THE NEWS |
Azim N. Khamisa In the Corporate Market! Azim Khamisa helps transform the corporate market, uniting management teams and uplifting employees to perform at their zenith. For information on booking Azim at an organization or corporation, click HERE.
Seeing Azim on Oprah
Recent episodes of Oprah have thankfully addressed the much needed topic of Forgiveness. If you would like to see Azim Khamisa on Oprah, click HERE and let her producer’s know.
Public Appearances Click HERE |
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Azim Khamisa's Peace & Forgiveness Newsletter
July 2007 |
 Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness
A Dream Come True
By Azim N. Khamisa As our country came to celebrate Independence Day this year, I was reminded of the day in 1979 I took my oath of allegiance and became a United States citizen.
During my swearing in, I felt goose bumps over my entire body, and I was so proud to be a citizen of a country where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for everyone thrives, a country where freedom permeates the air. I told both my children many times that the best gift I gave them was making them citizens of this great country.
However, when my son Tariq was tragically taken away from me in 1995, that pride burned away. Guilt actually set in. I had lost my son on the streets of a country I had picked for him. My knee-jerk reaction was to leave this country and move to England where I had attended school. But I soon realized that my love for the United States was stronger than my pain and rage.
I also knew there was no place in the world where I could run away and hide from my son’s death. I had to stay here; I had to fight; I had to find meaning for the rest of my life without my son. At this time I decided to become a foe – not of my son’s killer – but of the prevalent violence in our society. I saw that if I could work at ridding my beloved country of violence – coupled with its commitment to freedom and liberty – the United States would be the exemplary role models that inspired world peace. Through workshops, keynote speeches (to the public and corporations), TKF seminars for children, I have been promoting that peace over the last 12 years. I have committed the rest of my life to the eradication of violence in our society.
So as we celebrate this year’s Independence Day, let us remember that we won independence from the British oppressors through violence and 1770s’ revolutionary war. Some 170 years later, Gandhi won independence from the same oppressor without firing a single bullet, but by embracing principles of nonviolence and peacemaking.
As we reflect over our 230 years of history, we still have the same tendencies today to attempt to resolve conflict with violence and war. This is not only true on a national level; it is also true at the individual level. Think about how this way of thinking impacts your daily life, the lives of your family, your relationships (current and past) and the workplace. There is a better way – a third option. Not with violence or avoidance, but with consistent and compassionate attention on the matter:
- To look at conflict as an opportunity to create understanding, love, unity, sisterhood and brotherhood.
- To use the principles of nonviolence and peacemaking.
- To use the most powerful principle of forgiveness.
It helped me and my family heal the experience of losing Tariq. It has helped Tony (Tariq’s murderer) and his family heal. And it has healed many youth and adults who have been impacted by our message.
I truly believe that through forgiveness we can assure peace in the world, and – more importantly – create a world in which our children are safe to live and thrive. It is their right and our duty. Our founding fathers were committed to leaving a better America than the one they inherited. Many risked their lives when they signed the Declaration of Independence, and they did it FOR US! What are we doing for our children and grandchildren now? How committed are we to leave a better America than the one we inherited?
A safe and a peaceful place for our children to grow, prosper, and experience life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
If we do not make this happen, then who will?
If not now, then when?
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