The Coronavirus Crisis Exposed Our Weakness
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Abrar A bi-monthly newsletter published by the Abrar Islamic Foundation 45 CrawfordEdior: Place, DrLondon Saeed W!H Shehabi 4LP A bi-monthly newsletter Tel:Published 020 7724 by the 3033 45Fax: Crawford 020 7724 Place, 7219 LondonEmail: W1H 4LP Vol 16, No 19 (379) 1st—15th April 2020 [email protected] Tel: 020Website: 7724 3033 The coronavirus crisis exposed our weakness www.abrar.org.uk The ongoing health crisis in the world, as exem- bers of the sick are increasing in an environment Email: plified by the onslaught of the coronovirus is where there is no cure for the disease. abrarhouse causing fear and anxiety among the people. While history books contain horrific accounts of @hotmail.com While China may have started its road to recov- the plague (black death) in the 17th century and Website ery after enormous governmental and public other strains of influenza especially the Spanish www.abraronline.net efforts, the world is still struggling to contain its flu of 1918, the current situation has become Charity no. 293802 spread. It is widely believed that the Western pandemic according to the World Health Organ- world has failed drastically to prepare for the isation (WHO). All individual and collective disease despite having ample time to prepare for efforts must be directed to stop the spread of the it after it had struck China. Most countries are virus. The experience of China has proven to be struggling to stop its spread as thousands suc- effective in halting it. The Chinese have started We stand for: cumbed to this killer virus. The UK Government helping other countries with both experience has been accused of proper management of the and equipment. This positive approach reflects • Inter-faith and inter- situation with deep reluctance to undertake dras- political and human maturity and deserves civilisational dialogue tic action such as the total shutdown of the sys- praise. The present human environment needs to tem including closing down schools, banning be overhauled morally, scientifically and tech- • Respect for the human gatherings of any size and breaking people's life nologically. The hope is that after this episode race and rights to a standstill. Promises by the government of has subsided new efforts will be made to cleanse an active and effective policy have not material- the world of negative tendencies such as selfish- • Cooperation for the ised. As the number of victims escalated so is ness, exploitation, hatred, prejudice and political good of people the anxiety of people and possibly the fear of arrogance. The ongoing predicament is a serious • Moderation fatal consequences. Large scare fear and anxiety challenge to humanity as a whole and must be contributes to reduced immunity against the addressed collectively with a good degree of • Modernity disease while hope and positive attitude lead to responsibility and morality. more constructive approaches to the crisis. The religious authorities in the Middle Eastern • High standards of It is probably one of the unique times that the region have done their part to ensure safer envi- spirituality world has experienced in modern history. Since ronment. They banned almost every religious the Second World War, there has never been a activity that brings people together like mass disaster at this gigantic scale. The world has daily and Friday prayers, seminars and any other experienced local or regional earthquakes, psu- congregation. They issued decrees making it In this issue namis, flooding, rising temperatures, bush fires compulsory for people to follow the instructions as has happened recently in Australia, hurri- of the doctors and other medical authorities. canes and serious downfalls. But it has not ex- This is in addition to special prayers for an end Local Events 2 perienced anything like the ongoing episode of to this horrible disease. The public must rise to the coronavirus. As the world tries to come to a their responsibility and contributed positively to Muslim Affairs 3 grip of the disease, life has almost come to a the efforts that aim to stop the disease. Everyone standstill. Airlines have stopped their journeys, has a positive role and play and can contribute What Islamic hygienic 4 airports closed or deserted, big events like foot- to the collective efforts by governments and practices can teach to ball matches and smaller gatherings have all professional bodies. It is a religious and human counter coronavirus been stopped. The idea is to reduce the number duty to undertake this role in the most serious of people exposed to the virus that has wreaked way. The Chinese have taught the world lessons Mosques, Islamic havoc on communities in perseverance, tol- and threatened the erance, seriousness