Acknowledging perspectives

It is always important to analyze situations from different perspectives so that you can get the truest sense of what’s going on and then be able to address a situation accordingly. Especially when dealing with historical events, in which we cannot really ever say what actually happened with one hundred percent certainty, examining alternative perspectives allows us to put the pieces together and come to the most accurate story possible.  Since current world affairs are much a result of everything that’s ever happened in the past, the way in which we view history is relevant when analyzing global politics. We need to look at the past from different angles to understand how states were formed, how relationships between states were created, how culture, traditions, and beliefs of a people developed, etc. It is also important to listen to the voices of the marginalized and understand their intentions before making an assumption.

Most of the news we hear about Afghanistan, for example, revolves around the Taliban and other terrorist regimes. Yes, it is true that many Afghan boys join the Taliban, but is it because they want to? Is it because they have a desire to kill? Or could it be because of social pressures… or for a lack of any future in any other sector of the “career world”…or ignorance and lack of education? Also, there is a whole population of people living in Afghanistan outside of the Taliban, people with human needs and desires much like our own. There are also people who are willing to work with Americans for a common purpose. Do we consider these people when analyzing world politics? Or do we just focus on our national security and the threat of terrorism as if it were coming from the country as a whole? I was reading an article the other day and a quote from a shura left an impression on me:  “God does not like terrorists. Terrorism is not promoted in the Koran. They are not only the enemy of America; they are our enemy. All of us have to work together to stop them.” When we view the situation from this perspective, we realize that the Afghan people are just as determined to fight terrorism as we are. They see it as something they need to unite with America against, but do we analyze it that way? If we were to view terrorism from their perspective then we might change our “We are the almighty global police force and will win this war with military superiority” view to one grounded on understanding and cooperation. Who says we can’t have strength in numbers without military force? The Afghan people want to work with us and they need our support. Maybe if we listened to these marginalized voices we would be able to work together with them to reach a common goal.

I acknowledge that it’s hard to listen to all voices and all perspectives all the time but sometimes it’s worth putting aside the guns and weapons to listen to the civilians of a war-inflicted country. Analyzing the situation from their perspective will help eliminate mistrust and encourage cooperation.