Exercise keeps brain connections alive

Casaletto K et al. Late‐life physical activity relates to brain tissue synaptic integrity markers in older adults. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, January 2022.

Physical activity has myriad benefits, including enhancement of cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure, and promoting mental health. A recent study showed that when older adults stay physically active, their brains are activated to produce more of a protein type that enhances the connections between neurons to maintain healthy cognition. The beneficial effects of physical activity on cognition have been shown in many times in laboratory animals but it has been much harder to demonstrate in people. Neurons are separated from each other by tiny clefts known as synapses. Nerve signals that travel along the nerve cells must cross these gaps for the information to reach its destination. Synaptic proteins located at the vicinity of synapses are tasked to provide the chemical mechanism whereby information is transmitted and link the neurons into cognitive networks. In this study, the late-life physical activity of 404 elderly people, who agreed to donate their brains when they died, have been tracked through annual actigraphy monitoring. Next, their postmortem brain tissue has been analyzed for the levels of key synaptic proteins. Strikingly, elderly people who remained active had higher levels of synaptic proteins that are known to facilitate the exchange of information between neurons.

Researchers also found that increased synaptic proteins were not limited to specific cognitive-related brain regions; physical activity seemed to exert a global effect on brain connectivity beyond the parts of brain that are directly involved in cognition. Maintaining the integrity of these connections between neurons may be a key protection for the age-related cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. Physical activity is a readily available medicine that can boost our cognitive and mental health, free of charge and with no prescription. This study emphasizes one more time that we should continue being physically active, particularly as we age.

Oxygen production by microbes without sunlight

Kraft B et al. Oxygen and nitrogen production by an ammonia-oxidizing archaeon. Science, January 2022.

Oxygen is vital for life on Earth. Most oxygen on land and in the sea is produced

as a result of photosynthesis, a process in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria that requires sunlight. Now a research team made a surprising discovery that some deep-sea microbes are also tasked to produce oxygen but in a completely different way. By investigating these microbes which live deep in the darkness, the researchers have focused on a microbe named Nitrosopumilus maritimus, which was previously found out to be converting ammonia to produce nitrogen by using oxygen. The team decided to observe these microbe cultures in airtight containers that are kept in the dark to mimic the deep ocean conditions. They have found that these cultures first used up all the oxygen in the water, and then to everyone’s surprise, within minutes, oxygen levels started increasing again. At first glance, they seem to produce just enough oxygen for them to survive and scientists thought that these low levels may not possibly be enough to influence oxygen levels on earth. However, when this effect is considered at a global scale, it is conceivable that the oxygen produced by Nitrosopumilus maritimus can be quickly taken by other nearby organisms. This means that this microbe is ultimately contributing to overall oxygen levels in oceans, if not for the whole atmosphere. The exact mechanism of how these archaea bacteria can produce oxygen without light is not known and it has been now the focus of future research efforts. This study opens up the possibility that there may be many different deep sea species with a whole different metabolism functioning. It also emphasizes the importance of studying and protecting the deep oceans.

70 mysterious rogue planets discovered

Miret-Roig N et al. A rich population of free-floating planets in the Upper Scorpius young stellar association. Nature Astronomy, December 2021.

Rogue planets are the freely floating cosmic objects in our solar system that roam the universe on their own without orbiting a host star. Scientists knew very little about these planets until now. A team of astronomers using data from several telescopes worldwide identified at least 70 rogue planets in the Milky Way. Since rogue planets are not illuminated by a nearby star, they used to be almost impossible to capture and image. After few million years of their formation, these planets are still hot enough to glow and become detectable by extra sensitive cameras in large telescopes. After extensive analyses of all the data they could gather revealed at least 70 rogue planets and up to 170 candidate planets that are close to a star-forming region near the Sun, located within the Scorpius and Ophiuchus constellations and 420 light-years from Earth. These findings suggest that there could be many more of these planets roaming the galaxy. Rogue planets could have been either formed from a cloud of gas and dust – the same way stars do – or they could have once been a part of a star system before getting ejected. The team hopes that by studying the large group of rogue planets, they will be able to identify their origins and how they formed and evolved. New developments in space-watching technology are very encouraging for astronomers, as they hope that by studying this large group of rogue planets, they will be able to understand their origins and ultimate fates.

Question: What are the messages given to believers in the parable of Cain and Abel?

