I am a muslim.
I pray 5 times a day (even though sometimes I do fail in doing this), read the Quran as much as I can, fast during ramadhan and try to fast on a 'sunat' basis as much as I can. At times I miss my prophet Muhammad s.a.w even though I have never met him.
I am proud to be a muslim. In my heart, I know that it is the religion for me. I know that as much as every devout Christian, Buddhist, Jew, Hindu and all the other religions out there knows that the religion they profess is right for them.
When I heard Osama was killed, I blinked and went on the read the news in the next page of the newspaper. People thought I did not care, but I have to be honest and say I was silent for I do not know what I should say upon hearing such news. I have not seen the speech made by Obama, I do not think I want to. I do not want to see the footage of where Osama was killed. I do not want to hear that America has taken custody of his remains, promising 'that his remains shall be disposed off in a Islamic manner' only to hear later that he remains was dropped off in an ocean somewhere.
I ask myself, 'what is the purpose of this madness?' and tears come to my eyes. I mourn not only for the people lost in the 9/11 attacks, but for Osama. Because regardless of the race or religion of the people who have perished in both incidents, we are all citizens of this earth. He was as much my brother as the people who perished in 9/11, an event which also moved me to tears as I saw it happen, almost a decade ago.
What has America proven by killing the so called 'No. 1 terrorist in the world'? Their actions prove nothing more than their belief of what justice is and it is 'an eye for eye', what else can you call it? There was no court, no trial. Just an order to kill. In a way, their actions prove that they are no better than the terrorists who they claim is responsible for the death of their citizens. Judge, Juror and Executor all in one.
I am no Osama sympathiser, but as I watch how everything went down and how America is perfectly capable of meting out 'justice', I wonder what is being done about the massacres in Palestine? the breach of war ethics by the Israelis who murder and slaughter women and children? The mass massacres all throughout the African region, the Bosnian conflict and massacre, what have the self proclaimed 'police of the world' done to protect those in these regions save for sending some troops and leaving it to the UN to do the rest? Which of course means that nothing gets done in the end?
What is the difference between the value of the life of those killed there and those who lost their lives on American soil? A lot, as you can apparently see...
It kills me to know (and I know everybody knows this) that the end of Osama's life will bring on nothing but more death. He died a martyr (at least that is how his death will be viewed by some) and will be avenged upon. I know that violence has been repaid in violence and this will go on. Blood will continue to flow. The cycle continues and shall never be broken.
I thank God everyday that I am a Muslim living in a peaceful country free from war and oppression, free from a country where I may be branded a 'terrorist' simply because I profess the religion of Islam.
I am free to watch my son grow and not worry that he may be shot or attacked because he is living in a land which is coveted by others through a dispute that have lasted some 2200 years ago. That my husband as a 'Muslim' man may be shot down for no other reason than he is a man and that he is a muslim.
I thank God everyday that I have grown up in a country that did not teach me to hate.
I am struggling, and struggling still to make sense of it all...
May my God, your God, the God of us all have mercy on all of us...
I pray 5 times a day (even though sometimes I do fail in doing this), read the Quran as much as I can, fast during ramadhan and try to fast on a 'sunat' basis as much as I can. At times I miss my prophet Muhammad s.a.w even though I have never met him.
I am proud to be a muslim. In my heart, I know that it is the religion for me. I know that as much as every devout Christian, Buddhist, Jew, Hindu and all the other religions out there knows that the religion they profess is right for them.
When I heard Osama was killed, I blinked and went on the read the news in the next page of the newspaper. People thought I did not care, but I have to be honest and say I was silent for I do not know what I should say upon hearing such news. I have not seen the speech made by Obama, I do not think I want to. I do not want to see the footage of where Osama was killed. I do not want to hear that America has taken custody of his remains, promising 'that his remains shall be disposed off in a Islamic manner' only to hear later that he remains was dropped off in an ocean somewhere.
I ask myself, 'what is the purpose of this madness?' and tears come to my eyes. I mourn not only for the people lost in the 9/11 attacks, but for Osama. Because regardless of the race or religion of the people who have perished in both incidents, we are all citizens of this earth. He was as much my brother as the people who perished in 9/11, an event which also moved me to tears as I saw it happen, almost a decade ago.
What has America proven by killing the so called 'No. 1 terrorist in the world'? Their actions prove nothing more than their belief of what justice is and it is 'an eye for eye', what else can you call it? There was no court, no trial. Just an order to kill. In a way, their actions prove that they are no better than the terrorists who they claim is responsible for the death of their citizens. Judge, Juror and Executor all in one.
I am no Osama sympathiser, but as I watch how everything went down and how America is perfectly capable of meting out 'justice', I wonder what is being done about the massacres in Palestine? the breach of war ethics by the Israelis who murder and slaughter women and children? The mass massacres all throughout the African region, the Bosnian conflict and massacre, what have the self proclaimed 'police of the world' done to protect those in these regions save for sending some troops and leaving it to the UN to do the rest? Which of course means that nothing gets done in the end?
What is the difference between the value of the life of those killed there and those who lost their lives on American soil? A lot, as you can apparently see...
It kills me to know (and I know everybody knows this) that the end of Osama's life will bring on nothing but more death. He died a martyr (at least that is how his death will be viewed by some) and will be avenged upon. I know that violence has been repaid in violence and this will go on. Blood will continue to flow. The cycle continues and shall never be broken.
I thank God everyday that I am a Muslim living in a peaceful country free from war and oppression, free from a country where I may be branded a 'terrorist' simply because I profess the religion of Islam.
I am free to watch my son grow and not worry that he may be shot or attacked because he is living in a land which is coveted by others through a dispute that have lasted some 2200 years ago. That my husband as a 'Muslim' man may be shot down for no other reason than he is a man and that he is a muslim.
I thank God everyday that I have grown up in a country that did not teach me to hate.
I am struggling, and struggling still to make sense of it all...
May my God, your God, the God of us all have mercy on all of us...
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