All this would take a long time, and would tax the patience of the American people. But precipitate action is bound to create long-term dangers.
Another risk of prolonged procedures is that in the meantime the terrorist groups may carry out further - perhaps more violent - acts, such as the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, and steps would need to be taken to minimize the risk. These would include greater vigilance and especially much stricter controls and actions to safeguard sensitive materials. If a small proportion of the $ 40 billion that Congress voted for action, were designated for the proposed measures, the risks would be greatly reduced.
In the long term, a way to deal with the terrorists menace is by a Convention, adopted by a majority of nations and made mandatory on all, to ban the harbouring of terrorist groups within the State.
A pre-condition for this, however, must be universal acceptance of norms of morality and equity in the conduct of world affairs, specifically, respect for, and adherence to, international treaties.
In regard to this, it is the United States that has to be called to order. It is intolerable that in this day and age the mightiest country in the world should have declared that it´s overriding motivation in international affairs was the self-interest of the USA. I cannot help the feeling that selfishness and greed - which became the driving force after the victory of capitalism in the ideological struggle - are to some extent responsible for the terrible carnage that we have just
witnessed.