On Sept. 11 ten years ago, I was confined at the San Juan de Dios Hospital for a serious knee injury suffered from an accidental fall at the GSIS premises in Manila. I was groaning in pain and was on the verge of asking God “Why me?” when I got a text message to watch CNN pronto. And there on the TV screen I saw, in horror and disbelief, the second plane smashing into the second building of the Twin Towers in New York City. Right thereafter, I stopped complaining about my pain and misfortune.
Why did those suicide bombers do it—killing thousands of innocent civilians, including children? For a religious-political cause? I am not a Muslim and I know very little about the Koran, but I could not imagine the Great Allah, in all his glory, power and benevolence, was patting the backs of those suicide bombers, saying to them: “Good work, guys! Welcome to my kingdom as martyrs!” I am 100-percent sure that the Great Allah is a better God than that.
While we may differ in our religious beliefs and persuasions, it is about time we gave due respect and reverence to our divinities. Our faith should not be based on poverty, ignorance and fanaticism but on our enlightened human intellect to know what is good or evil, and on our free will to choose to do only what is good for the preservation and prosperity of all mankind, as well as for universal peace.
—AMAY P. ONG VAÑO,
epov111@yahoo.com