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Why is Chitral being targeted?

Dear Editor,

Please refer to a letter titled “Why Chitral is being targeted?” by Habibur Rehman in which he raises objections to an article on glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) in Chitral appearing in daily Dawn of October 4.

I did not expect your esteemed online paper to publish such a  letter which completely lacks substance but I am sure that Mr Rehman’s letter will give any sane person a big laugh. He says: “Why these kinds of warnings in the name of warming (sic) are being issued in newspapers and media especially in the month of October which has been categorized as the ‘Month of Vengeance’ according to the ancient Jews Semitic calendar?”

After reading Mr Rehman’s letter, I went through the said article in daily Dawn and failed to find anything objectionable. Rather, we should be thankful to the lady writer for raising such a burning issue which has been ignored by successive governments leading to displacement of hundreds of people in Sonoghor and Brep villages in Chitral and endangering the lives and properties of many others in other parts of the area as well.

Instead of appreciating those organizations including the AKDN for conducting studies on the phenomena of natural disasters and training the local people in handling them to protect properties and human lives, he suggests that we should do nothing against such happenings and disasters as these are sent by God. And to support his parochial idea, he does not even hesitate from quoting a verse from the holy Quran which says: "Fasad, the evil has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned that Allah may make them taste a part of that which they have done."

In other words, Mr Rehman declares that the glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) in Sonoghor and Brep were a punishment from God for some Fasad committed by the people?

Sir, I would not like to comment more on such a rhetoric and misinterpretation of Islam for one’s own self interest. Suffice it is to say that such interpretations of the golden principles of Islam by narrow-minded people for their political and commercial gains have brought the Muslims all over the world to near destruction, and I am very sad that there is no dearth of such elements in our own land either.

In the holy Quran, Almighty God repeatedly asks us to use our intellect and take lesson from the many creations in the world, adding in every creation there is a lesson for man to learn. Even, the revelation on the holy Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) starts with an emphasize on knowledge and education. Alas, we did not follow the teachings of Islam and lagged behind and the West took full advantage of the Quran and the Sunnah and reached the height of progress and development in science and technology.

In short, Mr Rehman advises us not to write and say anything about natural disasters as they occur due to God’s displeasure. For such people, the holy Quran says: “Those who do not use the intellect are like a herd of goats, deaf, dumb, and blind (213) no better than the lowest of beasts. (214)”



May Allah Almighty enlighten our hearts and minds and give us sense to follow the teachings of Islam which stress promotion of tolerance, moderation and peace.


Javed Karim
Chitral