London is on high alert for terrorist attacks according to the newspapers. This is supposed to be a perennial status, from what I understand. But the killing of Osama seems to have put the London Police into crazy frenzy. They have requested the public to be vigilant and trust their instincts when it comes to observing something or someone who appears suspicious. For a person from a relatively safe place like Chennai, this is scary. I imagine walking through the Liverpool Street station and bursting into flames. When I see a police van screeching through the streets, my heart beats beyond recommended limits. When I see a lonely man sporting a long beard and whispering into a phone, I think of picking up my phone to dial 999. I remember this friend telling me about how once while travelling in the tube he noticed a Muslim reciting prayers with passion rocking forward and backward and my friend almost typed a goodbye msg to his wife.
At school we read this story about a man called Baba Bharti. Baba had a beautiful horse and he was extremelly proud of it. The horse was so beautiful that it attracted people from neighbouring villages. One day a man approached Baba offering to buy the horse. Baba refused politely and the disappointed offerer went away. Few days later Baba was riding his horse in the fields when he met a beggar. Baba immediately took money from his pockets and offered it to the beggar. The beggar was sitting on the ground and requested Baba to get down from the horse and give him the money since he was unable to stand. Baba obliged. But swift as a cat, the beggar got up, mounted the horse and galloped away. Baba screamed in anger and ran behind his horse. After chasing him in vain for sometime, Baba told the disguised beggar-'alright take my horse, but please dont tell anyone about this incident'. The thief was surprised and asked him the reason. Baba told him-'If you tell people how you stole the horse from me, nobody would trust a beggar anymore'.
I feel guilty when I judge people merely because they belong to a certain sect. I feel sorry for my Muslim friends who are judged and stamped merely because certain terrorist outfits claim to be followers of the same religion. It is a sad world we live in.
At school we read this story about a man called Baba Bharti. Baba had a beautiful horse and he was extremelly proud of it. The horse was so beautiful that it attracted people from neighbouring villages. One day a man approached Baba offering to buy the horse. Baba refused politely and the disappointed offerer went away. Few days later Baba was riding his horse in the fields when he met a beggar. Baba immediately took money from his pockets and offered it to the beggar. The beggar was sitting on the ground and requested Baba to get down from the horse and give him the money since he was unable to stand. Baba obliged. But swift as a cat, the beggar got up, mounted the horse and galloped away. Baba screamed in anger and ran behind his horse. After chasing him in vain for sometime, Baba told the disguised beggar-'alright take my horse, but please dont tell anyone about this incident'. The thief was surprised and asked him the reason. Baba told him-'If you tell people how you stole the horse from me, nobody would trust a beggar anymore'.
I feel guilty when I judge people merely because they belong to a certain sect. I feel sorry for my Muslim friends who are judged and stamped merely because certain terrorist outfits claim to be followers of the same religion. It is a sad world we live in.
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