Si avvicina l’11 settembre e le parole si sprecano. Ho notato in aeroporto che tutti i settimanali, di tutti i paesi, dedicano la copertina a quest’anniversario. Forse il modo migliore per onorare le vittime sarebbe il silenzio ma neanche io non so trattenermi dal dire la mia.
Mi sembra che la retorica celebrativa sia spesso eccessiva. Mi ha colpito un articolo di fondo del Financial Times, se non sbaglio, che ho letto in aereo. Si discuteva se era il caso di chiamare eroi tutte le vittime o solo i pompieri o i passeggeri del volo che si è schiantato a Shanksville. Evidentemente l’enfasi patriottica fa perdere il senso della realtà.
Per quanto mi riguarda le vittime dei bombardamenti americani in Afganistan hanno la stessa dignità di quelle newyorkesi, eppure non le ricorderà nessuno con solenni cerimonie, non saranno eroi per nessuno.
O l’11 settembre diventa il simbolo di tutte le vittime della violenza umana o corre il rischio di apparire come la celebrazione della sofferenza ricca che si dimentica di quella povera, che è poi quella quotidiana per milioni di persone.

Vorrei ricordare l'anniversario attraverso la voce di un pacifista americano, si tratta di Kevin Ahern.
Vive a New York, studia teologia alla Fordham University e rappresenta il MIEC, l’organizzazione che raccoglie le associazioni universitarie cattoliche, presso le Nazioni Unite. E’ un caro amico, con lui ho vissuto la Giornata Mondiale della Gioventù a Roma durante il Giubileo.
Questa è la lettera che mi ha scritto un anno fa.


Dear friends:

May I first say this my deepest prayer go to any of you who know of anyone who may have been hurt in the bombings. Let me know if I could do anything.

Thank you all for showing your concern and prayer for me and all those who have been effected by the terrible incidents of the past few days. I know a number of you expressed concern over my well being and safety and that means so much to me. I would like to let you know the reason why I have not been able to respond is that I have been busy with my volunteer ambulance corps, of which I am an emergency medical technician (EMT). On Tuesday I was on my way to the UN to speak about Youth and the UN to the UN DPI/NGO Conference when I became aware of the disaster. After attending Mass on campus I quickly went home to staff the ambulance that was covering the town while the other one went down to New York City. On Wednesday at 9 am I went with an ambulance down to NYC to stand by in case of any injury. I can never describe the emotions that we had to deal with going to the scene of this disaster. It looked as if our jobs would be very grim in not working injured patients but with the after effects of the incident. When we arrived at the area we were amazed to see the numbers of ambulances not only from all over NY but some as afar away as Texas and Canada. We were also amazed at seeing the people who gave of themselves. We (my crew and about 100 other ambulance) spent the day from 11 am to midnight near the scene waiting to be called when needed. There people kept coming to us giving us food asking to help. Two women cooked enough food for 80 people and stayed with us all night as they served it out of a car. A biker bar opened its doors to us for use of the bathrooms and they also bought for us 50 pizzas, and a few hundred bottles of water. For me the scene in lower Manhattan was one that was out of the "Inferno" because it was so devastating. I could never describe it. What I could perhaps show is within this terrible situation there were beacons of hope. Men and women who sacrificed to help. Please pray for them.

Sadly, however, the situation in the US, shows people more set on vengeance than justice. I was shocked to hear top level US statesmen say that mothers and wives are equally responsible as the terrorist. We must not allow one act of violence and death that resulted in terrible situations lead to more. It could be argued that perhaps this act is a result of other violent acts (situation in Mid east, Iraq) so we need to pray that this cycle stops here. We need Justice, we need forgiveness, we need peace, healing, love and prayer. What we do not need is vengeance, or more violence or hate.

Please continue to pray for the victim but also pray for those who want to act out violently. Pray that there is not a massive war in the future.

Here is a reading I find helpful from the Gospel of Matthew.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Let us all be peacemakers in this world. We know that we are called to that as Christians. This weekend I am taking a small vacation from New York to regain myself. I will be in touch with all of you soon.

Peace,

Kevin