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Believing Despite What I'm Seeing
I will never forget April 20, 1999. I remember watching the news during lunch, something I would not do again in school until September 11, 2001. I remember the Columbine High school students running out of the building with their hands on their heads.
All I could think about walking around campus today was that image. Shuffling from class to lunch, then from lunch to club meetings, I couldn’t shake that fifteen second video out of my brain. It replayed over and over again.
This wasn’t supposed to follow us here. This wasn’t supposed to happen in college. Not anymore.
But it has, and it has made it one of those days. It was one of those days where you could feel the sense of confusion that had hung in the air. Discussing the incident with my friend, I think we both felt the fear that had first prickled through us eight years ago. And we voiced how that fear did not go away. It stayed with us for days, weeks, months, and years. It will do the same now.
And it is in times like this where I have never needed my faith more. My faith in God and the faith in humanity that God has taught me. That even though we as humans might have messed a lot of things up, we have a power in us to fix it. We have a power to fix all the things that we have done wrong. Because I believe it is that power that Allah has given us.
By
David Waters
|
April 17, 2007; 2:34 PM ET
| Category:
Salaam Chicago
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Posted by: izhkxbrq qljkmi | July 12, 2007 2:49 PM
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Vivek, Muslims believe that Allah can never be born, and Allah has always existed. I believe He has given all human beings free will, no matter their religion, because I believe Allah is Allah for all people, not just Muslims.
Posted by: Hafsa | May 4, 2007 11:25 PM
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Was allah born in 7th cenutry only ? how did people have free will before that.
Posted by: vivek | April 27, 2007 2:00 PM
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Just because one is mentally ill does not mean one suddenly does not have free will.
The two are not mutually exclusive.
Posted by: Amy | April 24, 2007 5:00 PM
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Cho did not have free will, He was mentally ill.
Posted by: Crass | April 23, 2007 11:49 PM
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Actually, Mike, it does. Because I don't think God did this. I think Cho did.
Personally (this may not be true for every Muslim), I believe that Allah gave us free will. This means He does not interfere. If He did, we would have a determined life.
This is what Cho did with his free will. And it is not what I will do with mine.
Posted by: Hafsa | April 21, 2007 3:42 PM
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I honestly can't fathom this type of thinking: "We have a power to fix all the things that we have done wrong. Because I believe it is that power that Allah has given us."
Need I remind you it was also Allah, (or Yahweh, Jesus, or any other god one happens to believe in) that gave Cho the power to kill 32 innocent people? Not sin, not evil, not some external cause...for if God is the force behind creation, then all things came from God. All things, including sin, evil, and the murderous intent that overcame Cho and led to his actions.
And this bolsters your faith in God?
Posted by: Mike | April 20, 2007 1:21 PM
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Now I am really looking forwarding to reading your future posts and discussing with you!
Posted by: Michael | April 18, 2007 2:12 AM
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I feel as though for our generation specifically school shootings are all the more poignant, terrifying, and unfair. We grew up expecting high school to be safe, only to be welcomed into it with a looming threat of violence. The first thing I did yesterday was say a prayer because, like you said, that's what I needed most. I needed the comfort and answers only faith could provide for this seemingly insurmountable obstacle.
Great entry, Hafsa!
Posted by: Barrett | April 17, 2007 4:01 PM
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Hey Hafsa! I have to agree with your point about it not happening in college. I remember having a conversation recently about school shootings and how much of a relief it was to know that the situation had died down. And now this. Wonderful entry!
Posted by: Brittany | April 17, 2007 3:32 PM
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