Ignorance is bliss. That’s an old saying. Some people are so content to stay in the dark, choosing ‘not-to-know’, immersing themselves in the unknown so they will feel safe and secure. The things that you do not know will not hurt you, so they say. While the other people are full of curiosity, still some are not so eager to find the truth. But in the context of the pandemic, is ignorance still bliss? Maybe not. In the current situation, when everything is uncertain, there is no vaccine yet, and the medication is still in the trial-error process, ignorance will only kill lives. Can we live without any remorse after seeing how our ignorance killing people? I don’t think so.
Yesterday, I heard some news that one of the student’s guardians in our pesantren was suspected of having Covid-19. So, the chairperson asked the related families to self-quarantine. Even though the Swab-test result has not come out yet, the advice did not mean to freak out the family. It was purely because the chairperson was concerned about the other people’s safety.
It was shocking to hear that the related family got angry with the chairperson’s advice. They thought the chairperson accused them of having Covid-19 as if the disease was a disgrace or, worst, a curse.
The chairperson tried to explain the local and global situation regarding the pandemic; Still, they ignored him. Besides getting angry with what they called ‘accusation’, they also said that the pandemic is merely a political conspiracy, so there is no need to worry because we all have Allah who will permanently save us from any disease or disaster.
If they do not have Covid-19, it will be a relief. But how if they do? How if they do not self-quarantine and the disease spreads uncontrollably? I keep asking ‘how if’ so many times. Because I know, this is about the life of one family and other families around them. We can not guarantee that all those families have a sound immune system, so all of them will be escaping from death. How if some of them are elderly or have a severe underlying medical conditions? Can they survive the Covid-19?
My story sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
When I told this story to some friends, they also found this kind of story in their home town. Yes, it happens everywhere. It saddened me to see how some people, including the religious ones, are so ignorant of the pandemic. Does it mean that religion and science can not co-exist?
Years ago, Martin A. Nowak, Harvard professor of mathematics and biology, said that “Religion, like language, is a human universal and should not threaten scientists.” But, in the middle of a pandemic like now, we can witness some religious leaders neglect science in the name of belief. Of course, not all of them are categorized to be anti-science. There are a lot of religious leaders who encourage believers to be cautious during the pandemic. In line with the government’s and doctor’s suggestions, some religious elites encourage the people to wear a mask, keep their physical distance, and, if possible, pray at home most of the time. Even in Saudi Arabia, pilgrimages to the holiest site, Mecca, have been suspended for the time being. Other religious activities are also restricted, and some of them are virtually conducted.
But, indeed, still, some religious leaders are so ignorant of the pandemic in the name of belief. And why is that? The knowledge regarding the pandemic is possible to reach through a few google searches. Yet, some people choose to believe some unreliable WhatsApp group’s broadcasts and don’t make more of an effort to determine whether those broadcasts are actual or not.
Dealing with ignorance, especially in religious communities, will be a long and arduous struggle. Even if sami’na was atho’na (we hear and we obey) becomes a tradition in most religious communities, critical thinking should be one of some things that must be encouraged too. This pandemic teaches us many things. It changes most of our ways of seeing and dealing with things. Adjusting with the new normal, religious communities have to remove ignorance so that most people will be unharmed during the pandemic. Like it or not, even the religious communities have to trust science this time. Even though our lives are in the hand of Allah, praying will not end the pandemic. We’ll need the science regarding the measurable steps we should take to minimize the casualties.
We still have a long way to go to end this pandemic. And quoting KH Ahmad Mustofa Bisri (Gus Mus) in his speech for Harlah PDNU yesterday, Nahdlatul Ulama’s doctors are not merely the frontline corona warriors but also the preachers for those NU’s religious leaders who are still ignorant with the pandemic.