Fasting Leads to Empathy

A few days ago, I decided to begin a voluntary one-day fast.  (Perhaps I was inspired by all the stories I have been hearing and reading about Lent.) I plan to repeat this every month moving forward.

During the day, I made lunch for my son, and I had an intense feeling of desire to eat because of the smell of the food. What my son was having for lunch was nothing extraordinary, nor was it a favorite dish of mine.  As I was fasting, I obviously had to control my desire and just serve him, and then wait for sunset to break my fast.

This experience gave me the feeling that I am somehow, just for few hours, vicariously living a life of one of millions of people who serve the food to others but cannot afford to eat the same food.  This not only applies to the people of poor countries but also to rich countries like USA.  

While growing up in India, I know firsthand how millions of young boys, girls and adults serve in the food industry and make all the delicious food and serve it to rich.  Most likely, they cannot afford to eat the same meal or even something close to it.  I wonder how does this make them  feel day in and day out?  

Or what about the millions of minimum wage job holders in the restaurant industry in the US?  How do they feel when they serve these expensive dishes to patrons but can never afford those for themselves and for their families?

I had that kind of feeling while fasting and serving lunch to my son.  In Islamic tradition, fasting is mainly a form of worship to make one God-conscious, but there are many secondary benefits.  One of them is that it puts you in a situation like what I mentioned, which will make you reflect about the people who have to fast involuntarily.

Ultimately, fasting should create empathy for those “have nots.”  And that should ultimately lead one to work for change, work to reduce the gap between rich and poor, work to make life better for everybody, and hopefully should lead to less complaints about what we don’t have and more appreciation of what we do have.

I hope one of the great presidents, Abraham Lincoln would forgive me, when I end with malice toward none, with empathy for poor and downtrodden, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to make this world a better place.

Sorry Charlie, I agree with Pope Francis

It has been a week since the horrific massacre at the political satire magazine Charlie Hebdo and the Kosher supermarket in Paris.  The world came together and condemned the killings.  Sadly, the killers justified their attack in that they avenged the honor of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). I doubt that they ever studied the life of the Prophet.

The last Prophet (like other prophets before him) was not only insulted all his life but also abused and threatened physically.  His response every time was to forgive.  My favorite saying of him is "Even a smile is charity".

He had said,"charity is prescribed for each descendant of Adam every day the sun rises."  He was then asked: “From what do we give charity every day?” The Prophet answered: “The doors of goodness are many…enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing harm from the road, listening to the deaf, leading the blind, guiding one to the object of his need, hurrying with the strength of one’s legs to one in sorrow who is asking for help, and supporting the feeble with the strength of one’s arms–all of these are charity prescribed for you."

I am disgusted that the killers took the name of my prophet before committing their heinous crime.  This act was even more insulting to the Prophet and his followers than the Charlie Hebdo cartoons.  Besides condemning this act and repeating the fact that Islam prohibits killing of innocent in strongest of the terms (Quran 5:32), I am not sure what else, a run of the mill or if you want to use media defined "moderate Muslim" like me can do.  Should Lassan Bathily, the hero of Kosher supermarket, be referred as a "Moderate Muslim"?

I have been reading, listening and watching all the pundits talk about freedom of expression and virtues of the Western values (supposedly they are in contrast to Eastern/Islamic values) with the banner "I am Charlie" in their hands.   Rupert Murdoch, the owner of the Fox Network tweeted informing the Muslims that you are all responsible for this.  I am not sure who should we assign responsibility to all the lives lost in recent unjust wars, maybe to the pencils being thrown from the drones? 

Contrary to what some might claim, never there has been a complete and utter freedom of expression anywhere in the world.  Just look at the reaction in France, a comedian has been arrested for an offensive post on the facebook.  In 2009, Charlie Hebdo fired Maurice Sinet for a cartoon that he drew which was insulting to Jewish people while facing charges of “inciting racial hatred” under French laws.

God has honored every human being, so let's live and let others live a dignified life.  Let's not insult or vilify others and their faith.  Even Stephen Colbert sets a limit (listen from 2:25) on what he thinks is sacred and should not be mocked or insulted. West and East share same common human values and preserving them is our best hope for the future.  

Freedom of expression comes with responsibility. Freedom of expression does not grant free pass to indecency and insults. Pope Francis balanced it perfectly when he said that killing "in the name of God" is wrong, but it is also wrong to "provoke" people by belittling their religion.  He further said if you use a swear word against my mother, then be ready for a punch back.  So sorry Charlie, I am with the Pope on this one.