Saturday, March 30, 2019

Empathy in the Time of Racist Terror


In a world riven by bigotry and hatred, the people of New Zealand shows what solidarity and love can accomplish even in a moment of national tragedy like the recent Christchurch mosque attacks. Muslims constitute just over one percent of the country's population, yet Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led the nation in reaching out to the stricken victims with spontaneous compassion. Religious leaders of different faiths- Christian, Jewish, Sikh, etc- came out in iridescent solidarity with the Muslim community, and attended joint prayers in mosques. Stu Cameron, Minister of New-life Church on the Gold Coast, said: "Good neighbours always weep when the other is weeping, and stand together in solidarity when the other feels threatened".  Attending a  prayer meeting at a mosque with her head covered with a black dupatta, New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern quoted Prophet Muhammad (sa). "According to Prophet Muhammad...the believers in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy are just like one body. When any part of the body suffers, the whole body feels pain" she said. "New Zealand mourns with you; we are one". Earlier too, when Ms. Ardern visited the mourning families to comfort them, she covered her head to show respect to the people's traditions. As she embraced them, her face mirrored their pain, making plain to those who had lost their dear ones in the shootings that she shared their suffering. 

Sunday, March 24, 2019

The Christchurch Mosque Attacks

Calamities abound in our small world, and not a day goes by, without the media  chronicling the many disasters striking around: cyclonic storms, devastating floods; forest fires, landslides, earthquakes, Tsunamis, etc.  Even more despairing is the case of the many man-made disasters afflicting humanity: religious extremism; political fanaticismracism; intolerance and oppression of minority groups; national chauvinism and xenophobia; political repression and terrorism; genocidal violence; civic strife and internal wars, etc. Indeed, all the Signs of our times testify to the many troubles engulfing our planet. In his Friday Sermon of 22 March 2019~14 Rajab 1440 AH Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) continues the reflective series on Islam and international terrorism today. 

Speaking against the backdrop of the recent massacre at Christchurch/New Zealand where a white terrorist went on a rampage with semi-automatic weapons in two mosques, killing 50 Muslim devotees attending Jumu'ah prayers, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) underscores the importance of prayer, peace, love and dialogue to restore the world on an even keel. 

Thursday, March 21, 2019

'Istighfar': On Divine Forgiveness

I do not absolve myself of weakness, for the inner self is surely prone to enjoin evil, except on whom my Lord has mercy. My Lord is of course Protector (against sins), Ever Merciful’.---(Surah Yusuf, 12:54).

This sublime expression of humility in the declaration of Prophet Yusuf (as) points to a larger truth about moral failings in the human condition: only Divine Grace can help us traverse the flood of base passions. As humans, each one of us has an innate proclivity or inborn weakness to be swayed at times by the attractions and colours of this world. Our bodily urges can and will, at times, eclipse our moral responsibility and injure our spiritual self. Satan can induce us to stumble in moments of frenzy and we might forget or even willfully ignore that God watches over us in all that we do, openly and secretly. Whether we remain within the laws of the permissible- respecting the boundaries of the Shari'ah- or commit transgressions and become liable for sins; the reality is that God knows about it all. Indeed the Lord of the Universe knows about the deep desires and other inner passions that fuel all our actions- good and bad- and especially, our many failings. The Qur’an emphatically declares: Were it not for God’s Grace upon you and His Mercy, not one of you would ever be pure.” (Surah Al-Nur, 24: 22)

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Pulwama: Beyond Terror and Vengeance

On the Pulwama Tragedy

The suicide attack on Thursday, 14 February 2019 against an Indian military convoy in Pulwama, Kashmir revived tensions between India and Pakistan. This attack claimed the lives of at least 41 Indian soldiers. Delhi is multiplying diplomatic initiatives to isolate its Pakistani neighbour, while preparing a military response. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently referred to what has become a national tragedy in the country. He declared on Sunday, 18 February 2019: “The fire that embraces your heart also embraces mine.” This statement was made to a crowd gathered for a political meeting, shortly after asserting that “the blood of India was boiling.” 

Fury has seized social networks and several TV channels close to the government call for revenge. For the Indian Prime Minister, the moment is critical: never has an attack raised so much emotion in the country since the terrorist attack of Bombay (Mumbai) which had made 174 dead in November 2008. The moment is also crucial for its political future just weeks away from the scheduled elections in April and May.