Towards Disarmament: Part 1
nadim February 10th, 2008
…the size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 64)
Revealed well over a century ago, the significance of these words has been demonstrated time and time again on the world’s fragile political scene. And now, here are the latest set of incidents presented in the news that have aroused the suspicion of political leaders:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin expresses strong reservations over the proposed U.S. missile defense shield, saying that this will lead to a new arms race.
- The West fears the recent rocket test by Iran is ominous in terms of their perceived nuclear ambitions.
The increase in incidents of this nature is deeply worrying, for in the Atomic Age, differences between nuclear powers can no longer be resolved by simply resorting to warfare, as the consequences would clearly be catastrophic. We find ourselves in an unfortunate situation, where the technological gains made in the past century have not progressed in parallel with the moral sense of how best to use them. Distressing, too, are the vast sums spent worldwide in developing weapons and military equipment. We are only 40 days into 2008, and already estimated spending has topped the USD$150 billion mark (click on the link to watch that how quickly that number rises).
The Baha’i International Community, in it’s statement on The Relationship Between Disarmament and Development, makes three important observations:
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Disarmament and development are interrelated. Funds used to make weapons are a drain on the national and world economies. Such funds could be better used to raise the living conditions of the world’s peoples.
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The economic connection between disarmament and development represents only one side of the issue. A spiritual connection also exists. Resources spent for weapons drain not only national treasuries; they also drain the reservoirs of human hope and trust.
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The two issues must be approached in an integrated manner. Not only can disarmament further the cause of development; development can further the cause of disarmament. Indeed, the key to advancing the cause of both disarmament and development lies in fostering a sense of global unity. Unless unity is attained, true peace and security will remain out of reach.
Part 2 will discuss some of the options available to us…

