LAIQ AHMED ATIF | amjmalta@gmail.com | Malta Independent | 07/11/2021

The Taliban have re-emerged and have recaptured Afghanistan in a span of a few days and weeks, and have also formed a government to lead the Afghan nation after a gap of around two decades.

The way Taliban recaptured Afghanistan was something out of a blockbuster movie or a documentary. It was done so quickly and unexpectedly that it has shaken the entire world, and left all the world leaders with so many unanswered questions.

The Taliban assured the world that they have changed and have reformed themselves during the last twenty years. They also guaranteed that they will not violate the basic rights of any citizen, particularly those of women, and will not take any form of revenge.

I had my reservations to all their claims and assurances as time and time again they have clearly shown their lack of humanity, knowledge, education and expertise to run a government.

After securing power, they immediately started showing different shades of their hard-line ideology; disregarding many of their original claims. In recent weeks, the media has reported incidents in which the Taliban have killed people as an act of revenge, attacks on religious congregations, female students and teachers have not been allowed to return to their schools, and women’s access to work has also been slashed.

One brutal instance of their inhumane ideology was seen a few days ago when they violently dispersed female protesters, firing gun shots into the air and pushing them back forcefully, during a demonstration for women’s rights to education and work. Their extremist approaches and implementation of their misinformed and distorted interpretation of Islamic teachings have once again terrorised the entire nation and have shaken their future dreams and ambitions.

Afghanistan is facing massive challenges including lack of education, lack of health facilities, poverty, hunger, disease, fear, terror and uncertainty. Will this land ever see rays of hope, peace and the manifestation of fundamental human rights for the entire nation? Can these deep wounds ever be healed?

I truly believe that anything is possible and Afghanistan can have a bright future ahead, which can only be possible if they completely transform themselves, through actions, not mere words, and through focussing on the real challenges the country is facing rather than levelling their personal grudges and working for their own vested interests.

I wholeheartedly believe that if they are truly willing and committed to witnessing the rays of hope, peace and prosperity, then kindness and love should be their approach in building their country. Instead of buying guns, bullets and bombs, they should invest their wealth and resources in human welfare.

Instead of killing and shedding blood they must become benefactors of humanity; instead of committing acts of violence and oppressing the public they should promote dialogue and understanding, respecting the opinions of others; instead of being ignorant and backwards, they should use wisdom and educate themselves and instead of fighting amongst one another, they should understand one another and live in harmony.

Instead of holding grudges and seeking revenge, they should adopt forbearance and forgive not just through mere words but through their actions just as the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him, pardoned every sworn enemy when he re-entered Mecca. Having achieved victory, he announced to them: “No blame shall lie on you this day; you are all free.” Moreover, he displayed the freedom of conscience and declared total freedom of religion, thus fulfilling the Quranic injunction: “There should be no compulsion in religion” (2:257).

Furthermore, they must completely abandon the ideology of a violent Jihad, and instead engage themselves in the far greater, true Jihad – Jihad of discharging the rights owed to their Creator and of humanity and of reforming their inner selves.

The ideology of a violent Jihad is completely erroneous and misunderstood, and far from its true meaning and spirit. Today’s Islamic scholars present this false notion of a violent Jihad to the general public, inciting them towards violence, using religion to further their own abhorrent agendas. Consequently, their followers’ emotions are enflamed and as a result and they are stripped of all human decency and commit horrific atrocities. Afghanistan is one such example of the above.

I truly believe that the Afghan people, their leaders, and indeed the entire Muslim world, urgently need to understand the true philosophy of Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad is not a false Jihad of terrorism or violence; it is not a Jihad of swords, guns or bombs; it is not a Jihad of cruelty, brutality and injustice.

The Taliban must do a full U-turn and leave their dark shades behind and start a fresh war – war against backwardness, ignorance, illiteracy, poverty, disease, violation of human rights; and they must start the true Islamic Jihad – the Jihad of self-transformation and of serving humanity; the Jihad of love, mercy, compassion, tolerance, justice and human sympathy; the Jihad of a continuous struggle with inner self and egoistic tendencies.

To truly achieve these far greater aims, there is absolutely no need to violently brandish swords or fire guns, rather we need the weapons of love, compassion, kindness, munificence, selflessness, sympathy and above all, prayers. Find Original Article

L-Għalliema Jistħoqqilhom ir-Rispett

“Il-post ta’ għalliem huwa ugwali għal ta’ missier spiritwali.” “Jekk persuna tgħallimni kelma waħda biss, dan ikun għamilni l-qaddej tiegħu għal għomru.”

LAIQ AHMED ATIF | amjmalta@gmail.com | IT-TORĊA | 31/10/2021

Għaliex għandna nirrispettaw lill-għalliema tagħna? Nistgħu nimmaġinaw li r-risposta tkun li għandna nirrispettaw lil kulħadd, jew li huma ikbar minna. Filwaqt li dawn iż-żewġ affarijiet huma veri, hemm iktar minn dan. Għal uħud, l-għalliema huma lesti li jaqsmu l-għarfien tagħhom magħna. L-Iżlam jgħidilna biex nespandu l-għerf tagħna u nfittxu l-għarfien, imma dan ma jkunx possibbli mingħajr għalliema.

