Gandhian non-violence

Mahmood Elahi, Ottawa, Canada
When Mahatma Gandhi launched his non-violent movement to end the British colonial rule in India, he made it clear why he rejected all calls for a violent freedom struggle: "If Indians take up guns to kill the British, given India's great ethnic and religious divisions, they would still be using the same guns to kill each long after the British had gone. I don't want India's freedom if it meant Indians would be free to slaughter each other. If India makes violence her creed, I will not care to live in India."Similarly, Israel has vacated Gaza, but Hamas and Fatah are still slaughtering each other. In the fight for control of Gaza, Hamas was accused by Human Rights Watch of "violation of international humanitarian laws in some cases amounting to war crimes." Only by resorting to Gandhian non-violent movement, the Palestinians can help change that perception, leading to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Palestinians must reject Hamas and its violent methods, if peace is to have a chance.