{"id":32552,"date":"2025-06-24T12:53:06","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T15:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/?p=32552"},"modified":"2025-06-24T13:04:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T16:04:21","slug":"sharing-a-heart-breaking-post-violence-picture-by-mr-bikr-elkassem-afp-in-olj-and-a-thought-provoking-article-on-nonviolence-by-dr-chawki-hitti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/2025\/06\/24\/sharing-a-heart-breaking-post-violence-picture-by-mr-bikr-elkassem-afp-in-olj-and-a-thought-provoking-article-on-nonviolence-by-dr-chawki-hitti\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharing a heart-breaking post-violence picture by Mr. Bikr ElKassem (AFP in OLJ) and a thought-provoking article on nonviolence by Dr. Chawki Hitti"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dr. Chawki Hitti, a picture posted earlier on this blog.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

To begin with, the two pieces shared in this post (the sad picture and the inspiring article) are not directly related to each other. Indeed, the article was written in Montreal, Canada, chronologically before the picture-related tragedy of Damascus, Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stated differently, the two items are the product of a pure coincidence. However, Bambi made the decision of sharing them with you, dear readers, in a single post because one can ideally act as an internal barrier to the other. Of course, practically speaking, one needs critical thinking, along with a will to respect ALL human lives, to live, an to love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bearing the above in mind, it is time to dive into this post by starting with the following words of wisdom: “The twentieth century will have taught us that no doctrine in itself is necessarily a liberating force: all of them may be perverted or take a wrong turning; all have blood on their hands – communism, liberalism, nationalism, each of the, great religions, and even secularism. Nobody has a monopoly on fanaticism; nobody has a monopoly on humane values” <\/strong>(Mr. Amine Maalouf, “In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong” or “Les identit\u00e9s meutri\u00e8res”).<\/p>\n\n\n

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A picture taken from L’Orient Le Jour<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Whether the perpetrators of violence act in the (so-called) name of this or that fanatic group, and\/or whether the victims come from this or that community, one thing is sure: Bambi’s heart breaks for the innocent victims, regardless of whom they are or where they reside in the bloody Middle East or anywhere else in the world, including Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This being said, today’s unacceptable suicide bombing attack took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, Syria… May everyone’s memory be eternal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the L’Orient Le Jour<\/em> (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/4y83eh2x<\/a>), we learn that “the attack, which left 25 dead and more than 60 injured, was claimed Tuesday by a little-known Sunni extremist group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, while Syrian authorities attributed it to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS)<\/em>“. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is highly<\/span> worrisome is the following demographic trend: “Syria’s Christian population has shrunk from one million before the 2011 war to fewer than 300,000 today, according to experts, due to forced displacement and exile. The Vatican has expressed fears of a further exodus of Christians from the Middle East following the attack”<\/em> ( (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/4y83eh2x<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might find the senseless violence against the Middle Eastern’s Christians of Syria, Irak of Egypt sad or even depressing. It surely is. For Bambi, it reminds her of the progressive disappearance of other historical minorities from the Middle East, including Arab Jews or, more recently, Irak’s Yazidis (https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/4tdxtwzk)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can each one of us do in order to remain connected to our humanity, despite the grief, which includes anger? How can we chose or re-chose nonviolence and even love? Perhaps Dr. Chawki Hitti’s beautiful evidence-based article on nonviolence can inspire us? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below you can read the original French text, preceded by an English translation (in bold), thanks to Mr. Google Translate<\/em>, Bambi’s beloved online friend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

