Religion and secularism

Religion is generally understood to be a faith or belief in God alongwith certain traditions and customary rites and rituals performed by the adherents of that faith. A religious group is one which follows a common set of beliefs and traditions.
Secularism is not an absence of religion. Secularism involves respecting each religion equally. It means not promoting one religion at the expense of another. It also means not persecuting anyone simply on the ground of their religious beliefs. It is expected from a secular society that it will be more progressive as compared with a religious society because it moves ahead of certain bias that is prevalent in closed religious groups. Secularism is a boon only as it prevents orthodox beliefs and encourages free debates in all fields of life and science. It will not allow society to be blinded by superstitious beliefs. But it has a very hard task of maintaining an equilibrium between the various segments of the society. A balance has to be maintained for the progress of the society otherwise in a pluralistic society tragedies can be hard to prevent.

Slumber

Tragedies occur, we react, we become active for some time and then again we return to our slumber. We tend to forget. We forget about the lives lost, we forget about the families destroyed. We forget everything and move on with our mundane life. Till another tragedy strikes, whether natural or man made. We wake up once more, protest and forget again.
As long as we keep forgetting, as long as we keep going back to our sleep, nothing will change. We need to take a prolonged struggle to bring about the change. Not just a few protest marches but a sustained continued struggle for a better world order. We have to be change we want to see around us. We have to change our life to be what we want in this world. Change for the better, change for good. Change so that our children witness a better future. Otherwise, we will keep forgetting and keep sleeping, till the final slumber will take us for ever.

For the parents

When I had lost my son in April this year, I prayed that no other mother has to face the same pain that I was going through. But unfortunately, in the last eight months, I have seen and heard about innumerable parents undergoing the pain of having been separated from their children. Some lost their children to disease while others to accident, but the most unfortunate of all was losing their children to terrorist attack. The loss that they have suffered is irreparable. The pain that they are undergoing is unimaginable.
Somebody asked what do you call a parent who has lost their child. I call them living dead. Every breath they take reminds them of their loss. Every face, every festivity, every playground, every school, every toy shop, every family, every baby store, every stand of small clothes, everything around them reminds them of their loss. Not only they have lost their child, they have lost their dreams, they have lost their hope, they have lost their reason for living, they have lost their prayers. They have lost their identity. They have lost their future. They exist but they do not live. Their laughter is hollow, their eyes always wet. They have lost all that they were or had ever hoped to be.

Who is a Muslim?

In today's society riddled with the so called islamic terrorism, the question arises as to who is a Muslim? There are so many who claim themselves Muslims and so many who declare them heretics.

The Ahmadis call themselves muslim but Pakistan has declared them heretics. Ismaili dawodi bohra and khoja are heretics for others. Zaydis, alawis call themselves Muslims but are heretics for others. Ithna Ashari are heretics for Salafis/Wahhabis/Saudis. Deobandis and barelvis call each other kafirs. So the question is who is a Muslim?

A Muslim is one who believes in the unity of God and does not enjoins good with evil. A Muslim is one who spreads the message of love, peace and goodness and forbids evil in his life and his surroundings. A Muslim is one who treats all humans as equal, who considers all humans as either his brothers in faith or his equal in humanity. A Muslim is one who respects everybody's right to live and right to every basic human values. A Muslim is a person who is a good human being.

Thank you Australia for understanding

Thank you Australia for understanding that a few men do not represent the beliefs of millions of other unrelated people. Thank you for not being prejudiced against the innocents. Thank you for understanding that other people are equally vulnerable. Thank you for understanding that they also require your help and support. Thank you for the hashtag "iwillwalkwithyou". Thank you for being there with the people in need. Thank you for understanding that they are also victims. Thank you for understanding that they are just like you. Thank you Australia for understanding.

For the parents of victims in Peshawar

Being a mother who has lost her own child, I know that the mothers and fathers of those children who became victim of such brutality will never find peace. They will always move with a broken heart and a grieving soul. While most of us will move ahead, the mothers will always cry over their innocent children, who lost their lives, not to disease or accident but to voluntary acts of violence.
While it is easy to say to have patience, the truth is that pain is known to only those who have faced it. The tragedy has left behind innumerable broken hearts, unfulfilled dreams and hollow promises.
Yes, they say leave everything to God, God will punish, God will do justice, but again God has said that He does not change the affairs of men till men themselves try to bring about a change. God helps, God guides but God wants us to take an active part in bringing about the change, in bringing about justice.
It is our duty to guide and bring back to the correct path those who have wandered and those who can wander. It is our duty to teach love and live a life to inspire. It is our duty to work towards common good and justice. It is our duty to bring about peace. It is our duty to spread love so that there is no more repeat of Peshawar. So that our children and their children live a happy peaceful life and attain their highest potential.

There is no God that.....

There is no God that will forgive the acts of pure evil
There is no God that will forgive slaughter of children
There is no God that will forgive the murder of humanity
There is no God that will forgive the massacre of innocence
There is no God that will choose vice over virtue
There is no God that will choose hate over love
There is no God that will choose ignorance over wisdom
There is no God that will choose revenge over forgiveness

A truly heinous crime

Attacking young innocent school children is a real low in the history of mankind. Talibans attacking a school in Peshawar is one of the most barbaric acts in the recent times. The innocent lives that were lost were too precious. Taking revenge on children, frightening children is a truly heinous act.
A bunch of coward lunatics hide behind guns and bombs, thinking that they are the best of men. They are not even human. They are lower than the lowest if creatures.
A heart that can bear to kill children cannot be a human heart. Even beasts carry greater love and sympathy in their hearts.
An attack on children, an attack on education is an attack on humanity. Once again humanity has been crucified to satisfy the lust of few creatures that are not even worthy of being called men. Shame on the perpetrators of such evil, shame on the supporters of such crimes.

Condemn the evil doer, not the innocent

I wonder if it is really necessary to spread barbaric deeds in the name of religion? Acts of violence are purely personal acts, why should anyone defame an entire group of people or an entire faith in order to satisfy one's own lust. A criminal is a criminal, the end. His birth religion has got nothing to do with it. And most probably he is absolutely oblivious to his religion. If someone has brainwashed another group of individuals, for his own personal, political gains, then blame that individual, not the other unrelated innocent beings.
Yes, anyone who supports those acts of violence, should be condemned. Such individuals who support evil should be held guilty. If someone has been brainwashed, guide them. Show them the path of truth. If someone has committed a crime, punish them. If someone instigated a crime or abets it, punish them. If someone glorifies a crime, condemn them. But not those who oppose it, just because they have some ethnic or religious similarity. Don't kill the sheep just because the wolf is dressed like them. Help them and protect them from evil. They are equally vulnerable as the rest of the society, maybe more, because they don't have refuge anywhere.

Gone too far

You are, but a figment of my imagination

You once were mine, but no longer are

How much I yearn for you to come to me

But you won't, not in this life, you have gone too far

You were a breeze that was too feeble to stay

You were the shooting star, not to be seen again

Gone too soon, gone too fast

Gone before I could hold you again