A morbid death story

Death is a certain eventuality... but there are things called 'good' deaths where the recently departed passes on with his family around or perhaps peacefully in sleep.

Then there are 'bad' deaths such as in accidents, conflict, and animal attacks, to name just three. Naturally most people would like to die a 'good' death, but it must be said that those who deliberately live on the edge have the cards stacked against them.

While not necessarily a morbid person – I would rate my morbid curiosity as less than or equal to (certainly never more than) a normal psychologically balanced person's – I noted news of 'bad' deaths time and again; sadly 'good' deaths rarely make it into the papers or the online public domain.

While living in South Africa, I came across news of deaths or news of near deaths in shark attacks, pit bull attacks, rhino attacks, lion or cheetah attacks, attacks by crazed bull elephants, hippopotamus and crocodiles. Basically news of deaths because someone was caught at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Wow! Can I touch it?

I had always been fascinated by all things with four wheels. As a young person my tastes in cars touched on all the great sports car designs. And in the 70s the greatest super car to a young formative mind was the Lamborghini Countach – a design that was every little boy's wet dream (he just hadn't realised why then).

The Countach was something that defied every single design element in a car in the 70s; it was an anti-car – a vehicle that looked as much home in the air as it looked out of this world on the streets. The Countach probably stretched or challenged every design parameter for a car in its time. There was nothing like it.

Fortunately for me during my wee formative years we lived in Hong Kong where you could see a Lamborghini on the streets alongside countless other current models from other manufacturers. Something that would have evaded had I spent those years in my native Bangladesh. So when I first saw a Countach, I knew there was nothing like it on the roads (and I was right).

I should confess that while speed and power were on the top of needs in a car when I was younger they were not high on list as was design and how the design made me feel. Between amused and aroused, when it came to cars I'd rather be aroused.

Man or beast in belief

Perhaps because I am not a overtly religious person I find the intolerance among people who portray themselves as the keepers of the faith as the biggest problem we face in this modern world.

Most incidents of conflict in the world today sprouts from intolerance for alternative thought.

For example, incidents of burning of the Quran and defaming Mohammad - the most revered prophet of Islam - in the name of free speech is a missed opportunity to better understand the faith by people who react in fear without understanding.

In my opinion unlike Islam and Judaism, Christianity has been allowed to evolve and the regiments of the religious order been allowed to relax. Having said that, of course, one cannot discount that Catholics are not so relaxed in their teachings as are the other tenements of Christianity and preach a more restrained and binding outlook, offering fewer liberties.

Ask me if this is a good thing and I will not be able to conclusively provide any form of answer. As a rather liberated muslim myself, I would like to believe that a more relaxed religious order makes it easier to live in good faith – as prescribed as moral and civil order in the sacred text.

Far be it for me to preach that a liberated outlook in this modern world is correct – given an opportunity many might (and do) take additional liberties and at one point abandon religion and subsequently any semblance of self-restraint and morality altogether; civil society and civility dies when that is allowed to happen. After all self-imposed restraint for the sake of civility is what separates man from the beasts.

[Of course even beasts can teach man a thing or two – namely only take what you can consume and not one bit more.]

But I digress...