May peace and love prevail in everyone’s hearts and in the entire Middle East. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Title:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Genesis of Nonviolence: A Scientific and Conscious Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article explores the hypothesis that nonviolence is not simply an ethical practice or a moral choice, but a natural law inscribed in the order of the universe. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining biology, psychology, philosophy, and spiritual traditions, we argue that living nonviolently requires an elevation of consciousness capable of transcending the ego. This level of consciousness allows human beings to harmonize with the profound dynamics of nature.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonviolence is often perceived as a sociopolitical strategy or a moral principle, championed by historical figures such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. But a more fundamental question emerges: what if nonviolence were, above all, a universal natural law, an intrinsic structure of life to which human beings may (or may not) align?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article proposes that nonviolence is not simply a rule imposed from outside, but a fundamental reality of the living world, access to which depends on a heightened level of consciousness capable of transcending egocentric conditioning.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Nonviolence in the Laws of Nature<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.1 Cooperation and Harmony in Living Things<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the classical view of nature has long emphasized competition and the law of the strongest, modern research in evolutionary biology (Nowak, 2006; Wilson, 2012) demonstrates that cooperation and symbiosis are essential drivers of survival. Thriving ecosystems depend on a balance and profound interdependence between species<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.2 Balance and Ecological Reciprocity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physical and ecological laws emphasize that the universe tends toward states of equilibrium. Any violent disruption of this balance leads to systemic disorder and collapse, illustrating that violence is a disruption of natural dynamics, while nonviolence, through cooperation and regulation, promotes the sustainability of systems.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The Ego: An Obstacle to Natural Harmony<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.1 Ego Separation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human beings develop an ego that is self-aware, but often disconnected from the whole. This separation fuels defensive, competitive, and violent behaviors. Neuroscience (Damasio, 1994; Siegel, 2007) reveals that fear and self-preservation strategies are activated by ancient neurological patterns, often incompatible with deep cooperation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.2 Violence and Unconsciousness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violence could be understood as a manifestation of unconsciousness about universal interdependence. When human beings act under the influence of an isolated ego, they break their connection with the natural dynamics of harmony.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. NonViolence: A Manifestation of Higher Consciousness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.1 The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A Universal Ethic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the foundational text of yogic philosophy, nonviolence or ahimsa is defined as the first and most essential of the Yamas (ethical principles). It is not limited to the absence of physical violence, but extends to all actions, words, and thoughts that could cause harm. It encourages universal compassion and active kindness toward all beings.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sutra 2.35 states:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When one is firmly established in nonviolence, all hostility ceases in one’s presence.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Source: Integral Yoga\u00ae Magazine, The Art of Living).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This statement suggests that true nonviolence is not mere abstention, but a transformative force that impacts the social and energetic environment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.2 Mystical and Neuroscientific Convergences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mystical traditions\u2014whether Buddhist, Sufi, or Christian\u2014teach that true nonviolence is only possible when the ego is transcended. Contemporary discoveries in contemplative neuroscience (Varela et al., 1991; Davidson & Goleman, 1977) confirm that deep meditative states can reconfigure neural circuits by decreasing aggression and increasing empathy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authentic nonviolence therefore appears to emerge spontaneously from an expanded and connected state of consciousness, rather than from a mere moral effort.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Ethical and Societal Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.1 From Behavioral Education to Conscious Education<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While nonviolence stems from natural alignment and heightened awareness, it would be reductive to limit it to behavioral injunctions. A truly effective educational approach should integrate the development of mindfulness, compassion, and emotional intelligence as fundamental pillars.