Tag: humanity

  • World Children’s Day celebrated as ‘graveyard of children’, Gaza, remains under siege

    World Children’s Day celebrated as ‘graveyard of children’, Gaza, remains under siege

    World Children’s Day is annually celebrated on November 20. The theme for this year is ‘For every child, every right’. The blatant irony is that the day is being celebrated as the children of Gaza do not even have the fundamental right to life. They are being orphaned, injured, losing limbs, burned by white phosphorus, or worse, killed. With the war entering the seventh week, almost 5000 children are dead. 1800 children are missing under the rubble, presumably dead, while 9000 are severely injured with life-changing consequences.

    One out of every 200 children in Gaza has been killed by Israeli strikes since October 7. This is like one child is killed every 10 minutes in the besieged Gaza strip.

    A report published by Save the Children published when the toll was around 4630, said that the number of deaths “surpasses the annual number of children killed across all the world’s conflict zones since 2019.” The report clearly mentioned that “no child in Gaza is safe at the moment”.

    The children who have survived will bear trauma for the rest of their lives but their imminent problems are hunger, fear, lack of shelter, hygiene.

    The New York Times, called out multiple times by critics of the war, today published its headline, ‘Graveyard of Children’. In the course of the last six weeks, the world saw a girl pushing her way out of the rubble, another bawling her eyes out searching for her mother insisting she had recognized her among the dead from her hair, a boy who lost his parents in the first bombing and his legs to the second in the hospital, children’s corpses burned and decimated, and as many as 30 crying infants who are out of incubators, walking the thin line of life and death.
    Dr Abu-Sittah told The NY Times “More and more, it seems like a war against children.”

  • Senate Interior Committee passes bill to decriminalise suicide in Pakistan

    Senate Interior Committee passes bill to decriminalise suicide in Pakistan

    The Senate Interior Committee has passed the bill for decriminalising suicide in Pakistan and demanded amendments in section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The bill was first introduced by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) member, Senator Shahadat Awan, in the Senate.

    It stated, “Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.”

    Awan said that the families do not take suicide victims to hospitals in fear of police and other legal obstacles.

    The committee also recommended that the government should initiate psychological treatments for victims who take extreme action of attempting to end their lives.

    During the meeting, a senator from Balochistan Awami Party, Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, said that suicide is forbidden in Islam but what should be done about those who survive during the suicide attempt.

    In response, Azam Nazeer Tarar from Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) said that there are other actions which are forbidden in Islam that are not accountable by law. He added that here we are talking about humanity.

  • ‘Brotherhood, humanity’: Sikhs open gurdwaras for Friday prayers after Muslims attacked by Hindu extremists

    ‘Brotherhood, humanity’: Sikhs open gurdwaras for Friday prayers after Muslims attacked by Hindu extremists

    After an official ban on Muslim prayers at open places in India’s Gurugram city near New Delhi, a local organisation taking care of gurdwaras, holy places of the Sikh religion, has announced opening the doors of a gurdwara for Muslims.

    Hindu extremists have been protesting against the Muslims’ act of offering Friday prayers at open places outside mosques for the last several weeks. As Muslims in larger numbers swarm to mosques to say their weekly Friday prayers, mosques mostly cannot accommodate these big numbers of worshipers and they have to use the open places outside the mosques to say their prayers.

    Keeping in view the protests by Hindu extremists, the local authorities in Gurugram city have stopped Muslims from using the open places outside the mosques to offer their Friday prayers and cancelled the permission letters issued earlier in this regard.

    Hindu extremists have also been disrupting the Muslim Friday prayers at open places by raising their religious slogans.

    Last week, Hindu extremists filled an open place with cow dung where Muslims were going to say their Friday prayers the next day. They said they wanted to turn that place into a volleyball court.

    Against this backdrop, an organisation associated with gurdwaras of the Sikh religion has come forward and announced opening a gurdwara in Gurugram so that Muslims can offer their Friday prayers there.

    Harteerath Singh, Community Development Director at Hemkunt Foundation, wrote on Twitter, “Gurgaon’s Sadar Bazaar Gurudwara is now open for our Muslim brothers to offer their daily namaz keeping in mind the recent events that took place in the city.”

    Despite of death threats, he said that he will “always stand up for truth and sewa (help).”

    https://twitter.com/HarteerathSingh/status/1461355592027496467?s=20

    In another tweet, he added: “The best part is tomorrow is Guru Nanak Dev jis Gurpurab and Friday namaaz too. What a spectacular sight it will be tomorrow- prime example of brotherhood and humanity!”

    Thousands of Sikh pilgrims will attend the 552nd birth anniversary commemorations in Kartarpur today. An 18-member delegation led by Indian Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh entered Pakistan from the Kartarpur corridor on Thursday.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has also extended felicitations to Sikhs.

  • ‘Afghanistan is a matter of humanity and cannot be ignored’: Malala Yousafzai

    ‘Afghanistan is a matter of humanity and cannot be ignored’: Malala Yousafzai

    Nobel Peace Prize laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai, during a conversation with Geo News programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, extensively spoke on how the Pakistani government should welcome and facilitate Afghan refugees, and provide education to the refugee children.

