As the year ends

As the year ends, it is time to reflect. Though the ending of a year has no cosmic or terrestrial inpact, neither the seasons nor the life impacted but the change of dates brings some hope for the future. As we reflect on this year that was harsh on the children of war torn nations and refugees, it may be the right time to take a pledge that the coming times will be better. This year had started on the note of terror attacks and ended in threats, it may be the time to come together to bring about peace. The year saw many turbulences from political to religious, it might be the time to mend fences and start the new one on a friendly note.
As the year ends, it seems like a right time to mend relations and start afresh.
As the year ends, maybe we should resolve to make each day better than the previous one.

Christmas and the message of Christ

December 25th may or may not be day Christ was born, it maybe the conversion of pagan festivals and rituals, but now it symbolizes Christ and nothing but Christ. When we think of Jesus, we think of him as an embodiment of love and mercy. He gave the message of love, to love one's neighbors, to love one's enemies. In today's chaotic world, this message of love, of kindness and forgiveness, of charity, of mercy, is even more important. When religion has become the dividing force, when people are being harassed, when places of worship are being vandalized and religious books are desecrated, it is even more important to remember and practice what Jesus preached. Discrimination on the ground of race or religion is surely not in accordance with the message of Christ. Jesus said to forgive seven into seventy times, it is time we start forgiving. It is time to receive with open hands all those who seek shelter. It is time to show some kindness, to allow for the differences to fade away and come together as one human family. There are evil forces that are trying to break us, it is time to come together even stronger and defeat the evil.

Women in Islam-2

Islam laid down a system of respect for women and tried to remove all the social evils concerning them. From criticizing female infanticide to showing respect to daughters and sisters, Islam brought about many changes in the status of women.
Status of mothers
In Islam, mothers have been given a very high status, with her position being three times higher than that of the father. The role of mothers in the upbringing of their children has been held in high esteem and consequently her status is raised.
Widows
Islam removed all taboos attached to widowhood and made the widow a lawful heir of her deceased husband as well as made widow remarriage acceptable. The holy Prophet himself married war widows to encourage widow remarriage.
Thus, it can be safely concluded that Islam came as a reform movement for the rights of women and encouraged as well as honored their role in the society. Islam never subjugated or treated women as second class citizens rather it helped and raised them to a higher status.

Women in islam

Islam has been blamed for being harsh and discriminatory towards women by the modern day feminists, being blamed of harming and harassing women. Islam has been often portrayed as subjecting women to hardships and second grade status. However, looking at Islam, one can see that it is in fact a very feminist religion, giving rights to women that none had given before.
Girl child
Quran has given special importance to daughters and has come out harshly against female infanticide. It has also criticized people who are saddened when a daughter is born. The Holy Prophet and his wife Khadijah threw open their doors to any woman who felt danger for her daughter.
Marriage
The Quran prohibits marrying a woman against her wish. A woman has been given a right to chose her husband. Further, a man cannot take a second wife without the consent of his first wife and can do so only if he treats both of them equally. In a marriage, the husband is duty bound to provide for the wife, to see that her honor and dignity are maintained. He has to promise on various conditions of how he will take care of his wife. The wife is also not bound to do all the entire household chores, the Prophet made an example by helping his wives in their work. Under Islam, a woman is not bound to take up her husband's name, rather she retains her own identity.
Divorce
Islam gave the women to divorce their husbands over various reasons. When a woman came to the Holy Prophet saying that she is beautiful while her husband's short and dark looks repel her, He granted her wish for divorce. Further, a man cannot divorce his wife out of his whims and fancies but should have a valid reason for it(practiced in Shia school).
Dower, dowry and maintenance
In Islam, the practice of giving dowry to the groom is prohibited, instead dowry or dower is given to the bride. Men are prohibited from taking that amount back unless the wife returns it out of her free will. In case of breakdown of marriage, the husband pays the maintenance during the iddat of his wife and also pays the maintenance of his children. He is also liable to take care of all the expenses of his wife if she is nursing the child as long as she nurses.
Inheritance
Islam gave the right of inheritance to the women long before anyone else. Daughters inherit from their fathers, widows from their husbands. They have a right over both the movable and immovable properties.
Education and work
Islam encourages teaching of girls and women and also does not prohibit their working. Khadijah, the wife of the Holy Prophet was a highly successful businesswoman. Women in Islam have also been important narrators of the traditions of the Prophet and of the various events in the Islamic history. Women used to question the Prophet about various issues and many verses of the Quran address them directly.
Thus, it can be seen that Islam actually came as a reform movement for the rights of women and gave to women such rights fourteen centuries back that the world is still struggling to attain. Whatever other practices that are seen in the Muslim world that are discriminatory towards women are due to cultural differences and have got nothing to do with Islam.

