“Do not talk to strangers!”

The destructive impact of media and internet on our lives and families ….

I’ve gained a lot of weight lately  – mainly due to television. Those dairy milk chocolate ads are playing havoc on my waistline. I thought I was immune to the impact of media. I’m not.

The daily dose of violence that viewers receive in the garb of ‘entertainment’, the graphic images of humans being killed actually, and in make-believe world of cinema for entertainment.  What happened to those sweet comedy shows, the Walt Disney films that we grew up on?  Something has gone very wrong in our world  of today.

During my childhood,  once you entered your home, you were safe.

It is no longer safe. No place is safe now.

I’ve personally witnessed the gory impact of internet, mobile and television in the lives of innocent persons. “DO NOT TALK TO STRANGERS” is even more important now than ever before. Gullible, bored, lonely and unhappy people (young boys, girls and lonely women) are the most likely victims of the internet stalkers and criminals. Men sitting for hours at their computers in offices, find this handy pastime to fill in the boring slots of time in their office cubicles. After all, what is there to lose? Lying and cheating cannot be caught here. Fake names, fake addresses, and fake identities are so easy here. No one gets caught. That is the biggest comfort. Words like ‘love’ and promises of everything under the sun are so easy here. Only hearts get broken, lives get shaken, families and relationships get destroyed. Children get kidnapped, and molested and killed. Girls get married to queer characters, whom their parents would never have engaged them to. Recently, I know of a girl who would sneak off from her educational institution and meet her ‘friend’. The next the parents knew , their daughter was married secretly.

The only aspect coming to the rescue is one’s own conscience and faith. That is the only barrier to all this.

So, now faith too is being used to ensnare these innocent and unhappy souls. Teenagers and young girls and boys are being regularly brought into Syria from Europe and made to join ISIS, all in the garb of ‘faith’.

How can killing be part of faith?  – any faith for that matter!

That religion which has the example of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) victoriously walking through Makkah, forgiving all the inhabitants all their heinous crimes, for the sake of Allah, to start a fresh new life. How could that religion propagate killings of innocent humans? So, now we have seen the killings in California by a seemingly nice couple. Who actually keft their own baby? It was nothing but the internet which affected them. It was used to brainwash them into killing innocent people.

Trump has the easy solution of stopping all Muslims from coming into USA. What about the killings of innocent students in colleges and universities in the USA by white, non-Muslims for years and years? Will he stop entering of whites and non-Muslims from getting admitted to schools and colleges too?

A time was there when a father or mother could stop strangers or suspicious characters from entering their home. Now, no one can stop people from entering any room or mind among the family members in the home.

It is truly a very dangerous time to live in.

I cannot leave you without offering solutions so here they are:

• Families need to be closer now.

• Make sure that good relationships are there between family members, and any sort of discrepancies are handled quickly.

• Mothers need to be more vigilant about whom the children are communicating with. To meet friends of their children and be in touch with their parents also.

• Couples need to give each other more time. To be there for each other when they are needed. To watch out for ‘signals’ – mostly it is change in behavior patterns.

• Most importantly to listen to your partner and other family members. Watch out and be alert.

• Love, faith, caring and nurturing of each other is the most important aspect.

• Remember the victims of criminals are usually those who have lost faith, or feel unloved and uncared for. They are lonely. They feel they have nothing to lose. This feeling drives them into the ‘dangerous and ‘exciting’ world of liaisons with strangers.’

• The word ‘secret’ is the key word. When someone says it has to be kept a secret between the two of you. Know that it will get you no-where.
• I suggest ‘run for your life’. No, its not only your life, I suggest ‘run for your own, and other’s lives also!”

 …. DO NOT TALK TO STRANGERS!