In death but still full of life

The Times www.timesofmalta.com : Friday, 28th January 2011

Laiq Ahmed Atif, president, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Ta’ Xbiex

Life is a great gift of God, it is beautiful and priceless. Life is a name of challenges, efforts, competitions and struggles. Life is full of ups and downs. Death is also as true a reality as life on this planet. One day or the other, every soul shall taste of death. Death is an undeniable reality, and it spares no one and knows no boundaries.

Abraham Lincoln said: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years”. Annabelle Vassallo, who passed away on January 24, was a real picture of this saying.

Despite the fact that she lived a very short life, it was full of hope and inspiration for others and it can be said that her life in years counted a lot.

Annabelle is a symbol of great courage; she was suffering from a severe disease but she never gave up; she looked into the eyes of death with great courage and boldness. She always had a smile on her face, and despite passing through a very difficult time, she always said that life was so beautiful and priceless. She gave the message through her life that despite the hardships, one can still enjoy life.

According to a saying of Aristotle, “All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire”. The life of Annabelle was full of reason, passion and desire. Especially the last few years of her life were a great reflection of these qualities. She did not live for herself but she extended the lesson of how to live, how to enjoy, how to struggle and how to be hopeful to the whole nation. I have a great admiration for her, the way she lived and the way she battled with her death.

In an interview she once said: “I see death running after me every day”. But she didn’t give up and she didn’t stop. She was a symbol of hope for those who destroy their lives by their own hands; her life is a great message for them. She gave the message of courage, livelihood, friendship and happiness.

There is also a great lesson in her life for those who are passing through such hard times and traumas; she is a beacon of hope for many people suffering from harsh diseases and her life is an inspirational instrument for them.

In the end I would like to quote Aristotle again: “Happiness is an expression of the soul in considered actions”. I believe that the life of Annabelle was full of these expressions of happiness and she spread smiles on the faces of others.

May she rest in peace in eternal life. We extend our heartiest condolences to her family and dear ones.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110128/letters/in-death-but-still-full-of-life

Sagri, Huma Kollha Sagri!

http://www.it-torca.com/

Meta nistudjaw reliġjonijiet differenti naraw li hemm ħafna affarijiet komuni bejniethom; fosthom huwa t-talb u l-qima lil Alla, li jista’ kollox – il-Ħallieq tal-univers tagħna. Kull reliġjon, ikun xi jkun, jenfasizza ħafna dwar il-qima. U jekk nidħlu fid-dettall insibu li bla talb u qima lil Alla – il-Ħanin, reliġjon ma tkunx reliġjon vera; għax il-qima lill-Ħallieq hija l-pillastru bażiku tar-reliġjonijiet kollha.

Id-differenza hija biss, il-mod ta’ qima. Xi wħud jitolbu bilwieqfa u xi wħud jitolbu bilqiegħda. Xi wħud jitolbu għarrkopptejhom u xi wħud ibaxxu rashom b’tislima. Xi wħud jieqfu quddiem l Alla b’idejhom marbuta u xi wħud b’idejhom miftuħa.

It-tempji, is-sinagogi, il-knejjes u l-moskej huma l-bini li qed jiġu mibnija bi iskop għat-talb u l-qima. Il-Lhud jitolbu fis-sinagogi, l-Insara fil-knejjes u l-Musulmani fil-moskej. Dawn huma l-postijiet li jssejħu differenti imma l-iskop huwa komuni u dak huwa l-qima lill-Ħallieq. Kull post tat-talb huwa sagru u qaddis, għalhekk kull post tassew jistħoqqlu rispett u unur.

Imma, sfortunatament naraw nuqqas rapidu fir-rispett lejn dawn il-postijiet sagri. Hemm nies li jaħsbu li r-rispett lejn il-postijiet reliġjużi tagħhom huwa biżejjed u ma għandhomx il-ħtieġa li juru l-unur u r-rispett lejn il-postijiet tar-reliġjonijiet l-oħra. Jien, bla dubju ta’ xejn, nemmen li kull post sagru, ikun xi jkun, huwa jistħoqqlu r-rispett u l-unur. U dan huwa d-dover tagħna, ta’ kull persuna, li tirrispetta l-postijiet sagri irrispettivament id-denominazzjoni tagħhom.

Hemm ukoll xi pajjiżi Musulmani li ma jippermettux il-bini tal-knejjes f’pajjiżhom. Dan huwa verament kontra t-tagħlim Iżlamiku: “Mhemmx sfurzar fir-reliġijon.” (2:257) “Intom għandkom ir-reliġjon tagħkom, u jien għandi r-reliġjon tiegħi” (109:7)

Dan ifisser li ħadd ma għandu dritt li jisforza oħrajn sabiex jemmnu l-idea reliġjużi tiegħu. Kull wieħed għandu l-libertà li jagħżel, jemmen u jipprattika r-reliġjon li jixtieq. Dan jirreferi wkoll għad-dritt fundamentali li kull persuna għandha biex tibni maqdes skont il-fidi tagħha.

Bi sfortuna kbira, naraw ukoll attakki fuq il-postijiet reliġjużi f’xi pajjiżi. Fil-ġranet riċenti rajna attakki fuq il-knejjes fil-pajjiżi Musulmani. F’Settembru li għadda kien hemm attakk fuq knisja fl-Indoneżja, kif ukoll knisja f’-Mardan, fil-Pakistan ġiet attakkata. F’Novembru kien hemm attakki ħorox ħafna fuq knisja fl-Iraq fejn 58 persuna ġew maqtula.

