Islam speaks out on that tragedy...
The Boston Bombing Outcry
The recent Boston Bombing has gripped headlines throughout the world. Outrage against the bombing and condolences for the afflicted have poured in from all four corners of the globe. The loss of innocent life is ever a tragedy and outrage against the same is expected and warranted.
However amidst this ensuing drama, a very serious question needs to be addressed, “Is American life more valuable than Afghani, Iraqi or Palestinian life?”
As one journalist very poignantly tweeted, “I'm up for us "All Being Bostonians Today". But then can we all be Yemenis tomorrow & Pakistanis the day after? That's how empathy works.”
The Boston bomb blasts claimed 3 lives with a reported 170 people injured. Strangely enough on the very same day, Iraq was rocked with multiple car bombs with over 55 people dead and over 200 hundred injured. Yet the only response we hear to this terrorism is a deafening silence, if we have heard of the Iraqi bombings at all.
This situation is simply untenable. Is sympathy only due for countries of power and standing, while the lives of others are worth as much consideration as the splat of a bug on a windscreen? What world are we living in that so easily practices selective humanitarianism?
It is high time that we become pro-active about such issues. The voices of justice must rise if the status quo is to be remedied and it starts with every one of us taking responsibility for the Ummah. It starts with us taking out our time and flooding newspaper editors with intelligent and unemotional responses. It starts with responsible journalists and columnists taking the courage to address these issues in local and international media. And it starts with parents grooming their children to be those who will be guided by justice and will stand up for it wherever they may be.
We ask Allah to come to the aid of the suffering throughout the world and to relieve the world of those bent on terrorism and war, Ameen.
Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
Council of Muslim Theologians
223 Alpine Road, Overport, Durban
The bias towards American or Anglo Saxon lives and Israeli lives would obviously be there because they control the media empire.
But let's suppose Muslims had the media power to speak, would Muslims value lives lost in the same way as they do ? Do we value life with as much dramatic nature as they do? Have Muslims become desensitized to Muslims dying?
To me its useless to complain about kafirs giving more value to their own lives. I think its obvious. What we need to learn is for Muslims also give more value to the millions of Muslim lives being lost and they be remembered as much and actions be taken to prevent such loss.
Heard the authorities know who the suspects are ?
Apparently one goes by the name of Sunil Traphali, a Hindu Brahmin name.
Also is the shooting at the university campus linked to the marathon bombing ?
All praise be to Allah, Rabb of the worlds. Salutations and Salam be on the Chief of all messengers.
“O Allāh, You are my supporter and You are my helper, by You I repel (the enemy) and by You I attack, and by You I battle.” “Sahīh Abī Dāwūd” “Sahīh Al-Jamilah“Al-Kalim At-Tayyib”
As-salamu 'alaikum
I am going to come out and say something that most probably will sound extremely controversial. However, I ask all of you to bear with me.
In the first post of this thread, an example of 55 Iraqis dying and over 200 being injured on the same day as the Boston attack was brought up. Why does this news not make the headlines? Because it is not "news". Car bombs, suicide attacks, etc. have rocked Iraq for over a decade now. News about people dying in Iraq is not "news". People dying in Iraq is the norm. However, this Boston attack is not the norm, therefore, it makes the headlines.
There are a lot of deaths in the US that do not make the headlines. Victims of gang related violence and other kind of victims do not make the headlines in the US. Why? Because it has become so common in the US. Does it mean that the US values more the lives of those who died in the Boston marathon over those who die because of gang violence? I don't know, but I am going to venture a guess and say no.
The fact is unusual cases will receive more coverage. For example, a man murdering his wife or girlfriend might be briefly mentioned, but it is not going to make any headlines. However, a Paraolympic celebrity killing his girlfriend will receive a lot of coverage, i.e. the case of Oscar Pistorius. Does it mean that society values the life of Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend over somebody who was not a celebrity or who was not killed by one? Again, I am not going to claim that I know this for a fact, but I will guess that no. The reason why Pistorius' case gets more coverage is because he is a celebrity. Plus he is a man who has prosthetic legs.
Newspapers do not run a memorial service.
PS: I am not claiming there is no bias in the media.
well all that is from
sunniforum.com
Topic: Boston marathon bombing