Children are not stats

Every day we read that so many thousand children are refugees seeking asylum, so many thousands are child soldiers, so many thousand are malnourished or suffering from diseases. Children are not just a number. Every child comes in this world carrying hopes and dreams of his parents. Every child has hopes, desires, dreams. A child wants to grow up, to become someone. When these young dreamers are turned into numbers because of the evils of the world, it becomes a matter of great shame. A child needs parental love and care, education and opportunity to lead a productive life. He needs friends and playgrounds, he needs peace so that he can achieve whatever he aspires for. No child deserves his childhood be tainted by sorrows due to wars or migration. No child deserves that his life be cut short due to political or civil conflicts. We need to bring about peace for the sake of these children who are the future of this world. We need a world where every child smiles, every child gets to enjoy his childhood, a world free from starvation and diseases. A better world for the generations of tomorrow.

Where did we go wrong?

The latest bomb explosion in parachinar area of Pakistan adds to the already large number of bomb attacks in Asia and Africa this year. With hundreds dying in terrorist attacks and still no solution to the problem, it seems that the evil is growing continuously. Almost every single one of these have been linked to one or the other terrorist outfit. The victims are mostly Shias, ahmadis or non Muslims with the Muslim sects making the largest number of victims. Then there are refugees fleeing from these areas, some making it, some dying on the way, and then facing strict scrutiny because of the very evil that they are fleeing. On the other hand, we have instances of gun violence in the United States with over 300 reported this year and no law on gun control in sight. Something is seriously wrong with the world where it seems that nobody cares for the human life. Where did we go wrong that we have generations destroyed by this evil ideology to kill anyone who is different? We need to create a world of peace, a place for our children to grow and their children to enjoy. We haven't inherited this earth from our forefathers, we hold it in trust for the future generations. Let's try to save it, make it a better place.

Playing the victim

Justice, Liberty, equality, secularism and democracy are the basis of the modern society and most of the constitutions in the world have imbibed them. From the universal declaration of human rights to the constitution of individual nations have adopted these principles in governing the people. To ensure these principles, the constitutions have also laid down special provisions for the weaker sections of the society, women, children, refugees, indigenous people, minorities, disabled people. These rights are given not as an appeasement but as a means of bringing these less privileged classes at par with the privileged classes so that the goals of equality are attained. These include the reservations for the backward classes and scheduled castes and tribes, these include protection of rights of blacks, refugees and indigenous people, these include the protection of religious and linguists minorities. However, certain people who belong to the privileged class do not understand the problems faced by these weaker people and feel that they are being victimized. They criticize any action taken for the weaker people. They play the victim, stating that they suffer because of reservations or they state that secularism is being forced upon them because they are majority while the minorities are free to do what they like. They do not pay heed to the fact that the reservation is there to remove the social inequality and not to harass the others. They live in denial of the fact that reservation is there because certain people have been discriminated against for a long time and because of which they are socially, economically and educationally backward. They again do not understand that religious and linguistic minorities need protection so that they may prosper otherwise they will continue to be weak and backward. And they forget that equality and secularism are tenets of the constitutions and not the result of political fancy.

Justice evaded

Justice should not only be done, it should seem to have been done. When the person against whom the judgement is passed feels that justice has been done, it is real Justice. When everybody is satisfied with the verdict and both the parties feel content, it is Justice. In a system, where the rich rarely get punished for their crimes and poor always pay the price, Justice becomes a mere word of mouth. Justice without fear or favor, Justice to the weak is the aim of law. Law is there to protect the weak, it should not bend towards the rich and the powerful. When the law process is delayed and the witnesses are bought, there is no sense of justice. In a world of inequality, law has a special duty to see that the haves and have nots are treated equally. Witness protection is another duty of the legal system. The administration should ensured that the witnesses are not corrupted. Compensation pays a great role in the lives of the have nots but monetary compensation cannot bring back the dead ones. The guilty party should have a duty to provide for the dependents and the victim should feel that he has been given a just verdict.