Rome was burning and Nero was playing fiddle 

We all are well aware of this Quranic verse: “Whoever kills a soul…it is as if he has killed all of humanity. And whoever saves a soul, it is as if he has saved all of humanity.” 

In Ramadan, being a Muslim when we are supposed to avoid such things we are compelled to observe some incidents and scenes of terrorism, extremism and cases of inflation through social and electronic communication means.

Ramadan is a significant month for Muslims all over the world. It is marked by fasting, prayers, and spiritual growth. It’s a time to have faith, practise self-discipline, and seek pleasure of Allah Almighty. Muslims try their level best to avoid any kind of sin in this sacred month, Even it is advised that a pity matter can be solved in Ramadan by saying this “I can’t argue on trivial things as I am fasting”. Alas! Where do we stand: The Jaffar Express incident, a terrorist attack that took place in Bolan, Balochistan, on March 11, 2025. The train was hijacked by extremists who took over 400 passengers hostage, including security personnel. The terrorists blew up a rail track, forcing the train to stop.

The Pakistan Army, Air Force, Special Services Group (SSG), and Frontier Corps (FC) launched a rescue operation, which resulted in the elimination of 33 terrorists. Unfortunately, at least 30 civilians and security personnel lost their lives. During the operation, 346 hostages were rescued, with some forced to walk for hours without shoes to reach safety.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti stated that the attack was an attempt to create instability, emphasizing that terrorists “cannot occupy even an inch of Pakistan.” He condemned the killing of innocent civilians. The scenes from the Jaffar Express attack were horrific and no doubt heartbreaking. Survivors described the sheer terror of being held hostage by heavily armed terrorists, who separated passengers before executing some of them. Families, women and children were forced to walk barefoot for hours in the rugged Bolan terrain after being released. 

Peace is a universal phenomenon, compulsory for human progress, coexistence, and stability. Peace means not only the absence of war but also the presence of justice, harmony, and mutual respect among individuals, societies and nations. 

Since we were trying to digest the cruelty of this incident, media broadcast another incident. It was really an example of “cruel innocence”. A person who just comes out of his house for common household chores is unaware whether he will go home safely or not. No rules, no implementation of laws and order. This incident which the writer has mentioned below is perfect example of “might is right”. 

The road incident at the Beijing Underpass in Dharampura on Thursday took an unexpected turn when it was revealed that the shooters — guards from a private security company — were escorting PML-N MPA Emmanuel Athar Julius and his guests from the United Kingdom. The guards allegedly fired at a young motorist during the altercation.

The video of this young man has got viral in which the courage of this young man can be seen the way he has blocked the way of that minister. He was physically assaulted by the security guards.

The man named Imran showed remarkable courage by blocking the attackers’ path with his car. When one of the guards attempted to fire a second shot, bystanders intervened and began recording videos.

 It is traumatic that many people were around but no one protested against this oppression.

Maybe everyone has forgotten these basic teachings of Islam: “Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot, then with his tongue. And if he cannot, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith.”

No one stopped it with hand and even we didn’t see much news about this mishap. It means we as Muslims are at the lowest stage of faith. 

The questions arise why we are all deaf and selfish? Why we pretend that we can’t hear screams around us? Why we show that we have no concern with humanity? In this situation, I remembered point of view written by Hobbes. He had a pessimistic view of human nature. In Leviathan, he argued that without a strong government, human life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” due to selfishness and competition. He believed that society and laws are necessary to control human impulses. 

Great philosopher Rousseau once said “Humans are naturally good but corrupted by society.”

It means society plays a vast role in the life of individuals and nowadays we have been suffering from it. As a whole deaf society is around us and unfortunately we are part of it, no one listens, every one is under threat, everybody seems to be scared of unknown and unseen powers. 

 If society becomes selfish, it can lead to numerous negative consequences, both for individuals and the community as a whole. A selfish society prioritizes personal or group interests over collective well-being, which can result in such cases which are discussed above.

We hope: 

Let anger fade like evening light,

And peace will rise to end the night.

To be concluded, its time to be united as a nation not like gathering. When we realise our importance as a nation we will be able to cope such kind of situations and incidents easily. Right now we can say our example is like Nero: “Rome was burning and Nero was playing fiddle.”