The planet earth was fortunate to host important
spiritual leaders throughout its long journey of around 4,5 billion years. Detached
from any religious standpoint, I would like to bring an opening remark with a
saying of one of them as he is the “closest” to me in terms of upbringing and
energetic connection. However, I’m sure I could easily use any other example
coming from another sacred leader as it would have the very same intention. Anyway,
it is reported that Jesus taught us that if someone hits us on one cheek, the
ideal response is to offer the other one as a sign of goodness, forgiveness and
as a way to stop the violence chain: if we respond violence with violence we
perpetuate a web of aggressions and discord, which is true.
Being capable to genuinely act under this teaching is – perhaps –
the ultimate stage of benevolence and spiritual evolution one can achieve and I
must acknowledge how much road I still have to go in order to get a little
close to that*. Not that I tend to respond violence with equally violent attitudes,
but I become so outraged with injustice that it poisons and corrodes my soul as
acid rain to the point that it suffocates me.
What happened in Rio de Janeiro – which unfortunately is an
illustration of what happens in a daily basis in many corners of the world and
we just don’t know about it, or know and don’t give much attention, such as the
horrible cases in India and all the captive women under the control of ISIS and
Boko Haram terrorists groups – represents the worst of human beings. This week,
around 30 men doped up and gang-raped an adolescent of 16 years old in Rio de
Janeiro. If the coward and barbarian act wasn’t enough, they also posted a
video and images of the grotesque scene on the social media with comments that are
peculiar to this type of human creature. What is equally horrifying,
terrifying, paralyzing, tormenting and worrisome (sorry, I can’t find enough
adjectives) is the fact that this post received many “likes”, support notes and
some people even expressed amusement through smiling expressions at the images
and comments. I am trying to make myself believe they didn’t understand this
was a real thing as a way to “alleviate” my consternation.
I must admit that what I write here is mostly based on what the
media and my friends reported after their own investigation because after
reading a small news piece I refused to go in depth of it, most especially to
see this infamous video and images (which I hope is already taken out of the
internet).
Right after this utterly disturbing news, I hear that the
Pakistani parliament is working to pass a bill that will allow men to beat
their wives. They claim this “right” for women’s disobedience and refusal to
have sex (!!).
I honestly ask myself what went wrong with mankind (with noble exceptions, of course). And the
gender issue depicted here is just one fraction of all the problems human
beings have been causing in all spheres. When I recall what Jesus said is
because I simply can’t look at these evil perpetrators and offer my other
cheek. I don’t respond aggression with violence (important to highlight that I
speak from a passive standpoint to all the above mentioned examples), but I
hope and claim for justice on behalf of this helpless teenager and of all women
out there who are subjugated in a daily basis as a result of a sexist,
patriarchal and phallocentric society. I have no doubt Jesus’ teachings are all
about justice as well and not just goodness – a much better justice and one we
can’t fully comprehend, for sure.
Enough of feeling that being born as a woman is a punishment.
Punishment for what, exactly?
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