Just wanted to write this down as something was troubling my heart for long. Having read enough every day on the terrorist attacks and mass killings in the name of fighting back terrorism, child abuse, molestation, human trafficking, religious – racial discriminations and various other inhumane activities, it would be pure selfishness not to bother these as we are safe and not in the midst of these!
As I sat down still unable to digest all that happens across the world, I asked the inner sense:
‘Why do the people have to fight in the name of God(s) when all the religious texts preach peace and insist kindness?
What do they achieve by proving the might of their sect?
Why do they have to fight over the land when actually the latter is going to eat them when buried and their successors too in course of time?
Who asserted them the right to do ethnic cleansing with so much impurity in their own hearts?’
When you ill-treat a community just because they are minority in a patch of land you dwell in, remind yourselves of your brothers and sisters who are minority in a far across country. Will you wish them to deserve the same treatment too? Harassing any other community only implies the weakness in your faith for you fear that they might thrive as they are righteous.
If you want your garden to flourish, why do you need to fell down the neighboring trees? Plough your land, sow the healthy seeds, water and manure your soil, nurture it. The roots of those trees will automatically reach out to yours..!
Have you ever given a thought when you actually started imbibing the feeling of hatred?
Was that on reading an article against any particular group with mellowing words to make you believe what actually is not the reality?
Was that on hearing any leader’s speech who might be warming up on kindling your hay of feelings?
Was that on reading some forwarded messages on discriminating and degrading others’ religious practices?
Unfortunately, so many such factors present us the prejudice which we are heedlessly passing on to our heirs.
Where actually is the race of humans racing away from humanity?
When you are wondering which best school can you educate your child in, remember there are some places where schools are bombarded estranging the children of their enlightenment.
When you are baffled which course to order in a cozy restaurant, remember there are mothers in other parts of the world who sift out the food from the waste for their kids and end up starving.
When you leisure and pleasure in the bath tub of foam, remember someone is fetching the last ounce of water from the dwindling well not caring if it is muddy or salty to quench his thirst.
When you tread on earth with pride of owning a home, remember somewhere people are deprived of their rights and driven away in masses from their own land who plead refuge to other countries.
When we hail women for winning the medals and exploring the space, in the same world there are women for whom protecting their dignity is itself a daily challenge.
Everyone prays their God for health, wealth and a loving family, offers sacrifice to pacify, construct magnificent places of worship on His name and even make a deal with Him for promotions. Aren’t the prayers answered by their respective God always? Is people of a particular sect alone are extinct? Or has only a community been burgeoned? If you see closely with eyes wide, realize that God himself wants the equilibrium to be retained. Why are we, His dear children are fighting over?
So next time, when a veiled woman or a man with turban sits next to you in a public commute, spread your contagious smile. If someone with holy thread across crosses you chanting hymns or the one who is adorned by a cross pendant passes by praying the rosary, be the first to greet. They too are flesh and blood just like you but with a different belief to hold on as everyone is entitled to.
And those who feel agitated by continuous mockery of your pietism and oppression of your rites, pray your Protector for the strength to be patient. Stay leftist as otherwise you are only making others’ nightmares come true. Keep in mind that the river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence. Be gentle, loving and caring. Someday, yes someday their perspective on you will change and that day the social harmony rings harmonious. Scientists may still argue if a butterfly flap can bring in rain, but your random act of kindness will surely drive away someone’s pain enchaining unity for certain.
The earthquake doesn’t know the people of which religion and sect it is going to engulf, but your bombings do!
The Hurricane doesn’t know if it will hurt women or children, but your gun fires do!!
The flood doesn’t know how many lives and their dreams it will wash away, but your strife do!!!
I have let my dove of peace fly with a twig of olive
How about you?
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