Judgemental.

July, it is.

The rainy season faded away slowly in the last months of June. Followed by then is an all sunny day, clear sky and that tropical midsummer-like season. Since we're living in the equator, you could've said just months before monsoon comes from now. 

And until now, it is the month of Ramadhan. A month of fasting for the Muslims. A month of remembering the needy. A month of a change towards the better. 

Had I become better, even then? Now, should I say?

I do not know. It is as if I was stepping on earth, but I didn't know where exactly I was stepping. Not because I lack that "judgemental" sense that every humans had. 

But because I haven't exactly explored myself, truly explored until I found a conclusion to know whether I've changed or not.

One fact that everyone must know; every single human differs in terms of their ideas. 

To put it exactly, it's like that saying "Rambut sama hitam, hati lain-lain."

I came across a customer who was asking which was a nice ice-cream. I said I didn't know much as I was still new at that time. And they asked for "dry ice" for packaging. I told them I've never heard of dry ice for packaging before & we don't have it. And they said I should know that and tell it to my manager afterwards. 

"You should know about it. You are working here." 

How could someone who barely worked for 2 weeks expected to know thousands of products sold here, I thought. I was still new that time.

I reminded the couple in their mid-age that some of them are non-halal. 

They then kept on talking about corruption here and there about the labelling. They were questioning things putting the halal label and so on. "Why not label a factory is halal or not, instead of one product that a factory produces is halal or not?", "I don't care if there's a halal sticker or not!" as he says.

I tried not to go deeper as they were both political. They kept on repeating famous slogans, even questioning my side by asking me "Do you live in the moon?" when I tried to be neutral by making excuse such as a simple "I don't know about that." many times.

"You have to know about that. You're living in here, in Malaysia." , said the wife. 

I am open-minded, I even love to exchange opinions just about everything there is in life, just about any topics that they wished to come up, or I came up to.

But going so far by being radical and having no tolerance about other people's opinion, it made me mad and even more I wanted to step up for myself. 

"I remained neutral because right now I am your Sales Advisor. But if you asked me deeply about halal or haram, it is part of my responsibility to tell you so due to my faith and what I believe in."

They both looked astounded, stared right into my eyes. I continued "Some of the products may be 'syubhah'."

"Syubhah? What's that?"

They went on talking about corruption, halal & haram and appeared diligent about every single facts they said is right when they don't even know the very basic terms of knowing which is good for you to be consumed. 

When you don't know whether it is halal or haram, it falls on syubhah. You don't exactly know the ingredients used derived from halal-gelatine based or not. 

I write this not to shame or tell the whole world this mid-age couple's political view is wrong. 

I write this simply because we are being too judgemental as a normal human being, perceiving what we view is right and others were wrong. Some of us judge things without even knowing deeply the facts that they said, whether it is right or wrong. And some of us only talk without even doing something to prevent it from happening. 

Words comes from action. Action comes from words. 

When you talk about corruption here and there, have you asked yourself about your role in preventing them? You say the police is corrupted, but you were the one who offered the money to cover your mistakes. You are, part of the corrupted people. It is not who corrupts who, who accepts the bribe or who gives the bribe. 

It is who is stopping this?

Saying this country is corrupted isn't enough to justify your love towards this nation. Demanding a change in your country for a cheaper price is absolutely shameful. 

A complete dishonor.

"Ask not for what your country could do for you, ask what you can do for your country." John F. Kennedy.

It is painful to admit, but corruption happens every backdoor around this world. It happens everywhere. You can't say a country is too clean and too perfect for everything. There must be a flaw somewhere. 

And that is part of every of our responsibility to patch it up. To mend what is broken, not to throw what is in pieces. 

It is sad, when I see people demanding others as though they were robots without feelings, as if someone who serves people is made to "know-it-all". 

I stood up for my rights and justify my arguments, not because I am a nationalist. But because I live with my own principle, with a proper sense of judgment, logical and belief through what I am doing.

Recently Gaza was attacked. A lot of us, couldn't bear to offer anything but to watch & pray. It may not be much. If I do had some spares, I would toss a few ringgits to ease their burden, if there's any of those tabung sumbangan. I don't live in Palestine and never been there even once. I've only wish I could. My prayers, my pennies, was all that I could offer.
Imagine having a bunch of shells, bullets & missiles raining all over you in the month of fasting. It's something that tests the very strength of your perseverence and patience. I wish I could become a peacekeeper one day, nor a volunteer out there helping the needy anywhere in this world.

I came across a person in twitter who deliberately pointed out that our country too, is oppressed and a lot of them were poor. Why bother others when you can't even took care of yourself? 

In my view, it's very saddening. What we lack it isn't about compassionate towards others. We just simply lack that rational justification that is called our very own view of "judgement".
The way we judge people, is just simply criticizing the person deliberately without any facts to support your argument. Driven by a strong feeling of hate, will not bring any justice, just about to any issues you wanted to address.

Whether Palestinians, Iraqi, Malaysians; why would it matter? A human is a human, and a human needed another human to live. Let it be with any hypocrites. What could we do. But even so, why judge when you cannot be so sure of their intent?

Speak, hear & see with your heart and mind. Do not simply believe for what you have just told. 

Speak, hear & see in every situations, in and out. Such close minded will not bring to a proper conclusion. 

I'm not referring to that customer but us, as in the whole people here living in this earth. 

If we were to see everything without truly seeing its depths, we will only know its surface. 

Asyraf Amir. 20140707.