IS THERE ANOTHER WORLD WAR IN THE HORIZON?

Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind. - Bob Marley.

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Yesterday as I sat watching the evening news, something I rarely do, I began to feel a certain unease. A man interviewed after the mob attacks in Sri Lanka that destroyed businesses and took a life as well said that he did not think the attackers were from within the community but rather strangers. But that was not what brought the unease. It was his first statement that Muslims and Christians have lived in peace in that community for years.

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_{Unsplash:Pavel Nekoranec}

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Now in the northern part of my country, Muslims and Christians live and have lived together for years but every once in a while, there are clashes between them especially in states like Kaduna. So these clashes do not surprise but when a community that has had peace is suddenly being roused to violence then someone is definitely playing the tunes for the dance.

Someone or some group of people wants this world to go to war. All the signs are there. The tensions in the Middle East, the tensions between Russia and the United States, the tensions between China and the United States, riots in Sudan and Venezuela, bombings of Emirates oil ships, among others seem to draw a pattern in my head. There are so many different conflict zones all over the world, some newly formed and some as old as the world.

Some of these issues are old, older than me I am sure but that does not mean that the persons just began their work. Some are spill overs from the first two world wars and that says a lot for the price of peace after a war is launched. It took the assassination of Duke Ferdinand for a war to begin. What would cause another World War would be as minor an incident in the public eye, I am sure. After all, who would have thought that the death of Duke Ferdinand would lead to a war? Did anyone think or suspected that Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch would be one of the beginnings of what would become the second World War? History has never been my thing so correct me if I am wrong.

The world we live in is a difficult place as it is and there are so many people who are just trying to exist here. They have nothing, not even the basic amenities. They live and they die but at least they do not live under the sound of mortars and the whistling of rockets.

It won't be too long until someone, some terrorist group, some angry government, some holy prophet would let lose a hail of destruction that will change the face of this world. Maybe I am wrong, maybe the war has began but major players are yet to move their major pawns into the battle field. Maybe the pawns being used right now are tariff wars, religious violence, elections, riots, posturing heads of states, exchange of national secrets, etc but soon the kid gloves will come off. It might just take a little boy with a rocket launcher sending a rocket through a hotel window, maybe.

It maybe that I know nothing of the world and that I have no idea what all of these things mean. It could be that the unease I feel is just the fact that I just spent my last naira on groundnuts and sugar and has nothing to do with bombings and crying, fear and terror but I would plead with all of us who live and breathe to be wary of issues that draw us to conflict. Sometimes, they make it seem as if the human race can never be at peace but I am sure that is a lie. I am sure we can love as much as we can hate. I am sure that we can give as much as we can take. I am sure that we can change if we want our children to have a better place.

There was a civil war in my country once but I wasn't born then. My parents tell me that it is not something they would want any body, not even their enemy to experience. The people who ferment war do not love you. They love the power you let them have. They decide whether you live or die, making you a slave in a world that has banned slavery as unethical, as an abomination. Do not give warmongers access to your homes, your minds, your communities. They bring nothing but fire and brimstone.

Yes there are fights that must be fought. A man's rights can not be denied him. Rights to basic amenities, to jobs, to worship, to speak, to vote, etc are important. Governments that deny their people these rights inadvertently name them to be children, pieces to be controlled. Every human should be allowed the right to self determination. Neither religion nor political ideologies should be used to coerce a human being to do or be what he or she does not want to do or be. That is control. That is slavery. A human being should be given the right to choose.

I want to believe that if people are allowed to see and hear the truth, to understand the consequences of decisions and actions taken, and to make choices based on all of these things, some of the atrocities committed in this world would not happen. We need to be careful of those we put over us, to lead and guide us. We need to understand that these people no matter their vaunted positions and authority are human beings like us and in some cases lack the wisdom, understanding or empathy to do what is right. We have to leave fear and be strong enough to denounce and pull them down when they try to lead us astray. Whether they be prophets or religious leaders, presidents or dictators, they are just men.

We have to hold governments accountable and demand justice with every strength we have. We have to fight, not with guns and bullets, bombs and knives but with our spirit, our words, our tears, our ideas, our prayers to make sure that those who would either by deliberate cunning attempts or by stupid omissions lead us to war be pulled down from their positions of power. We have to save ourselves wherever or whoever we may be. This world is all we have and it is big enough for all of us if we learn to share, to forgive, to love, to understand.

Today is another day to fight for a little bit of sense among those who claim to be leaders, a little bit of understanding among those who claim to be different, a little bit of wisdom for those who claim to remember their past pain too well, a little bit of justice for those who claim to have been cheated and peace for us all. Good morning.

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©warpedpoetic, 2019.