By He

The cruise was a breathtaking experience. Nevermind the tourists who like to jump queues and ask more of everything for free. Nevermind the claustrophobic sleeping cabin. Nevermind the dhal-potato-dhal-rice menu. And nevermind the sleazy and tastelessly performed Las Vegas-styled topless show that was visited by grandmothers from India. The real experience lay in the beautiful sunrise, the stunning waters, and the tiny-ness of the 14-storey Superstar Virgo. The feeling of seeing only the sea and sky, and nothing else all around, is indeed an overpowering feeling.

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Speaking of overpowering feeling, I found out that one need not go on a cruise to feel that one’s life is totally in the hands of the Creator. I was waiting for the bus opposite Novena MRT, to go to work. I momentarily stood near the JC DeCaux/Cox/whatever poster. Then I moved to under the bus stop. A few seconds later, fellow commuters and bystanders were struck by a loud noise – a large branch had fallen from the overhanging tree, smashing on the spot near where I stood just a few seconds ago. If Allah willed, I would not have shifted my butt to the bus stop, and I might not have been typing this entry. In that instance of realization, I felt a feeling of security and peace. And at that moment in time, I fully realized the meaning of the term, famous for its use by the Sahabah and also the Prophet s.a.w. – By He Who holds my life in His Hand.

Cruising On

It’s been an unprecedented 3 weeks of my life. Emotions ran wild. Pride had to be swallowed. Constitutions were tested. Decisions had to be made. And finally conciliation was given by the Almighty. Have I become stronger? I remain but a sojourner in my life in this world. I’ve learnt a few lessons, and hopefully these lessons will stick tight in the years to come. The journey has become all the more bearable and interesting with my wife by my side.

And now I look forward to a nice little cruise that we’re going away on. After that, I look forward to moving into our new flat at Kim Tian Road - the flat that has been in the making for almost 3 months now. It looks much better than I thought it’d look, and for that we’re thankful. May it be a place for solace, a place for spiritual uplifting and a place for peace to enter hearts.

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I was quite shocked that a former law lecturer, a graduate, was detained by the ISD for attempting to make contact with Lakshar-e-Toiba, a militant terrorist group in Pakistan. Security experts believe he was a ‘self-radicalised’ activist – someone who surfed the internet and got convinced by himself that he needed to train in Afghanistan to fight infidels.

I’m not convinced he was convinced by himself. Surely, there could’ve been a network of like-minded individuals who had similar beliefs in order for him to be persuaded enough of the rationale to go to Pakistan.

But what other things can we learn from his detainment? The Internet is a powerful source of information, and care must be taken in assessing the credibility and quality of information that is found. In a connected society like Singapore, media literacy is essential, and as I see it, increasingly necessary in view of converging media technology. We need to equip our young and old with the tools to discern media messages and have an opinion on what is being presented.