HARDLY a day passes when we do not receive weird and strange new forwards on social media. While many of these are funny and can easily be dismissed, some of them are sad and even have a profound impact on society.
This is all thanks to the advent of technology – the Internet and the mobile phone – which has enabled news to spread like wild fire in just seconds.
I have earlier mentioned one should learn to use technology with caution and wisely so that it does good and causes no harm to anyone.
For example, I saw the news of a Kuwaiti muezzin who had raised the call to prayer wearing inappropriate clothing (shorts). He was filmed by a worshipper. Of course, the video was uploaded on social media and went viral.
There was a hue and cry and the muezzin was suspended by the authorities until an investigation was conducted. It later emerged that the muezzin, who has been in the job for the last 30 years and is known to be very good at his work, was actually cleaning the mosque’s library in his spare time before realising he had to issue the Maghreb call to prayer.
With no time to change, he made the call to prayer in his “unofficial” attire before he rushed to change and prepare to lead the prayers.
Authorities have pointed out there is no Islamic law governing what should be worn while issuing the call to prayer, or stating that the ablutions required for prayer must already be performed.
This incident proves how dangerous social media can be and, in this case, an innocent man was shamed for no reason.
So let us always and forever be good to others, as the saying goes, ‘in haste to regret’.
We have started living in constant anxiety due to the misuse of social media. It has become a curse instead of a blessing. We are afraid to act spontaneously and with integrity on many occasions, even if it is with family or friends, such as birthday celebrations, marriage and others.
We have become trapped in feelings of joy for fear that one of the attendees will take pictures and post them on social media in a different sense than what had been intended.
I wish we are all careful and have a lot of concern and respect for everyone’s privacy and not to publish or photograph any situation just to be ‘famous’ on social media.
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