In relation to this and other stories in the Qur’an, it is important to know that they are not in the holy scripture just for the sake of conveying historical knowledge. The Qur’an is teaching us certain truths by means of them. What falls to us is to find their aspects that relate to our time and draw lessons from them.

A superficial consideration will not be so helpful to disclose the truths behind these verses. It requires reading them time and again, in their integrity and with serious thought. “It must definitely be telling something to me here” should be our approach to every verse, as if it were a direct address to us. And so should we approach the parable of the two sons of Prophet Adam.

As is known, there was a disagreement between Cain and Abel. Cain did not consent to what God decreed for him. Upon this, in order to test who was right and who was wrong, they referred to a practice special to the people of that era. Accordingly, a fire that descended from the sky would destroy the sacrifice of the righteous one and not touch the sacrifice of the other. This way it would be clear who was right and who was wrong. Thus they offered a sacrifice each and a fire that descended from the sky took the sacrifice of Abel. Cain was so much blinded by greed and envy that he could not admit the result although his being wrong was affirmed by God Almighty Himself. Then he committed the sin of murdering his brother, as related in the Qur’an. Afterwards he buried the body in the ground, following the example of a crow he saw digging up the earth.

Now imagine a person who was brought up in the household of a Prophet. Yet, he is not consenting to God’s decree about him, then committing a willful murder, and then hiding the proof of what he did. His discontent with God and murder of his brother were so gross as crimes that they made him enter a dark realm step by step; he may even have fallen to unbelief after a certain point, for the Qur’an says that he became a loser forever.

“Narrate to them (O Messenger) in truth the exemplary experience of the two sons of Adam…” (Maeda 5:27-31). The Qur’an and authenticated sayings of the Messenger do not mention their names. These names are taken from the Old Testament. No matter what their names were, both of them were brought up under the guidance of a Prophet, in a home where revelation was showering over them. Therefore, Cain was most probably a believer like Abel, but he obeyed Satan and killed his brother. Cain was the first one among children of Adam to commit murder, and thus he is the one who blazed this evil trail for the first time. In this regard his sin is a manifold one and this sin may have led him to unbelief; with the approach of Said Nursi, every sin is a path leading to unbelief. At the same time, every step taken toward sin is a step taken toward unbelief.

The sin that caused Cain to lose is jealousy and intolerance. It is his jealousy of what God granted to his brother and not accepting the Divine decree. As the Qur’an clearly points out in different verses, God created everyone differently. He bestowed different blessings to everyone, endowed everybody with different talents and abilities, and rendered some better than others. The Qur’an states that even some of the Prophets were exalted above some others (Isra 17:55). Even if a person is better than others in one thing, that person can be behind others in another thing. For certain wisdoms we do not know of, God Almighty may have given more to some, endowed them with knowledge and wisdom, and expanded their horizons. By utilizing these favors of God properly, they may have realized even further progress. Each of these is an element of trial. The trial and responsibility of one who received more blessings in a certain respect is greater. On fulfilling what that responsibility calls for, that person will have passed the trial.

The other person’s responsibility is to the degree of the blessing they received. The duty that falls to a believer is to meet all of these decrees of God Almighty with respect, consenting to what is in hand, and fulfilling the due responsibility for what fell to their own share. However, many people cannot easily stomach others who are better than themselves. Because of their jealousy, such people kill their own hearts, consume their own good deeds, and come under the burden of sins, without even being aware of it. If one does not try to extinguish the fire of their intolerance and envy and not curb those feelings, then the person puts them into action and starts committing sins.

Abel’s stance

Another point that catches attention in the parable mentioned is the attitude taken by Abel in response to Cain’s attempt for murder. The Qur’an relates this attitude as follows: ““Yet if you stretch out your hand against me to kill me, I will not stretch out my hand against you to kill you. Surely I fear God, the Lord of the worlds…” These words of Abel are counseling us to avoid tit-for-tat, namely not to respond to aggression with aggression.

This does not necessarily mean we should not use our right of legal defense when appropriate. On the contrary, a person is responsible for protecting their faith, life, honor, and property. Lawful defense is not a sin or crime. If a person dies while trying to defend these essential values, he or she is regarded as a martyr.

