Introduction
This poem is a reflection on the tragic realities of war and the contradictions within human civilisation. Despite centuries of knowledge, literature, and monuments dedicated to peace, humanity often repeats the same mistakes. These lines question the moral contradictions that emerge when power, religion, and nationalism override the basic principles of humanity.
What kind of humanity is this?
What kind of human religion are we following,
where we ourselves attack others
In the name of religion, and we ourselves cry?
What kind of progress is this,
which is only for I, me, and myself alone?
What kind of competition is this,
In which land is snatched from
others to create land for oneself?
What a paradox it is that we read
so many good statements and talks
so much about policies and rules,
yet when it comes to implementing
them for ourselves, we utterly fail.
What kind of life are we living,
where we expect from others
But never take the initiative ourselves?
What kind of paradox is it that when
We stumble on the road, we curse
the stone, but do not remove it
so that no one else gets hurt?
What kind of behavior is this,
where we issue ourselves
a certificate of being honest,
But do not give others
a chance to speak in their favor?
Why do the mistakes of the past not scare us?
Why does the pain of others not make us cry?
Why do we remember the duty of humanity
Only when it happens to us?
Otherwise, why does everyone forget that
We, too, have some relationship with others?
Despite extensive literature and numerous
testimonies of destruction, what kind of
obsession lead us to forget the essence of humanity?
What kind of certificate have we created
for ourselves that the suffering of
others seems like a drama to us,
But our own suffering seems
like a mountain of sorrow to us?
We probably don’t even know when
We started down the path that
led us to portray devils in the books we write.
Our world is full of excellent books
based on the principles of humanity,
But when it comes to putting them into practice,
Why do our steps seem
to move in the opposite direction?
This trend has been going on for centuries,
wherever helpless and poor people are found,
who knows what kind of devil awakens in the minds of
the powerful and then the basic principles are
completely forgotten, destroying the very fabric of humanity.
Where do the rules go when so-called
powerful nations try to create a war-like
situation in the world?
Why does the plight of the poor
go unnoticed, as if it doesn’t exist?
If we cannot learn from our past mistakes,
then what is the need for so many
war memorials and memorial days
to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in wars?
At least we don’t have to pretend to be humanitarians.
If history cannot teach us compassion,
then what good are our monuments?
If humanity is confined only to books,
then perhaps the greatest tragedy of war is not destruction—
but the silencing of our conscience.
What Kind of Humanity Is This?
A reflective poem questioning the contradictions of war, power, religion, and the fading conscience of humanity.
What kind of humanity is this?
What kind of human religion are we following,
where we ourselves attack others
in the name of religion,
and then we ourselves cry?
What kind of progress is this,
which exists only for I, me, and myself?
What kind of competition is this,
in which land is snatched from others
to create land for oneself?
What a paradox it is that we read
so many wise sayings and noble thoughts,
yet when it comes to implementing them
in our own lives,
we utterly fail.
What kind of life are we living,
where we expect from others,
but never take the initiative ourselves?
When we stumble on the road,
we curse the stone,
yet we never remove it
so that no one else gets hurt.
What kind of behavior is this,
where we issue ourselves
a certificate of honesty,
yet refuse to give others
a chance to defend themselves?
Why do the mistakes of the past not scare us?
Why does the pain of others not make us cry?
Why do we remember the duty of humanity
only when suffering reaches our own door?
Despite countless books,
historical lessons, and testimonies of destruction,
why do we continue to forget
the essence of humanity?
Our world is filled with books
about compassion and morality,
yet when the moment arrives to practice them,
our steps move in the opposite direction.
For centuries this pattern has continued:
whenever helpless and poor people appear,
something dark awakens
in the minds of the powerful.
Then the basic principles of humanity
are forgotten,
and the very fabric of civilization
begins to tear apart.
Where do the rules disappear
when powerful nations
create war-like situations in the world?
Why does the suffering of the poor
go unnoticed,
as if it does not exist?
If we cannot learn from our past mistakes,
then what is the purpose of
war memorials and remembrance days
dedicated to those who died in wars?
Perhaps then we would not need
to pretend to be humanitarians.
#SayNoToWar
