Author: Mazaar Baloch
Finally, some warm evenings here in Toronto, after passing a lengthy, stretched out but surprisingly very mild winter, which is quite strange in comparing it with previous seasons. Well, that is thanks to global warming and its bizarre behavior on our planet!
On the other hand, the Muslim world is celebrating the EID festival, but only a couple of days ago I heard the news of a plane crash with casualties in Karachi, Pakistan. According to news sources, it is believed that nearly a hundred people lost their lives, including children. I personally struggle to even think about the families who have to suffer in grief for their loved ones during the Eid festival.
Besides all the chaos, the COVID-19 pandemic is still not over yet, and the world seems to bear it a bit longer. Every walk of life, every segment of the society, will share the toll once the pandemic is entirely over. Additionally, on the other side of the border, U.S President Donald Trump just urged its states to reopen the places of worship by calling them “essential places,” including churches and mosques that have been closed due to the coronavirus. It is suspicious and raises concern over the future consequences of this new relationship between church and state.
To some extent, the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic has also awakened the humane factors among people across the globe. The governments in different countries are at the forefront in support of their countrymen, offering a range of financial aids. But on the other hand, I still feel awful over the news from Balochistan, that Iran had forcefully expelled five thousand Pakistani nationals over the Balochistan borders. There were no official receiving arrangements made, and Pakistani authorities conducted not a single COVID-19 screening test. Consequently, it had spiked the numbers of infected persons to nearly three thousand. Since it was Balochistan that was affected, there was no condemnation or official protest reported from Pakistani authorities and no news of any apologies heard from the Iranian side as well. The incident was reported in Euro Asian Times, and the Pakistani Foreign Minister’s reaction was quoted to say, “I spoke with the Iranian foreign minister and requested time to make arrangements, but they couldn’t do it due to economic sanctions.” In reality, Balochistan is the most neglected region in the world, given the COVID-19 crisis. People are literally at the mercy of nature; if the infected person develops immunity naturally, he lives.
Donna Karan once said, “It’s all about finding the calm in the chaos.” It’s certainly the case when we look at the contemporary world. Humanity is indeed full of miseries and chaos at such a level that the human mind goes overwhelmed. On the remedial perspective and to cope up with the current scenario that has multiple fronts to knock down human beings on emotional grounds, “mindfulness” is the tool that can be helpful.
Mindfulness is the simple human capacity to be wholly present, mindful of where we are and what we’re doing, and not excessively reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness is now being scientifically examined and has been found to be a crucial element in stress reduction and overall happiness. Stay safe wherever you are.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Balochistan Post or any of its editors.