moral compass
The writer, Zamena Manekia Manji (Bujumbura, Burundi) is a bookworm with a passion for writing and community service.
M
illions of Moral compasses swiveled this past month. Some, faltered slightly lower to the side, cocooning into a world of nonchalance, while others into fear and silence. Then there were those that flipped to the North, standing up in the face of injustice while a few others headed the opposite direction, supporting the oppression.
Either way, we can all agree to the fact that everyone’s moral compass was triggered and even tested from October 7th, the day that marked the beginning of Israel’s Genocide on Gaza, Palestine.
Our religion, upbringing, surrounding and the way we perceive life in general was all put to test following Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians, as our phones were suddenly filled with harrowing images of butchered babies, wailing mothers, devastated fathers, and news of desperate doctors performing amputations and c-sections without anesthesia, all while facing an acute shortage of food, humanitarian aid and fuel, effectively blocked by Israel. The atrocities unfolding in front of our eyes in real time, has led to a mass shift of how selfish this World is down to the very core of our morals, and even exposing most of the once idolized celebrities, reducing them to cowards and sell-outs by the masses.
Standing up for Palestine, according to my opinion, displays how well our moral compass is shaping our
interactions. Most of us now own social media accounts, a platform where we actively display our interactions. From the one who has a few hundred friends to the influencer who boasts thousands of
followers, each one of us are equally responsible on how we utilize our platforms to stand up for the
truth, because we are fully aware of how impactful social media is.
We are in the midst of witnessing the bloodiest of massacres, in the most oppressive of ways, towards
the innocent who are dying by the minute in front of our eyes. We have seen the World erupting into
protests for Palestine, while several once revered personalities have displayed utter cowardice by either
staying silent or downplaying the whole genocide into a ‘Palestine -Israel conflict’. Others however, have
fearlessly spoken out for Palestine, gaining both respect from the people and threats from the
oppressors.
Our voice or our silence will speak volumes of the direction of moral compass is facing. For the followers of Imam Hussain (as) this is the time to prove how well the tragedy of Karbala is imbedded within the very core of our morality. We all know that Imam Hussain (as) fought for justice and sacrificed everything he had, even If it meant having his head severed and put on a spear, over his hand shaking the hands of the oppressor.
If our moral compass was formed from the basis of our religion, then standing up for the Palestinians is
exactly what we have to do. This isn’t the time to hide, beat around the bush or drown in despair, but
to use our talents, time and money towards the Palestinian cause. From the writers to the orators to the entrepreneurs to the content creators and beyond, we need to join the Palestinian cause, effectively boycott products that support the Genocide and Occupation in Palestine, and call out against oppression through our means and privileges.
We need to ask ourselves, what would Imam Hussain (as) do if he were present in the times we are living in? We need to fight the Yazid of our time. This is really not the time to consider our comfort when genocide is taking place in front of our eyes, for sometimes, staying completely silent is equivalent to siding with the oppressors.
If our moral compass is directed the right way, our interactions will render fruitful, which will eventually
pave the way for the arrival of the Imam of our Time who we know, will fill this World with justice and
eradicate the very base of injustice.
More from this writer:
Writers Panel | A Simple Thought | Obituaries | Ziarat Ashura | Islamic Calendar | Facebook | Instagram