Be that as it may, it is also important to respond with tolerance as much as possible, of course without failing to protect what we should. “Without hands against those who strike, without a tongue against those who curse, and without a bitter heart against those who feel bitter against us”; responding in this manner is so essential to improve personal relationships and to establish peace in our local communities and around the world. Even if some show their teeth growling at us, we should still respond saying, “God did not give us teeth to bite others and claws to attack them.” We still prefer to behave mildly towards everybody, particularly so towards our fellow community of believers, as an indication of magnanimity; this must be our unchanging character.

In our time, even trivial matters are made into a fuss with political considerations or other plans. To obtain esteem and status, they greatly exaggerate petty issues as if they were crucial, and raise big fights around these. For this reason, choosing the way of mildness and not responding to evils with evil are very important in terms of establishing peace in society. If only politicians too could learn certain things from this lesson of the Qur’an and revise their style accordingly once more! If only they would check with their ways and methods with regard to the Qur’anic virtues and could moderate certain attitude and behaviors of theirs. If only they did not act in such a reactionary way, not add fire to flames of disagreement, and not destroy bridges of peace.

Balance in love and anger

The Messenger of God counsels a person to have moderation at loving someone and to have moderation at being angry with someone, because the person we love might become an enemy one day and the person we are angry with might become a friend one day (see Tirmidhi, Birr 60). So when such a day comes, you might feel very serious remorse for what you did in the past. Therefore, one should not go to excess neither in love not in anger.

If you praise somebody to the skies, they will fall to the ground and shatter when you stop. In the same way, when you are enraged with someone, you should know to curb your rage, for your paths might cross later in very different terms. We should not act solely by looking at the present day, as if there were no tomorrow. Who knows, maybe tomorrow we will come side by side with people with whom we are at loggerheads today, and at a critical moment we may need to struggle against a common adversary together.

This was the very conduct followed by Abel, brought to our attention as a paragon of virtue. If only people who influenced others with their ideas and writings acted more sensibly by taking into consideration the tomorrow of the path they are walking.

The 91-year-old man who is my father is slowly going insane. His conversation is rambling, his ideas are fractured, he is jumping from one subject to another, he is telling me a story he already told me two minutes earlier.

The 91-year-old man who is my father has now been locked down (or do I mean locked up?) for nearly a year. The walls of his two-bedroom flat have become his cell. There is a world outside those walls, but he is afraid to step beyond them – afraid because that world could kill him. He is choosing a prison sentence over a potential death sentence. What a choice.

We had less than 24 hours’ notice that the assisted accommodation where my father has his flat was to lock down and the restaurant to shut. At the local supermarket, I stared in dismay at empty shelves where bread, tissues and toilet roll had sat. But I gratefully collected seven mismatched ready-meals. At the till, the teenage assistant said ready-meals were limited to two-per-shopper. I explained and I begged and the middle-aged woman on the next till leaned over and said, “that’s fine, special circumstances.”

The younger man who was my father lived life to the full. He managed a company, he brought up a family, he had friends, hobbies, a season ticket to Wolverhampton Wanderers, he loved to play cards, he collected stamps, he listened to music, he read books and newspapers.

Today, his stamp albums sit in drawers and his books are in boxes because he can’t concentrate, his music is silent because he can’t work the CD player, his friends can’t visit because they’re also locked down, he is banned from football stadiums and his family is banned from visiting him.

Day after day, the 91-year-old man who is my father looks at the television. He watches quiz contests, he watches sport, he watches antiques shows, he watches the news.

He asks again and again, “How many have died today? I saw it on the news, but I can’t remember. The numbers keep going up.”

It’s all about numbers, 1,000; 10,000; 100,000, like the winnings of one of his quiz games or the football scores. The numbers keep climbing the more we keep guessing. But this isn’t a numbers game – this is a people game. Every one in that 1,000, 10,000, 100,000 is (was?) a human being like the 91-year-old man who is my father. A human being with a name, a face, a personality, a family, friends, hobbies. Did they leave behind a stamp collection, boxes of paperbacks, their favorite CDs, loved ones they hadn’t seen for months?

Television brings faces, people, color and life into the flat of the 91-year-old man who is my father. People talk to him, they share their stories, they play their games with him, they kick their footballs into his lounge. News presenters become his confessors, quiz show hosts his experts, football managers his wisdom. Who could be alone with hundreds of faces on the small screen?

