A Comment for 'My word against Capital Punishment'

Hey Ryloggers,
Yesterday, I posted maybe the most controversial post this blog has ever seen. I expected a lot of criticism, naturally living in an agitated society very much dominated by religious fundamentalists, it was inevitable. But what I didn't expect was this.

This comment, came to me in my facebook inbox from one of my best friends. A guy who , despite being one of my best friends I really didn't think thought about these things so deeply, which contributed to my amazement. But every word he said, had an honest basis to it. And it would be wasted if i didn't share it with you. So, in Zaan's words.

"Justice has no definition". That part alone makes this post. "You never understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb onto his skin and walk around in it". But for most people, the effort is too much. People who conform to the the majority will not run any risk of being different. Being outcasted. I don't ask people to throw away their ways of life. But only that they open their minds a little and ponder upon just how many things they just go along with cause everybody else does.

I like how the idea that questioning things one takes to be normal being taboo, or else being against the pack mindset, ties in with your start. I'll give an example you might not agree with. As you know Nazim, the atheist, was dragged of by the police and made to stand trial. The key thing you have to remember is that Maldives does not practice Shariah Law. From what i managed to hear; his own attorney, the guy responsible for his defense, gave Nazim an ultimatum. Either revert or die. I can't decide whether he was scared of earning the cold shoulder of Maldivians and labeled as an atheist like he was, or whether he let his personal feelings get in the way of his job. The main point is, this should not have happened in a court of law.

Another example you might not be particularly happy with. This deals with religion. As we all have been taught, the Quran is a miracle. But nobody really questions why. we are given many points as to why, but they are so pathetically hand fed to us. Take the point where the composition of the Quran, how the words have been weaved together is so perfect. Out of the 30 or so students in that classroom when it was taught, how many do you think even reads arabic? how many students do you think has even read the Dhivehi translation of it? Do you really think that the teacher knows, understands and fully grasps this perfect composition? And yet, nobody thinks to question it when a woman holding a textbook just stammers of a bunch of words, directly related with the faith that makes part of who we are and affects the very direction our lives should take, without proof! We were given all these corny questions about meeting a christian on facebook and arguing about whose religion is genuine. All those points we were taught? Guess what, without proof, they are worth nothing. And yet nobody cares about it. Society has dictated what we should think and that is what we are gonna believe. This, with no doubt, is also the case with religions like Christianity. I once asked my mother to put herself in a christian's shoes and view Islam as a religion. Keep in mind that social brainwashing happens everywhere. What do they see? Bearded men shown moments after explosions on news channels. Women being beaten for reasons unfathomable to them. This is an image that i think correctly symbolizes just what an effect your upbringing and environment has on a persons mindset. My mother immedietly freaked out, accused me of lack of faith and brought the issue to my father. and all through that, all i kept wondering about was just how much she knows about the religion Christianism? she sees america and she thinks thats how christians act. She hears of budhism and thinks of only a golden statue. How much do we really know about all these people we criticize? and in doing so, arent we all really closing ourselves off in a loop of hatred as the players of one generation dissapear to be replaced by the next. extremists and all.I feel that the point about social ignorance closely ties with this as well. If this is the reaction people get by simply searching for answers, for justifications to follow their purpose in life, who would dare to speak out?
The most saddening fact is that most of us have lost our religion already and does not know it. The teachings of the Quran are being replaced with instructions shouted at us by muslim extremists who use religion as a tool to achieve their own ends. They preach simply. We know the words and intentions of god. Either be a muslim with us, or suffer the wrath of god as an infidel against us.

Muslims are not allowed drugs. They are not allowed sex. But ask a person who regularly does both of these acts whether he really is a muslim and he will valiantly answer yes. This stems from the lack of a good foundation. A muslim with a good foundation would have no trouble resisting these temptations because he would not only be led on by the faith that he will be rewarded for his sacrifice, he will also be led on by cool, hard logic and facts proving that these acts prove harmful in the long term. Instead of dictating what we should do or not do in islam, people should concentrate more on what the result is when you dutifully follow Islam. And i'm not talking about Heaven. I don't think a misguided soul trying to find a religion in life is going to pick one based on what he/she gets when they die. A religion picked like that is alike to picking a data plan. They all have things he wishes he could change and he ends up picking the one where he gets to sacrifice the least for the most gain. Explain to him how the laws of islam maintain a stable society. Explain to him how exactly islam will make his life more prosperous. Explain to him why the punishments he deems cruel in islam is necessary. Not shower them with promises from. a god he doesn't believe in. Not point out the shortcomings of other religions like most religious advocates do so in other countries. A muslim who keeps all this in his heart would be led by logic as well as faith, and he would be twice as devout while appearing half as radical.
And as for your points concerning how offenders are treated in maldives, i wholeheartedly agree. Our current penitentiary system is one in which we treat symptoms, not diseases. By incarcerating a person who abuses their child, we cannot simply brush our hands and get on with our lives. The cause has not been resolved. only the effect. And in all likelihood, that child is going to grow up with that trauma on her shoulders only to vent it on her own child. The cycle continues. And it will continue as long as we stand idly by. Another example. You might have heard of all the points i'm gonna raise but the Connecticut school shooting is the most fresh in my mind right now. A mentally unstable person, takes out her mothers gun and shoots her. Then he proceeds to barge into an elementary school and kill innocent kids and teachers. What does the media do? they spend the next two week showcasing his picture, documenting his biography and giving all of america somebody they can all collectively hate. They made a celebrity of a person who was not even a psychopath, evidenced by the fact that he killed himself in the end. Online social sites like 4chan, reddit and facebook were the first ones to even mention the victims names. Meanwhile the media channels were trying to shove microphones on 5-10 year old children, traumatized by seeing their friends killed right infront of them, and narrowly escaping death themselves just moments ago. I mean, it;s good TV, right? And even now, days after the shooting, what is the main concern on the congress's minds? Gun Control. instead of arguing about how to prevent guns from getting into the hands of killers, how about you decide on a course of action that will prevent killers being born in the first place? The sad part is, with the way the Republicans and Democrats are so cleanly divided among themselves with the issue of gun control, in all likelihood, the matter of gun control itself will be off the table in just a few short weeks. Politics trumps again.
Also, about incarceration. A prison in Brazil is employing a unique method of rehabilitation. For every book an inmate reads and writes an essay detailing his views upon, he gets 4 days off his sentence. Most people are calling it BS, but i don't know. A person grown into a life of crime might have the mindset that education is worthless. But they are now being forced to learn, like it or not, and more knowledge opens up more choices for them when they finally get out. what do you think? - Ismail Zaan

All I can say, is I'm very impressed and I agree with almost all of your points. Thank you, as corny as it sounds you've made me realize that its still too early to lose hope in Maldivian youth.