A helicopter and search and rescue personnel after being lowered close to the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 in the French Alps.—AFP
Published on March 27, 2015, last updated on March 28
Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times
Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the unfortunate flight of Germanwings, managed by Lufthansa, which was crashed intentionally by the co-pilot.
We are being told by the main stream media that the 28 year old German co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz was depressed and was following with a physician and the national television media is pursuing a fairly shallow discussion of the issue at hand.
Almost 15-20 percent of the population of the world is depressed and a very large majority of them obviously do not commit homicides. Almost a million commit suicide every year in the world and 99.9999% of them do not take along 150 innocent lives with them.
So, there is more that we need to know about this co-pilot and how this horrible tragedy impinges on our understanding of our world, our fellow beings and what steps need to be taken to prevent such tragedies.
One can be certain that if the co-pilot was a Muslim we will be endlessly discussing his religion and put aside any psychological or other issues he may have.
Of course, this crashed flight with 150 on board is a grave human tragedy and certainly much more so for the families of the victims than others, but, in some profound way it affects every citizen of our Global Village.
Once the grieving is over we need to chalk out a path for the future.
The way forward to prevent such horrific tragedies is to embed the sacredness of human life in each and every mind, deriving it from all religions and philosophies and without any distinction of race, religion, gender, creed or sexual orientation.
But, the unfortunate reality is that media is not properly using this opportunity to educate. Time and again, the national television media, in the West, muddles the issue by calling innocent loss of human life, “terrorism,” only if the perpetrator is a Muslim. This takes away from the understanding of sacredness of human life and confuses the masses and does not allow them a clear conception of unlimited value of each and every human life, regardless of religion or citizenship. Every human life is sacred and of unlimited value, otherwise none is.
Let me quote the first few lines from Wikipedia about Terrorism, for better understanding of this term:
Terrorism is commonly defined as violent acts (or the threat of violent acts) intended to create fear (terror), perpetrated for a religious, political, or ideological goal, and which deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (e.g., neutral military personnel or civilians). Another common definition sees terrorism as political, ideological or religious violence by non-state actors. Some definitions now include acts of unlawful violence and war.
Wikipedia goes onto say, “Usage of the term has also been criticized for its frequent undue equating with Islamism or jihadism, while ignoring non-Islamic organizations or individuals.[1][2] In the international community, terrorism has no legally binding, criminal-law definition.[3][4]”
A commonly understood and shared definition of Terrorism will help establish shared views rather than talking past each other and dividing the world into Muslim and non-Muslim camps. Our Global Village needs understanding of the human family and our common values, rather than its fragmentation, along artificial boundaries.
Sacredness of human life also means that innocent women and children cannot be collateral damage in any aerial bombing of our choice. As we said before, every human life is sacred and of unlimited value, otherwise none is. We cannot have our cake and eat it too.
This may also mean that we need to critically examine the ethics of “Just War;” and may I suggest a good starting point for such a study may be the Nuremberg trials. For the pro-life Christians a good starting point may be to ask, is only an unborn child in the West sacred or a poor child in the East, who may become a victim of aerial bombing, in your name, also sacred?
Let me now by quoting one verse from my scripture establish the sacredness of human life in Islam.
The Holy Quran precisely defines the infinite value of each and every human life and equates killing of one, with triggering of a genocide, in the often quoted verse:
On account of this, We prescribed for the children of Israel that whosoever killed a person — unless it be for killing a person or for creating disorder in the land — it shall be as if he had killed all mankind; and whoso gave life to one, it shall be as if he had given life to all mankind. And Our Messengers came to them with clear Signs, yet even after that, many of them commit excesses in the land. (Al Quran 5:33)
As a believing Muslim, I also trace the sacredness of each human life in my mind to the last sermon of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Islam!
I invite followers of every religion and philosophy to make the case for sacredness of human life from their scriptures or whatever they hold sacred. Until we fully embed the sacredness of every human life in every consciousness, disasters like the Germanwing flight, acts of terrorism and civilian casualties of propped up wars may continue to happen. Humanity can certainly do better than this.
Suggested readings
All Terrorists are Muslims…Except the 94% that Aren’t
Europol Report: All Terrorists are Muslims…Except the 99.6% that Aren’t
Let Europol and Not the Main Stream Media Educate Us about Terrorism
Defensive War in the Holy Quran in 600 Words
Categories: Counter Terrorism, Highlight, Terrorism, The Muslim Times
“One can be certain that if the co-pilot was a Muslim we will be endlessly discussing his religion and put aside any psychological or other issues he may have.”
