COVID-19: The Micro Equalizer

As we finally set down to have a history of his present illness and dealing with his condition, I also asked to share his views. He started to talk as being a teacher, and then a short conversation became a full topic lecture.

As COVID -19 has taken over most of the countries of the world, borders are blurred, and walls are insignificant to contain it.  Scarfs and face masks were considered as "not our values" in some places and legally banned within some countries but not only the women but men are also recommended to wear it now.  The poor and rich countries are equally struggling to contain it, and both are short in masks and supplies. The civilized nations are suffering more than uncivilized in some accounts. He continued, people are homebound, businesses are closed, streets and roads are barren. Oil prices are down so much so as no one believed, raising questions about oil companies' profit margins they were making on us for so long.

To some people, the COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder for people as it was reminded before in a Quranic story "The Elephant" which states: "Have you not considered, [O Muhammad, PBUH], how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not make their plan into misguidance? And He sent against them birds in flocks. Striking them with stones of hard clay And He made them like eaten straw."

Just look at the falls of giants as the global economies nose dive, scientific advances collapses, and powerful governments struggle, and this should remind us that a microscopic virus (like the striking birds with a stone) can shut down world engines and our routines as we were becoming arrogant and out of our realm. Interestingly. the old quotes are now being constantly reminded to us; Desiderius Erasmus's "prevention is better than cure" and Benjamin Franklin's "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." An amazingly humbling feeling as all advances come back to simple basics.

He also mentioned that to him, it is a COVID-curse, and a punishment for us as being indifferent from all illegitimate happenings under our noses as it is as if we have been looking away from killings without due process, invasions and occupations of minds, people and lands. We are accomplices as global citizens in crimes against humanity by remaining silent. We did not stand for those who could not stand for themselves. The greed of power and absolute greed for absolute power of a few and muted response from the majority has brought down upon us the ultimate modern-day experience named COVID-19

Then he reminded me of the Quranic message of hope and encouragement “So, Verily, With Every Difficulty, there is Relief”.

I see hope when I see a race to innovate for the cure to save lives, the rise of self-introspection as people are looking in themselves. I read news of blue skies in cities with pollution mitigation and improvement  in air quality,  people to people contacts, near and distant relatives to check-in via phones or face time, strangers are being helped, tolerance  developing  to respect differences of opinions, people are connecting  dots on  the map  of  human sufferings even in places that are not even their piece of the pie. I believe in goodness among each of us, findings its way to keep us whole as humane-being. If we remember our lessons as being taught now, I have no doubt that God willing, we will rise again.