The most important aspect of any person is that they are a person. They share the same humanity that we all have. Today, Google honors Abdul Sattar Edhi, the Pakistani humanitarian who created an ambulance service in Pakistan. I first learned of his work in the documentary, These Birds Walk. It was probably the second story that opened my heart to Pakistan. The first thing was the book, Wrong Kind of Muslim, which I read about the time of the mass school shooting there. I met the author on Twitter talking about the incident. The third influence was the book, I Am Malala. (The passion that so many people have for that country amazes me.)
But I love something that Abdul Sattar Edhi said: “People have become educated… but have yet to become human.”
That is a great quote. It’s also quite scary because it is true. We let politics and religion get in the way of love and compassion. When you look into the eyes of another person, just see that person. Be completely aware that they are just as flawed and just as perfect as you are. You may not even speak or write the same language, but you are human.
We must always remember our common humanity.
Madman's Lantern 