– That is pure speculation, conjecture, your opinion – and nothing more.
“The way forward to prevent such horrific tragedies is to embed the sacredness of human life in each and every mind, deriving it from all religions and philosophies and without any distinction of race, religion, gender, creed or sexual orientation.”
– With respect, that’s just silly and naive. You cannot legislate for mental illness (if that is indeed what is behind this tragedy), and no amount of attempts to “embed the sacredness of human life” will stop violence and murder altogether. If only it were that simple.
“Time and again, the national television media, in the West, muddles the issue by calling innocent loss of human life, “terrorism,” only if the perpetrator is a Muslim. This takes away from the sacredness of human life and confuses the masses and does not use the air time to educate every one about sacredness of each and every human life. Every human life is sacred and of unlimited value, otherwise none is.”
– That’s simply not true. Just look at Northern Ireland. If you’re going to make such assertions, the onus is on you to back them up. I’ll await your evidence.
I’d also welcome your rationale for why labelling an act of murder “terrorism” takes away from the sacredness of human life. I see no logic in that conclusion.
“A commonly understood and shared definition of Terrorism will help establish shared views rather than talking past each other and dividing the world into Muslim and non-Muslim camps.”
– Is there a commonly understood and shared definition of anything? Let’s get real, most folk define terrorism as violence and intimidation for some sort of ideological aim. Otherwise every act of violence or intimidation would amount to terrorism. And as for Wikipedia, anyone can (and does) edit it – I’d take anything you read on there with a pinch of salt. Just because it’s on Wikipedia doesn’t make it factual.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. 149 innocent people have just been killed – seemingly murdered. Please don’t hijack this tragedy for some religious/ideological agenda.
This article speaks as though the media inadvertently – or by some manner of neglect -misconstrues the application of the words “terrorist” and “terrorism”. It seems pretty clear that a consistant pattern of usage has long now been established within both main stream media and politics. Human life is sacred in all major systems of faith and is a ‘no brainer’ frankly. Just as Jewery is incorrectly allowed – nay encouraged – to be associated with Zionism so it appears to be that terrorism is similarly incorrectly applied to the Islamic faith. Until such a time as all people of faith, and of no particular faith, unite in a spirit of love for one another and of the sanctity and glory of the gift of life, this misery, murder and mayhem will doubtless persist. It is futile to petition main stream media to take more care with their mind polluting filth; pumped as it is into the lazy, consumerist, consciousness during every waking moment of every single day. Let the people of every belief seize ownership of their collective destiny, love all humanity and in doing so starve the hatred rampant in our world of its oxygen of fear and insecurity that this sort of commentary provides. Citizens have their own opportunity to publish their own journalism rather than be spoon fed the poison of media empires and they may claim their direct relationship with their God if they choose to embrace it and need not ever bow to mere mortals. I speak in friendship and love to all who will listen.
NY Times: Is Human Life Sacred: The Body and the Spirit?
Co-pilot Lubitz in hospital two weeks before crash
28 March 2015 Last updated at 01:58 GMT
German prosecutors say they have found evidence that Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who crashed his plane into the Alps killing 150 people, had been suffering from an undisclosed illness.
They say he had hidden his illness from his employers Lufthansa, and was in hospital earlier this month.
A police search of his home had found torn-up sick notes, but no suicide note.
Jenny Hill reports.
Watch a video clip in BBC
@JP …
This is not speculation–it’s a well-established pattern. When Alton Nolen murdered (beheaded) a coworker, there were plenty of calls for it to be called an act of terrorism because apparently the man involved was a “Muslim” (his Muslim identity was indeed part of the narrative). Likewise, Nidal Hasan was immediately labeled a terrorist. On the other hand, massacres like those at Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Casas Adobes, etc. are never declared terrorism because they are not committed by “Muslims.” Bottom line is that anyone willing to take the lives of innocent is mentally troubled.
“Please don’t hijack this tragedy for some religious/ideological agenda.”
Really? The US government and politicians have done this for more than a few decades, so now that Muslims want to highlight the hypocrisy, you think it’s politically incorrect? You’re a troll!
On Wikipedia …
Just try pushing a false narrative on Wikipedia. See how far you get. Share your findings.
I fear such incidents will grow in numbers gradually in West if the West do not concede their fault of continuous and intentional targeting, ridiculing and mocking of Islam and Rasool SAW; I wish and pray they would reflect on it sooner.
There was a time when Western Christian columns made failed but consistent attacks on Rasoool SAW marriage with Ayesha RA based on false and distorted claims but see how Allah avenged, now every second bishop or priest is pedophile.
