It’s Easy to Blame others but NOT oneself

It takes a tremendous amount of courage and strength for a man to be self-critical and to be able to put the blame where it rightly belongs.

Not everyone is blessed and gifted with the quality to see one�s weakness, admit one�s faults and then take a responsibility of one�s own actions and mishaps.

Human beings crave desperately for attention, praise and acknowledgment while very few are open to criticism or to an opinion that does not agree with theirs.

A man feels threatened when his views or beliefs are questioned and challenged.

Emotions run high, anger replaces reasoning and things some times get out of control when one�s pride and integrity is threatened.

You could easily win friends and influence people when you praise everyone. But you would hardly find anyone on your side when you don�t take things for granted and start using your mind to ask and criticize.

Millions of people have been murdered, tortured, and imprisoned throughout history for speaking up their mind and speaking openly against the policies of their governments.

You would put your life on the line if you don�t praise and dance on the streets in countries where leaders rule with fire and iron fists.

Your trace would never be found if you dare to open your mouth to criticize and question the leaders in those countries.

You would mostly find women putting all the blames on men for the family breakdowns, as you would equally find the same thing from the opposite gender who cry out loud, �you can�t leave them and you can�t live without them.�

Hamza Yusuf, the director of Zaytuna Institute in California, was admired by Muslims especially the youth when he used to speak up about the mishaps and negatives of the western societies.

Auditoriums and mosques were always filled and jammed with emotionally charged and motivated youth who never had enough of the dynamic speaker. They were never fed up to listen to Mr. Yusuf when he used to reveal how the west hypocritical is toward third world countries and how morality has decayed in the society.

But soon after the September 11, 2001 tragedy, Hamza changed the tone of his voice.

The event was so massive to bear and many people have found it difficult to comprehend.

Although he still speaks honestly, freely and openly but his tone has shifted toward correcting the mishaps of the Muslim community instead of criticizing others only.

As a result of this transformation, some youth have disliked him altogether. Others have accused him of being �sold out� and a hypocrite.

Many leaders and intellectuals who criticize their own governments and communities lose their profession and some times they lost their lives.

Malcolm X, the famous black leader who spoke against injustices and discriminations black people used to suffer from in the United States had gained a massive support and popularity from his community.

But when he went through personal transformation and abandoned the Nations of Islam and started to talk openly against its leaders, his life was turned into a living hell and he was finally murdered.

Paul Findley, the author of They Dare to Speak Out, is another good example of what could happen when a politician criticize his own government.

He was kicked out from the US Congress, after serving many years, for speaking up openly against the US foreign policies in the Middle East.

Muslims are also not exempt from the pride syndrome - of ignoring own mistakes and putting the blame on others.

Leaders within the community gain popularity and recognition when they hammer and vehemently attack the �infidels� including George W. Bush and Tony Blair of Great Britain and how they are to blame for all the mishaps happening in the Muslim world.

But you would hardly find anyone talking openly about the mishaps in the Muslim world.

Take for instance the country of Saudi Arabia. Non-Saudi citizens are barred from pursuing higher education. No one, except the Saudi nationals, are able to go to Colleges and Universities in the kingdom. Also, no foreigner is permitted from operating a business freely, or to buy a house.

Westerners get preferential treatment from the law. When a suspect of a crime is an American or British for instance, he or she does not last in the prison for long. While, on the other hand, when a foreigner from third world country is suspected to have committed a crime, he or she is tortured and some times beheaded.

A Somali woman who now lives in Canada lost her late husband and the father of her children in Saudi Arabia in a brutal and unjust manner.

He was accused of having involved in a bank rubbery. Without having legal counsel, he was sentenced to a public beheading.

The bank manager of the financial institution that was robbed was severely tortured until he became completely paralyzed and reports indicated that he didn�t have anything to do with the crime.

Everyone can easily criticize others. But it takes courage and humbleness to look at the mirror first before pointing the finger at someone else.

There is absolutely nothing wrong to criticize others especially the Bush administration for its biased foreign policies and for invading Iraq and creating chaos in that country. It is also far more important to look at one�s own mistakes and correct first it before criticizing others.