Yesterday our student Shahzeb died. The death of young, smart, energetic and very lively Shahzeb has shocked all of us. This morning, I went to Shahzeb’s home in Muhib Banda village near Mardan. Shahzeb’s aggrieved father told me that yesterday, at two in the afternoon; his son went with his friends to the nearby canal. They planned to catch fish with electricity. They took with them a generator for producing electric currents. As they delivered electric current into the water Shahzeb somehow slipped in the electrified water and died on the spot due to strong electric current.
A maulana sahib was giving speech when we arrived at Shahzeb’s hujra. There were about 200 friends and family members present in the hujra. They all were listening attentively to maulana sahib’s deliberations. In his speech, the maulana sahib said Shahzeb was lucky that he died during the last 10 days of Ramazan, which are the most sacred days of this holy month. He congratulated Shahzeb’s father for the honor his lost son has attained. He called Shahzeb a shaheed.
In his hour-long speech the maulana gave many historical references and kept talking about death and the life after death. It is a fact that everyone dies at a specific time. So far science has not defeated death therefore death is a reality and it is crucial not to forget that. However, it doesn’t mean we unnecessarily invite death and shouldn’t value life. Life is God’s biggest gift and blessing for us.
Knowledge, wisdom, maturity and strategy should be prominent characteristics of a Muslim. God through his Prophets has stressed on the importance of knowledge. Without knowledge we can’t understand life, the universe and indeed the God. Knowledge is power while wisdom and strategy help us find our way through crisis and defend ourselves against illness, disasters, attacks and accidents.
If we are unable to appreciate and value life we can’t be useful for society and humanity. Without good health we can’t contribute towards the well-being of a society. Healthcare and safety measures are top priorities in healthy and mature societies. Today, I kept waiting for the maulana sahib to throw light on the importance of life, I thought he would tell parents to learn lesson from Shahzeb’s tragic death and he would advise them not to allow their kids do what Shahzeb and his friends did. I also expected that the maulana would warn villagers about the flood or dengue threats. But the maulana didn’t say a word about any of those issues. He didn’t mention the importance, beauty or value of life either.
As teacher, I also take responsibility for not helping our young generations in resolving their inner and outer conflicts. We don’t teach our students how to be objective or think logically. We don’t have scientific solutions/advise for students’ problems or questions. It is easier to use cultural and religious shields for avoiding intellectual, social and scientific challenges. Many of us create confusions and fear in our students’ minds. Instead of guiding students how to be happy, confident and have joyful lives, we tend to scare young people. We like to dictate the youth and discourage critical thinking.
Shiraz Paracha is an analyst and a journalism professor.
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