    Malala said that the safety of the people of Afghanistan is “a matter of humanity and cannot be ignored”.

    “These people have nothing to do with the war, so we must support them,” said Malala.

    “They are those people who lost their homes, their lives, or their loved ones. It is important we think of these people, especially children, a lot of whom have been born during the war. They are not able to understand why this is happening, why foreign wars are being fought on their land and why their own people are failing them in this fight for peace,” she said.

    “Every country has its own political interests but the people suffer the most,” she reiterated.

    “Neighbouring countries must open their borders and provide such people shelter.”

    “Children who are not feeling safe, they must be saved and must be provided education,” she emphasised.

    Malala said that several reports have surfaced that women are not being allowed to leave their homes or go to work.

    “I myself spoke to a journalist who told me that whenever she would leave the house to go to work, she would be sent back,” Malala said.

    She said that there is always this “excuse” presented that women will be allowed to go to work and school “when it is safe” for them.

    “I hope, when it comes to Afghanistan and Pakistan, we will be able to define within our own cultures, what equal rights are. And it is possible to safeguard women’s rights within our own culture,” said Malala.

    “So if we want to ensure our country succeeds, it is very important that women succeed. Their rights, their education (are ensured). This is not just a matter related to women, it pertains to humanity and the entire nation,” she said.

    Talking about her health and remembering the nine years-long journey to recovery, Malala said, “Early August I had my surgery and the very day news that the Taliban had taken Kunduz, the first major city to fall in Afghanistan.”

    “This made me think how many people have suffered. So many have lost their lives and home to this war. And the struggles still continue.”

  • KP’s Mashal Aamir wins Princess Diana Award for her services for humanity

    KP’s Mashal Aamir wins Princess Diana Award for her services for humanity

    A girl from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mashal Aamir has been awarded the Princess Diana Award for her services for humanity and participation in welfare activities.

    The award credits those who have shown a consistent commitment to humanitarian causes. She has undertaken social work since her childhood that focused on environmental and equality activism.

    Photo Credits: 24 News

    As per details, Mashal has completed her education in law from UK’s Cambridge University.

    She focuses on providing a platform for marginalized voices globally, mainly ethnic women and vulnerable children. Mashal was recently elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, UK, an award granted to those who have made outstanding achievements in social progress and development.

    Photo Credits: 24 News

    She has undertaken work internationally such as in South Korea, America, Pakistan and The Hague including the ‘International Criminal Court’, ‘Supreme Court of Pakistan’, ‘Legal Aid USA’ and ‘Citizens Advice Bureau Scotland’ and thus was awarded a scholarship for her commitment to the field of criminal justice. She has also been selected as one of 30 Under-30 Inspiring Scottish Women and 100 Notable Women in Law.

    Princess Diana Award was established in memory of the late Princess Diana, the only award in her name and honoured by her children. “I received the award for my many years of charity work, this ranges from ICC in The Hague, America, South Korea and in Pakistan. I help Pashto speaking community with the support of my family and varied organisations that I have been involved with to bring about positive impact,” she said.

  • Time for kindness

    Time for kindness

    With at least 1.2 million confirmed cases and 64,000 deaths across the globe, the new coronavirus aka COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to take a toll on the world. The economic impact is so huge that it is being compared to the Great Depression.

    Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva says this is an economic crisis like no other. “Never in the history of the IMF have we witnessed the global economy coming to a standstill. It is way worse than the global financial crisis.”

    Countries are fast realising that the impact of this virus is so huge — and unpredictable at the same time — that whatever they do may not be enough.

    First, it was about creating and spreading awareness as not many were taking it seriously. Then came the lockdowns, partial or complete, in many countries. Now there are some other stark realities that people are facing; financial woes being one of them. Social-distancing is a privilege. Not everyone can afford it. Lockdowns have helped contain the spread to a certain extent but the economic impact on daily wagers, the lower middle class and many others will be quite harsh. Thus, governments and private citizens must step in to help. 

    A Facebook post doing the rounds about a university van driver in Pakistan is heartbreaking. According to the post, the driver has been calling up students asking for his monthly charges but not many are responding to his calls/texts. We need to understand that in these tough times, we must help those who are less privileged than us. Those who have given leave to their domestic staff must pay their salaries — and if possible, an advance salary as well. Help those around you who you think need it. Buy rations or donate to charities and organisations like the Edhi Foundation that are doing credible work and helping people in these troubling times. 

    Another tragic aspect is that those who fall victim to corona have to deal with the illness alone — away from family and friends — in order to keep others safe from the virus. Burying those who die of coronavirus has also become an ordeal. Family members and friends can only say goodbye from a distance. Funerals in the time of coronavirus are quite different. Coronavirus has changed the world so drastically that people cannot even grieve together anymore. These are the new realities until a cure is found. 

    We will keep learning new things with each passing day. We will see the world change. People will be hungry, frustrated, desperate, scared, depressed, angry and much more. But we must be kind and understanding for this is what humanitarianism is all about. Be human! Be safe.

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