If we meet in culture, it will be harder to wage war

Photo: Isabella Hammad via hyphenonline.com

It will soon be full winter with darkness and cold in Norway. We live in difficult and warlike times in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere in the world. There is also war on the internet, often a breeding ground for bloody pictures of children, political analyses, solidarity, empathy, hatred, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Loud debates about injustice are important, but we also see conflict-seeking and unempathetic behaviour.

Killing civilians can never be defended

Blood and guns evoke emotions and make us get up from the comfort of the couch and open our eyes to the big, unjust world picture - a sign of health. Unfortunately, a lack of empathy is something that can divide people.

We tend to embrace the golden rule of treating others the way we want to be treated. And when we empathise, we're inclined to do good things. As a human being, I empathise with the weakest; anything else would be absurd. At the same time, and as a french cosmopolitan, I cheer on those who stand up for peace and for a better world - across national borders. And I have a strong belief in political solutions that put pressure on those who commit injustice.

In the acute conflicts right now, it is not so relevant to discuss forgiveness. We are not at the point where we can forgive the killing of thousands of civilians now. Too many have lost their lives because of morbid, warlike thoughts of revenge. In many ways, we have lost an entire generation. It cannot be defended. Period.

What we can unite around

Anger is inherent in human nature and many people feel justified in their anger - an important quality for maintaining our commitment, for uniting us.

An important driving force in this can be cultural life, that which includes and unites us across differences. Culture is important for an equal, interwoven and inclusive world, and with culture we can unite and repair what is falling apart. In the midst of brutality and cruelty, we humans can endeavour to meet each other in a shared interest in each other's culture, musical traditions and other things that all people can unite around. We can share a meal. Break a bread together, as a peaceful gesture. Perhaps we should emphasise this important tool that unites us in an otherwise divided world.

Culture that sparks engagement and new ideas

In the world of literature, for example, there are a number of books that can make us wiser and perhaps a little more peaceful in our encounter with the wars in both the Middle East and Ukraine. One example is the book How to Heal a Fanatic (2010) by Amoz Oz. Both parties have the law on their side and it is not possible to make a simplified division into "bad" and "good". The only conceivable solution, according to Oz, is a negotiated two-state solution aimed at achieving lasting peace.

Oz also addresses the rise of fanaticism around the world, analysing its nature and offering advice on how best to deal with it. "I would argue that this book is somewhat outdated given the current war, but it can give us insight into the potential for a robust two-state solution.

[...] AND WHEN WE EMPATHISE, WE ARE ALSO INCLINED TO DO GOOD THINGS

I'm also interested in Jewish culture, but lately I've been trying to seek knowledge and familiarise myself with the history of the Palestinian people. The lesson Recognising the stranger (2023) was written by author Isabella Hammad and delivered to Columbia University at the end of September this year, just days before the fateful attack in Israel.

The lesson is both beautiful and profoundly affecting, incorporating politics, identity and parts of Palestinian-American writer Edward Said's writing on the Palestinian cause. The lesson was recently published on the website of the literary journal The Paris Review.

The film Free Men (2011), based on the French title Les Hommes Libres, depicts occupied Paris, where the young Algerian Younes Ben Daoud lives on the black market. He is arrested by the police and to avoid jail, he agrees to spy on the Paris mosque. The police suspect that the mosque's leadership, including the rector Si Kaddour Benghabrit, is helping resistance fighters and protecting North African Jews by giving them Muslim birth certificates.

At the mosque, Younes meets the Algerian singer Salim Halali. They become close friends. When Younes learns that Salim is Jewish and sees the work that the people in the mosque are doing, he stops co-operating with the police. An important story about how the Paris mosque saved Jews and Muslim resistance fighters during World War II and the Nazi occupation. This is a thought-provoking and moving film that suggests what Israelis and Palestinians can do in today's conflict.

There is hope

Lebanese author and chef Selma Hage has published a number of cookery books and recipes based on Middle Eastern food. For example, The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook, with recipes dating back to the time of the Phoenicians (around 1500 BC) and tasty meals with hummus, falafel and the use of the spice za'atar, which rivals Palestine and Israel have in common.

Listen to the Palestinian band Le Trio Joubran while you cook and you're guaranteed a tasty result.

A dose of culture, instead of frenetic news scrolling, can trigger just the dose of joy we need in some dark times - without necessarily affecting our engagement in a negative way.

It's not easy to think of hope, peace and reconciliation in the midst of bloody and brutal acts of injustice, but by sharing each other's culture, we can meet and find common denominators. It's a good start in the work of paving the way for peace.