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   Further  muddying  the  waters  is  the  general  lack  of  sufficient  trust  in  Muhammad   Iqbal   had   an   inspiring   and   hence   vital   quote:
   the  credibility  and  feasibility  of  current  measures  due  to  the  absence  “surely   the   present   moment   is   one   of   the   great   crisis   in   the
   of   actual   two-way   communication   channels   normally   found   in   any  history   of   modern   culture.The   modern   world   stands   in   need   of
   political system.                                           biological  renewal.”  And  what  could  possibly  be  more  effective
                                                               in   bringing  about   biological   renewal   than   deadly   diseases,   dear
   These   difficulties   open   the   door   to   many   conflicting   speculations  reader?  This   process  of  biological   renewal   would   then  aid  man
   about   the   current   plan   to   manage   our   present   catastrophe.   One   of  in   renewing   the   base   of   his   cultural,   social   and   historical
   these   speculations   is   that   there   are   sincere   efforts   being   exerted  existence, according to Iqbal.
   towards   controlling   the   situation   only   to   be   rendered   useless   on   the
   ground by insufficient allocated resources and idle preparations. The  This   logic   comes   close   to   Social   Darwinism   in   terms   of
   other  speculation  is  that  there  is  actual  confusion  and  delay  in  taking  mechanisms.  However,  the  two  differ  in  their  starting  points,  as
   the  necessary  measures.  This  line  of  speculation  is  supported  by  the  evident  in  the  two  following  historical  examples.  First,  we  have
   change   in   the   narrative   of   the   cue-receiving   media   from   first  the   pre-Islamic   Arabs   who   dedicated   themselves   and   their
   underestimating  the  virus  and  denying  the  existence  of  cases  to  now
                                                               resources   to   fighting   pointless   tribal   wars   and   conflicts.   The
   urging   people   to   cooperate   with   the   authorities   and   the   measures  only valuable outcome of these wars is that they transformed the
   they are taking.                                            tribes   into   a   trained   warrior   nation   filled   with   values   of
                                                               knighthood,   courage,   risk-taking   and   fighting   skills,   as   well   as
   Nevertheless,  we  need  to  transcend  the  present  moment  and  attempt  purity   from   all   elements   of   human   corruption.   Thus,   when   the
   to   look   on   the   bright   side,   aided   perhaps   by   the   logical   premise  time   came,   the   selected   members   of   this   nation   took   upon
   presented   by   al-Maqrizi   in   his   aforementioned   treatise.   Al-Maqrizi  themselves   the   mission   of   spreading   the   word   of   God,
   picked   up   from   his   mentor   Ibn   Khaldun   the   importance   of   the  sacrificing   themselves   in   His   name   against   Arab   and   non-Arab
   psychological   factor   in   sociological   analysis.   He   argued   that   the  infidels,   in   what   became   historically   known   as   the   Muslim
   psychological  factor  or  rather  psychological  fragility  leads  to  a  false  Conquests.
   belief   in   the   exceptionality   of   the   present   moment;   that   the   present
   moment   is   unprecedented   in   the   past   and   insurmountable   in   the  The   second   example   is   the   European   Jews   under   Nazi   rule.   The
   future.  To  illustrate  this,  he  gives  a  nice  example  of  a  man  who  feels  oppression,   displacement,   arrest,   torture   and   killing   that   this   group
                                                               faced   from   the   time   the   Nazi   came   to   power   until   Berlin   fell   to   the
   that   his   past   experience   with   fever   is   easier   and   lighter   than   his
                                                               Allied   powers   led   to   a   renewal   in   the   biological   base   of   Jewish
   current   experience   lying   awake   in   bed   disturbed   by   flea   stings.
                                                               existence.   Thus,   the   weak   parasitic   human   elements   of   the   ghettos
   Surely,  the  opposite  is  rationally  correct;  however,  the  heavy  weight
                                                               were   discarded   paving   the   way   for  the   emergence   of   a  new   selected
   of   the   present   moment   is   what   leads   to   this   false   assumption.
                                                               breed  of  Jews,  known  as  the  “Muscular  Jews,”  who  believed  that  they
   Therefore,   al-Maqrizi   countered   the   effect   of   the   psychological
                                                               should   not   surrender   nor   subordinate   for   the   sake  of  survival.  On   the
   factor by conducting a historical review of the cases of adversity and
                                                               contrary,   they   would   fight   for   their   existence.   Again,   when   the
   famine in Egypt from ancient times to his age.
                                                               historical   opportunity   arose,   these   stronger   human   elements   fought
   If   this   Egyptian   historian   resorted   to   socio-historical   analysis   to
                                                               and militarily defeated the Arab armies, forming what is known as the
   transcend   his   present   moment,   we   ought   to   resort   to   philosophical
                                                               “Sabra   Generation,”   that   carried   the   pillars   of   the   Zionist   state.   Ask
   analysis   to   transcend   our   own.   To   do   this,   we   should   ask   ourselves
                                                               yourself   –  dear   reader  –   how  many  Arabs   are  exchanged   for   just   one
   about   the   meaning   or   benefit   or   use   of   this   epidemic   from   an
                                                               Israeli  prisoner,  and  you  will  know  the  value  of  this  individual  whose
   existential   perspective;   how   does   the   outbreak   of   epidemics   and
                                                               existential biological base was renewed in the diaspora.
   deadly  diseases  that  know  no  borders  affect  the  existence  of  man  as
                                                               An  epidemic  might   thus   be   dressed   in   hardship   and   affliction   on   the
   man,   regardless   of   his   era,   place,   religion,   culture,   colour   and
                                                               surface,   but   it   does   not   necessarily   carry   all   evil   on   the   inside.   A
   gender? In this regard,
                                                               possible blessing in disguise, whether we live to see it or not!

                          issue 18, April 2020                #Stay_at_home
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