We
live in a materialistic world that has paved the way to artificial progress
and prosperity. On the surface it sounds great but in reality, has all this
so-called prosperity brought any real happiness. When we refer to science and
technology, one aspect is striking and that is, our weapons of war can really
wipe us all out for good. We don’t need a meteorite to do it for us; we are
capable of doing it to ourselves.
Secularism has set us on a course towards our own destruction. Religion worldwide in turn has become manipulated and distorted that it has become a piece of iron, heated up in a furnace and then beaten up into what shape a nation dictates.
Tremendous amount of effort is exerted on both fronts (Secularism and Religion) to maintain its hold on society. On both fronts it is a losing battle, because “poverty,” said the Prophet (s.a.w.), “leads to disbelief" (kufr).”
Sexual Abuse
A UNICEF press release dated 4 November 2024 states that, “Violence against children – whether physical, emotional, or sexual – is a global crisis happening in homes, schools, communities, and online. Its impacts are severe, leading to injuries, sexually transmitted infections, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and death. Early exposure can cause toxic stress, affecting brain development, and lead to aggression, substance abuse, and criminal behaviour. Children who experience violence are also more likely to be affected by cycles of trauma and violence as adults, impacting entire communities.” (1).
Globally, 650 million (or 1 in 5) girls and women alive today have been subjected to sexual violence as children. Among boys and men, between 410 and 530 million (or around 1 in 7) experienced sexual violence in childhood. (2).
Sexual abuse extends to women too. In some countries they are murdered and even burnt to death. Apart from this we have a ‘slave trade’, a ‘migrant trade’, drug smuggling etc.
In a news report, our Home Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (Malaysia) was asked about ‘swingers’ crackdown, home minister reveals sex exploitation WhatsApp group involving 12-year-olds. (3).
The Malay Mail Online dated 19 August 2025, reported that the family of Tahfiz Student (Islamic religious student), Wan Ahmad Faris Wan Abdul Rahman, who was believed to have been murdered at a school in Kok Lanas in December 2013 was found dead in 2013 is now lobbying Bukit Aman to reopen case. Their lawyer Zulqarnain Lukman said the letter was sent yesterday to request that the police reopen investigations into the death, amid renewed public spotlight on fatal school bullying cases after the death of student Zara Qairina Mahathir.
On 19 August 2025, it was reported whether Malaysia should set up a tribunal for bullying cases involving kids. The report stated that “the government will review the need to enact an Anti-Bullying Act that emphasises the establishment of a tribunal to hear bullying cases involving students and children, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman. At present, she said, there is no specific definition or clear punishment for the offence of bullying under any legal provision. (4).
Corruption
“Corruption is an evolving global threat that does far more than undermine development – it is a key cause of declining democracy, instability and human rights violations. The international community and every nation must make tackling corruption a top and long-term priority. This is crucial to pushing back against authoritarianism and securing a peaceful, free and sustainable world. The dangerous trends revealed in this year's Corruption Perceptions Index highlight the need to follow through with concrete action now to address global corruption.” The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that corruption is a dangerous problem in every part of the world, but change for the better is happening in many countries. Research also reveals that corruption is a major threat to climate action. It hinders progress in reducing emissions and adapting to the unavoidable effects of global heating. (5).
Police arrest more suspects, including ‘Datuk Seri’, in MBI investment fraud probe (Saturday, 16 Aug 2025, Malay Mail). The news report said, “Police have arrested several more individuals for investigations into the investment fraud scheme involving MBI International Group (MBI) under Op Northern Star.” Head of the Bukit Aman Anti-Money Laundering (AMLA) Criminal Investigation Team, Datuk Muhammed Hasbullah Ali, confirmed the arrests when contacted, adding that they included individuals carrying the title “Datuk Seri”. However, he said details of the latest results of Op Northern Star would be disclosed by Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail soon. (6).
Crimes Against Humanity
‘Shameful indictment’: UN says 383 aid workers killed in 2024, most in Gaza and Sudan
Tuesday, 19 Aug 2025 12:55 PM MYT: “A record 383 aid workers were killed in 2024, the United Nations said today, describing the toll and lack of accountability as a “shameful indictment” of global apathy. It warned that provisional figures for this year are equally alarming. The UN said the 2024 toll represented a 31 per cent increase from the year before, driven mainly by relentless conflicts in Gaza — where 181 humanitarian workers were killed — and Sudan, where 60 died. State actors were identified as the most common perpetrators. What about the GENOCIDE OF GAZA? Global indifference, including Arab countries as well as the total commitment of America to Israel.
A Decadent World
Every global institution created to uphold the dignity of mankind has been trampled upon by those who rule and run the world. We have become worse than animals in the wild. This situation can be attributed to our lack of moral righteous values; our lack of sincere religious beliefs.
Survival Has Led Us Down The Road Immorality
When you view Global Leadership as it stands today, it purely centres on survival, regardless of the consequences. There is no morality or conscience over it. Materialism has created us to become inhuman beings. Our previous moral values have now been replaced with greed, power and dominance of the world.
Every government in the world has to come up with materialistic solutions to satisfy humans if it wants to remain in power. This has led to extended borrowing and debts which most nations cannot afford to repay. Other leaders just sell off their countries to main alliances to survive. In the end, we end up becoming ‘modern day slaves’ serving our carnal desires, unable to survive because we possess no faith in God but in the $ sign on our foreheads.
Raising Children Is A Challenge
Sending your kid to a purely religious school will not make him or her wholesome. All these institutions need to adapt to an ever-changing world. Education has to be a combination of religion and secularism. There has to be a moral righteous and just approach to life based on servitude and submission to God, which primarily deals with respect for others, nature, the environment, and the desire to do good toward every living thing. It’s not about bigotry, racialism and defining human beings as we are witnessing with global religious extremism.
In Islam, it would be best to instill firmness of faith and belief in Allah (Tawheed); the basics concerning Allah and Creation, and our role in it. Kids need to recognise servitude and submission as goals rather than crave over materialistic needs. The Spirituality of Islam will be the deciding factor in our survival in these trying times of ours. Only through this approach can a Muslim survive in this era of Dajjal. May Allah guide us and save us from destruction in this world and in the hereafter. Ameen. [Mokhtar Stork 19 Aug 2025]
References
1. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/fast-facts-violence-against-children-widespread-affecting-millions-globally.
2. https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/violence/sexual-violence/
3. Muhammad Yusry, Tuesday, 19 Aug 2025 Malay Mail Online: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/08/19/asked-about-swingers-crackdown-home-minister-reveals-sex-exploitation-group-involving-12-year-olds/188191
4.https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/08/19/should-malaysia-set-up-a-tribunal-for-bullying-cases-involving-kids-azalina-says-cabinet-to-decide/188197
5. https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2024
6. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/08/16/police-arrest-more-suspects-including-datuk-seri-in-mbi-investment-fraud-probe/187864?dicbo=v2-IEEpkHL
7. https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2025/08/19/shameful-indictment-un-says-383-aid-workers-killed-in-2024-most-in-gaza-and-sudan/188176
