Not In Anger
Two days spent with my head hung in shame.
I cannot even begin to grapple with the senseless death of so many beautiful
children. I have a boy and a girl who I send off to school every morning with
complete conviction that they will return to me in the afternoon, safe and
sound. I cannot imagine what it would be like, not to be able to wrap them in
my arms or kiss the top of their heads, while they try to get away from me.
Normally, I don’t bother so much with
Facebook posts, the size of Kim Kardashian’s behind does not interest me, nor
am I interested in who owns what handbag, or which party some friend attended,
but for the past two days I have been reading the posts. I have read things that
made sense, a piece written by Bina Shah posted by a friend, rang true, as did
an email by a Princeton Professor, but I am dismayed at other posts.
It seems that many of us are determined to
turn this into our 9/11 and copy America’s response; a call to arms. I am no
Taliban or Al-Qaeda sympathizer, far from it, but justice cannot be vengeful.
It is obvious that some among us harbor
these groups. These men have neighbours, friends, and families who do not turn
them in. We have to turn them in. But once they are caught, the answer is not
to hang them, or “teach them a lesson’’ by brutalizing them. We have to have
fair trials and allow justice to be served.
But even that, in our country, leads us into a maze because of a justice
system that does not function even at the best of times.
There is so much that has to be fixed, so
many systems that require overhauling. To imagine that simply hanging a bunch of
men at the town square will make Pakistan a better country or a safer country
for its children, equates to chopping hands for theft while people starve.
When push comes to shove, the first thing
left out to dry, cannot be our humanity. Our first response should not be to
roll up our sleeves and get down to the dirty business of “punishing these
bastards.” When emotions run high, the
first response should always be to sit back and reflect. Once the moment has
passed, and logic has returned, then that is the time to chart a course of
action and remain steadfast.
I am not religious but many of you calling
for violence in response to violence are, so in the name of the religion I was
born to, and the religion you profess to, sit back and let the anger pass- for
that is what your religion teaches you to do. Sit back, count to 10, and recite
a prayer so that your first response is not in anger.