September 11: Message of Sorrow, Condolence and Solidarity from Guatemala
To all our friends in solidarity with the people of Guatemala we wish to express our concern over the tragic events that happened to them Tuesday September 11, 2001, in NY, Washington, DC and PA. The International Mayan League/USA and the Mayan Congress in the United States energetically condemn this cruel terrorist attack on the buildings of the World Trade Center (WTC) of the city of New York and the Pentagon. Many innocent people died who worked there, not to mention the passengers in the three planes that were used as bombs to hit these buildings and others, as well as the crash in PA.
The rationale with which the terrorists acted to solve their political and ideological differences is to be condemned from every point of view. We, the Maya of Guatemala from the cosmovision of our ancestors, only believe in dialog and tolerance for solving conflicts. There are ways – civilized and harmonious – to straighten out difficulties, but we reject all brute force, and instead we use ideas and intelligence.
According to our experience during the 36 years of war in our country, many of us were hit very hard in our lives because the death of our dear ones left deep wounds in our heart, shocks and nightmares. For this very reason many of us are still living as exiles in this country. We are very thankful for all this reception that the Americans have given us.
We completely reject these cruel attacks in NY and Washington, DC. This tragedy pains us that has been suffered by our brothers and sisters of this country of North America. We do not only see this pain as a pain of the citizens of this country, but also as a pain for all humanity because we are all brothers and sisters, children of the same Mother who is the planet Earth.
We express our solidarity with all the North American people because of this bloody act. We express our grief and condolences to those many families who are hurt by the death of their loved ones. We will be always in solidarity and prayer for them so that the Creators and Formers, Heart of the Sky and Heart of the Mother Earth, might fortify them in spirit, and that our dead sisters and brothers find a place of peace next to stars in the firmament.
We pray to the Great Protective Spirit of Life, that together we might find a better way of solving these conflicts and so to peacefully avoid new armed confrontations that can only cause damage to humankind and to the environment, and that we all might live in harmony and peace. May the Great Spirit bless us all.
Felipe and Elena Ixcot are Mayan elders from Guatemala, and directors of the International Mayan League, USA.