My father is allowed outside so we celebrate his 91^st birthday in the car park. It’s a warm afternoon in May and we sit in two deckchairs, with diet cola and chocolate cake passed over a two-metre space between us. He’s given up wearing a hearing aid and e had the traffic noise means he can’t hear what I say. He has no stories for me to listen to, so we become silent. He soon tires and wants to go back inside, to the safety of his four walls. I wrap up a piece of chocolate cake “for later, or tomorrow” and pack the deckchairs back into the boot.

We have a couple of outings for his hospital appointments. I make him sit in the back of the car “two metres apart, Dad,” and keep the window open, anything to minimize the risk. At the hospital, the floodgates open and he talks to the nurses and doctors in a torrent of words where facts and symptoms become confused with memories, stories and complaints. Still he talks and the kindly staff don’t try to dam the flow, they just allow it to wash around them. They have become used to this.

There is a time for hope. In the summer the prohibition is lifted and this 52-year-old daughter enters her father’s flat after four months of banishment. I find four months of post, piled up and overflowing on the sofa, four months of dust on the mantelpiece, four months of ice built up in the freezer. There has been four months of isolation, desolation and incapacity. In the grip of a depressive listlessness, the 91-year-old man who is my father hasn’t done things. The post, the dust, the ice have sat, like him, immobile in front of the television.

Like the proverbial new broom, I sweep in – dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing, changing dead batteries and light bulbs, sorting post into piles, throwing away out-of-date letters and out-of-date food. Chatting, sharing, filling the flat with action, movement and interaction. But not touch – with gloves and masks we sit on opposite sides of the room and every time the 91-year-old man who is my father tries to approach I back off, keeping the essential two metres between us.

He has other visitors. My 50-year-old brother (whose birthday celebrations have been put on hold) lives nearby and can now pop in. My 54-year-other brother lives ‘Up North’ and drives down to see our father while he can. For a short time, the 91-year-old man who is our father is cheerful and hopeful.

We think the worst is over.

We are wrong.

Again, we have a day’s notice to lockdown but we are old hands at this now and I spend those last few hours doing all I can to lockdown-proof the flat. I teach the 91-year-old man who is my father the purpose of bleach, I update the list of daily medicines, I ensure every letter is in a colour-coded folder.

And now it’s winter and the confinement and the loneliness are even worse to bear. The nights draw in and darkness takes over. Entire days pass when the 91-year-old man who is my father does not see a soul. There are Covid cases at his flats. Lounges, dining areas, communal spaces – all are closed and residents (inmates, as my father calls them) are asked not to visit the office, to phone if they need anything.

There’s the one-day Great Escape when the 91-year-old man who is my father comes to our house for Christmas. We drive past my brother’s home so my father can wave to his grandchildren and they can shout “Happy Christmas Grandpa.” At ours, my 54-year-old husband cooks beef goulash and serves it with a glass of red wine.

“I will never be able to eat all of that,” says the 91-year-old man who is my father. He eats all of it and then asks for Christmas pudding and mince pies.

We open presents.

“You don’t need to buy me anything, I don’t need anything,” my father says. But when he carefully cuts open the gold wrapping paper to reveal new flannel pyjamas, he admits “except pyjamas, mine have seen better days.”

We do Christmas quizzes and the 91-year-old man who is my father can’t remember a single answer.

“I know this one…” he says time and again.

My brother who lives “Up North” telephones to say Happy Christmas. My father tells him: “This is the best day I’ve had all year.”

He doesn’t want to return to his flat. “It’s like a prison,” he says. “It’s so lonely, I don’t see anyone from morning until night.” But he’s too afraid to stay so when the evening comes, I drive him back. “You know you could come here again at New Year if you want,” I say. “I can come and fetch you.” I watch him, hunched over his frame, as the glass doors close behind him.

He decides against coming for New Year, it’s become too dangerous. The numbers of diagnosed and dying are rising again and the 91-year-old man who is my father is frightened again. We telephone on New Year’s Eve. He’s going to bed early, there’s no reason to stay up.

Last year we went to a party at his flats, my father, my husband and me. Residents ate sandwiches and cake, they drank wine and non-alcoholic drinks, they danced in the dining room as a singer performed requests. I asked for Abba and the man on the table next to me wanted Elvis Presley. We all held hands at midnight and sang Auld Lang Syne.

Every evening I speak on the telephone to the 91-year-old man who is my father, but the calls become shorter as he has less and less to say.

“How was today?”

