Speech by Bishop Thomas Dabre at a meeting called by the SIO.
Duration: 00:09:49; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 24.617; Saturation: 0.089; Lightness: 0.322; Volume: 0.312; Cuts per Minute: 9.051; Words per Minute: 122.550
Summary: Footage from Tellavision Mumbai. Bishop Thomas Dabre of the Diocese of Vasai delivers a speech in which he condemns terrorist acts that lead to the deaths of innocent people and stresses that stereotyping the Muslim community on the basis of acts committed by a group of misled people is wrong. He opines that the use of military action against terrorism does not offer a long term solution to the problem instead, efforts must be made to bring about a conversion in the 'minds and hearts of people' by solving their issues; he also says that this aim cannot be achieved by political endeavors alone and that God's blessings are required too. He concludes on an optimistic note by expressing a vision for a peaceful world, a vision that can be attained with God's help. The speech took place at a meeting called by the Students Islamic Organisation of India: Terrorism - Reality and Solutions.
Bishop Thomas Dabre of the Diocese of Vasai begins his speech by congratulating
the SIO of India for organising the meeting: Terrorism- Reality and Solutions.
TD:My dear brothers and sisters, I am congratulating you... 'hearty congratulations' because you've organised this program today. You have taken a good initiative...How do we fight and oust the terrorism that is going on in the world today.
brothers
congratulation
fight
good
initiative
khilafat
organising
oust
sisters
speech
terrorism
thomas dabre
Khilafat House, Byculla, Mumbai
world
Khilafat House, Byculla, Mumbai
Students Islamic Organisation
bishop thomas dabre
change
community
freedom
khilafat house
optimistic
peace
solution
speech
terrorism
violence
war
TD expresses his happiness about being able to come together to discuss the act of terrorism that occurred in America on 9/11. He also expresses regret about the occurrence.
TD: We are present here today to contemplate this issue and this gives me a lot of joy. The terrorism that has occurred in America on September 11 we have come here for a discussion in relation to that. We are very sad about terrorism... the whole world is sad about it.
9/11
america
contemplate
discussion
issue
joy
sad
september 11
TD especially congratulates the Muslim community for taking the initiative of organising the event. He talks of the positive experience he has had with the many members of the Muslim community while growing up in Vasai.
TD: ... and so my dear Muslim brothers especially I want to congratulate you and I want to say I'm proud of you for organising a programme like this. And I want to say that I was born and brought up in Vasai... and I can say that my classmates, schoolmates, teachers many of them were Muslims... and my neighbors were Muslims and they had a very good human...
Video cuts
born
brothers
community
congratulate
human beings
muslim
neighbors
positive experience
programme
proud
vasai
good
He says that the stereotyping
of the Muslim community on the basis of the actions of a group of people is unjust. He says that these stereotypical perceptions can be changed by building good relations with
the people of different communities.
TD: ... in the minds of other people these images... We can remove these perceptions from peoples minds if we build loving relations with them. So in the first place I want to say that I'm totally opposed to stereotyping of the Muslim community in a very unobjective way, which is grossly unjust to them.
basis
group
muslim community
non objective
opposed
perception
relations
stereotype
unjust
TD continues by expressing that terrorism that leads to the deaths of innocent people should not exist in the world.
TD: ... having said that, I want to say that today we are reflecting on terrorism. Terrorism has no place on the face of the earth. I want to say that terrorism...like the terrorism we had on September 11, where innocent people are killed... if this is terrorism it has no place in this world.
9/11
earth
exist
innocent
killed
no place
people
september 11
world
terrorism
TD says that terrorism is an ideology and it's practice is unethical and immoral.
TD: This
dehshatwaad (terrorism) has no place in our world. This is immoral and we have to concentrate on that. Certainly those who practice terrorism... Terrorism is an ideology and it is an ideology that leads to such practice... and that is unethical and immoral.
dehshatwaad
ideology
immoral
practice
unethical
TD continues by saying that people who, believe in the sanctity of human life and believe that humans have a right to feel safe and free are opposed to terrorism.
TD: ...Because we believe in the dignity of human beings. We believe that every person in this world should live his life in freedom and security. In an atmosphere of security human beings have to live.
free
freedom
human dignity
human life
live
opposed
right
safe
sanctity
security
belief
TD expresses his belief in the brotherhood of men. He says that acts of terrorism are against the 'Holy will of God'.
TD: I'm very proud of the message of
biradari (brotherhood) that Islamic community always proclaim, brotherhood of human beings. And we all believe that we are the children of God. So I would like to say in the first place that as we reflect on the reality of terrorism... wherever there is terrorism it is unethical and it is against the holy will of God.
biradari
brotherhood
children
community
islamic
message
proud
reality
unethical
against
god
holy
will
TD says that terrorism is against the 'Holy will of God' because it does not differentiate between innocent people and the guilty ones.
TD: ... Holy will of God... we want to do the Holy will of God. Terrorism is against the Holy will of God. Because terrorism has... does not distinguish between innocent citizens, innocent civilians and the guilty ones.
citizens
civilians
differentiate
distinguish
guilty
innocent
TD says that terrorists believe their cause justifies the killing of innocent people.
TD: You deal with the guilty ones for your goals. Terrorism is an ideology that believes that for it's goals it can do anything, it can kill innocent human beings. And if that is terrorism I think it has to be rooted out from the face of the earth.
cause
deal
earth
goals
human beings
justified
kill
objective
people
rooted out
TD emphasizes on the need to wipe out terrorism.
