social ills

By V. Vasudevan New Straits Times 9 January, 2008 PM expresses alarm, announces remedial action: More cops. More CCTVs. More patrols. More police stations. KUALA LUMPUR: The crime index has gone up worryingly and a multi-pronged strategy is being applied to bring it down, the prime minister said. The number of serious crimes increased by 13.36 per cent nationwide last year, with gang robbery without the use of firearms rising by more than 159 per cent. "The crime index is getting higher and it can create anxiety among the public. Abdullah said to help arrest and bring down the crime figures, the police had come up with a strategy, including: - hiring of contract police personnel who are retiring or have retired; - installing more closed-circuit television cameras in buildings and public places; - setting up more police stations in shop houses and housing estates; - appointing civilians to administrative positions and thereby releasing police personnel for their main duties; - Fast-tracking recruitment. Abdullah said the measures the government was taking would bring down the crime rate.” I wonder whether all these measures will succeed. Let’s see what is the crime rate like in the world richest country which uses all the resources available, including man-power, financial, technology etc to fight crime. Crime occurs at the following rates in USA in 1994: 1. Violent crime every 18 seconds 2. Rape every 5 minutes 3. Murder every 24 minutes. (Berita Harian 14 Okt 1996 Jenayah berlaku purata setiap 18 saat di AS. Laporan FBI 1995 Before the time of Nabi Muhammad s.a.w, there was epidemic of crime in Saudi Arabia including tribal wars, murders, drug addictions, adultery, robbery, female and child abuse etc. When Islam was fully implemented, a female, riding a camel alone at night, safely traveled from Iraq to Mecca. World number one drug addiction problem, alcohol addiction, was rampant in Saudi Arabia. After 20 years, Nabi Muhammad s.a.w successful ended alcoholism as an epidemic. Alcohol traders themselves, voluntarily, threw away the alcohol, so much so that rivers of alcohol flowed in Madina. In this ‘modern world’, people drink alcohol like drinking water as alcohol is now legalized after the failure of Prohibition Act in USA. Drinking alcohol is a status symbol now, just like during the days of jahilliyah. Nabi s.a.w succeeded in controlling crime epidemic without use of much man-power and finance. The ‘technology’ he used was education, inculcating taqwa among people. Education system in Islam achieved this. As Prof Khursid Ahmad wrote in his small book “Principle of Islamic Education” (Islamic Pub Ltd. Lahore 1978) quoting two commands from Allah: “[2] It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a Messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, - although they had been, before, in manifest error; (Al Jumaah 62:2) [25] We sent aforetime Our Messengers with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong), that men may stand forth in justice… (Al Hadiid 57:25) Thus the basic objective of education in the famework of Islamic culture is to discharge these prophetic fuctions to educate the people in the religion of Islam; to imbue them with the spirit and ideals of this religion and prepare them for a fully grown life. The objective is to be achieved by permeating the entire education with the spirit of the Islamic ideology…. It is also necessary that in teaching of each and every subject--- particularly in respect of social studies-- the viewpoint of Islam should be explained to the student and at every stage of his education proper care should be taken to arouse his sense of moral responsibility. This in my view, would be the proper purpose of Education,” (page 20-21) The facts that Malays/Muslims are number one in crimes, like drug addiction (with all its consequences like HIV/AIDS infection), robbery etc and are the majority in jails, reflect badly on the education system of the Malays. We have a choice. As always, Allah has given us two choices: [123] He said: "Get ye down, both of you, all together, from the Garden, with enmity one to another: but if, as is sure, there comes to you guidance from Me, whosoever follows My guidance, will not lose his way, nor fall into misery. [124] "But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment." [125] He will say: "O my Lord! why hast thou raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)?" [126] (Allah) will say: "Thus didst thou, when Our Signs came unto thee, disregard them: so wilt thou, this day, be disregarded." (Taahaa @0:123-126) Allah has given us brains and He has given us freedom to choose. He will actualize our choice, and we are responsible for all the consequences of our choice.