KHADIJAH BAWAZEERSEEING issues in black and white implies that one is unable to see the colors in between. While this statement seems to be merely descriptive, it carries a negative connotation, that seeing black and white inhibits one's ability to see other colors. In other words, it is an accusation of being narrow minded. I disagree! I think that being able to recognize black and white does not mean that people can “only" see black and white. On the contrary, a person who can see black and white and all the other colors in between has a wider scope of vision, thus is more astute than those who see the details only. While I agree that seeing “only" black and white limits people and makes them narrow-minded, people who are incapable of identifying these colors as valid shades along with the other colors have a flawed visionary range. It is mental distortion similar to physical disfiguration that inhibits flow and puts a limit on how far vision can go. I believe that, in various ways, black and white do exist in our lives and that in between we have an array of colors. We need to be able to see all and to be able to move swiftly between the larger picture and the details and vice versa. Otherwise, we risk getting lost in the details. Black and white are like day and night. There is a place for them in perception. They engulf the other details and they exist for a reason. Denying their existence, its purpose or validity, does not just distort our vision; it distorts life all together. In any society, there are usually some black and white issues at the edges of perception along with many other issues within the social matrix. This is the same in our society, other Muslim societies and any human society in general. However, people need to recognize both the whole and its parts in order to make sound choices. When we perceive that there is no black or white, our social vision is usually trimmed and narrowed. What is worse is when the colors are so diluted that everything becomes gray like a gloomy winter in a cold country.— The writer can be reached at [email protected]
