Against Genocide

Even Buddhism which is a very soft religion, taught self-defence and retaliation to its monks. Martial arts were developed by Buddhist monks to defend themselves.

Wish to highlight two great heroes who retaliated against the existence of widespread genocide: Soghomon Tehlirian and Nathuram Godse

Soghomon Tehlirian-  for shooting down one of the mastermind of Armenian Genocide



Above Armenian, Soghomon Tehlirian , killed one of the ruler of Ottoman Empire during World War I.

The seed of Armenian genocide sprouted and invaded the field of humanity that is supposed to abound with tolerance. There is no way but by weeding out such negative by calculated violent tactic.

After killing 1.5 million Armenians in a span of 2 years between 1915-1917, the masterminds of such violent acts were scot free and without any accountability. What can even compensate the losses? Only an act of violence to remove the mastermind of the bad actions.

When Soghomon Tehliran shot down Talaat Pasha ( one of the mastermind minister), he told ‘This is for my mother’.

To weed out the violence that stroke his mother, this action has to happen in order for the world to have the right attitude of not tolerating any violence against anyone. 

This incident influenced Raphael Lemkin, who coined the world genocide in the 1940s, to write:

‘ At that moment, my worries about the murder of the innocent became more meaningful to me. I didn't know all the answers but I felt that a law against this type of racial or religious murder must be adopted by the world’

When the Nazis were killing the European Jews, in 1941 Winston Churchill, said that these are crime without a name. Lemkin gave the name Genocide, who was himself was a victim of such persecution. Being a Jew, his parents were gassed in concentration camp.

Eventually Lemkin campaigned for the ‘ The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide ‘ which was adopted by United Nations General Assembly.

Sadly, even though this law criminalizes genocide, even in this second, genocide happens without any qualms as nothing is being enforced drastically.

2.Nathuram Godse – For shooting down Mahatma Gandhi who has visualised India to be separated by religion instead of uniting in the diversity. 

The act of killing Gandhi has own justification. Sometimes it is a wishful thinking to realise, that this could happen before many lives were lost due to Partition and clashes over one’s religion.

If a wrong happens before your eyes, be brave and retaliate to stop it.

Violence is never permitted.  But do what it takes to stop the violence – RETALIATE.

We don’t have to be violent to retaliate. But in our everyday life we can question any wrong that goes against humanity.

Don’t turn a blind eye.

'If you see something reprehensible,  then change it with your hand; if you are not capable of that then use your tongue (speak out against it); and if you are not capable of that then detest it in your heart. ' – Prophet Mohammed . 

Reading List: 

Operation Nemesis: The Assassination Plot that Avenged the Armenian Genocide
Totally Unofficial: The Autobiography of Raphael Lemkin
Why I killed Gandhi (Classics To Go) Kindle Edition




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