BOXING IS IMMORAL

By: Abdullah R. Sirad

I am not against sport...

A week before the scheduled “Fire Power” match between Manny “Pacman” Paquiao and Miguel Cotto at MGM Las Vegas Nevada, our neighbors knocked our door late at night soliciting some amount as contribution for the Pay-Per-View over TFC for that much awaited fight. It was actually a moment among Filipinos not only here in abroad but the entire Philippines as well to cheer with Pacman who was considered Hero in the field of Boxing. Out of camaraderie that I took some amount in my pocket as my share just not to disappoint my friends and housemates who are an avid fan of Pacman. It’s not that I don’t like to watch Boxing as most people did but I just can’t dare to see the fighters bathing in their own blood by intensely cracking each other’s face.

How people afford to cheer boxers who are intentionally hurting one another for prize and fame?

People might not agree with me of considering boxing as barbaric kind of sport. It’s a violent and ruthless sport as I see it and must be forbidden. For me, I don’t even consider it as sport but a gambling of a kind. Boxers fight not because of the spirit of sport but because of the prize that waits. Because of the stunning millions of US Dollars that they can earn out of the fight makes them dared to intensely crack their opponent face, head and body. Worse of all, Supporters and fans used to lay bets hoping that they will earn as well. I had watched and read over TV and news papers about it. Some of my friends are doing it as well.

They said event like this, especially when famous boxers are on match, reduces street crimes and incidents because people choose to stay at home or in some theatres to spend an hours watching it, that this event unites people amidst various disparity and animosity.

If breaking one another’s face and head brings peace, then statisticians must be wrong of saying that “peace and violence is mutually exclusive”. It would then mean that people must go over the boxing arena and fight everyday to maintain peace as once quoted by the current Champion in the field of boxing in one of his interviews. Alas, this is purely stupid statement as I believe. Do these people ever think of its moral implications?

Both Catholic and Islam agreed in the same breath that boxing is merciless, immoral and must be forbidden. Try to realize the intent of the boxers. At its very essence, boxers aim to severely hit an opponent on his face or body with great destruction to knock him down and take the belt (and the monetary reward as well) and proudly shout to the world that he is the great man ever!. Prior to the fight, both the fighters and supporters are exchanging word of destruction trying to refute one another’s reputation. Catholic Church believes that when someone is intentionally hurting and inflicting harm to someone else, it is immoral. In Islam, The Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) said that “If somebody fights (or beat animal) then he should avoid the face”. Boxing therefore, in the light of this proverb, is forbidden.

Alongside with this, there are many famous boxers who ended up pity and inept in their life due to severe injury like brain damage and paralysis. Michael Watson, Gerald McClennan, and Mohammad Ali who were bowed to their superb in boxing are now being pitied for the paralysis and brain damage that they got from boxing. The same fate was also experienced among Filipino boxers like Pretty Boy Lucas and Z Gorres who was recently rushed out to hospital for severe brain damage after fight with Mendez of Columbia. They are only some of those many boxers who suffered physical and mental injury.

I am not refuting the fact that sports definitely bring more advantages to both mental and physical condition. Engaging one’s self to sport is a way of keeping away from bad temptations like going through drug addiction, fornication and gambling. It’s a natural sort of exercise that unwinds our mind, body and soul from stress and complexity.

However, I do believe that not all kind of sports bring the same benefits as most people expect. While it is true that sports develop mental and physical condition, we must consider as well the spiritual implication of sports that we are engaging with or watching for. Any sport that intentionally causes physical and mental havoc like boxing is not worthy to be practice or watch for. ...It is immoral.

PRISONER OF THE MOMENT

By: Abdullah R. Sirad

In life mired with intricacies
One and all engaged in worldly deeds
Stunning ascent to triumph kinks life

Worldly service tuned the present time
Chattels’ quest makes one’s world round
Walks of life relied upon fancy things on earth

Men, regarded life logically
Ponder worldly earned knowledge
as vital to the emergence of the modern era.

Education heads men’s vanguard
Maids even walk off from their shells
Chasing lucrative profession to savor living

Some weren’t propitious enough
Maladies were their status of living
Engaged in ubiquitous illicit drudgery

Real point of life gone with the wind
Grimy feat and creepy expressions’ wild
Genuine service to God is hardly ever practiced

Structures and technology rose sky-high
While morality and spirituality deeply sunk
Earthly growth is men’s concept of real progress

Alas, men were deceived by their own desires
of incessantly hounding world’s dithering prosperity
Insensible of endless life in the hereafter, despite clerics’ efforts

Beware! The world is just an impermanent place, it has end
All things in it are forge and deceitful, distorting men’s sacred path
Wake up! Appraise yourself. Don’t be a prisoner of your own moment.

