Stillness

When I thought that it was gone, when I thought that it had drowned in an infinite space, longing in silence, when I thought that all it had left me with was the eternal, beautiful stillness, that was when I told myself that I'd bury it inside me, and walk through the passage of time in remembrance of it.

That was when I thought it would never knock on my door, ever again. But the beautiful stillness has woken up from its sleep. It's back.In the same provoking silence.Indifferent in its grievance.

And I'm glad.

Egypt Revolution

photo by Idris Abdul Rashid

"Revolution is possible!", the voice in my head jubilantly greeted me on the historic 12 February morning, the moment I woke up from my temporary death. The song uprising by Muse kept on playing in my head, over and over again. It was so beautiful. The truth.

Egypt revolution started on 25 January 2011.

5 days before the historic date, the Abolish ISA Movement had its planning meeting at Shah's Village where a conversation took place between the Chairman, Syed Ibrahim and I over lunch. He was telling me about his trip to Egypt to visit his son who was studying there. He was telling me how corrupt the government of Egypt was. Bribery was so common that it was committed out in the open, with impunity.

"My son told me that there is a fatwa issued in Egypt legalizing bribery".

It's nothing unusual isn't it? That religious institutions are being used as a tool to legalize government's unlawful, immoral and corrupt act. Worse, people hold on to these tainted religious institutions so tightly that they would be ever ready to wage war against those who question its legitimacy.

Religion is no longer seen in its substance, as more often than not, most people are more concerned to defend its form.

I replied to what Syed Ibrahim said "Instead of issuing a fatwa against the corrupt government that allows corrupt practices, those contemptuous so called religious leaders issued a fatwa legalizing corruption?".What an insult to religion!

Frankly, at this point in time, driven by an immense feeling of frustration, I felt like change in Egypt or any country around the world was nearly impossible.Look at how far we have deviated from what is right. Will change ever be possible?

25 January proved me wrong. The beautiful revolution proved me wrong.

Some may have deviated from the right path, but there are still people who believe in what is right. There are still people who believe in the truth. There are still people who would die for freedom, justice and liberties. People of Egypt have shown us what faith is. People of Egypt have shown us that falsehood could never prevail. People of Egypt have shown us that truth will eventually triumph.

In the midst of jubilant celebration of the victorious struggle, Yusuf al-Qaradawi beautifully summed up this beautiful destiny as revolution "not only a revolution of the youth, but it is rather a revolution of the Egyptian people, in its entirety and in all its categories, including Muslims and Christians, the poor and the rich, who all said "No" to the tyrant".