L-għalliema jissagrifikaw il-ħin u l-ġurnata tagħhom biex jiżguraw li nifhmu l-lezzjoni u nsiru aktar intelliġenti. Jekk iridu, l-għalliema jistgħu sempliċement jagħtuna l-lezzjoni u jħalluna hemmhekk, imma jħallu lilna nagħmlu l-mistoqsijiet u niftħu l-bibien tal-kurżità li ma jimpurtax kemm idumu miftuħin.

L-għalliema jistgħu jiffurmaw ħbiberiji mal-istudenti wkoll. Li tifforma ħbiberija u tirrispetta lill-għalliema tiegħek jista’ jagħmel il-ħin fil-klassi ferm aktar pjaċevoli. Xi drabi l-istudenti jsibu xi suġġett boring, imma meta jsiru jafu aktar u aktar dwar l-għalliema tagħhom u jħossu d-dedikazzjoni tal-għalliema u l-imħabba tagħhom favur l-edukazzjoni, f’daqqa waħda jsir is-suġġett favorit tagħhom.

It-tagħlim hu professjoni rispettati

Fil-qosor, l-għalliema jistħoqqilhom rispett għal dak li jagħtuna, allura l-inqas li nistgħu nagħmlu hu li ngħollu jdejna u nagħtu attenzjoni, u nagħmlu ħilitna kollha biex niksbu edukazzjoni mill-aqwa. Għax it-tagħlim huwa waħda mill-aktar professjonijiet rispettati u siewja fid-dinja. Alla jgħid fil-Koran Imqaddes li, “Alla jgħolli fi gradi (ta’ ġieħ) lil dawk minnkom li jemmnu, u lil dawk li ngħataw l-għarfien.” (58:12)

F’dan il-vers Alla jgħid li dawk li jingħatalhom l-għarfien ikunu elevati għal pożizzjonijiet għolja. It-tagħlim huwa prezzjuż u dawk li jgħallmu lill-oħrajn huma nies ta’ stima u rispett kbir. Il-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad, is-sliem fuqu, kien qal: “Il-post ta’ għalliem huwa ugwali għal ta’ missier spiritwali.”

Ir-rwol tal-ġenituri u tal-għalliema

Ir-rwol tal-ġenituri u tal-għalliema huwa essenzjali ħafna għall-iżvilupp morali, spiritwali, fiżiku u edukattiv tat-tfal, u għalhekk għandna nuru obbidjenza u rispett kbir lejhom. Il-ġenituri jipprovdu l-ikel għall-ġisem tat-tfal, u l-għalliema jipprovdu l-ikel għall-moħħ u għar-ruħ. L-għalliema jipprovdu l-edukazzjoni, l-għarfien u l-għerf, u jdawluhom bil-fehim, u joħorġuhom mid-dlam tal-injoranza, u jgħallmuhom it-tajjeb u l-ħażin.

Għalhekk, huwa importanti ħafna li nifhmu li l-għalliema tagħna ħaqqhom kull tifħir, inkoraġġiment u rispett. Huma l-għalliema li jedukaw lil uliedna u jwassluhom biex bil-mod il-mod, jaslu għall-aspirazzjonijiet tagħhom. Allura huwa obbligu tal-ġenituri li jgħallmu lit-tfal tagħhom il-valuri tar-rispett, dinjità u gratitudni. Huwa importanti li aħna bħala ġenituri ngħallmu lit-tfal tagħna li l-għalliema jissagrifikaw ħafna għall-istudenti sabiex huma jsiru bnedmin aħjar meta jikbru, sabiex ikollhom futur sod u b’saħħtu.

Is-sagrifiċċju tal-għalliema

Niftakar li hemm xi għalliema jiġu minn distanzi twal, xi wħud saħansitra jiġu minn Għawdex biex jgħallmu fi skejjel differenti. Kelli l-opportunità li nitkellem ma’ wħud mill-għalliema u qaluli li fix-xitwa b’mod partikolari, meta jitilqu minn djarhom ikun għadu mudlam, u meta jerġgħu lura lejn djarhom filgħaxija jkun diġà dlam. Allura litteralment iqattgħu ġurnata sħiħa barra. Bla dubju, dan huwa sagrifiċċju kbir ħafna. Dedikazzjoni bħal din għandha tkun onorata u rikonoxxuta.

Id-drittijiet lill-għalliema

Minħabba r-rwol importanti tal-għalliema, l-Iżlam ta pożizzjoni għolja ħafna u drittijiet lill-għalliema, u huma meqjusa bħala nies rispettati sew fis-soċjetà.

Nistgħu nifhmu l-istima għolja li għandhom l-għalliema minn kwotazzjoni ta’ Ħażrat Ali, ir-raba’ Kalif wara l-Qaddis Profeta Muħammad, fejn stqarr: “Jekk persuna tgħallimni kelma waħda biss, dan ikun għamilni l-qaddej tiegħu għal għomru.”

Jiġifieri anke jekk nitgħallmu kelma waħda minn xi ħadd, xi ħaġa tajba minn xi ħadd, dan l-att waħdieni ta’ tjubija u għarfien jistħoqqlu r-rispett, aħseb u ara kemm huwa importanti li nuru rispett lejn l-għalliema tagħna li jgħallmuna mill-kindergarten għall-edukazzjoni ogħla.

Bla dubju ta’ xejn, dan huwa attribut kbir għall-għalliema. Ejja nuru rispett kbir u nkunu obbidjenti lejn l-għalliema tagħna. Nazzjon li jifhem l-importanza tat-tagħlim, u japprezza u jirrispetta l-ġenituri u l-għalliema tiegħu dejjem ikollu suċċess u jistagħna.