“The same as yesterday, and the day before, and the day before.”

I try to be encouraging.

“Why don’t you try doing a sudoku, or maybe read a book, call one of your friends – that might cheer you up.”

But the next night he’s done none of those things. And the next night, and the next night, and the next.

The 91-year-old man who is my father is slowly going insane. His conversation rambles, his ideas are fractured, he jumps from one subject to another, he tells me a story and begins to tell it again minutes later. I lose the plot of what he’s saying and give up trying to follow, I allow the words to keep coming but I no longer understand what he means. And neither does he.

Sometimes he tells me he can’t carry on, he tells me he’s had enough, he tells me this is worse than prison. He cries.

I’m afraid he will die still locked down. That these terrible twelve months will have been the last year of his life. That after all he did, all he achieved, all the hopes and dreams for his 91 years of life, it will have ended in loneliness, confusion and fear.

He has The Jab; my brother takes him on a Saturday morning to a local gym. There they join hundreds of other elderly and vulnerable men and women on their first step to freedom. But then we learn of a friend who has died despite having the vaccination and we learn of delays for the second jab and we learn the vaccinations may not be wholly successful against the new variants sweeping the country.

The 91-year-old man who is my father is waiting for his flat to come out of lockdown. He is waiting to see human beings face-to-face. He is waiting for visitors. He is waiting to hug people, to kiss people, to touch people.

Although he is so lonely, the 91-year-old man who is my father is not alone. He is one of thousands of 91-year-old men who are fathers, 73-year-old women who are mothers, 86-year-old men and women who are grandparents isolated and desperate. They are dying to see the people they love yet afraid that seeing them will cause them to die. It’s what we value most, human contact, which has become their gravest danger.

This year can never be re-run, this time never be recaptured, this loss will never be forgotten. Those who survive, whatever the number in their age, will carry the trauma. Of babies not held, of aged relatives dying alone, of loved ones separated. We will all bear the scars of our Covid-19 stories.

“Man-made chemical” sounds dangerous if we imagined it in relation to what we eat, put on as clothes, or use with our hands. We should not be obsessed with it, but it is important to be aware that there are a lot of things around us which might be contaminated with what is called “forever chemicals.”

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly hazardous man-made chemicals that have been used since the 1940s. Some well-known examples of PFAS are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, C8HF15O2), heptadecafluorooctanesulfonic acid potassium salt (PFOSK, CF3(CF2)7SO3K), and GenX (HFPO-DA, C6H4F11NO3). Although these substances are very useful in the chemical industry, the dispersion, low biodegradability, and high stability of the molecules have led to many environmental and health issues. PFAS molecules are very difficult to remove, let alone break down, and these molecules can accumulate over time. This is the reason why PFAS molecules are referred to as “forever chemicals.” They are extremely hard to break down due to the high strength of the carbon-fluorine (C-F) bond found in these compounds. This bond can have a bond dissociation energy of up to 546 kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol). Bond dissociation energy is the energy required to break a bond, and a high bond dissociation energy, as exhibited in a C-F bond, corresponds with a bond that has low energy and is very stable.

Applications of PFAS in industry

Why are these chemicals so extensively used in the chemical industry? PFAS molecules have been found to be very stable, and they exhibit properties that allow them to repel both oil and water. As a result of these properties, these chemicals have been successfully employed to act as a repellent for almost anything. Some examples of the various applicants of PFAS are surface coatings, surfactants, and flame retardants. With so many uses, these harmful toxins can be found in everyday items such as clothing, furniture, food packaging, adhesives, and much more.

PFAS contamination

How exactly are we exposed to PFAS chemicals? Besides the exposure from PFAS containing materials, the answer lies primarily in our water systems and environment. The majority of our drinking water contains these “forever chemicals.” As a result of their widespread manufacturing, usage, and improper disposal, these chemicals can enter our water systems and air through different sites. Another way PFAS has become so widely dispersed is through groundwater and soil receiving rainwater runoff. Since these chemicals are not easily broken down, they can remain in our waters for a great number of years. It is reported that about 110 million people could have PFAS contaminated water at levels of 2.5 parts per trillion (ppt) or even higher. This value is way above the safe level of exposure to PFAS, and this is not where it even ends. Approximately 60 million people have water utilities that are contaminated with PFAS exceeding   5 ppt, and 16 million people with water utilities exceeding 10-90 ppt of the chemical. It is estimated that 242 water utilities throughout the United States are contaminated with PFAS chemicals. These statistics show just how prevalent these harmful chemicals are in the United States. There is currently no federal limitation as to the concentration of these chemicals in our waters which is a huge problem. Most people have shown signs of these chemicals in their bloodstream, which truly indicates the widespread exposure to these harmful chemicals.

