Post by Islamic Revival on May 31, 2004 3:48:09 GMT -5
As-salam alaikum,
This is an article from the Daily Nation Newspaper of Pakistan. InshAllah we should write to journalists who write good articles and try to establish some discussion with them.
Any ideas on the best way to do this?
wa salam.
==============================
Eyes wide shut
By ATIQA PASHA
www.nation.com.pk/weekly/oncampus/may-2004/19/page4.htm
In one of our first lessons of biology in high school we studied that man is; scientifically speaking, an animal. Most of us gave this no more importance than just another fact that was to be memorized to pass yet another science exam. Ofcourse! We have always thought of ourselves as the best of God's creation. We are after all " ASHRAFUL MAKHLOOQAT" and relating ourselves to animals seemed somewhat derogatory.
Guess what? Today I am going to prove to you that we , who like to call themselves human beings, are after all nothing but like any other animal in the kingdom. Or so we have become. I plan to make the task to admitting to this scientific fact very easy upon all of us.
In 712 A.D responding to a cry of help by a Muslim girl who was being maltreated by Raja Dahir n the sub-continet, Hajjaj Bin Yousaf from Iraq sent a 17-year-old Mohammad Bin Qasim to rescue her. Keep in mind that we are not talking of the times when it is a matter of minutes for a fighter jet to cover this distance across the ocean. We are talking about 712 A.D when it took not days but months to complete this kind of a journey. Whatever the hurdles, whatever the consequences, that 17-year-old general rescued her. What spirit!
It was an innocent Muslim girl being held prisoner. She did not have to be Hajjaj Bin Yousaf's daughter or his wife or his niece to have any army to be sent to free her. She was the responsibility of the Muslim Ummah only by virtue of her being a Muslim and she was the victim. That reason alone was enough to compel a ruler to send a full-fledged army to fight against tyranny being practiced on a helpless Muslim. That is when we have the right to call ourselves human beings.
Innocent lives were taken in Afghanistan. What did we do? Iraqis were massacred. What did we do? Today we all are watching the horrific treatment that was given in all probability is still being dished out to the Iraqi prisoners. What have we done? Nothing!!! Absolutely nothing! We have not even bothered to lift a finger. We are mere onlookers watching the ugly scenes. Doing the usual "tsk! tsk! tsk!.." and then forgetting about it. God forbid, if this had happened to anyone of us would have wanted to do something about it? Yes we would!
Then how come the Muslims of the world have not given even one single joint statement? We have not even condemned this thing with vigor let alone taken practical measures against it. Where is the OIC? Where is our dignity? Where is the element of Humanity that distinguishes us as a human being?
The sickening photographs that we have seen over and over again of those helpless Muslim prisoners have not had any effect on us. Forget about them being Muslims...they are humans are they not? You know what? They are! But we are not!!!That is the only reason that explains our complacency over such gory animalistic acts!
People who are involved in carrying them out are not the only animals here. we all are too, who remain unmoved by all this. Think about it!!! only an animal would just look on at something so indifferently and walk past it without even a second thought.
This is an article from the Daily Nation Newspaper of Pakistan. InshAllah we should write to journalists who write good articles and try to establish some discussion with them.
Any ideas on the best way to do this?
wa salam.
==============================
Eyes wide shut
By ATIQA PASHA
www.nation.com.pk/weekly/oncampus/may-2004/19/page4.htm
In one of our first lessons of biology in high school we studied that man is; scientifically speaking, an animal. Most of us gave this no more importance than just another fact that was to be memorized to pass yet another science exam. Ofcourse! We have always thought of ourselves as the best of God's creation. We are after all " ASHRAFUL MAKHLOOQAT" and relating ourselves to animals seemed somewhat derogatory.
Guess what? Today I am going to prove to you that we , who like to call themselves human beings, are after all nothing but like any other animal in the kingdom. Or so we have become. I plan to make the task to admitting to this scientific fact very easy upon all of us.
In 712 A.D responding to a cry of help by a Muslim girl who was being maltreated by Raja Dahir n the sub-continet, Hajjaj Bin Yousaf from Iraq sent a 17-year-old Mohammad Bin Qasim to rescue her. Keep in mind that we are not talking of the times when it is a matter of minutes for a fighter jet to cover this distance across the ocean. We are talking about 712 A.D when it took not days but months to complete this kind of a journey. Whatever the hurdles, whatever the consequences, that 17-year-old general rescued her. What spirit!
It was an innocent Muslim girl being held prisoner. She did not have to be Hajjaj Bin Yousaf's daughter or his wife or his niece to have any army to be sent to free her. She was the responsibility of the Muslim Ummah only by virtue of her being a Muslim and she was the victim. That reason alone was enough to compel a ruler to send a full-fledged army to fight against tyranny being practiced on a helpless Muslim. That is when we have the right to call ourselves human beings.
Innocent lives were taken in Afghanistan. What did we do? Iraqis were massacred. What did we do? Today we all are watching the horrific treatment that was given in all probability is still being dished out to the Iraqi prisoners. What have we done? Nothing!!! Absolutely nothing! We have not even bothered to lift a finger. We are mere onlookers watching the ugly scenes. Doing the usual "tsk! tsk! tsk!.." and then forgetting about it. God forbid, if this had happened to anyone of us would have wanted to do something about it? Yes we would!
Then how come the Muslims of the world have not given even one single joint statement? We have not even condemned this thing with vigor let alone taken practical measures against it. Where is the OIC? Where is our dignity? Where is the element of Humanity that distinguishes us as a human being?
The sickening photographs that we have seen over and over again of those helpless Muslim prisoners have not had any effect on us. Forget about them being Muslims...they are humans are they not? You know what? They are! But we are not!!!That is the only reason that explains our complacency over such gory animalistic acts!
People who are involved in carrying them out are not the only animals here. we all are too, who remain unmoved by all this. Think about it!!! only an animal would just look on at something so indifferently and walk past it without even a second thought.
