Thoughts And Views That Matter!: Three cups Of Tea

Friday, 19 April 2013

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!

What do you think about this post? I welcome your thoughts and views!

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Monday, 18 March 2013

Three Cups Of Tea: A Man With Unbroken Promise

The announcement of book-sale at my university has kept me so excited of getting another book to read on. As a non-fiction book lover, I used to enjoy reading book that educates and exposes me to new cultures especially stories that revolves the lives of Middle-Eastern society. It makes you feel you are physically there, transporting your soul to their society and make you live their life! So, while I was browsing through the stacks of books, I found Three Cups of Tea. And I was able to quickly remember the book as it was one of the books I have seen before. With a glance through the summary at the back of the book, I decided to have it home.

I have read many stories from Middle East, but this one particularly is a proof for how kindness without prejudice and discrimination succeeded in winning the heart of villagers from different culture all together. If you are someone who can appreciate a book and it's story without caring much about the style of writing and some crap book reviews you may find over the internet, then this book is WORTH a read!! I'll tell you why!!

1. Education: Empowering Women, The Architecture of A Society

What happens in this book is basically, Greg Mortenson, a mountaineer who was helped by mountain villagers in Pakistan. In return, he made a promise to build schools for them to eradicate poverty and improving education level of their children. Greg believes that educating women is as important as educating the boys as educated women will be able to lift the society's status and shape the mind of the young ones. The villagers, who are Muslims, were convinced with his effort and started to enrol their girls to schools. I was astonished with the fact that one man with a will to bring about changes has out-powered the ability of a country's government. The responsibility to educate children lies solely on the government of a country and that's where all the funding and effort should come from. But, beyond that, Greg has inspired lives of many young girls with the opportunity to have a balanced education. Educating girls changes the world.

2. Kindness Wins Over Hatred

We all are well aware of the issues between the West and the Middle-East. While the social stigma of the West and the Middle East hating each other still strongly prevails, Greg has proven that the act of kindness to people from any society will win the hatred and prejudice that marred their vision towards the goodness in people of other race. Greg was strongly opposed by some of his fellow countrymen when the World Trade Center was attacked, viewing his aid to people in Pakistan as an act of betrayal to his country whereas some of them do realise the importance of educating people in Pakistan which will lead to change of perception towards the West. It was also beautifully portrayed in the book how Muslims were also against terrorism and judging a society based on some of its people is truly atrocious.

3. A Promise Never Broken

Keeping one's word to do a small favour is fine. But building schools for a society without funding, that's WOW! I think, little would the people of Korphe expected that Greg would finally return to make schools for their children. Many mountaineers would have came and left Korphe with empty promises but the act of a man living up to his word is really inspiring and on top of that, how the schools have changed the lives of girls are magnificent and an eye-opening story!!

Of all the things we can do for women, empowering them with education tops them all as that's the weapon against gender discrimination.