Random Reflexions

Ok, here's your forced out tear drop. Happy?

It is so easy for us to contemplate on the miseries of others while basking in the comfort of our blessings. However, mere contemplating does not make solutions manifest.

But why would one react to others suffering if one does not experience the same? We can be patient, because we haven't experienced loss. But what about the victims?

Shame on us. Shame on good coffee.

People like you who live in comfort and ignorance of humanity often scoff God and worship money- while the victims believe in God and fear, strengthening their faith. It's only a fleeting second that gets you to think about the unlucky ones isn't it?

As the saying goes Ignorance in a Bliss..is it really a bliss?

Z,

Yes, as opposed to 2 fleeting seconds that is more humane, I suppose?

Z, as M said, ppl dont feel sorry abt disasters like that unless they experienced it themselves. I think thats why Simon also feels like that; not cos he worships money. But ur right about the fact that the tsunami disaster strengthened the Islamic faith in many Maldivians.

Simon, I don blame u for not feeling sorry for tsunamic "victims". And excuse me for saying this, but i think you'd be singing another song if you happened to be on an island which was struck with 3 metre high tsunami waves.

SinningSlave, well said.

Death . . . is no more than passing from one room into another. But there’s a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see.

Such is the plight of Tsunami Victims and meer observers

chill
Athena

Nass, you're right. I might'nt have been playing Frank Sinatra.

Athena, that's too deep for me. :)

No doubt about your singing.

nass,
some people feel sorry about disasters like that even if they did not experience it themselves.
There are people gave to help the victims of the tsunami.
Find out the facts. Do you know how much money was donated? and - Be Thankful.
This kind of mentality is ruining a nation. You hear this all the time. Every leader will loot the country. Every manager will rob the company...etc..etc..etc

wicked man! well i suppose you thought more of the victims than me.

it's funny but in reality i guess not many people have the time to really think and do something for the tsunami victims. we should be yes, but i have to get another wireless pci card, the !@#$%^& card i have is not compatible with the newly installed Vista.

Not a big fan of the coffee craze. It reeks too much of a petit-bourgeouis trend to me. I can't afford a/c back at home either but whenever I've raised the question of victims of the tsunami (sans quotes as victims they certainly are, in my opinion) with my friends or family I've either met with indifference for their condition or ignorance over whether they do exist. There are busybodies out there who do give a damn but blame it on the media's obsession with sensations-of-the-week or blame it on popular apathy, the tragedy of their lives have been somewhat obscured. Still I don't think guilt is a really productive response. Oprah said the only substantial thing she's ever said (and I'm not a big fan of hers) when she announced that she is not and never will be guilty for having a good life. I mean yeah boohoo we're so much better off than them and shame on us for not caring. How does that help? We have our own lives to get on with so unless we can do something about it why not just shut our traps and show some respect for the sufferers by refraining from writing their eulogies ourselves.

Nass
maybe tsunami helped to strengthen the the Islamic belief of some Maldivians and possibly some lost faith in the religion, who knows? And what about the Hindus, Buddhists and Christians who lost faith and strengthened thier respective beliefs. If you are saying it is a punishment from God and people heeded the warning and became more religious, from which God the punishment came from?

Or is it a concerted effort by all Gods? And the irony is the victims happened to be the poorest of the poor who cannot afford the sins, instead of the real sinners in high places.

And I don't understand why you feel sorry for a people who are going through their rightful and deserving punishments for not obeying their Gods. And if they are as you called "victims" who is the victimise-r? Is it the Tsunami?

Suhail,

I think u wanted to know why we have to feel sorry for tsunami vistims.

Consider this: Some thief breaks into a house, rapes a woman sleeping n steals all the money inside house. Pretty aweful huh? The police catch him, take him to court n prison him.

My question is, WHY do we do that? Why don't the police find him n shoot him on the spot? (as what he did was really bad). Why aren't the police allowed to torture him heavily n break his back or neck in jail?

Instead he is taken to court where his lawyer screams for his rights for commiting the murder n rape, then he's jailed, fed, clothed, given shelter, allowed to talk to lawyers, family etc.

So (since u say the tsunami victims are punished by God), i guess the same thing applies to them. We dont have to leave them in their islands n let them die without food or live in cardboard boxes.

nass: according to you story

rape victim = victims of the tsunami
Mr T.Sunami = cops

why should anyone institutionalize the rape or tsunami victims. someone should take the tsunami to prison in that sense.

And one more thing Nass:

you said"..
My question is, WHY do we do that? Why don't the police find him n shoot him on the spot? (as what he did was really bad). Why aren't the police allowed to torture him heavily n break his back or neck in jail?"..

Cops in the Maldives already do that sparing but few.

Nass.
Sorry, you have not answered my questions at all.

"Consider this: some thief breaks into a house, rapes a sleeping woman and steals all the money inside house. Pretty awful huh? The police catch him, take him to court n prison him."

As long as the thief gets the punishment that he deserves we have no say and have no reason to feel guilty and get involved ourselves. The law does not tell the police to torture someone or kill someone for stealing or raping. If the law says (as the laws are made by us) they should be killed and tortured, what right do we have to fight against it?

If the so called victims are sufferiing the deserving punishments from God as you believe, I think you have no reason to feel sorry for them. In that case you will mourn and cry for the people who are doomed to Hell for disobeying God. I think you should not. They are paid what is only their due.

People, people! (and by that I mean Nass n Suhail). Seriously who gives a shit? It's very clear that both of you are speaking from different philosophical bases. It's like watching Richard Dawkins vs The Pope. It's impossible to have a rational debate with someone who believes in supernatural gods and vice versa. So just call it a day.

Nass,
one more thing: in your parable of thief raping the sleeping beauty, victims are the sleeping woman and the owner of the stolen money, not the thief. By torturing the thief, police makes him a victim, and the real victims are undermined in the process of judiciary.

By providing the defence counsel to offenders, the laws make sure the offenders do not get victimised. As long as they remain offenders and not vctims, we have no mercy with them.

Hamza,

you mean to say Pope and Richard Dawkins do not talk rationally or what? Don't they count? Or, Hamza, do you view yourself in the middle who believes in nothing?

Hamza,

Nass and Suhail is like The Pope and Richard Dawkins? Man, you don't know how to be subtle do you? hehe. :P

And Suhail, I'm sure Hamza'd appreciate if you could ask about his views and beliefs via email or on his blog. :)

Eid mubarik to all

Yeah Simon. I was never known for my featherlight touch. Thanks for plugging my blog :D. Bravo! You do it with such subtlety. Suhail, in answer to your question, I believe that one of the two is rational. Three guesses who.