MY PRAYER

The death of OSAMA BIN LADEN doesn’t necessarily mean an end to terrorism. Oh never! Perish the thought now.

Right this very moment, the new leadership has already taken the cudgels for the Al-Qaeda. I am sure that as I speak (write) now, they have taken a bold step to bounce back, “resbak” is their main agenda and reprisal is what they want most against their enemies.

I dread this. Extremists are loyal to their beliefs and they stop at nothing to push for their objectives, more so if they have suffered a major setback. The death of their leader, is worse than a setback- they lost a financier, inspirational figure and big brother at the same time. Whereas before when terror is the only agenda, now it is spiced with revenge making the story even more complicated. Blowing a skyscraper may not challenge them anymore- they have been there, done that. Crashing planes to a US embassy may be too casual for them. I dread what they have in mind now.

I remember the words of our Superintendent in the Academy that” “Nothing wrong with feeling fear, it is but natural for human beings. What is wrong is when you get immobilized with fear.” Or that of the great US war general, GEORGE PATTON who said: “The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.”

That is why I am working double time. Fear would shake me but it should not make me irresponsible. I have a job to do and kids to feed. Terror or the thought of it wouldn’t make me not board a plane or do that which I normally do. After all, isn’t it the goal of the terrorists? To disrupt our lives and make us cower out of fright?

Instead I would infect the people around me with vigilance, take an extra step to remind myself 24/7 that keeping the environment safe around me isn’t a job left to government alone. And I would have to mend my prayers for world peace, for it would remain as a prayer, it is cliché, the reality of it happening just seem impossible in this lifetime. In fact, we don’t hear that anymore even in beauty pageants. Instead, I would just have to accept the fact that while I live in this world, I would have to take a stand in the never-ending fights between good and evil. That will be my prayer.