Health effects from PFAS exposure

This increased exposure to PFAS can cause and lead to many adverse health concerns. If the chemicals are ingested, they can actually accumulate in the body and remain there for long periods of time. Scientists are still conducting studies about the effects of PFAS, but the existing research has shown that these chemicals may cause developmental effects in infants, lead to decreased fertility in women, interfere with the body’s natural hormones and enzymes, increase cholesterol levels, affect the immune system, and increase the risk of particular cancers. The extensiveness of the health effects in a person depends on how long, how often, and how much PFAS they were exposed to. Due to all of these negative effects, PFAS are environmental pollutants that are included in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Contaminant Candidate List.

Removal and breakdown of PFAS

The health concerns surrounding PFAS exposure make finding a solution to the problem a very urgent matter. There have been many past attempts to remove PFAS from the environment. However, not all of these attempts have resulted in the development of environmentally friendly methods. It is extremely important to find a way to remove PFAS in a manner that does not cause further harm to the environment. The current goal for PFAS removal is to formulate and implement an efficient, green, and cost-effective process – a goal that is especially challenging when considering the high strength of the carbon-fluorine bond in PFAS molecules.

Incineration

One technique that is being explored is incineration or destruction of PFAS through the use of heat. This is done by directing heat at objects contaminated by PFAS, such as soil, waste, and water. Incineration is a method that has been used for the destruction of many other chemicals. Even though incineration can destroy PFAS, there are many other risk factors that need to be taken into consideration. For example, incomplete combustion of PFAS could lead to problems with the resulting products of the reaction. The process of incineration leaves behind waste residues that need to be properly disposed of, which needs a solution of its own. Incineration also requires an extensive amount of energy and fuel. In addition, incineration can result in PFAS emissions entering the air, the effects of which have not been researched in depth.

Reverse osmosis and nanofiltration

Reverse osmosis and nanofiltration are other methods that are being investigated for the removal of PFAS. They have been shown to be effective in removing PFAS. In simple terms, this is a pressure-driven process in which water is filtered by pushing the water through a semipermeable membrane. This process is useful for removing PFAS from water sources, and recent advances in manufacturing have made it possible to use this process more efficiently. The methods involved with reverse osmosis and nanofiltration have previously been used with removing many other chemicals from water. The process is commonly used in water purification systems and industrial applications, and it is most often employed for desalination purposes. Despite the wide usage of the process, there are some operating considerations that must be looked at for reverse osmosis and nanofiltration systems. Membrane technology comes with the challenge of fouling, where the accumulation of matter from the filtration process can result in a reduction in the flux performance of the membranes. To avoid fouling, the membranes must be constantly modified, and the operating conditions need to be continuously changed. Additionally, replacing the membranes results in waste products that contain PFAS residue, and cleaning the membranes requires there to be a way to dispose of the used cleaning solution. The “reject stream” or stream of water post-filtration will contain concentrated amounts of PFAS and will need to be disposed of or treated. Thus, waste management is a big issue that needs to be addressed if the processes of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration are to be used for PFAS removal.

What’s next?

It is clear that a method for removing and destroying perfluoroalkyl substances urgently needs to be found. These molecules have harmed the environment and our lives in countless ways. Many past attempts have come with drawbacks and failed to be cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Until we have found a way to successfully eliminate PFAS from the environment without causing further damage, these “forever chemicals” will continue to affect us detrimentally. So, what can you do? Fortunately, there are ways to be aware of these harmful chemicals in our water. If you are living in the United States, you can have your water checked for PFAS by contacting your state for a list of certified laboratories that are using the EPA Method 537. You can visit EPA’s website to search online for EPA certified labs for drinking water testing (https://www.epa.gov/dwlabcert/contact-information-certification-programs-and-certified-laboratories-drinking-water).

