Peace
The servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth with humility, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace. (Furqan, 63)
Photo:Stephan Vanfleteren White Horse, 2026, Mauritshuis Museum
Today, I watched with disbelief as the massive gears of the justice system turned with such intense seriousness over something so trivial, something that could even be called tragicomic. I am writing this because I am struggling to manage my anger. Once again, something happened where I found myself saying, "This cannot be happening." I cannot accept this, but I think I no longer have the strength to fight it. Once again, the wicked have won, along with the so-called dispensers of justice who facilitate their malice.
On one hand, I cannot bring myself to stop fighting because it feels wrong, yet on the other, I know that fighting will yield no results. Just yesterday, you were making bold statements, Fatma: "I have let go of the need for control, and I can tolerate uncertainty." What happened today? If I continue to fight, I will have to endure that uncertainty, and if the outcome is not what I expect, it will lead to an even greater disappointment. Is it really worth wearing yourself out for seasonal, transient people? I don't know.
But perhaps if we view the struggle not as a means to achieve a result, but as a way to protect one's own values, then maybe it is worth it. It is truly such a tragicomic situation; if I were to explain it to citizens of other countries, they would ask, "Do your prosecutors really have nothing better to do?" But it is my own mistake to expect anything from a justice system that turns a blind eye to murders and rapes.
Perhaps we should not view choosing not to fight as losing. Maybe it is more liberating to say, "My time is too valuable to be wasted on you; I do not trust the judicial process, and I entrust you all to God." I am incredibly angry right now, and at the same time, I am angry with myself for being drawn into anger by the manipulation of ridiculous people. This is truly manipulation, and there are so many people complicit in it.
To me, spending your energy in the right place is also a form of self-care. Let their egos be satisfied; I choose to keep my peace.