Salamun alaykum,
Pitch forks distributed in schools:
Police in a western district of Beijing have distributed 200 pitchfork-like implements to schools, for use by campus security and teachers to keep any attackers at bay, the Beijing News reported.
Schools across China have been ordered to step up security measures after a series of bloody attacks on children and teachers in recent days. As part of the increased security, armed police were to begin patrolling schools in Beijing after the May Day holiday, officials said. ( Al Jazeera English News Asia –Pacific 30th April, 2010)
What happened?
The crackdown follows an attack on Friday 30th April, 2010 in the city of Weifang in which a farmer broke into a school, attacking children and a teacher with a hammer before setting himself on fire and burning himself to death. This attack was the third such incident in three days, and the fifth in the space of just over a month. On Wednesday 28th April, a 33-year-old former teacher broke into a primary school in the southern city of Leizhou, wounding 15 pupils and a teacher with a knife. A day later, a 47-year-old unemployed man armed with a 20-centimetre knife wounded 29 young children, five critically, as well as two teachers and a security guard at a school in the eastern city of Taixing in Jiangsu province.
Motive for the killing:
According to reports from the Police the attacks were carried out of anger over a "series of business and personal humiliations" and of depression.
Ghadhab (Anger) : Divine Favour:
The characteristic power of Ghadhab /Anger is a favour of Allah SWT bestowed upon His creatures. By means of this trait one is able to pursue activities leading to happiness in this world and the hereafter. It plays a great role in the establishment and maintenance of order in society such as the relationships among men in society, fulfilling Amr bil m’aruf and Nahy anil munkar, implementation of the penal laws and other civic deeds.
On the other hand the deficiency of this character of Anger would make men and the animals defenseless against dangers and assaults.
Lack of moderation:
Whilst anger is a useful trait, uncontrollable anger leads to a person becoming outrageous. There is no limit to the behavioral hazard in society due to the raging fire of anger in man. Many horrible deeds have been committed by persons under a spell of anger as seen from the above reports of attacks on children and teachers.
The following two hadith narrated from Imam J’afar As Sadiq a.s. shed light on effect of lack of moderation in anger:
- “Is there anything more violent than anger? Verily a man gets angry and kills someone whose blood has been forgiven by God, or slanders a married woman”
- “Anger is the key that opens the door to all kinds of vices”
The noble teachings of Islam have suggested practical remedies for curing oneself of anger.
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah
With salaams and duas
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat
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Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat. Al Mahdi, Wickham Road, Fareham, Hampshire . PO17 5BU. Reg. Charity Number: 1010076. Tel: 01329 832537. Fax: 02392-529766
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.: Jamaat Web Site: www.almahdi.org.uk:
Project Web Site: www.almahdi.org.uk/almahdiproject
Member of the Council of European Jamaats
Member of Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat. Al Mahdi, Wickham Road, Fareham, Hampshire . PO17 5BU. Reg. Charity Number: 1010076. Tel: 01329 832537. Fax: 02392-529766
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.: Jamaat Web Site: www.almahdi.org.uk: Project Web Site: www.almahdi.org.uk/almahdiproject
Member of the Council of European Jamaats
Member of Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board