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Island of a Thousand Mirrors


A stunning literary debut set during the Sri Lankan Civil War
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How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

Created: 09/15/14

Replies: 9

Posted Sep. 15, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family? Is true forgiveness possible?


Posted Sep. 15, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joyces

Join Date: 06/16/11

Posts: 410

RE: How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

In situations where this happens I think that it is not a choice one makes put a situation one has no option but to tolerate or choose to move it that is an option. For most in the situation the financial constraints are probably such that they can not go elsewhere.


Posted Sep. 16, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
mariannes

Join Date: 12/17/12

Posts: 206

RE: How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

I don't see how I could do it if the people had committed the crimes themselves. If they were just members of a group that committed the crimes, that would be different since they didn't necessarily support the crimes. It would be hard to trust them, however.


Posted Sep. 17, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
djn

Join Date: 05/19/11

Posts: 93

RE: How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

I don't know...does survival mode kick in...does anyone really know ?


Posted Sep. 17, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rebajane

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 320

RE: How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

I agree with mariannes. If it's a community of people, whether based on religion or race, eg.that committed crimes against my community of people it might be difficult but not impossible to live side by side. But I could never tolerate living by someone who had personally committed a crime against me or my family


Posted Sep. 18, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
ylhoff

Join Date: 10/23/12

Posts: 85

RE: How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

Maybe it's really not a matter of choice in a country where money is severely limited, if available at all. Maybe, like so many people right now in the Middle East and Africa, there is nowhere else to go, and breaking family ties and everything they know maybe worse than living with a known evil. And maybe, people still believe that in the end everyone has some good in them?


Posted Sep. 21, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rebeccar

Join Date: 03/13/12

Posts: 548

RE: How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

I think it would be terribly difficult to live right next to someone who had personally committed an atrocious crime against a family member. I agree with what ylhoff wrote above; the subsistence level of existence in many countries demand that people move on. On a larger level, it's a good thing that the United States can move on since our country has been at war with so many nations in the past that we would not have many (any?) nations left to have as allies - - beginning with Great Britain in our Revolutionary War.


Posted Sep. 25, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
susanp

Join Date: 03/19/14

Posts: 4

RE: How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

It would be very difficult to live near someone who hurt my family. I am curious about how Rwanda has moved on after the genocide there. I am going to try to find something to read about this. Perhaps something like the Truth Commission in South Africa is needed to engage the country in helping individuals move forward.


Posted Sep. 26, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
SusanB

Join Date: 04/28/11

Posts: 15

RE: How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

In Rwanda everywhere you go you see the slogan "Never again". There are momuments small and large, all with the same message. If as a community you make a decision to move forward I think it is possible to. The same could be said for South Africa. Having been there several times I am always amazed at how far they have come but I have also encountered people who still voice all the terrible thoughts of apartheid, althought they can no longer act on them as they once did. I am always amazed that some of the most vocal seem to be Europeans who immigrated there. Human nature seems to say if you are in power, stay there.


Posted Oct. 01, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
mal

Join Date: 09/09/13

Posts: 164

RE: How does one live side by side with people who have committed terrible crimes against your family?

Difficult to answer. I suppose you must forgive to be able to move forward. Have faith history won't repeat. I imagine no matter how hard you try there remains a sense of unease the slightest tremor could cause a major shift and erase all goodwill. No doubt there are pockets where blending is next to impossible and a visible line is drawn - for peace sake. Not an easy question to answer.


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