Eid-ul-Azha: A time to pause, reflect and make anew

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein We are rapidly approaching the blessed and spiritual time of Eid-ul-Azha (Kurbani Eid) when countless animals are sacrificed, symbolic of Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) willingness to sacrifice his much-loved and only son as an act of obedience to Almighty Allah - an excellent example of pure and unconditional righteousness and faith, if there ever was one. It's a time when families and friends come together - many from far distances inland and overseas - for prayers, to exchange gifts, enjoy special culinary delights and the warm embrace of their loved ones. It's a time, for many city dwellers to momentarily escape the hustle and bustle, incessant traffic snarls, noise, and air pollution of cities like Dhaka and Chittagong and return to the tranquility and clean air of their villages. It's a time for pause and reflection for everyone - Muslim and non-Muslim alike - to make a conscious assessment of where we are, where we planned to be, and where we hoped to be at this time this year, and if we need to do a U-turn in our lives at the first opportunity. Special occasions like Eid-ul-Azha are much more than 'X-marks-the-spot' on our calendars, but spiritual milestones in our lives to lean against, stand still, rest a little, reflect upon our lives, and ask ourselves if we are on the right road and if not; which road should we be on. The teaching fraternity of Bangladesh in particular needs time-out to pause and reflect upon their actions of the past before resuming their school activities after the Eid-ul-Azha celebrations. Since the launch of an anti-corporal punishment in schools in the press last year, I have been inundated with correspondence from pupils, parents, teachers, headmasters, doctors, lawyers, engineers and people from other professions and all walks of life. The golden thread common to all was their disgust of corporal punishment in the schools, their distain and the disrespect they now hold for teachers, some deserved, some not. Many who were totally outraged wrote Letters to the Editor of English-language and Bengali-language newspapers, here and overseas, publicly expressing their pent-up feelings of horror and disgust. In my replies (perhaps because I come from a teaching family) I often found myself defending teachers and making excuses for their unacceptable, quite often-inhumane behaviour, believing it to be 'short-lived'. that change was just around the corner. I may have even reassured some writers that once a law was passed prohibiting corporal punishment, that all would be well, and every student would live happily ever after, but to my surprise and profound regret that was not to be. In response to a petition lodged on July 18, 2010 by Barrister Sara Hossain on behalf of social conscience organizations Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and its sister Human Rights Organization Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), the High Court Divisional bench comprising of Justice Md. Imman Ali and Justice Md Sheikh Hasan Arif (all my heroes) declared on January 13, 2011 in a loud and clear voice that corporal punishment was "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and a clear violation of a child's fundamental right to life, liberty and freedom". Much to everyone's regret - and no doubt that of the High Court ­- many 'teachers' continue to misbehave and exercise their evil ways; bringing discredit to themselves, their schools, their pupils and society in general. These 'teachers' cane and beat children, often mercilessly, for "unforgivable offenses" such as whispering in class, tardiness, wearing torn or dirty uniforms, not having a school book (which the family could not afford), wearing long hair, day-dreaming, being unable to answer a question, failing to achieve target marks set on exams or just looking at the 'teacher' in a way he or she didn't like. These futile antiquated degrading responses from ignorant 'teachers' upon the greatest asset of Bangladesh often result in bruising, swelling, and cuts; immeasurable pain and suffering in each and every tear, and occasionally even worse: sprained or broken fingers or wrists, knocked-out teeth, internal injuries, and even death. The loudest cry for help from any child to stop the cruelty, suffering and persecution of corporal punishment in school is suicide. And, regrettably, those cries have been heard, but shamelessly corporal punishment goes on regardless. However deplorable in character a 'teacher' might be, I doubt if he or she would want the suicide of a child on his or her conscience. Most would agree, the teaching system is broken and in urgent need of repair. The time has come for all members of the teaching fraternity to pause and reflect, and for many to make a U-turn before the law forces them - and it will. It's time for honourable teachers and headmasters to stop, help prevent, speak-out, and protect their once illustrious name in society and do what is right for the children. Remember the immortal words of Albert Einstein: "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." Irish statesman, author and philosopher Edmund Burke said it another way: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing". It's time for law breaking 'teachers' to pause and reflect upon the agony, suffering and damage they've already caused, to take that U-turn, get on the right road, and begin anew. Every person is capable of change - every day is a new day to a wise man - and there's no better time to begin the transition than during the blessed and spiritual time of Eid-ul-Azha. Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) was prepared to sacrifice his only son out of love, respect and honour of Almighty Allah. Surely putting away the stick and behaving in a professional manner as all professional and conscientious teachers should, isn't too much to ask or too much of a sacrifice to make in comparison? The writer can be reached at e-mail : sirfrankpeters@googlemail.com