centres close down 5 lives of many especial- and cooperation. Fur- ly the sick and the el- thermore their posi- Faces of Muslim wom- derly. Businesses have tive contribution to en throughout history 6 stalled as more people other stricken coun- either voluntarily or tries has set new high Story: forcefully "self- levels of humanity Enemy becomes friend 8 isolate". Limiting con- that has become a tacts with others help source of pride to the reduce the risk of in- inhabitants of this fection. Yet the num- planet. Page 2 Local Events Anniversary of 17th uprising Some of our brothers had linked that Dr Abdul Karim Al Najjar presented event with the suspicious visit by the his version of the events that took place On Thursday 12th March the weekly British foreign secretary, Lord Carring- on 17th Rajab. He said that following meeting of Abrar was addressed by ton, to Baghdad in the first week of June. the detention of Al Sadr the people two speakers who presented their The detention of Ayatullah Al Sadr hap- erupted in anger and started protesting memories of the events that had taken pened few days later. in several cities of Iraq; Najaf, Bagdad, place in Iraq in 1979. Abdul Karim Al In the few months between February and Al Hurriyah, Grai’aat, Kadhemiyah, Najjar and Ghanem Jawad remem- June 1979 the regime released some pris- AlNa’maniyah, AlKhales and Jadidat bered, for the sake of documentation, oners, mostly Islamists. This was inter- Al Shatt. When the news of the arrest the events surrounding the detention preted as an attempt to please the people was confirmed by the BBC I rushed to in the holy city of Najaf. of the promi- and contain their emotions. the Kadhemain mosque where I saw nent scholar, Sayed Mahommad Baqir Following the detention of Al Sar, pro- hundreds of young people entering Al Sadr in June of that year. tests erupted in several places. Two plac- from AlMurad and Bab Al Qibla gates. Ghanem Jawad es were prominent: They were chanting: kicked off the de- The first is Imam Al Kadhem Mosque at Al Sadr lives, Islam bate saying that our Al Thawra city (Al Sadr city now). It is always victorious. Arabic and Islamic was led by Sayed Qassem Al Mubarqa The security mem- culture is oral, not and was attached first by the Ba’thists, bers left the court- written; we do not then by the security forces. I participated yard of the mosque master the art of in the protest of Kadhemiyah where I and the uprising last- written documenta- prayed behind Sayed Hussain Al Sadr. I ed for one hour. The tion. Secondly the noticed the presence of large numbers of protesters did not memoirs of promi- security personnel. When the prayers enter the inner part of nent figures were generally written finished, one man shouted that Al Sadr the mosque, just the courtyard. When after their death, not in their life. This has been released, so the people reacted they heard that Al Sadr had been re- depends on individual memories and with joy. The crowds left the mosque leased they dispersed. Some were de- probably short notes. We both lived and were attacked by the security forces. tained as they left the mosque. I left the that event and interacted with it. But There was also some shooting outside Al place and went back to my office (of there are no real studies of those Murad Gate. I did not see the inured. the national oil company). It appeared events that were the beginning of the Then I went with some friends to Dr that they were not aware of what had massive anti-regime campaigns that Hassan Raja’s house at Aameriya Dis- happened, so I was not asked why I followed. Fear was one of the factors trict. Abdul Karim Al Najjar (the other was late. Many groups went to visit Al as people would be asked when they speaker) was driving the car and we were Sadr to express solidarity. The were detained about any book in their followed by the security forces. We man- regime’s agents took photos of those possession. aged to reach the house. Our meeting delegations and arrested many of them Abdul Karim Al Najjar said that the was attended by Dr Hussain Al in the following weeks. They were Islamic movement, headed by the Is- Shahrestani and Mohammad Saleh preparing for the eventual liquidation lamic Da’wa Party played a leading Fakhri. We were discussing what could of Martyr Mohammad Baqir Al Sadr. role in the 17th Rajab uprising (12th be done to maintain the momentum. My June 1979). The previous uprising was duty was to monitor the communications Coronavirus shutdown that the Safar uprising in 1979. On as I was working with the Post and Tele- that day Ayatullah Sayed Mohammad phone Directorate. I managed to identify The Coronavirus crisis forced the clo- Baqir Al Sadr was led away from his some telephones that were being moni- sure of almost every aspect of social house in Najaf to Baghdad.