People’s Cooperation for Health and Hygiene
I am convinced that there are many areas where participation by the people of Pakistan is of paramount importance i.e. in the field of health, pure water supply, prevention of diseases, prevention of mental and physical handicap and above all in the provision of clean and healthy environment. If we could spread the awareness and play our part as individuals and as groups in making our country clean and tidy, we would eliminate many diseases that cripple our children for life, send our promising young to early death, kill many in the prime of life and make the glorious days of our elders a miserable existence. We must motivate people to work together in this filed for their own good health and for the future generations.
        There is another aspect, which saddens my heart. It is the undisciplined way we, behave generally and drive our cars and buses. I spare no one in this respect, the educated the intelligent, the rich and the poor and specially the bus and wagon drivers. Since my arrival in Pakistan I have refused to drive beyond Islamabad on to the Murree road because I do not wish to change my habits after 30 years.

        It seems that ALLAH has proclaimed that the gates of heaven would be closed at a certain time and every body is in a hurry to reach there. Do they ever wonder that they sit and chat for hours in a leisurely manner but as soon as they sit on the drivers seat the time becomes very crucial. One may say that there are many countries in the world where traffic is as bad but we as Momins cannot take shelter behind others. We were taught the golden rule of patience, discipline and rights of others by the perfect and glorious teacher of all, the Quran and the Holy Prophet. I have enumerated Muhammad SWT above the main areas of concern, now I may be permitted to give some advice on these topics.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SANITATION
My observation is that people in general are apathetic and have little conception of their responsibilities in this field. The awareness about the detrimental result of pollution on their own health, happiness and economy is practically non-existent.

        The Sewerage is blocked by garbage, bricks, shopping bags and other solid materials which are thrown indiscriminately into the drains by nearly everybody. The flow of sewerage is either slow or is stagnant. The drinking water gets polluted. The result is that germs multiply the town and villages smell children and adults suffer from preventable diseases like dysentery diarihoea, cholera, typhoid and intestinal worms.
        I am of the firm opinion that in years to come may be very soon even the monsoon rain would not be able to flush the drains. The possibility is that due to the blockage the sewerage will over-flow and speard all the filth on the roads and towns with horrible results. If only people knew that a clean and healthy environment is the joint responsibility of the citizens and the local authorities, the situation would be different.
        No Government in the world can possibily keep the towns clean if the citizens do not play their part. The cost to the Government and the people is astronomical, poor health leads to poor performance and poor economy. The colossal cost of medical treatment is on top of this, both to Government and the people. I sometimes blame the Indian culture for their social classification and creating untouchable who were to do the dirty work. No other Muslim country or any other country has Jamedars and citizens have to do their own cleaning. We seem to think that such a work is only to be done by sweepers. We must promote awareness among people that a little time/money spent on cleanliness, attention to Hygienic surroundings would give them benefits that would save them and the nation huge cost of providing medical treatment besides keeping them alive. I must also stress that we must pay special attention to the living conditions of Jamadars/Sweepers . They live in filthy surroundings. Do we not think that the people who enter our houses to clean must be clean and disease free. They are the carriers of many illnesses. I have witnessed their living conditions and I cannot imagine that we could be so blind to the primary rules of hygience. The authorities should provide health visitors to guide them and provide proper, clean living conditions.
        I suggest that in order to spread awareness about health matters and benefits of clean water, we should encourage Pakistan T.V. to have a weekly programme on environmental health. The programme should include a crossection of people i.e. professionals, representatives from villages, towns, Industries and young students. There should be an open discussion with audience participation.  A guest speaker delivering a lecture would be a futile attempt.
        It should be made absolutely clear that political discussion and Criticism of personalities would not be acceptable. The discussion should aim at spreading awareness and finding economic ways of drinking clean water, keeping Pakistan clean and tidy.
        I am sure that once motivated and taught simple ways of keeping drains flowing, our villagers have the time to make their areas the best kept in the country in the shortest possible period.
        My firm belief is that ordinary citizens think that they are only responsible to keep their houses clean and are at liberty to throw rubbish in the streets.
        We build houses at huge costs but are reluctant to spend few rupees to keep our streets in better and healthy conditions. Are we not aware that flies can travel miles and come back into our houses to spread infections and make our children face a living death.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HANDICAP
The problem of handicap is a serious problem. Research in Pakistan shows that a significant proportion of our children suffer from handicap of one form or the other . Birth traumas, injuries later in life, unhealthy handling of children, infections specially meningitis, ear infections result in many handicaps which are preventable.
        It has also been found that treating a child like a toy, shaking in  a jerky fashion, throwing a child up in the air and shaking damages the brain which is vulnerable in infaney but there is little awareness about it. The use of hard drugs is also a cause.
        The ear infections result in deafness which retards child’s learning  abilities in many cases for life.
Common infections of the eye can easily be treated but few days delay can cause blindness.
        It is our duty to look after those who are suffering but it is far more important to prevent it happening. If we do not act now a time will come when all the resources in our country would not be enough to provide services for the handicapped population.
        I feel that medical profession as a whole has a moral and ethical responsibility in this respect. I beg the Pakistan Medical Association to display posters in every clinic and hospital about hygiene and ways of preventing illnesses. As I have said earlier, our people in general have developed the habit of addressing others but seldom show the way by participating in those activities.
In my humbly way, I am now actively seeking cooperation from Loins Clubs and Youth Organizations at Jhelum and at Islamabad to select definite areas to create Models in this respect. I hope that the people will cooperate.
 

