Self-Righteousness in the Name of Goodwill – Hostage Incident Highlights Absence of Logical Reasoning
HAKAMADA Shigeki / Professor, Aoyama Gakuin University
May 20, 2004
Three Japanese civilians were taken hostage in Iraq by terrorists demanding the withdrawal of the Self Defense Forces sent to assist that country's reconstruction. Family members of the hostages strongly requested the government to place top priority on saving lives, including the possibility of pulling back the Self Defense Forces. It goes without saying that terrorists are a despicable lot. I choose nevertheless to point out a problem inherent on the part of the three hostages and their families that government officials and commentators alike have abstained from doing out of diffidence. I do so only because it is a problem that is intricately linked with the political perception of the Japanese in the post-World War II era.
In today's Iraq, virtually no national authority exists to enforce order, leading to frequent incidents of terrorism and kidnapping. To make matters worse, the region is also home to international terrorist groups that have singled out Japan as their targets. In light of these developments, since last year the Japanese government has issued more than 20 evacuation notices to Japanese nationals in Iraq.
The three Japanese knew Iraq was an extremely dangerous region and entered the country in defiance of the repeated notices issued by the government, and as such are fully responsible for their own safety. In this sense, their circumstances differ completely from victims of kidnappings perpetrated by North Korea. The incident could have been foreseen, and individuals without means of protecting themselves should not enter Iraq. Because once you are involved in an incident - regardless of whether you yourself are prepared for the worst - your family, along with the sympathetic general public, will demand that government place priority on saving lives, even at the expense of bending its basic principles. In other words, your action will cause immense inconvenience to your country and countrymen, and deal a significant blow to the international community’s battle against terrorism. Expecting to get away with each and every action based on goodwill is more self-serving than it is naïve. While it may sound harsh, most Japanese are far too ignorant and self-righteous on issues concerning international conflicts and terrorism.
There was an incident in the past when a Chechen militarist group took a British reporter hostage and demanded a ransom of several million dollars to the British government. Although the amount was insignificant for a country, with consent from the family the British government refused to meet their demands. The incident ended in tragedy, but this response had the effect of declaring to the world that terrorists will gain nothing by kidnapping British nationals. Thus British nationals were made safe from terrorists worldwide.
Similarly in Russia, more than 800 spectators at a theater were taken hostage by Chechen terrorists. In that incident, the terrorists demanded that Russian forces withdraw from the Republic of Chechnya. The Russian government turned down the demand and took a determined response that resulted in the deaths of 130 innocent people. Even so, not only did the Russian people accept this distressful result but governments around the world showed their support and gratitude for the response taken by the Russian government. Bracing for the possible sacrifice in human lives and upholding the cardinal rule of the international community, the Russian government averted the recurrence of similar incidents not only in its own country but in the world at large.
Considering that the British government refused to pay a ransom of only a few million dollars, it is out of the question for the Japanese government to surrender to terrorism and bend its national policy by pulling the Self Defense Forces out of Iraq. Needless to say, every possible avenue should be explored in an effort to free the hostages without giving in to terrorism.
If Japan buckled under and agreed to compromise, many more Japanese around the world become targets of terrorism in the future. While a compromise may seem humanitarian at first glance, it would on the contrary generate victims numbering several times more in magnitude and is in fact far more inhuman.
It was precisely because they were aware of this cold reasoning that both the British and Russian governments made their agonizing decision not to succumb to terrorism and the families of hostages went along, albeit with gut-wrenching feelings. It is very difficult for the Japanese to respond likewise. We are prone to respond to the situation at hand only at an emotional level, and lack the realistic logical reasoning and imagination needed to consider the true nature of humanitarianism. This is a problem that is not limited to the hostage issue but is deeply related to the international perception and awareness of national security demonstrated by the Japanese in the post-World War II era.
While hoping with all sincerity that the three Japanese hostages will be saved, I have made points that are seldom expressed in the hope that it may prevent a recurrence and provoke the Japanese into giving serious thought to basic political issues.
The writer is Professor at Aoyama Gakuin University. The commentary first appeared in the Sankei Shimbun newspaper on April 14, before the hostages were freed.
In today's Iraq, virtually no national authority exists to enforce order, leading to frequent incidents of terrorism and kidnapping. To make matters worse, the region is also home to international terrorist groups that have singled out Japan as their targets. In light of these developments, since last year the Japanese government has issued more than 20 evacuation notices to Japanese nationals in Iraq.
The three Japanese knew Iraq was an extremely dangerous region and entered the country in defiance of the repeated notices issued by the government, and as such are fully responsible for their own safety. In this sense, their circumstances differ completely from victims of kidnappings perpetrated by North Korea. The incident could have been foreseen, and individuals without means of protecting themselves should not enter Iraq. Because once you are involved in an incident - regardless of whether you yourself are prepared for the worst - your family, along with the sympathetic general public, will demand that government place priority on saving lives, even at the expense of bending its basic principles. In other words, your action will cause immense inconvenience to your country and countrymen, and deal a significant blow to the international community’s battle against terrorism. Expecting to get away with each and every action based on goodwill is more self-serving than it is naïve. While it may sound harsh, most Japanese are far too ignorant and self-righteous on issues concerning international conflicts and terrorism.
