Monday, January 11, 2010

The Good in All People

I believe in the good in all people

I think it's not that the privilidged don't care
I think it's either they don't know
Or they don't know how to

Feeling helpless and eventually desensitised
At the end accepting unwillingly
Unconsciously
That all disparity is an inevitable part of social reality

And that we can't do anything about it

I promise myself
That I would do something real one day
If not soon

To mobilise those who don't know
Including myself

To realise that they, we, have power
To do something more
Something real

Something more
Than just leaving things be

Something more
Than turning a blind eye

Something more
Than sighing to ourselves
And thinking
Kasihan yah

Because
I believe in the good in all people
I believe in the good in all people
I believe in the good in all people

Saturday, January 09, 2010

A Lifetime of Caregiving

"Human beings are the only creatures that allow their children to come home."
- Bill Cosby (1937 - )

Thursday, January 07, 2010

The Democracy of Islam

After making peace (for the moment) with my suspicion towards the Orientalism of Western ideology, I think I can see (at least) one thing in common between democracy and Islam.

Lakum dinukum waliyadin (Al Kafirun, 109: 6).
To you your religion; to me mine.

That difference is inevitable and that it is the task of all Moslems to ensure that difference is accompanied with tolerance. It reminds me of Voltaire's "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend (...) your right to say it".

The Quran mentions that absolute truth is God's alone. I argue then that according to Islam (or the little I know of it), human truth is socially constructed - which relates to its relativity. In this sense, postmodernist Walter T. Anderson's neo-romantic notion in which truth 'is found either through attaining harmony with nature and/or spiritual exploration of the inner self' seems like a fine closure.

It is true, that if we look closely enough, there are indeed signs for those who wish to see. Although you cannot rationalise faith, it is possible to use your logic to find something greater than all of us.

Surely, there are signs in this for people who contemplate (Al Mu'min, 40: 54).