The news of the Christchurch massacre of men, women and children in two mosques left me numb. The fact that it was live-streamed meant that people can see what those last dreadful moments were like. They don’t need to imagine the horror; they can witness it. I didn’t see the video, except for some still images, but even those images engaged with my psyche and soul, leaving my heart heavy and restless. It struck me how, in a similar fashion, countless innocent people have been gunned down, or bombed, around the world, including my own beloved country, many times in mosques. This is Zulm; this is Fasad. And like Yasir Qadhi once pointed out, while explaining Ayat 39 and 40 of Surah Hajj, that it is for these reasons that people stand up and fight in Islamic Sharia. The tragedy left me with the personal desire that may I too leave this world in a state of worship, and a strong feeling that given the dark times we live in decent humans and Muslims need to strengthen their ranks against evil.
By Farheen Moin
I condemn the massacre of any innocent human life be it Muslim or non-Muslim as taught to us by our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Islam, a religion that stands for justice and peace and against any oppression against anyone. Amid the pain and terror, this incident has highlighted that special notice needs to be taken of a few liberties granted to people in general. How can live-streaming of crime, brutalities and dehumanizing actions be permitted in a so called civilized world today? Next, a man exchanges hateful agendas and posts a 70 page manifesto of his violent intentions so openly. No flags are raised. War weapons are accessible to common buyers without anyone verifying their need and credentials. Why? Action needs to be taken against all such social media companies. Gun laws have to be more strict and vigilant. White supremacists are as dangerous as any other extreme groups that have abominable ideologies. A world of humans cannot operate on hatred.
By Rana Rais Khan
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever.” This Hadith succinctly describes the feeling of Muslims all over the world in the wake of the Christchurch shootings. The tragedy has been a wake-up call on many fronts, reminding us starkly of the fleeting nature of life and reorienting us to its real purpose. I also feel like it reminded me that death can overtake us at any time, in any place and to ask myself each time whether I want to be doing a certain action or be in a certain place when death overtakes me. Unfortunately, while shocking, it hasn’t come as a surprise thanks to the widespread anti-Muslim rhetoric taken up by politicians and the media worldwide, time and time again. In the face of such tragedy, we can only be reminded of what Allah says in the Quran: “…But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.” [Surah Anfal: 30]
By Yumna Sarwar
Image courtesy: Reuters
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