Page 130 - The Religion Of The Ignorant

THE RELIGION OF THE IGNORANT

ties and show their true faces. The panic felt when an earthquake
strikes, for instance, may lead them to abandon their affected charac-
ter. At such a moment, their facial expressions, tone of voice, behav-
ior and way of calling on Allah all suddenly may change. Such
people may be aware of their helplessness, be humble, full of fear,
genuine and sincere. The moment the earthquake ends, however,
that effect suddenly vanishes and the affected characters re-appear.
That is because the force that caused their character to change, albeit
for a moment, is not fear of Allah but fear of death. Once that fear has
passed, this character re-emerges in all its ugliness.

The Affected Character Gives Rise to Sloth,
Incompetence and Ignorance
Affected people tend to be skilled at nothing, have no compe-
tence in any field, and are ignorant. The world offered to people of
that character is a very narrow one. They take an interest only in cer-
tain areas of life and know nothing about anything beyond.
Affected people are interested in such matters as clothes, make-
up, brands of perfume, the private lives of those around them, travel
plans and hairdressers' addresses. Little else is of any deep interest.
They have not the slightest interest in the torture inflicted on
Muslims in East Turkistan, for instance, the cruelty experienced in
Palestine, people oppressed and killed everyday in Iraq, people
starving to death in Africa, the spread of atheism in the world, the
abandonment of Qur'anic moral values or the moral degeneration
among young people. They are sensitive only to their own interests.
The problems of others, even of their closest friends, interest them
not at all. They take an interest in a subject only if it affects their in-
terests in some way.

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