There was an incident in the past when a Chechen militarist group took a British reporter hostage and demanded a ransom of several million dollars to the British government. Although the amount was insignificant for a country, with consent from the family the British government refused to meet their demands. The incident ended in tragedy, but this response had the effect of declaring to the world that terrorists will gain nothing by kidnapping British nationals. Thus British nationals were made safe from terrorists worldwide.
Similarly in Russia, more than 800 spectators at a theater were taken hostage by Chechen terrorists. In that incident, the terrorists demanded that Russian forces withdraw from the Republic of Chechnya. The Russian government turned down the demand and took a determined response that resulted in the deaths of 130 innocent people. Even so, not only did the Russian people accept this distressful result but governments around the world showed their support and gratitude for the response taken by the Russian government. Bracing for the possible sacrifice in human lives and upholding the cardinal rule of the international community, the Russian government averted the recurrence of similar incidents not only in its own country but in the world at large.
Considering that the British government refused to pay a ransom of only a few million dollars, it is out of the question for the Japanese government to surrender to terrorism and bend its national policy by pulling the Self Defense Forces out of Iraq. Needless to say, every possible avenue should be explored in an effort to free the hostages without giving in to terrorism.
If Japan buckled under and agreed to compromise, many more Japanese around the world become targets of terrorism in the future. While a compromise may seem humanitarian at first glance, it would on the contrary generate victims numbering several times more in magnitude and is in fact far more inhuman.
It was precisely because they were aware of this cold reasoning that both the British and Russian governments made their agonizing decision not to succumb to terrorism and the families of hostages went along, albeit with gut-wrenching feelings. It is very difficult for the Japanese to respond likewise. We are prone to respond to the situation at hand only at an emotional level, and lack the realistic logical reasoning and imagination needed to consider the true nature of humanitarianism. This is a problem that is not limited to the hostage issue but is deeply related to the international perception and awareness of national security demonstrated by the Japanese in the post-World War II era.
While hoping with all sincerity that the three Japanese hostages will be saved, I have made points that are seldom expressed in the hope that it may prevent a recurrence and provoke the Japanese into giving serious thought to basic political issues.
The writer is Professor at Aoyama Gakuin University. The commentary first appeared in the Sankei Shimbun newspaper on April 14, before the hostages were freed.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
善意に名を借りた独善と言えぬか－人質事件で思う論理思考の欠如