Aħna nikkundannaw dawn l-attakki kollha. Dawn l-attakki kienu kontra t-tagħlim Koraniku u l-Iżlam ma jipprovdi l-ebda ġustifikazzjoni dwar dawn l-attakki ħorox. Imma, għall-kuntrarju l-Iżlam jgħallem lill-Musulmani biex jirrispettaw u jassiguraw il-postijiet reliġjużi ta’ kull reliġjon, u dan huwa d-dover ta’ kull Musulman kif ukoll ta’ kull pajjiż li jħaddan l-Iżlam. Il-Koran Imqaddes semma li dan huwa d-dmir tal-Musulmani biex jassiguraw is-sinagogi u l-knejjes jekk jiġu attakkati qabel jiddefendu l-moskej tagħhom. Alla jgħid fil-Koran:

“Dawk li tkeċċew minn djarhom inġustament għaliex stqarrew: ‘Sidna huwa Alla!’ U li kieku Alla ma tefax lura xi nies bil-għajnuna ta’ nies oħra kieku tabilħaqq kienu jiġġarrfu kunventi (sħaħ) knejjes, sinagogi u moskej li fihom jissemma u jitfakkar ħafna Isem Alla.” (22:41)

Dan il-vers juru biċ-ċar li meta l-Musulmani ġew mogħtija l-permess għall-ġlied difensiv dan sar sabiex ikunu jistħgu jipproteġu l-postijiet reliġjużi, per eżempju s-sinagogi, il-knejjes u l-moskej.

Fiċ-Charter indirizzata lill-Insara li jgħixu bħala ċittadini fil-pajjiżi Musulmani, il-Fundatur tal-Iżlam enfasizza li l-knejjes qatt ma jiġu attakkai. U f’ħajtu, qatt ma kien hemm post reliġjuż wieħed li ġie attakka.

Jien nemmen li l-bniedem għandu d-dritt li jemmen fir-reliġjon li jixtieq, u nemmen li huwa importanti li nirrispettaw lil xulxin u l-libertà reliġjuża tagħna. Dan se jkun pass pożittiv biex nistabbilixxu l-paċi u l-armonija bejnietna.

Ahmadiyya Condemns attack on Coptic Church

Today the world is riddled with problems; East to West, North to South, everywhere there are countless troubles and difficulties; in brief, every part of this planet is surrounded with huge discomfort. Human beings are suffering through poverty, fighting, killing, unrest, disorder, as well as with social and economical crisis. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, rains, famine, lack of food, etc. are also seen in large numbers and on a huge scale.

But, unfortunately, and very amazingly, for man who is already riddled with endless problems, there are certain powers, certain organisations, and certain groups of people who are building walls of hatred. And these walls are getting higher nowadays, even more now than ever before in the history of mankind. The world cannot afford more uncertainties. But, very unfortunately there are the enemies of humanity, who are always trying to shed the blood of innocent human beings; even the worshipers of God the Almighty are not secure from the attacks of these cruel and blood-thirsty people.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat strongly rejects, and unreservedly condemns the attack on Coptic Church in Egypt, killing at least 21 and wounding 79 other worshipers. This is no doubt, an inhuman, heinous and cruel attack, which should be condemned. The Ahmadiyya Community condemns the attack in strongest terms, and demands the authorities to bring the culprits in front of justice as soon as possible.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat is a peace loving community, which believes in love, respect, tolerance, harmony and brotherhood. It respects the sentiments of the believers of all the faiths. And believes that all mankind is like a family and it can only look after the peace and security of each member, only if it lives like a close-knit family. The apparent differences in mankind are only for identification as to who is European, who is Asian and who is African. As humans we are all the same and therefore a person in Africa has the same sentiments as those of a person in Europe or America or a person living anywhere else in the world. Peace and security can only prevail when each other's sentiments are cared for.

It believes that all Muslims are commanded to honour human dignity and have been made to promise that they will help to defend the followers of other faiths from unjust and cruel attacks as well, and it is the duty of the governments to provide security to the people of all the faiths living under their rule. For example, in his charter for all time to come addressed to all Christians living as citizens under Muslim rule, the Holy Founder of Islam, states:

“I promise that any monk or wayfarer who will seek my help on the mountains, in forests, deserts or habitations, or in places of worship, I will repel his enemies with my friends and helpers, with all my relatives and with all those who profess to follow me and will defend them, because they are my covenant.

And I will defend the covenanted against the persecution, injury and embarrassment of their enemies in lieu of the poll tax they have promised to pay. If they prefer to defend their properties and persons themselves, they will be allowed to do so and will not be put to any inconvenience on that account.

No bishop will be expelled from his bishopric, no monk from his monastery, no priest from his place of worship, and no pilgrim will be detained in his pilgrimage.

None of their churches and other places of worship will be desolated or destroyed or demolished. No material of their churches will be used to build mosques or houses for the Muslims; any Muslim doing so will be regarded as recalcitrant to Allah and His Prophet.

Every help shall be given them in the repair of their churches. They shall be absolved of wearing arms. They shall be protected by the Muslims. Let this document not be disobeyed till Judgment Day.”

We, the members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat express our deepest condolences to the victims' families in this difficult time and pray for the health of those who were injured in this attack. And we hope for swift action against the perpetrators of this heinous, inhuman and barbaric act. And we pray to God the Almighty that He makes this world a haven of peace, tolerance, harmony, liberty and universal brotherhood. Ammen.