“How can you go to war with terror,
When it’s war that’s terrorizing?” K’Naan.
So let’s deal with this straight. Up front and center. Let’s not get too sensitive or too defensive, but I have a question – What the hell is terrorism? What is it? I want to know. Maybe when I know what it is, I can do something about it.
My trusted computer defines terrorism very simply. Maybe even too simply as “the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims”. While making “From A Whisper”, the question of terrorism came up. Obviously. 11 years ago, the US Embassies in East Africa was attacked. ‘From A Whisper’ is the film about it. Since then, all I remember are repeated atrocities committed against people in the name of “fighting” terrorism. How have they done that? Hmmm…
If I were to look back right now, in this moment, this is what I will remember about international politics off the top of my head. AIDS. Global warming. War. Iraq. Afghanistan. Moi. The Embassy bombings. Twin towers. Water shortages. Post election violence. Obama (of course). Power rationing. Fuel shortage. Maize scarcity. Child soldiers. Chicken/swine/animal flu. So what is terrorism again? Because it seems all over the world violence and intimidation is being used. So are we all being terrorized around the world at the same time? Is there a mass worldwide terrorist network that intravenously pumps fear into all of us? What a scary thought! Thank the Most High I am enlightened enough to see the changes and stop them before they happen. And I do this by making choices. Voting. Buying eco-brands. Watching the right shows on cable. Buying organic. Recycling plastic at the supermarket. That’s how I resist terrorism. Me, the modern, cosmopolitan anti-terrorist fights back… by consuming. Isn’t that what we are taught to do? Or was I the only one in that class?
Through all the research, the character creation, working with the actors and hearing multiple interpretations of “From A Whisper” I realized in life there are people who make bad choices, selfish decisions to secure their own happiness, security, their own heaven. My characters use violence and different forms of intimidation but not for political gain. So are they terrorists?
