Please Respect Life! Stop Being Callous!

September 8, 2015

Please Respect Life! Stop Being Carefree and Callous!

By Majid Al Suleimany

September 8^th 2015

“Whoever kills a person [unjustly]…it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.” (Qur’an, 5:32)
Some countries were more humane under Communism than now under EU – Hungary!
Germans proved once again their hearts beat at the right places!
We are not interested to go to Europe! Please just Stop The War so we can stay in peace in our own country! – 12 year old Syrian Boy to Al Jazeera TV!

In the 1970s as a student in UK, I was really emotionalised to see this Fire Brigade Rescue Team spending so much time and efforts to save a puppy that had ventured into a manhole. I was on my way to The University – and decided instead to watch! After more than an hour they were able to get the puppy out – amidst all clapping from the Spectators! It really amazed and touched me to witness this episode – and it stayed with me for a long time to come!

As a HR Duty Officer in my old oil company – two things also struck me a lot! For a long time I was marvelling at humanity –its ups and downs – human strengths, foibles and weaknesses! One incident where a British lady was reversing her 4WD – and inadvertently ran over her dog! Remember this was in the early 1970s – where there were no rear view cameras fitted – especially in 4WD. I was not on Duty – but as Replacement Officer in case the Real Duty Officer was not available!

So I asked the Lady why you called me? She told me that she got my contact from The Emergency Control Team – after the Duty Officer (Fellow Omani) was reluctant to get involved as this was nothing to do with ‘Company Operations’ – and as he had ‘already contacted the Medical Team’ to see if they could do anything to help her! His job was done – was the declaration.

I guess there were no Veterinary Clinics during those days! She went into obscenities ‘about you people’ saying ‘ugly unpleasant unneeded ‘things to me! I listened ruefully painstakingly being patient as our HR jobs professionalisms required us to do! The part that really set her off mad was when she called my colleague and said to him – listen to dog howling!

This set my colleague laughing! Laughing – she streaked – and sarcastically asked him – do you want me to run over the dog again so I could kill it? With the equal sarcastic response – Lady I have already done my job – do not insult me please! It is your dog – do what you want with it!

I contacted one good Omani Doctor – who was not on Duty Rota anyway. He decided to help the lady – after my insistence ‘begging’ for him to do something. He gave it a ‘pain relief’ something injection – but the dog died anyway! It was like a man had died – with the cryings of the children – and the self-guilt etc.

The Second incident was a 12 years old Salalah boy on his first visit to Muscat and at the Club! By misfortune the boy had drowned at the Swimming Pool – guess he was not knowing how to swim – and also as told he had a full meal before going into the Pool! There was a ‘Drinking’ Party at the time – and sadly the person who signed in the Party to The Club was at this function! After the Doctors did a quick autopsy and the body was taken away, the Party went on unabated! This shocked me to the core – and it hurt and pained me a lot!

The strange and crude thing was that it was only a few years after our family returned to Oman from Zanzibar then – and there was a culture society shock still on – because in my state of shock and sadness I had ventured to hug and comfort one of the parental ladies relative to the dead boy – and she literally pushed me away – as ‘was not on’ thing! Saddened me more when my peers thought ‘it was a big joke’ the next day in Office! Of me wanting to hug the lady! Was she pretty? – The joke went!

When my granddaughter was born she had to undertake a major heart operation. It was touch and go! But by the Mercy and Grace of Allah God she survived and is today a 10 year old girl! What shocked and scared me more was the callous approach – if ‘she will survive’ etc. is in the hands of God! But we could pray to him – could we not?

Today in the news I read again the Headline news! Girl, 4, dies after being left on bus! Another young life lost in bus! It will be headline news till the next case! Same follies and mistakes being repeated over and over again –with no real punishments to the culprits – but just a slight tap on the hands!

Lifeless Body of Aylan Turki

Then there was the case of the Drowned Syrian boy – Aylan Kurdi – Rest in Peace in Heaven! The whole world was agog and shocked by his lifeless drowned body – but here in our part of the world already de-humanised de-touching feeling by scenes in Syria, Iraq and Yemen etc. – it was just another photo in the media – main and social! Even Germany was said to be touched – and opened the borders for them Migrants.

Aylan and Brother in Happier Days!

Here we are still busy ‘throwing insults and threats’ – even amongst our own! They are now closing the borders between GCC countries – let alone using verbal threatening against one another! When will we learn? Before it is too late for us all?

Allah Guide us to The Right Path and Way – and Protect and Preserve us from his anger and fury – Amin!