        So far so good.
        But there are certain things that can only be done by the government of the country whether elected or otherwise.
        The country needs defence against an enemy, and protection against any unforeseen situations within. The citizens also need to feel safe in their daily life, so we need police judges and courts etc. The other living needs are roads, schools, means of communications i.e. post office telephones railways etc. Also gas and electricity for food, and comfort and survival, We also need a environment to live a clean and healthy life.
        These jobs can not be done on individual basis, we need a group of people with certain powers to do the job. We pay them because we have asked them to do certain extremely necessary jobs for our survival. We also have a duty to pay them some money, as they do all those jobs for us, and also for their expenses as managers.
        There should be no question about it. But if we feel that the managers are not doing their jobs properly then we can question them and also we do have the responsibility to make sure that the money is spent properly. In any circumstances we can not withhold the money for the jobs we have asked them to do for us.
        At present they are borrowing money to keep us alive but for how long can we survive with out paying them the  money for the job.
        May be very soon we will become part of history books as an extinct nation.
        Do we want to live with honour or we want a miserable departure from this world and be remembered as people who did not care?
 

ISLAMIC TOUGHT LAWS FOR WHOM

        Non Muslims have been projecting Islam as a barbaric religion because it prescribes tough punishments to those who transgress Allah’s limits. Many of us believers sometimes do show wavering faith, because of this deliberate and constant attack on Islamic laws and value systems how many of us look at the other side of the coin and say that Islam is the only religion (Deen) in the world that cares so much for the people that it punishes those who disturb  the peace of the society in the form of qisas, the physical punishments are lifted up into sphere of morals and faith.
        Can anybody tell me of a country or society where criminals are dealt with leniently and the society is at peace? Would you call the punishments barbaric when you punish one to save all other innocents and law abiding citizens. Wouldn, t it be  barbaric when law abiding citizen loose their limbs, wealth and life because of breakers?
        Before metting out punishments. Islam establishes a system which caters for the basic needs of the people in the form of faith, mental and physical  training, zakat and baitulmal and establishes a judicial system that provide justice for all in the name of Allah. Nobody can escape whether he is a man in authority or of influence or an ordinary citizen. A just, honest and clean society is the goal.
        Don’t just look at the tough punishments, look how caring Islam is (in the law of qisas there is life to you, o men of understang that ye may restrain yourselves) 2-179.

Dr. Muhammad Rafiq Mirza
39 Kaghan Road
Islamabad.