By Yousuf Al-Azmi

read to distance ourselves from the center of ignorance, not to reach the knowledge space." - Abbas Mahmoud Al-Aqqad

Something funny goes by many people without notice - the issue of the tribal seat, sectarian seat or family seat. The truth of the matter is no more than a scam, a tool to lure a collective feeling of fear of losing something that does not exist in reality. In societies where education and culture is low, many deceptive slogans become popular; rather many ignoramuses and the naive fight hard for it. Because of that, we find in such societies many unrealistic slogans that appear contrary to the truth, and this may be this the tax on widespread ignorance on which many fraudsters are feeding!

On the contrary, we find in countries considered on top of education indicators, where political parties exist, issues that have nothing to do with the tribe or sect and other slogans that simple people are cheated with. Good education produces brains that understand, know and absorb the situation and not fall prey to the deception of this or lying of that!

Good education results in producing enlightened brains that understand the situation and not become a prey of false slogans and electoral tricks. So do you expect from those who are promoting the tribe, sect or family seat to present "tangible production" for the country?

A few years back, someone with ideological slogans was speaking about asceticism in posts, and prayed to Allah to keep him away from making this life his concern, and wished not to worry about elections. So when elections were announced, I expected him not to run, only to hear the news of the declaration of his candidacy. I did not believe it, then when I asked, the answer was he does not want to lose the tribe's seat!

True enough, the tribe's seat was not lost, but something bigger than that - principles, values and false slogans. There are many who have these in third world countries, a pity for brains that do not think and eyes that do not see!

Education has extreme importance that is not considered enough. Educated people find their life much better than ignorant ones, and here I would like to draw the attention that ignorance has many aspects. Even those who have high academic degrees, while being immersed in an ignorant mind, will not be different from those who do not have a degree.

I have sat with many who do not even have an intermediate academic certificate, yet they have vast awareness and an enlightened intellect, as it seems the school of life presented them with truly distinguished education. So ignorance may be carried with one whose name is preceded with the suffix Dr! Do not be surprised!