@NevauMind
I have no idea who JP is, but I assume your comment was aimed at me.
The excerpt I labelled “speculation” was: “One can be certain that if the co-pilot was a Muslim we will be endlessly discussing his religion and put aside any psychological or other issues he may have.”
With respect, your examples are irrelevant to the above scenario. Until such a time as a co-pilot who happens to be Muslim deliberately locks himself in the cockpit of a passenger jet and flies it in to a mountainside, following which evidence emerges to suggest his mental health was seriously compromised, the “certainty” of how “we will be endlessly discussing” ‘it’ is indeed speculation, conjecture, and a matter of opinion. That’s just a fact.
Having read about Alton Nolan on Wikipedia (after all, it’s impossible to push a false narrative on there apparently), it appears questions were asked over whether the murder was an act of terrorism because its nature mirrored those recently carried out by ISIS, and his Facebook page featured pictures of the Taliban, Bin Laden, and the 9/11 attacks. In light of that, it doesn’t seem a wholly unreasonable question to ask, although I see the police were clear in stating they could establish no links to similar events in the Middle East.
Not all acts of mass murder are labelled “terrorism” because not all mass murders are terrorism. But let’s not pretend that white and/or non-Muslims aren’t labelled as such – you only have to look at Northern Ireland and Colombia for that, to name just two examples.
By the way, I’m not the US government; nor do I represent them – take up your grievances with them, not me. I’ll also leave the ad hominem attacks to you (whatever makes you feel better buddy), but here’s some free advice – name calling of those whose views you disagree with or dislike doesn’t further your argument.
As for “false narratives” on Wikipedia, you only have to google it to find tons of examples, so it looks like if I tried it, I might actually get quite far.
@AQ
“I fear such incidents will grow in numbers gradually in West if the West do not concede their fault of continuous and intentional targeting, ridiculing and mocking of Islam and Rasool SAW; I wish and pray they would reflect on it sooner.”
I’m not sure I understand. Perhaps you could elaborate.
1. What does this particular incident have to do with “continuous and intentional targeting, ridiculing and mocking of Islam and Rasool SAW”? It appears Islam wasn’t a factor.
2. Are you suggesting “the West” is one homogeneous group?
…
Cologne, Germany (CNN) Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz may have deliberately crashed Flight 9525 in the French Alps because he was afraid his medical problems could prevent him from flying, according to German tabloid newspaper Bild.
“For us right now, one of the main motives is that Lubitz feared that his medical problems would endanger his fitness to fly,” Bild quoted an unnamed investigator as saying.
Earlier, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office in Dusseldorf, Germany, said Lubitz suffered from suicidal tendencies at some point before his aviation career.
Investigators have not found any writings or conversations where Lubitz shared his motives or confessed to any plans, prosecutor’s spokesman Christoph Kumpa said.
However, medical records reveal that Lubitz was suicidal at one time and underwent psychotherapy. This was before he ever got his pilot’s license, Kumpa said.
Kumpa emphasized there’s no evidence suggesting Lubitz was suicidal or acting aggressively before the crash.
It is believed that Lubitz locked the captain out of the cockpit and deliberately crashed the plane a week ago into the French Alps, killing all 150 on board.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed what some media outlets had reported about doctors deeming Lubitz unfit to fly, though there were no physical illnesses found.
While investigators search for clues to Lubitz’s motivation, recovery workers continue the grim task of searching for the remains of those killed in the March 24 crash.
Lt. Col. Jean-Marc Menichini, Gendarmerie spokesman for the Provence-Alpes-Cotes d’Azur region, told CNN on Tuesday that a new path has been completed linking Le Vernet, a nearby community, to the mountainous ravine where the plane’s debris is scattered.
It will be used Tuesday morning for the first time by rescue teams to access the area, he said.
Capt. Yves Naffrechoux, also of the Gendarmerie unit, said Monday that the 1-kilometer path would cut down on the time it takes to reach the crash site considerably.
The trip will now take 30 minutes from Seyne-les-Alps, with less walking involved and thus less fatigue, but also with fewer risks than helicopter transfers.
Two helicopters are still working in case weather conditions improve and allow them to fly, Menichini said.
The remains of 78 people on board the plane have been identified so far using DNA analysis.
Naffrechoux said Monday that although he was optimistic the team would be able to collect and identify most of the remains, “it may not be possible to find the human remains of all the 150 passengers, as some of them may have been pulverized by the crash.”
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/31/europe/france-germanwings-plane-crash-main/index.html