Prologue
After our business meeting, my friend and me adjourned to Topaz
Cafe' at
Bukit Kenny for an English late afternoon tea. The location sounds very
elitist; it also reminds me of the famous drama 'Atap Genting Atap Rumbia'.
According to my 'learned' friend, it is a good place to take your girlfriend
out so that your wife won't know about it;-). At the same time I feel very
guilty drinking darjeeling tea at the cost of RM 4.50 a cup!
Dialogue
While waiting for my tea and hot English scones to arrive , my friend looked
at me in the eyes asked,"Come on,let's have your view on the current
situation ." I replied that what needed to be said have been said by almost
everybody. Anyway, I am no political analyst or a wise man. Everyone has
his/her opinion. I told my friend that I prefer to shut up. And I quoted,"
Silence is golden." However,when the tea arrived, I suddenly burst into
laughter-LOL( laughing out aloud)! A few heads turned towards
us. It has
got nothing to with the tea or the waitress. I can't help but LOL when
suddenly I remembered what President George W. Bush said that he
was
surprised to know that so many muslims all over the world hated USA so
much.He said, like the rest of the Americans , he could not belive it.
He
also said that USA is a good country . In my humble opinion, I think most
muslims ( and others as well) don't believe him either!
Now,it is the last week of the month of Rejab - the Month of Allah. The
month when muslims are encouraged to do sunat fasting to seek the
blessings
of Allah. The month when war is forbidden. The month when the good
deeds
are recorded but the bad are not. So I prefer to indulge in solitude
and
contemplate in my prayers....but I can't .
Let me quote you a few paragraphs from Kahlil Gibran in The Prophet. Then
only you will understand why I am talking and not beating around the bush:-
"And then a scholar said,speak of talking. And he answered saying:
You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;
And you no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart,you live on your
lips,
and sound is a diversion and a pastime.
And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.
For thought is a bird of space that in a cage of words may indeed unfold
its
wings but cannot fly.
There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being
alone.
The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they
would escape.
And there are those who talk, and without knowledge and forethought reveal
a
truth which they themselves do not understand.
And there are those who have the truth within them, and they tell it not
in
words.In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in the rhythmic
silence.When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market place,
let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue.
Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear; For his soul
will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of wine is remembered when
the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more."
When US attacked Afghanistan- the so-called War Against Terror, I can't
hold
myself anymore. Every time I met my friends , I will always give my piece
of
my mind-that this is actually an attack by US on another
country-Afghanistan. The silence by UN is deafening. US,as the big brother,
has to show some restraints and wisdom ,but it behaved no better than the
attackers-the act of big bully! Now, I know who are the bigger terrorists!
Where is the legitimacy and rules of law and justice? One dying
Malaysian,who was poisoned by a few men who forced him to drink a
weedkiller, told his younger not to take revenge! I think he got more wisdom
than the US. In the wise words of Mahatma Ghandi, an eye for an eye will
make the world go blind! Some 'blind' people can really create
havoc to all of us. Remember the story of six blind men and an elephant?Now,
the world has seen the true colours of USA-the good, the bad and the ugly.
I
personally condemn the attack on WTC and Pentagon AND similarly
I
condemn and abhor the attack on Afghanistan. In this respect, I am 100%
behind Malaysian government's view.My friend rightly remarked that U..S..A(
he pronounced USA as You Ass A..) is a "good" country; for after
they
dropped the bombs they also dropped the foods as well. That is the most
unkind gifts of all.....the arrogance of the highest order!
From Afghanistan, our tea talk moved to the role of UN. All of a sudden,
it
is my friend's turn to LOL! " Don't you know that UN and Kofe Annan have
been awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace?" ,he asked . I said yes and
he laughed until tears come out from his eyes. When I asked why, he said
that is the BIGGEST JOKE he has heard in his life time. Considering the
roles that was *not* played by UN in the current USA/Afghanistan
affair, I
think he is most probably right. I hope UN will intervene as soon it can
pull its dragging feet to contain the war zone. At the same,
the Nobel Foundation also conferred VS Naipaul the Nobel Prize for
literature. In his 'intellectual wisdom', he said that
only western civilisation is the only civilisation for the world. In that
case, I would appeal to Cambridge University to review the degree it
conferred to this guy for 'failing' his history lessons.One mistake
may be
accidental, two is suspicious but three in a row?My respect for the Nobel
Foundation evaporates into thin air.
As of to-day( Saturday-13/10/2001), the Taliban government is not yielding
and the USA is continuing bombing. The only thing that is certain is the
uncertainties of actions to be taken by both sides. To say the least, most
people all over the world have fears in their hearts. Truly, as written
in
the Time magazine, the WORLD HAS CHANGED SINCE
11TH SEPTEMBER, 2001- for better or for worse!
Just a little bit of history lesson. Britain had failed to conquer Kabul
in
1846; Russia was chased out of Afghanistan more than a decade a go and
now
we have USA bombing Afghanistan. And in most cases,history repeats itself...
While typing this notes, I was shocked to hear the loud explosions rushing
to my ears. I rushed out of my study room and was pleasantly suprised to
see
the fireworks display at KLCC, Kuala lumpur. I thank Allah swt for the
peace
in my country. My children are more fortunate to be able to watch firework
displays to-night as compared to those unfortunate kids in Afghanistan
running for shelters to avoid tomahawk bombs from hitting them for the
past
few nights.
Thank God Almighty for a peaceful night to sleep to-night, and insyaAllah
for many,many more nights to come....and to-night I pray for peace for
All.
Epilogue
Make love,not war...that reminds me of the Vietnam War. The war that ended
some time around January,1975 when I was in UK watching it alive on BBC
channel. At that time , Michael Bronson from BBC was reporting alive
from
Saigon- The Fall of Saigon. I believe US has learnt their lessons there
and
I hope they don't get a second lesson in Afghanistan.
Cerita kedaikopi #78
13.10.2001