袴田茂樹 / 青山学院大学教授
2004年 5月 20日
イラクでテロリストが日本の民間人３人を人質にとり、復興支援を行っている自衛隊の撤退を要求した。人質の家族は自衛隊の撤退も含めて、人命救助最優先の対応を政府に強く訴えた。テロリストが卑劣であることは言うまでもない。しかし私はあえて３人やその家族の側の間題点を指摘し、政府関係者も言論人も発言を遠慮していることを述べたい。戦後の日本人の政治認識そのものにかかわる問題点でもあるからだ。
現在のイラクは、秩序を守る国家権力が事実上存在せず、テロや誘拐事件が頻発し、しかもこの地域には、日本をテロの目標にすると宣言した国際テログループも存在する。この状況を見て日本政府は昨年と今年、イラク滞在の邦人に20数回も退避勧告を出している。
３人はイラクがきわめて危険な地域であることを知りながら、政府の度重なる勧告を無視して入国したのである以上、自らの安全に関してはすべて自らが責任を負うべきだ。この点で、北朝鮮による拉致被害者とはまったく異なる。事件は予測できたことであり、自ら身を守る力がない場合、イラクに入国すべきではない。事件になれば、本人は覚悟の上としても、家族や同情する世論は、国の基本方針を曲げても人命救助を最優先するよう求めるからだ。つまり、そのような行為は、国や国民に甚大な迷惑をかけ、テロと戦っている国際社会にも大きな打撃を与える。善意の行動なのだからすべて許されるというのは、ナイーブというより独善である。厳しい言い方かもしれないが、多くの日本人は国際紛争やテロの間題に関して、あまりにも無知であり独善的だ。
かつてチェチェン武装グループが、英国人記者を人質に取り、英国政府に数百万ドル（数億円相当）の身代金を要求したことがある。国家にとっては些細な金額であったが、英国政府は家族の了解を得てその要求を拒否した。この事件は人質にとっては不幸な結果に終わったが、この対応のおかげで、テロリストが英国人を人質にとっても無駄だということを世界に宣言したことになった。つまり、世界の英国人がテロリストから安全になったのである。
ロシアでも劇場で800人を超える観客がチェチェンのテロリストの人質になった。テロリストはロシアのチェチェン共和国からのロシア軍撤退を要求した。ロシア政府は要求を蹴り、断固たる対応をしてその結果何の罪もない劇場観客に130人もの犠牲が出た。しかし、ロシア国民はこの悲惨な結果を容認しただけでなく、世界各国の政府もロシア政府の対応を支持し感謝した。ロシア政府は犠牲を覚悟で、テロリストには譲歩しないという国際的な鉄則を守り、その結果ロシアのみならず世界で同様の事件が再度起きるのを阻止したからだ。
英国は数億円の支払いさえ拒否したが、テロに屈して国策を曲げ、自衛隊を撒退するなど論外だ。もちろん、テロに譲歩せずに人質を解放させる努力は、可能な限りあらゆることをすべきである。
テロリストに日本が屈して譲歩したならば、今後世界の多くの日本人がテロのターゲットになる。譲歩は一見人道的に見えて、逆に何倍もの犠牲者を新たに生み、この方がはるかに非人道的だ。
この冷厳な論理を理解しているからこそ、英国やロシアの政府もテロには譲歩しないという苦渋の決断をし、家族も断腸の思いでそれに同意したのだ。日本人にはなかなかこのような対応はできない。われわれは目の前の事態に情緒的に反応するだけで、本当の人道主義とはなにかを考える、リアルな論理的思考力や想像力をしばしば欠いているからだ。これは、単に人質の間題ではなく、戦後の日本人の国際認識や、安全保障の意識そのものに深くかかわることである。
人質になった３人が助かることを強く望みながらも、あえて言いにくい厳しいことを述べたのは、事件の再発を防ぎ、日本人が政治の基本間題をじっくり考えるきっかけになることを期待するからである。
(筆者は青山学院大学教授。本稿は人質が解放される前の４月１４日の産経新聞に掲載された。)
現在のイラクは、秩序を守る国家権力が事実上存在せず、テロや誘拐事件が頻発し、しかもこの地域には、日本をテロの目標にすると宣言した国際テログループも存在する。この状況を見て日本政府は昨年と今年、イラク滞在の邦人に20数回も退避勧告を出している。
３人はイラクがきわめて危険な地域であることを知りながら、政府の度重なる勧告を無視して入国したのである以上、自らの安全に関してはすべて自らが責任を負うべきだ。この点で、北朝鮮による拉致被害者とはまったく異なる。事件は予測できたことであり、自ら身を守る力がない場合、イラクに入国すべきではない。事件になれば、本人は覚悟の上としても、家族や同情する世論は、国の基本方針を曲げても人命救助を最優先するよう求めるからだ。つまり、そのような行為は、国や国民に甚大な迷惑をかけ、テロと戦っている国際社会にも大きな打撃を与える。善意の行動なのだからすべて許されるというのは、ナイーブというより独善である。厳しい言い方かもしれないが、多くの日本人は国際紛争やテロの間題に関して、あまりにも無知であり独善的だ。
かつてチェチェン武装グループが、英国人記者を人質に取り、英国政府に数百万ドル（数億円相当）の身代金を要求したことがある。国家にとっては些細な金額であったが、英国政府は家族の了解を得てその要求を拒否した。この事件は人質にとっては不幸な結果に終わったが、この対応のおかげで、テロリストが英国人を人質にとっても無駄だということを世界に宣言したことになった。つまり、世界の英国人がテロリストから安全になったのである。
ロシアでも劇場で800人を超える観客がチェチェンのテロリストの人質になった。テロリストはロシアのチェチェン共和国からのロシア軍撤退を要求した。ロシア政府は要求を蹴り、断固たる対応をしてその結果何の罪もない劇場観客に130人もの犠牲が出た。しかし、ロシア国民はこの悲惨な結果を容認しただけでなく、世界各国の政府もロシア政府の対応を支持し感謝した。ロシア政府は犠牲を覚悟で、テロリストには譲歩しないという国際的な鉄則を守り、その結果ロシアのみならず世界で同様の事件が再度起きるのを阻止したからだ。
英国は数億円の支払いさえ拒否したが、テロに屈して国策を曲げ、自衛隊を撒退するなど論外だ。もちろん、テロに譲歩せずに人質を解放させる努力は、可能な限りあらゆることをすべきである。
テロリストに日本が屈して譲歩したならば、今後世界の多くの日本人がテロのターゲットになる。譲歩は一見人道的に見えて、逆に何倍もの犠牲者を新たに生み、この方がはるかに非人道的だ。
この冷厳な論理を理解しているからこそ、英国やロシアの政府もテロには譲歩しないという苦渋の決断をし、家族も断腸の思いでそれに同意したのだ。日本人にはなかなかこのような対応はできない。われわれは目の前の事態に情緒的に反応するだけで、本当の人道主義とはなにかを考える、リアルな論理的思考力や想像力をしばしば欠いているからだ。これは、単に人質の間題ではなく、戦後の日本人の国際認識や、安全保障の意識そのものに深くかかわることである。
人質になった３人が助かることを強く望みながらも、あえて言いにくい厳しいことを述べたのは、事件の再発を防ぎ、日本人が政治の基本間題をじっくり考えるきっかけになることを期待するからである。
(筆者は青山学院大学教授。本稿は人質が解放される前の４月１４日の産経新聞に掲載された。)
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