By: Areeba Tayyab
With the increasing spread of pandemic COVID19, there are precautionary measures taken place all around the globe. Starting from China, this virus has taken the majority of the United States and has badly affected Italy now. Approximately 4000 deaths are stated as for today and a good deal of population infected. Thinking critically, the virus has not just infected our bodies but our minds as well. The element of fear and its impact on human behaviour is also very visible. What is unfortunate for all us is that we stand united against a virus, but we didn’t stand united against humanity. Corona wins!
The focal point of this analogy is to consider an equally horrific situation of Kashmir, where people were brutally killed, even when an infinite amount of plea was made. Initially, a physical assistance was required, and the people shouted for the intervention of United Nations in the matter and after a hopeless response given, the Prime Minister of Pakistan requested to use social media as a tool for making the issue of Kashmir viral. Unfortunately, since Kashmir does not concern our health or our proximity, the world decided to give it a silent treatment. The horrors and bloodshed continue till date, but no news has become viral.
The opportunists of our century have compromised the basic ethics of humanity which is very visible in our treatment of Kashmir and our mocking of this pandemic. In this regard, Corona gets more attention than the brutal killings of people.
On the flip side, if you consider corona on social media, you will see a bulk of content promoted and produced every day. Hashtags like COVID_19 are used, and people are posting about the disease as much as they can. Several awareness campaigns have started, and people are resharing almost all the videos. Sadly, these serious campaigns have taken a humorous turn as people are mocking the concept of using a mask and staying at a distance. The opportunists of our century have compromised the basic ethics of humanity which is very visible in our treatment of Kashmir and our mocking of this pandemic. In this regard, Corona gets more attention than the brutal killings of people.
Not to mention that Corona is not something serious, it is a widely spread disease that has killed many people by now, but the killing is also visible in Kashmir. What is the difference in both cases? The answer lies in sympathy, empathy and apathy. We sympathize with our people, but we fail to realize that our people are also humans and hence if humans are affected in any part of the world; therefore, our loved ones may also suffer one day. We do not show empathy because we feel that we are not unanswerable for other’s injustice and we as a global community “ironically” suffer from apathy because we like to read about what is happening in the globe, but decide not to take any action. We are sadly a huge silent majority when it comes to saving humanity.
Furthermore, recent footage of a shopping mall in Australia tells thousand tales of panic around the world. The shortage of mask in Pakistan is one other aspect in the current panic visible in the world because of this virus. People are rushing to shopping malls to get as much as they can because of the want ample resources at their place. They do not consider their average need and at this time of crucial crisis, people forget that sharing is caring. This teaches the world a new lesson which it is not ready to learn.
It is high time that we must understand the need of others and respect their rights. In this crucial crisis, where the economy and health are at stake, we must reminiscence about our past actions and see where we are going wrong. Let’s work as a global community to fight all the problems and stop the problem the moment it starts so that it won’t become a pandemic damaging everyone ultimately.
The writer is a columnist at The Dayspring and can be reached at [email protected]