TD: As we reflect on this let us concentrate terrorism. It has to be wiped out... and as we say that terrorism has to be wiped out I also want to say that nobody can support terrorism. If we are the children of God... we are the men and women of God, we are citizens of the world, we believe in humanism.
Video cuts
believe
children
citizens
god
humanism
support
wiped out
world
TD says that violent attempts to wipe out terrorism are not a lasting solution.
TD: ... of humanity. Wherever terrorism is practiced as an ideology it has to be condemned and rooted out. But what is the solution? I want to say that military solution, air-strikes is not the ultimate solution. It is not a lasting solution.
air-strikes
attacks
condemned
ideology
lasting solution
military
rooted out
violent
TD says in reference to America's war on Afghanistan,
that if attempts to root out terrorism cause the death of innocent people then such attempts should not be supported.
TD: Whatever action that is taken to root out terrorism we must see to it that no innocent lives are lost. That is a moral responsibility. And therefore whatever action that does not take into account the consequences of that particular action. That sinless, innocent people are being killed... we cannot support this action.
Afghanistan
America
action
afghanistan
america
attempts
consequences
innocent
killed
lives lost
moral
not support
people
responsibility
war
TD is expressing his opinion on military action- as a way to root out terrorism. Then the video cuts.
TD: And so what I want to say is, that military action, air-strikes... if it is just aimed at intentionally rooting out terrorism. If it can be justified under certain circumstances, just to root out...
Video cuts
air-strikes
circumstances
justified
military action
root out
TD says that the solution of terrorism cannot be attained
by bombing people because it doesn't address the real issues of the people.
TD: Rwanda, Burundi... In different parts of the world we see that bombs and attacks... military attacks cannot be used to find a solution or answer to the problems of the people. We can see that. So with the bombs and weapons you cannot root out terrorism. Because terrorism is born in the minds and hearts of the people.
Burundi
Rwanda
bombing
bombs
burundi
military attacks
real issues
rwanda
solution
weapons
hearts
minds
people
TD opines that to root out terrorism a conversion must be brought about in their 'minds and hearts'.
TD: Wherever it manifests itself... wherever we witness terrorism, wherever we see it in action. It has already been born in the minds and hearts of the people. And this is why in order to root out terrorism we need to bring about a change in the minds and hearts of people.
change
conversion
root out
TD restates that the solution of terrorism lies in bringing about a change in the 'minds and hearts' of people.
TD: So I want to place before you... that I think to root out terrorism which is unethical and anti-human, we need to bring about the conversion of mind and heart. That I think is the real solution. Because what happened in America... I think the minds were misled of those who took the four planes... the minds were misled. We can say that the minds were not given the right value...
(Video cuts)... right value system.
9/11
anti-human
misled
planes
unethical
value system
solution
TD says that the task of converting the 'minds and hearts' of people cannot be achieved by political endeavors alone.
TD: Terrorism is because of murderous anger, terrorism is because of hatred, terrorism is because of retaliation. And this you cannot remove from the minds and the hearts of people only by political... political endeavors or enterprises. And this you cannot with guns and bombs. You have to form the minds and the hearts of people, especially the children and especially the younger people. And that I think is the task before us.
anger
attempts
bombs
children
endeavors
enterprises
especially
guns
murderous
political
youth
TD thanks the organisers of the symposium and expresses
a hope for peace by quoting
a verse from the Bible. (Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 in the Bible: They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. )
TD: I want to thank you for organising this seminar again. I want to say that in the Bible we have a of humanity, where it is said that there should be a time when the swords will be kept in the plough sheds back... There should be a time... there will be a time when the spears will be kept in the pruning hooks and nation will not lift sword against nation and they will not learn war anymore.
against
bible
humanity
isaiah 2:4
learn
micah 4:3
nation
not lift
organising
plough sheds
pruning hooks
quotes
seminar
spears
swords
thanks
time
war
vision
TD expresses his vision of creating a peaceful world in the future and says that we would need God's blessings to attain this vision.
TD: This is the world we need to create for ourselves and for our future generations. And for this we need the blessings of Allah and God. We cannot solve our problems and root out terrorism only by our ability, we need the grace and and strength of God also.
accomplish
allah
future
generations
grace
peace
strength
god
terrorism
TD says that in times of difficulty we all turn to God.
TD: In secularism there is no sufficient faith in God. But you know that after the terrorist attacks in September they were all praying in America. So in difficulties... in difficulties we realize that we need the blessings of God.
9/11
attacks
blessing
difficulty
faith
praying
secularism
september 11
TD he concludes on an optimistic note for a peaceful future by quoting from the Peace Prayer of St Francis of Assisi.
TD: So I'm optimistic... I'm sad because of terrorism in the world but I'm optimistic because there is a supreme power which will give us the right vision and the right values., which will help us to live in peace, in unity, in harmony, and in liberty. I want to quote a prayer composed by saint Francis Assisi. In which he prays ' O
God make us instruments of peace '...
paramatma (the supreme being) make us
sadhan (instruments) of
shanti (peace).
' Where there is hatred let us sow love.'
harmony
hatred
instruments
liberty
love
optimistic
paramatma
peace
prayer
right
sad
sadhan
shanti
st francis of assisi
supreme power
unity
values
Pad.ma requires JavaScript.
