Have we become more un-kind then the generations before us? We Asians know for a fact that the kind of manners that are taught in asian/english schools in Asia are lacking here in the West. Respect towards parents and teachers are not injected in the children. The society is different. That has an impact on the manners and values of the children brought up in these surroundings.
A lot of parents let their children watch television or play games throughout the day. Instead of making sure that they are doing some productive learning, these factors change the children’s thinking. Without talking and spending quality time with your children and teaching them important qualities, how can you expect them to have the right values? The television or games become their “nanny”. The media do not have great values. That is why it is so important that we have limits for how much time they can spend there. Because of the hold of media on the children, a lot of them have become more anti-social. Even if teenagers meet today, they would often rather use FB, Twitter, iPhone etc than to have a normal conversation with each other. These things distract them, and make them lonely.
The selfishness has increased in the society. Different family structure have made being single attractive for some. Or the fact that families break, the increase of divorce, we have a lot of single parents in the community. Most of the people have become more materialistic and showing off thing they buy, is very common. We don`t own things, nowadays things own us. We have everything that money can buy, but not a lot of things that you can`t buy with money. People are depressed, trouble getting enough sleep. They are not content with their life. They have gone far away from religion and feeding their soul and become busy in everyday life.
It maybe that you don`t agree with me. Understandable. Let`s take a test. I believe that people don`t value the relations in their life that made an impact on their life and were the reason why they are so succesful today. Not convinced? Let me ask you a question. I reckon most of the people reading this, do not live with their parents. How often do you visit them? Not often? How often do you call them? When we don`t give any value to people who has spent their life building ours, how much value will we give to strangers than? Would you risk your life for a stranger?
These factors have all been a generator for following to occur: For a couple of weeks ago in Ramadan some boys went to the beach. Because of the waves in the sea they and the deep water they started drowning. Even though there were other people there, no one came forward to help them. Somehow they managed to survive and told their story in the news in Norway. In another incident a couple had an accident and the car went drove off the road. The man managed to get out of the car and on the road to ask for help. Unfortunately no one stopped. It was after the 14th car he waved at before they stopped to help him.
If we look at another aspect of this. Would you have stopped if someone tried to wave you at the side in the middle of nowhere. I mean we have heard a lot of scary stories about this from a lot of different countries. People have been, killed, raped and robbed. I can understand that we become sceptical to people because of this. Don`t you?
Rise of criminality in the society has made people sceptical before helping others in need. I heard about one person in Norway that helped a young person from getting beaten up by a bunch of people. When the gang instead targeted that man, and unfortunately no one helped him. People have to weigh helping others on one side and protecting oneself on the other side. When there is a fear of terrorism in any part of the world, it frightens people, and has an effect on their life. Not to mention retaliation from those who are accused in case of a trial.
Our religion tells us to look for the good in others no matter what life has made them to become. But on the other side, it does not mean that we should become overconfident and jeopardize our life, or the life of our loved ones. Be helpful and smart not a mat that everyone walkover.
Nevertheless if you are of those few people who has this quality of un-conditional kindness within you, like our Prophet Muhammad pbuh, know for a fact that even if people don`t appreciate your efforts, Allah knows and is keeping record of it. He keeps account and is not unjust in the least to anyone. May Allah help us help others, Ameen summa ameen.
Roshnii179 