Eid ul Fitr and Prayers for Peace |
Eid Mubarak – Blessed Feast. Assalam o Alaikum – Peace be upon you.
It is the end of Ramadan, and about two billion Muslims around the world are ready to celebrate the major feast in their faith, along with the faithful in other related religions, especially Christians and others who live with or near Muslims. The message of peace is always important, and especially so this year, with several major wars and conflicts, the latest being in the Middle East, where the USA and Israel have attacked Iran.
Prayers for peace have become both the first and the last resort, but it is people, especially leaders, who must act upon those prayers – in Israel and Palestine, in Gaza and the West Bank, in Sudan, South Sudan, parts of Ethiopia and Somalia, in Russia and Ukraine, and in other parts of the world where conflicts exist within and between countries and regions.
There are many structural conflicts in the world, less visible but just as cruel as direct conflicts and wars, often lying behind them before they erupt and remaining after they have ended. Inequalities between rich and poor countries, the Global North and the Global South, continue to grow rather than decline, as do inequalities within countries, with most refugees and internally displaced people living in poor countries during and after direct conflicts. This year, people everywhere, especially in developing countries, including Pakistan, are experiencing many difficulties as prices rise and unemployment affects many, made worse by the ongoing war in Iran.
Those of us who may not be directly affected have a duty to help others in our midst, and certainly those who are in immediate need. Or we can at least advocate for greater justice in the world through organisations, political........