Suha Raibuya questions the integrity of laws and sympathizes with Guristas during spiritual sermon
Nannaras X
February 19th YC 121
In Hoiyori, controversy is surrounding the Windchime guru Suha Raibuya after she made some questionable remarks during a recent sermon of hers.
These sermons typically involve Suha speaking on the teachings of Windchime Wayism and providing spiritual enlightenment to attendees, this time around however she challenges the legitimacy of “Man-made laws” in New Eden and expressed openly in front of 300+ attendees a sympathetic view of the Guristas and their plight.
We go now to the first quote for context.
“-There is a startling difference between laws of nature and laws of society. The laws of nature are undeniable, they’re the truth of our reality and how it functions. There is no deviating from these laws for they were woven into this masterpiece by the Maker. Scientists will boast that their recent technological marvels break certain laws, but they’re merely bending them to gain a deeper understanding of the finely tuned craftsmanship of our world, never breaking them…The laws of society, however, are far more fragile; they’re man-made creations that can be easily broken. No law ever written is as powerful as cold steel…Or in this era’s case, a fully armed warship. Laws of the State, Empire, Republic, Federation, and our Zaibatsu are not backed by some divine force. They’re backed by men and women like you. Flawed human beings are what give these man-made laws any power or significance. Without them, they’re meaningless rules you’d follow out of courtesy, or break without fear of consequences…The Peacekeepers of the Zaibatsu are capable individuals who will bring down a consequence on your head swiftly should you be caught performing any illegal activities here in Hoiyori, but don’t feel as if these laws have any control over the world, or you. When it comes to following them you are either following them because you’re afraid to step out of line, or being considerate to those around you.”
- Suha Raibuya
She then segues into this next quote, which shows her speaking sympathetically of how the Guristas are portrayed
“Do note, I understand the need for law and order in society, i do not scoff at their use. You can’t have civilization without them, even these supposed “Outlaws” understand this. For example, the media would portray the Guristas as nothing more than a barbaric tribe of marauders that haven’t the faintest idea what a law is. The reality is the Guristas are just as civilized as the four empires! They have a formidable military force that has the discipline and skill to rival the Caldari State. They rapidly create new and advanced technology that the Empires dream of having the secrets to, and they’re home to countless men and women who’ve been forgotten by these oh-so-great Empires. The Guristas follow their own rules in their territory, it’s not some bloody free-for-all where we are murdering and stealing from one another in broad daylight, there’s as much order in a Guristas station as there is a Caldari one…Do the empires care? No, they’re to caught up in their own fear of a rogue element that they can’t control with their meaningless legislations. They point and scream that they’re the monsters, brand them as criminals and proceed to revel in their death and demise. Because in New Eden, it’s fine to murder and steal from those aligned with the Guristas, in fact it’s legal to do it in the eyes of CONCORD…The Empires hide behind these laws to justify their rampages and legitimize their genocide. Do they care? No, they refuse to look at people not waving one of their white-listed flags as human. Capsuleers are the worst, most self-righteous raiders that slaughter in the name of their governments so they can be hailed as heroes when they return home or boast over the galnet for praise from their peers. You can’t lay a hand on a citizen or soldier of one of the Empires, but you can lay waste to entire stations and fleets of these “pirates” and be rewarded. Laws of society have been weaponized to justify their murder. Murder on behalf of the Guristas is seen with scorn and disgust, while murder on the behalf of one of the Empires is seen as heroic and justified. So why should the Guristas obey their laws when they’re weaponized against them? Weaponized with the intent of eradicating them. Once again, I tell you all that the laws of society are not of the divine, they’re made by humans like you and me. To break a law of CONCORD is not defying a God, it’s defying the men who designed the law to suit their needs.”
- Suha Raibuya
These two quotes collected from the sermon are at the center of this controversy. Word of what was said had spread through the colony and is concerning many colonists as to what exactly Suha is teaching her followers. Many are worried that Suha is implying that it’s fine to break the law so long as you don’t get caught and getting her followers to buy into a reality where the Guristas are the real victims of society despite their long rap sheet of pirate activities, terrorist plots and black marketing (To name a few examples.)
The real concern that comes from these quotes stems from the fact that Suha has built herself up as a popular community figure in Hoiyori. She’s an outgoing social butterfly that will attend small parties hosted between colonists, seek out and converse with strangers, settle disputes and offer people a shoulder to cry on in their time of need. Not to mention that she’s also the spiritual leader for the Zaibatsu. In short, she’s a celebrity to many of the colonists who look up to her and trust her. Even recently, Colony administration has adopted her likeness to be a mascot of sorts for maintenance and construction signs across Hoiyori due to her familiarity among colonists.
((OOCly designed by @Julianni_Avala))
This influence Suha has over her fans and followers is where the danger lies. Her sermons stay focused on spiritual subjects and material only for this one to segue into a politically charged statement, giving the impression she’s sneaking other messages in during other sermons.
Suha’s sympathetic view of the Guristas undoubtedly comes from her upbringing in a Guristas colony in Venal, a fact that she shows no shame or fear of revealing to others. She takes an amount of pride in where she hails from and on numerous occasions has made negative or critical statements about the Caldari State. It should also be pointed out that the Windchime teaching of Wayism developed by Suha started in this aforementioned colony, giving some the impression that this is just a version of Wayism for pirates, and these recent remarks push that narrative further.
No law is broken in this story, Suha phrased her remarks as a philosophical argument rather than rhetoric inciting action or violence. Thus being cleared of having any legal action taken against her, though her character is still brought into question. When asked by ZANIE reporters if she wanted to reword anything she said, Suha quickly replied that she stood by what she said and didn’t see the need to reword anything.
ZANIE will update if any new developments occur.