A Time for Change

First and foremost, a joyous Awal Muharram to all Muslims =) It's not just a public holiday for extra sleeping uses, but a time for us to reflect on how we have behaved all this while, and move on to become better people. That is the spirit of hijrah.

We need to also reflect on the state of things in the world today. Hijrah is not bound for Muslims only. The world is dynamic. Every wrong thing needs to be fixed. Not necessarily a sudden, complete change. Sometimes, one small step at a time. But the essence is still the same: Change. 'The only constant is change', quotes Isaac Asimov.

Speaking of world affairs, i happened to glance upon an article in Time.com, 'On the Gaza Border:Israelis Cheering On the Attacks', a report on Israel's attack on Gaza. Time.com is the website of the prestigious news magazine (US-owned). A cut-out of the article:

"Later on, the spectators listened to radio reports that Israeli helicopters had attacked Qassam launchers, the weapons that Hamas militants have been using to terrorizing Israeli towns along the Gaza strip. The choppers attacked immediately militants had fired a Qassam towards the town of Netivot, six miles east of the Gaza strip. Hamas claims that the attacks have killed nearly 300 people over the course of two days."

Their way of reporting is, to me, one-sided. When Israel attacks Palestinians, it sounds like a strategic move to defend their hometown. But how do they portray Palestinians, particularly Hamas? As 'militants' who are 'terrorizing' Israeli towns. Such negativity and biasness, when the reasons for Palestinian attacks are also to defend their homeland, which had been taken away forcefully by Israelis. But the US is controlled by Israel, so of course they wont say anything bad.

And what does the US do to stop the attacks? Nothing. Like they always do, just put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks. And maybe a peace treaty or two, or more.