BEYOND THE SERENITY OF SHUMAISSY

By: Abdullah R. Sirad


Al Base Vie-Shumaissy, home of diversity
Its bungalows mushroomed in various sizes
Sheltered men of Phil, Ind, Pak, Bang, Mor, Leban…

Its scenic vicinity spells glamour & blur passions
among men full of dreams and fortitudes amidst desolation
Like a soldiers’ camp in a deserted place, tells men’s vigor and flaws

Along its hot and cool ambiance at day and night
Expresses the hot and cool sensations of everyone
Like a music that goes with the air, touches one’s heart deeply

Beyond its serenity at night
People loiter at its different parts
Conveying feelings in various ways and means

Some are solitarily stayed at its dramatic places
Staring at a far away horizon, flashing back memories
Throwing pebbles in a distance while tears fall down insensibly

Some are seen to its dim corner paradoxically
Chatting to love one on phone with joys & sorrows
Sometime ended up with outburst of laughing or howling

With its bungalow’s super-cold aircon
Some rolled themselves in blanket as if trembling
But in the bounds of it is someone shivering in weeping.

Its bungalows façade offer advantages
Some built Barber Shoppe therein to divert misery
Some spread mat somewhere, chatting ‘bout odd or vital things

At its segmented refectory
Bizarre foods are served in eat-all-you-can
Men flooded in it though it taste nauseating sometime

Over its open-air court
Some flock mockingly held tournament
Basketball, crickets and sackers among few

Men of assumingly hunk
Hang out on its smashing gym for minutes
Sacrificing to push, pull and jug on its archaic tools

On its terminal yard parked buses
Filthy as it is, men rush out one another to get in
Just to be transported to their desired destinations

This is Al Base Vie-Shumaissy
Homed men of both cozy and cantankerous
Alwyas convivial of fulfilling its men’s dreams.

SHOUT OUT LOUD

By: Abdullah R. Sirad


How can you expect a manager to impact effectiveness in the organization if he himself doesn’t know when, where and how to start solving a problem?

It’s very ironic. I had observed some managers who are too proud of themselves as manager and yet they only know about their position but never their functions. When they caught in a problem, they call people in odd names, shout at them and pass blame to someone else. When their subordinates tried to defend their selves, they are told to keep their mouth shut or otherwise they will be kicked out in the organization. Some managers are too selfish that they use their power to reject favor asked by their subordinates. They failed to realize that they were designated to their position because they are expected to be independently responsible for managing people in the organization in a harmonious ways. They are supposed to First Understand subordinates, then to be understood.

I learned from my management class that the best problem-solving technique is to prevent the problem from occurring in the first place. And this is possible by not getting upset in whatever situation you would have. But this is opposite to what is commonly observed in some organization. Problems relating to personnel matters are inevitable. For instance, subordinate asks for equipment because it is required in his job or he applied for a service request because he is entitled to such as per contract statement. On the other hand, the manager perceived that this request could not be granted at this time because the organization is keeping a lid on cost. However, the responsible manager failed to address the situation because he blazed up in anger instead of explaining the reasons of not granting the request at date. He starts telling that he is the manager and thus he can dishonor any request at his will. He seems to let people understand that he is the manager who have all the powers to cancel or reject favors. See, you would perhaps think that these managers are imposing the other-way-type of management. “Management by shouting” is the best way to call it. The louder you shout the power you are. It’s a stupid kind of relationship but this really happened in real situation. In fact, it becomes an expression of all people in the organization. Even janitors and clerks absorbed from site acted like a big boss for they can shout louder as managers did. Managers, who are supposed to maintain proper decorum, are involving their selves in the problem than taking a part in providing solution to the problem. They become emotionally charged and become rude the whole day.

What compelled them to behave like that? When I was a student, my management professor taught us about temperament and its importance. I learned from him that terrorism in a certain organization does not imply smartness but dullness of one’s responsibility. Shouting is an option for those managers who do not know their functions.

I know it’s normal to flare up in a difficult situation especially when it deals decision between the organization and employees interest. But arguing with employees just because you want to let them know that you have all the powers and not listening to what they truly need is just like putting one self or the organization itself in danger. Manager failed to realize that the organization exist because of its employees. If employees continuously feel rejection from their manager, they will become disinterested in performing their respective job. This will curtail achievement or will result into rapid labor relinquishment, losing qualified employees.

Being a manager is just like being a father in a certain family. Successful fathers understand their children in all aspect of their life. They establish harmonious relationship with their children, especially among boys, by being friend with them. Successful fathers don’t spank or shout at their children whenever they make mistakes or every time they ask for something. They don’t scold at them in front of other people because they value their children’s sensitivities. In other word, fathers understand their children’s physiological and behavioral needs. Likewise, fathers always make sure that their children understand their rules. Whenever their rule is violated, they give punishment but in such a way that it doesn’t causes embarrassment. That is by doing it privately and by explaining afterward why such castigation had been imposed. Much with these, encouragement as to career development and values inclination is a constant motivation among fathers to their children. This is what I learned in my management class as paternalistic management. Although there are other types of management style, paternalistic management is one of the best management styles especially when you are managing or supervising people of different ethnicities.
Managers should not feel being effective when they can shout louder to people below at their level. They must remember that every time they flared during a malady situation, it insinuate that there’s something wrong in their management. Employees will never bring problem in the organization if they were understood of their sensations and sentiments. They will never complain if they were used to understand with the organization’s rules and regulations. Likewise, if a manager knows his functions and responsibilities, he will not tend to shout or become rude the whole day. Indeed, employees’ ineffectiveness reflects managers’ ineffectiveness as well in carrying out his responsibilities. They must realize that the way they deal with problem is a reflection of their real personality.