Drinking Plastic in Your Water? Be a Champion of the Underdog
Yoda and Luke in the Famous “There Is No Try” Scene from The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
I have a confession to make: one of my (perhaps many) influences that have gone unmentioned (by name) in the acknowledgements section of my dissertation is… Yoda. Yes, I know, that may sound a bit out of place to you, especially if you have never been much of a Star Wars fan. But if you would like a taste of what I mean, here is a short intro to (or reminder of) the fictional but, nonetheless, wise master jedi:
Perhaps you can say that throughout my journey I have seen the wisdom of “Yoda” in my teachers and that I now also see my teachers in these nostalgic images of Yoda. Granted, my traditional training and academic education have also been rigorously philosophical, delving into various views on the nature of what Yoda refers to as “the force” and “the life which creates” it. But what does this have to do with plastic in your water? Very much, actually.
You see, in my area of specialization, some of the teachings that have appeared in the historical record were associated with thought leaders across sectarian/religious boundaries. This makes them not only interesting for reconstructing the past, but also – more often than not – relevant for drawing lessons that can help people of diverse backgrounds in the present and future. One such figure in the history of the Middle East, and in Islamic intellectual history, is the Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (d. ca 733). He was the great grandson of the Imam Ali, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Lady Fatima, and is held in high esteem by both Sunni and Shia Muslims. One of his teachings arguably ratchets the notion of “championing the underdog” up several notches.
According to one account, he reported that when death approached his father, the Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn, he hugged him and said, “My son, my will for you is to carry out my father’s will for me when it was his time of death, and which was what he mentioned was his father’s will for him: ‘My son, beware of oppressing someone who would find no one to support him/her against you except for God.’” (al-Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, v. 2, p. 331).
This was not saying it is okay to let down the underdog in all other cases… No, not at all. It was, rather, emphasizing that when the oppressed have no one else to support them but God, it becomes even more important to “beware” the consequences of letting down the underdog. It is not merely a virtue, thus, to champion the underdog, but it is a matter of potentially cataclysmic effects to contribute to oppressing one. The plain meaning is clear, but let’s reflect on the practical implications together. Oppression takes many forms, including the neglect of doing what is in one’s power to stop it or minimize it. If people realize that they can proactively prevent injustice, then they should. If it is too late, but they can change the situation directly or indirectly to bring about justice, then they should. If they might have a positive influence through their written or spoken word or the like, then they should speak out. In all cases, their heart should be beating with the life of championing the underdog, striving to create and seize the opportunities to bring about a better world for all. Or else…
“Beware” is an ominous warning. I can think of both secular and religious ways to take it. From a secular perspective, we might entertain the various material ways the (in)action of someone across the globe may impact others. For instance, plastic pollution is apparently coming back to haunt us all through the plastic bottled water most of us consume daily. A recent study has apparently detected orders of magnitude more minute plastic particles in bottled water than previous studies had estimated. The additional “nanoplastics” detected require further study to understand the possible effects on the body’s systems. In other words, we do not fully know what the effects are yet, but they could be serious enough to warrant our prudence and diligence in minimizing our exposure now before it is too late (e.g. by using filtered tap water instead, making sure to test its quality periodically; using more environmentally friendly containers; and using containers likely to shed less plastic).
But as serious as bottled water is in our day-to-day lives in “first world” countries, it is even more urgent to consider the dire effects of neglecting entire populations in other parts of the world that have minimal, if any, access to clean water. (If you would like to help with that, consider donating to projects like the Lady Fatima Water Initiative). If human beings do not support one another to sustain a basic level of human dignity, survival and growth, we will only have ourselves to blame for the dark side of despair and the shame of history that will loom over the future of our descendants (assuming humanity survives such inhumanity at all). Failing to employ qualified candidates does not always lead to successful entrepreneurs (e.g. Elon Musk is likely more of an exception, no matter how inspiring). Even those who come out of adversity stronger may be so traumatized by the oppression that they knowingly or unknowingly inflict unjustified pain on others. Not every “rite of passage” is an innocent ritual. And it is an ongoing struggle ––it’s not over until it’s over, no matter how much has already been achieved. In a word, each individual has a world of pain you may never really understand, so when you have a choice between cruelty and kindness, choose to be kind ––it will make the world that much better, to say the least. Thank you.
From a religious outlook, the word “beware” in al-Baqir’s reported saying brings to mind the teaching that God Himself will be the one to avenge such an underdog. That is, when there are no apparent champions for the underdog, it becomes an even greater risk for an oppressor to have his way with the meek. For God, out of His Mighty protectiveness over the broken hearts of the oppressed, would surely find a way out for them and bring balance to the system of existence, sooner or later, materially and/or spiritually, in favor of God’s justice. As the Islamic tradition puts it, quoting Imam Ali (prime disciple to the Prophet Muhammad), “The day in which justice is served against the oppressor is of greater severity than the day in which oppression was executed against the oppressed.” (Nahj al-Balāghah, p. 534).
Naughty or nice? You choose. Share what you find useful and reach out for further discussion.
Intro to this Blog
I have been considering the pros and cons of focusing this blog on a particular theme or intended readership. With all the merits of specialization, I submit that my academic specialization has me niched enough for the rest of my time on Earth, and that I will be looking forward to this blog as a more diversified avenue of expression. It will still be me, just not always the PhD dissertation mode of me. For that, I beg your pardon, you will have to wait for the occasional academic study I announce here, or read parts of my dissertation (hint to fellow academics, in particular). So you can expect this blog to shed light on the more far-reaching implications of my work as an academic, tailored to a diverse and broad readership, weighing in on current events while also contextualizing and drawing lessons from history. Without further ado, welcome to Ali Moughania’s blog!
