Manifestations of impunity
It is called impunity when misconducts and illegalities are carried out in a supercilious and radical manner. Most often, such reckless and thoughtless actions sprout from classic arrogance, sheer ignorance or poor education. In the course of passing through this life, some people get intoxicated when they are exposed to unrestricted access to power, money, […]
It is called impunity when misconducts and illegalities are carried out in a supercilious and radical manner. Most often, such reckless and thoughtless actions sprout from classic arrogance, sheer ignorance or poor education. In the course of passing through this life, some people get intoxicated when they are exposed to unrestricted access to power, money, women, or classified information. Poorly managed knowledge could also be a source of impunity.
It is called impunity when a man or woman whose boundless and wild search for wealth sees cheating in business transactions as normal. Allah states in Qur’an 83: 1-4 “Woe to those that deal in fraud; Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men exact full measure; But when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due; Do they not think that they will be called to account?” To confiscate the property of orphans or similar helpless or vulnerable class of people is an act of impunity.
The ungodly manner in which some people strip legal owners of their right to the property that lawfully belongs to them is, to say it mildly, next to inhumanity. If anyone knows the wrath that awaits a person who unlawfully devours the property of an orphan, he would avoid anything that will make him guilty of such an offence. Allah states in Qur’an 4:10 “Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, eat up a fire in to their own bodies; they will soon be enduring a blazing fire.” Today, people entrusted with property claim ownership of same as soon as the rightful owner dies. They go to change ownership documents from the name of the legitimate owner to theirs. Such betrayers of trust do this without shame or fear of the punishment that awaits them in the hereafter.
It is impunity when a man in a leadership position abuses privileges of power. It amounts to impunity when a leader, in any position at all, uses state apparatus including security operatives to unlawfully harass innocent citizens. Today, an innocent person could be detained on ‘orders from above’ several months without trial for as long as the benefactor wishes. People’s rights are being recklessly abused in contemporary societies including modern Nigeria to a level that makes such looks were a norm. When leaders lose their sense of responsibility, they become amenable to impunity.
Judges, judiciary workers, and security operatives are, in the opinion of this writer, easily amenable to becoming instruments for orchestrating impunity. As a result of pervasive corruption in the land, some lecturers in tertiary institutions in the country have also been found culpable of irresponsible actions that are synonymous to impunity. Sexual harassment, extortion, highhandedness, intimidation, unwillingness to help students who have with learning challenges overcome their problems, ambiguous examination questions with a deliberate intent to fail students, unscheduled tests, vague and confusing assignments to deliberately frustrate students or fail them, are some of the acts of impunity perpetrated by lecturers. It is impunity for a lecturer to abscond from his lectures for most part of the semester.
It is impunity when a married woman brings or allows visitors in to her matrimonial home either in the name of business partner, office colleague or school mate without the express permission of her husband. For a married woman to wait until everything in the kitchen is exhausted before telling the husband is tantamount to impunity. A woman who cannot encourage her husband to save part of his earnings whenever there is a windfall from payment of areas or other entitlements could be faulted for an act of impunity.
It is a manifestation of impunity for a man to treat his wife as if she were part of his ‘abandoned’ property. Allah says in Qur’an 4:129 “…But turn not away (from a woman) altogether as to leave her (as it were) hanging (in the air). If ye come to a friendly understanding and practice self-restraint, Allah is most-Forgiving, most-Merciful.”. Men would be guilty of impunity when they refuse to consult with their wife or wives on major family decisions.
A man should be courageous and kind enough to say, ‘well done’ to his wife when he should, especially after taking a delicious meal. Without necessarily recalling what the Prophet (SAW) said about women who would always deny every favour hitherto done to them, a man should learn to appreciate his wife each time she deserves it. Although Allah states in Qur’an 4:34 that “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women”, yet they have rights as wives and as human beings.
As believers, we have a duty to strive to resist all attempts intended to intimidate us to engage in acts of impunity. Now, not later, is the time to abandon the path of impunity. Allah (SWT) reminds us in Qur’an 34:45 that “If Allah were to punish men according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature. But He gives them respite for a stated term; when their term expires, verily Allah has in sight all His servants.”
Before this respite expires, let us liberate ourselves from the non-alcoholic substances that seek to intoxicate us through power, stupendous wealth and women by shunning acts of impunity. May Allah (SWT) guide us against becoming puppets in the hands of man’s worst enemy, Satan; amin.