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.2 Nonviolence as a Sustainable Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peace mechanisms imposed by laws or external constraints remain fragile as long as they are not accompanied by inner transformation. Nonviolence, experienced consciously, offers a more sustainable and deeply rooted path to resolving both individual and collective conflicts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonviolence, far from being a simple social construct or a moral ideal, is akin to a universal natural law. However, its true attainment requires a profound transformation of consciousness, transcending the ego and its conditioning. Mystical traditions, yogic teachings, and neuroscientific advances converge to affirm that nonviolence emerges from an experience of the fundamental unity between self and the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This perspective opens new horizons for interdisciplinary research and invites our societies to rethink their educational, political, and social strategies, directing efforts not only toward controlling behavior, but also toward elevating human consciousness”.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowak, M. A. (2006). Five Rules for the Evolution of Cooperation. Science.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilson, E. O. (2012). The Social Conquest of Earth. Liveright.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damasio, A. (1994). Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. Putnam.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Siegel, D. J. (2007). The Mindful Brain. Norton.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varela, F. J., Thompson, E., & Rosch, E. (1991). The Embodied Mind. MIT Press.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davidson, R. J., & Goleman, D. J. (1977). The Role of Attention in Meditation and Hypnosis: A Psychobiological Perspective. American Psychologist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Integral Yoga\u00ae Magazine, The Art of Living. (s.d.). Ahimsa in the Yoga Sutras.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Titre:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La Gen\u00e8se de la Non-Violence : Une Approche Scientifique et Conscientielle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

R\u00e9sum\u00e9<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cet article explore l\u2019hypoth\u00e8se selon laquelle la non-violence n\u2019est pas simplement une pratique \u00e9thique ou un choix moral, mais une loi naturelle inscrite dans l\u2019ordre de l\u2019univers. \u00c0 travers une approche interdisciplinaire croisant la biologie, la psychologie, la philosophie et les traditions spirituelles, nous d\u00e9fendons l\u2019id\u00e9e que vivre la non-violence requiert une \u00e9l\u00e9vation de la conscience capable de transcender l\u2019ego. Ce niveau de conscience permet \u00e0 l\u2019\u00eatre humain de s\u2019harmoniser avec la dynamique profonde de la nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La non-violence est souvent per\u00e7ue comme une strat\u00e9gie sociopolitique ou un principe moral, d\u00e9fendu par des figures historiques comme Gandhi et Martin Luther King Jr. Mais une question plus essentielle \u00e9merge : et si la non-violence \u00e9tait avant tout une loi naturelle universelle, une structure intrins\u00e8que du vivant \u00e0 laquelle l\u2019\u00eatre humain peut (ou non) s\u2019aligner ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cet article propose que la non-violence n\u2019est pas une simple r\u00e8gle impos\u00e9e de l\u2019ext\u00e9rieur, mais une r\u00e9alit\u00e9 fondamentale du monde vivant, dont l\u2019acc\u00e8s d\u00e9pend d\u2019un niveau de conscience \u00e9lev\u00e9, apte \u00e0 transcender les conditionnements \u00e9gocentriques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. La Non-Violence dans les Lois de la Nature<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.1 Coop\u00e9ration et Harmonie dans le Vivant<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bien que la vision classique de la nature ait longtemps mis en avant la comp\u00e9tition et la loi du plus fort, les recherches modernes en biologie de l\u2019\u00e9volution (Nowak, 2006 ; Wilson, 2012) d\u00e9montrent que la coop\u00e9ration et la symbiose sont des moteurs essentiels de la survie. Les \u00e9cosyst\u00e8mes florissants d\u00e9pendent d\u2019un \u00e9quilibre et d\u2019une interd\u00e9pendance profonde entre les esp\u00e8ces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.2 \u00c9quilibre et R\u00e9ciprocit\u00e9 \u00c9cologique<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les lois physiques et \u00e9cologiques soulignent que l\u2019univers tend vers des \u00e9tats d\u2019\u00e9quilibre. Toute perturbation violente de cet \u00e9quilibre entra\u00eene des d\u00e9sordres et des effondrements syst\u00e9miques, illustrant que la violence est une rupture de la dynamique naturelle, alors que la non-violence, par la coop\u00e9ration et la r\u00e9gulation, favorise la p\u00e9rennit\u00e9 des syst\u00e8mes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. L\u2019Ego : Un Obstacle \u00e0 l\u2019Harmonie Naturelle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.1 La S\u00e9paration \u00c9gotique<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u2019\u00eatre humain d\u00e9veloppe un ego conscient de lui-m\u00eame, mais souvent d\u00e9connect\u00e9 de la totalit\u00e9. Cette s\u00e9paration alimente des comportements d\u00e9fensifs, comp\u00e9titifs et violents. Les neurosciences (Damasio, 1994 ; Siegel, 2007) r\u00e9v\u00e8lent que la peur et les strat\u00e9gies d\u2019auto-pr\u00e9servation sont activ\u00e9es par des sch\u00e9mas neurologiques anciens, souvent incompatibles avec la coop\u00e9ration profonde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.2 Violence et Inconscience<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La violence pourrait \u00eatre comprise comme une manifestation d\u2019inconscience de l\u2019interd\u00e9pendance universelle. Lorsque l\u2019\u00eatre humain agit sous