Boston Bombing: News Coverage Adds Value To Death?

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I have been called to write my thoughts on this issue as I have been seeing some articles around the internet by some people who have different opinions on the recent incident of the Boston bombing. While some of us feel bad for the horrible act of terrorism in Boston, regardless of what race the victims belong to, some others feel that the world is not considering the death of hundreds of others in other parts of the world as severely as the three victims who died in Boston bombing especially in the Muslim world and this fact has caused an uproar in the society.

Who to blame for? What stand should society take when it comes to terrorism?

While I was organizing my thoughts to write on this entry, I have got a G+ notification from +Shanique Roca in the morning for a post in G+ that closely relates to my discussion that I felt so motivated to write on it.

When I browsed through the post, I never felt like reading any comment as I know it has somehow turned into a racial issue and the comments for the thread kept coming for people choose to talk for their own people. Much to my dismay, I feel the community in Google+ has failed to identify the MESSAGE that the picture in the post was trying to convey. I felt the Syrian community while trying to say that they too encounter a similar situation, is also extending their condolences for Boston. I'm still figuring out what went wrong until the post has caused an uproar among the G+ community itself. 

1) 3 Vs. 300 or even 3000

It is saddening that terrorism is not getting even media coverage worldwide. The world of media and news are more focused on issues pertaining developed countries like the States and this has caused uneasiness among people from Third World Country on the fact that their voices aren't heard off as much as people in Boston or just anywhere else in the world where news about their country reaches the entire world within a couple of hours. I feel this is the root cause of all ill thoughts bedeviling all societies. I feel the amount of death shouldn't be the sole measure of how worthy life is. People fail to realize that even when Boston gets the attention of media, someone somewhere else in the same country is being discriminated against, is being killed just like the way the Syrians are getting killed and it's NOT in the cover of any newspaper. While some issues come to the limelight, some still remain undiscovered. Syria is one of the examples, but there are so many countries sharing the same fate such as Sri Lanka on the issue of brutal mass murder of Indians in Sri Lanka.

2) Prejudices 

It is WRONG to judge every single Muslim you see on the road as a terrorist just because you have heard some of them have taken part in terrorism before. It is also wrong to judge that ALL Americans harbour resentment towards the Muslims and they do bad to the Muslims. I love reading stories from the Middle East and I feel the difficulties living life there and some stories of bold women inspire me a lot. The latest book I read on Middle East is the Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It is a real-life story portraying an American's effort in building schools for girls in Pakistan in return for the favour the mountain villagers have done for him during his expedition to climb K4. This is an ongoing humanitarian work that received its resources from Americans. Greg was strongly opposed by some fellow countrymen and claimed his work as an act of betrayal to the country when 7/11 incident occurred. While some others applaud his effort and acknowledged the fact that only love can drive hatred away. So while humanitarian works are still being done by part of the Western countries to the ones on the other side of the world, it is not justified to judge a race based on an event alone. 

Maybe someday the world would come the realization that harbouring anger and revenge will not provide eternal solutions to terrorism. Boston and Syria, you are in our prayers! 

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Free or Fair Education?

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The issue of free education has come to the limelight a few months back in Malaysia as the 13^th General The election is coming soon next month. It has been something all students have been looking forward to and various political parties have come up with different mandates to attract student voters and fulfill their demands. The demand arises due to the fact that many students are still struggling to clear their student loans and find themselves stuck in the midst of other debts shortly after graduating.

What happens when a student graduates with the burden of student loans? The education fee everywhere varies with your choice of study and university. Courses like medicine and engineering would inevitably cost much more than language studies or management courses. On the other hand, you should pay more when you get enrolled in universities with a high reputation as the value of your certificate and education increases with the quality of the studies they offer. So, at average a student who newly graduates would have to pay an amount of RM 50,000. Apart from that, graduate students face the burden of paying monthly installments for their vehicles and managing monthly expenses such as house rentals.

So, with an average pay of RM 3,000 for fresh graduates, they find it difficult to cope with the ridiculous cost of living while paying off their debts. Hence, the demand for free education has arisen. How important free education is and what expenses will it be implemented? Many countries in the European Union which provide free education tax their citizens on other fees like registration and administration.

What can be done to ease graduate students’ burden? What really matters in an education system? I’m a student with some amount of education loan to face after my graduation and I feel free education is not the issue that should top the priority of lawmakers and students. I feel that by enlarging the duration for loan payback and demolishing the interest taxed on student loans, students should be able to settle their debts after having a well-established job.

While free education is an idea to be celebrated, I feel fair education should be the focal point of lawmakers and those in the education sector. Fair education is still a dream that never came true for many people all over the world. Discrimination is education still prevails through various forms such as race and gender. For women in the Middle East, getting a balanced and fair education like their brothers is still a struggle and a dream seems impossible. While in some other countries, chances to pursue higher education are brighter for students of a particular race and religion which dampen the spirit of other students who have done equally well in studies. Worse still, education is a privilege for the rich when the poor suffer from extreme poverty. Discrimination against gender, race, skin colour and religion when it comes to education has to come to an end. Only then a country will truly flourish and the best brains of a nation can emerge champions to serve the people better. After all, everyone is entitled to have the opportunity to learn. So, what difference can it make when we neglect fair education and fight for free education instead? 

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Are Women Really Celebrated?

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        Women's day on March 8th, another special day to appreciate women for all the roles they take in our lives, a day to express gratitude for their sacrifices made to shape our lives, and a day to acknowledge the abilities and achievements of womenfolk! But are they standing tall in all societies around the globe? Are women being given the same approval for their contributions everywhere? Are they really being celebrated?

      Men are men and they are treated the same way everywhere. But, the lives of women vary from one country to another. We all know that women have made a lot of contributions towards the progress of a nation and there are more to come. Yet, that's not all to show the transition of women's role from a house-maker to a ruler. While some ladies are enjoying the privilege of living life they want, millions of others are still being suppressed as the weaker sex all over the world. So what does this celebration of Women's Day for? 

        India has woken us all up with the gruesome incident that took an innocent girl's life away. One point that has to be taken into attention is the fact that the particular rape case was just an incident that could not escape the media's watchful eyes and hence became an issue, drawing attention worldwide. Even while this case was heavily debated and condemned, there were and still are men who are preying on women of all ages for their pathetic sexual satisfaction. What is saddening here is the series of similar unfortunate events that follow after the Dehli Gang-Rape serves as proof that the pressure of various organizations and demonstrations are NOT going to change these animals into men. 

         Segregation and injustice towards womenfolk take place in various forms and it happens most in the labor market. While in some nations women and men are treated equally, for instance, when I applied for a job opportunity for Shell, I noticed residence of Australia are not required to state their gender as this is a part of its policy to uphold equality, in some other places, employers are heavily bias and job opportunities are offered for males first. The ability of women and the importance of acknowledging their potentials are never being realized. Education is the key to change society and I believe educating women makes the effect significant as they raise their children who shape society later. 

         I believe as women take their role to be a mother, they should ALWAYS raise their sons to be respecting women and instill the value of gender equality so that ladies are not just viewed as second sex and sex objects but as a creation of God who is capable of anything that can be done by men in general. Again, women have the power to change how they are treated. It's all in our hands. ! Only then, women will be truly celebrated and there won't be a need to have a day dedicated just for us Women.

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