RENAISSANCE NOVEMBER 2022

5 Monthly Renaissance November 2022 Editorial Nothing but the Truth, Please! Dr Shehzad Saleem Truthfulness was once a cherished trait. Such was its awe that people would hide their lies and would never dare disclose them. However, today people seldom feel ashamed of telling lies; in fact, many a time they are not even aware that what they are doing comes under its ambit. They proudly mention their feats – some of them falling under shameless lies, at times without realizing the horrible nature of their sin. Even more alarming is the fact that people do not even seem to have the courage to point out such things nor do they make an effort to play a prudent role in correcting and reforming their near ones in this regard. At times, we misquote the opinions of others and at others, we transmit negative information about a person without checking it out; we chat and gossip and dwell on unfounded facts; We make lame excuses knowing full well that we have no excuse; we sell defective and counterfeit goods without disclosing the reality behind them; we seldom have any qualms in forging the signatures of a friend thinking that the application is merely a sick leave. We even bear false witness to show “faithfulness” to a friend. False birth certificates to admit our children to school, false medical certificates to cover an absence from job, false certificates to make someone a ma ḥ ram to offer as noble a ritual as ḥ ajj , false degrees to qualify for a position, false identity cards and passports seem to have become an everyday affair. We summarily make commitments and promises about which we are quite sure at the time of making them that we will never be able to honour them. Often we find lawyers proving the innocence of their client about whom they are sure that he is downright guilty. Students plagiarize their assignments and theses and merrily proxy the presence of their friends. Wrong opinions are given to please friends and flatter bosses. Polytheism is a falsehood