l\u2019influence d\u2019un ego isol\u00e9, il rompt son lien avec la dynamique naturelle d\u2019harmonie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. La Non-Violence : Une Manifestation de Conscience \u00c9lev\u00e9e<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.1 Les Yoga Sutras de Patanjali : Une \u00c9thique Universelle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dans les Yoga Sutras de Patanjali, texte fondamental de la philosophie yogique, la non-violence ou Ahimsa est d\u00e9finie comme la premi\u00e8re et la plus essentielle des Yamas (principes \u00e9thiques). Elle ne se limite pas \u00e0 l\u2019absence de violence physique, mais s\u2019\u00e9tend \u00e0 toutes les actions, paroles et pens\u00e9es susceptibles de nuire. Elle invite \u00e0 une compassion universelle et \u00e0 une bienveillance active envers tous les \u00eatres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Sutra 2.35 affirme que :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Lorsqu\u2019on est fermement \u00e9tabli dans la non-violence, toute hostilit\u00e9 cesse en sa pr\u00e9sence.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Source : Integral Yoga\u00ae Magazine, The Art of Living).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cette d\u00e9claration sugg\u00e8re que la non-violence v\u00e9ritable n\u2019est pas une simple abstention, mais une force transformatrice qui agit sur l\u2019environnement social et \u00e9nerg\u00e9tique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.2 Convergences Mystiques et Neuroscientifiques<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les traditions mystiques \u2014 qu\u2019elles soient bouddhistes, soufies ou chr\u00e9tiennes \u2014 enseignent que la v\u00e9ritable non-violence n\u2019est possible que lorsque l\u2019ego est transcend\u00e9. Les d\u00e9couvertes contemporaines en neurosciences contemplatives (Varela et al., 1991 ; Davidson & Goleman, 1977) confirment que des \u00e9tats m\u00e9ditatifs profonds peuvent reconfigurer les circuits neuronaux en diminuant l\u2019agressivit\u00e9 et en augmentant l\u2019empathie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La non-violence authentique semble donc \u00e9merger spontan\u00e9ment d\u2019un \u00e9tat de conscience \u00e9largi et connect\u00e9, plut\u00f4t que d\u2019un simple effort moral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Implications \u00c9thiques et Soci\u00e9tales<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.1 De l\u2019\u00c9ducation Comportementale \u00e0 l\u2019\u00c9ducation Conscientielle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Si la non-violence d\u00e9coule d\u2019un alignement naturel et d\u2019une conscience \u00e9lev\u00e9e, il serait r\u00e9ducteur de la limiter \u00e0 des injonctions comportementales. Une approche \u00e9ducative v\u00e9ritablement efficace devrait int\u00e9grer le d\u00e9veloppement de la pleine conscience, de la compassion, et de l\u2019intelligence \u00e9motionnelle comme des piliers fondamentaux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.2 La Non-Violence comme Solution Durable<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les m\u00e9canismes de paix impos\u00e9s par des lois ou des contraintes externes restent fragiles tant qu’ils ne s\u2019accompagnent pas d\u2019une transformation int\u00e9rieure. La non-violence v\u00e9cue de mani\u00e8re consciente offre une voie plus durable et profond\u00e9ment ancr\u00e9e pour la r\u00e9solution des conflits, tant individuels que collectifs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La non-violence, loin d\u2019\u00eatre une simple construction sociale ou un id\u00e9al moral, s\u2019apparente \u00e0 une loi naturelle universelle. Cependant, son acc\u00e8s r\u00e9el suppose une transformation profonde de la conscience, transcendant l\u2019ego et ses conditionnements. Les traditions mystiques, les enseignements yogiques et les avanc\u00e9es neuroscientifiques convergent pour affirmer que la non-violence \u00e9merge d\u2019une exp\u00e9rience de l\u2019unit\u00e9 fondamentale entre soi et le monde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cette perspective ouvre des horizons nouveaux pour la recherche interdisciplinaire et invite nos soci\u00e9t\u00e9s \u00e0 repenser leurs strat\u00e9gies \u00e9ducatives, politiques et sociales, en orientant les efforts non seulement vers la ma\u00eetrise des comportements, mais vers l\u2019\u00e9l\u00e9vation de la conscience humaine”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

R\u00e9f\u00e9rences<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowak, M. A. (2006). Five Rules for the Evolution of Cooperation. Science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilson, E. O. (2012). The Social Conquest of Earth. Liveright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damasio, A. (1994). Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. Putnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Siegel, D. J. (2007). The Mindful Brain. Norton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varela, F. J., Thompson, E., & Rosch, E. (1991). The Embodied Mind. MIT Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davidson, R. J., & Goleman, D. J. (1977). The Role of Attention in Meditation and Hypnosis: A Psychobiological Perspective. American Psychologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Integral Yoga\u00ae Magazine, The Art of Living. (s.d.). Ahimsa in the Yoga Sutras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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