References

• “Basic ” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas.
• “Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 18 Feb. 2021,
• epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-an d-pfos
• John Hahladakis, Costas A. Velis, Roland Weber, Eleni Iacovidou, Phil Purnell, An   overview of chemical additives present in plastics: Migration, release, fate and environmental impact during their use, disposal and recycling, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 344, 2018, Pages 179-199, ISSN 0304-3894, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.10.014.
• “Pfas – per- and Polyfluoroalkyl ” PFAS Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, https://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/12-treatment-technologies/#12_2_2.
• “Report: Up to 110 Million Americans Could Have Pfas-Contaminated Drinking ”
• Environmental Working Group,
• https://www.ewg.org/research/report-110-million-americans-could-have-pfas-contaminat ed-drinking-water.
• Yao Y, Volchek K, Brown CE, Robinson A, Obal T. Comparative study on adsorption of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) by different adsorbents in water. Water Sci Technol. 2014;70(12):1983-91. doi: 10.2166/wst.2014.445. PMID:
• “Potential Health Effects of Pfas ” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 June 2020, https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/health-effects/index.html.

According to the American Humanist Association, nowadays the word “humanism” is popularly understood to imply “some progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment” (American Humanist Association). Rarely, if ever, is religion associated with the ideals of humanism. It is even more so in the case of Islam, which after the attacks on September 11 came to be closely associated with “terrorism,” “intolerance,” and “dogmatism” within the modern mind. Most people seem to remain in the dark about the insightful, life-affirming, and broad-minded philosophies developed by modern Islamic thinkers and adopted by millions of Muslims all over the world.

One such thinker is Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1877-1960), who wrote thousands of pages of Qur’anic commentary collected under the title of the Risale-i Nur (“The Epistles of Light”). The commentary has become the foundation of a number of Turkish-led modern Islamic movements (Mattson 2013, 249). Nursi’s profound exposition of the Qur’an allows him to speak about a unique and positive vision of humanity embedded in the inward dimensions of Islamic scripture. His worldview tends to be all-inclusive, philosophically profound, and featuring the life-affirming concept of “humanity.” While being erected upon Nursi’s firm religious weltanschauung, his philosophy welcomed cultural diversity and highlighted tolerance and forgiveness as sine qua non for the success of any modern Islamic discourse. Hence this paper’s importance: it will highlight the ideas of Nursi that deal with the notion of “humanity” and will thereby show an authentically Islamic vision of humanity. I will explore Nursi’s concept of humanity by showing the way he bases his understanding upon his Qur’anic interpretation. As Nursi scholar Hakan Coruh argues, the exegetical approach of Nursi is rather difficult to classify: while Nursi himself defines his tafsīr as “spiritual” (tafsīr-i ma‘nawī), it is in fact a synthesis of the traditional kalām (speculative theology) and tafsīr, or, in Coruh’s parlance, a kalāmized Qur’anic exegesis (Coruh 2015, 11).

Purposes of Human Life

Bediuzzaman’s understanding of man draws heavily from the Qur’an. The main question that he tries to address is that of the origins and purposes of human life. The answer, he thinks, is provided in chapter 55, verses 1-4: “The Most Compassionate. He has taught the Qur’an. He created humanity. He taught them speech” (Nursi 1994, 23). Indeed, according to Nursi, the Universe—and humans as a part thereof—came to exist through the manifestation of God’s attributes and names, everything therein owing its existence and vitality to Allah. For example, we can see in all animate things His Names “the Ever-Living One” (al-Ḥayy) and “the Giver of Life” (al-Muḥyi); in the universe’s mind-boggling degree of majestic balance, one can contemplate His Name “the Just” (al-‘Adl). Thus, in the Islamic worldview, Allah is not something conflated with the Universe or defined by natural laws; being the sole creator of all and manifesting His names everywhere, He, nonetheless, stands beyond and above Creation: as Nursi says, the Qur’an does not terminate the stable realities of things (Risale-i Nur Enstitusu). In Bediuzzaman’s own analogy, when one stands on the bank of a spring, he can see the sun reflected on the surface of the bubbles of water passing beneath. The “tiny suns” disappear after a short while, as the bubbles burst. The real sun remains intact, of course. This shows that the sun in no way belongs to the bubbles themselves, being everlasting and independent from the existence of the tiny bubbles (Nursi 2008, 296). The same goes for creatures: through their being alive they allude to the Divine and the life of the Divine; through their deaths they disclose His Permanence (al-qayyūmiyyah).

According to the Qur’an, any kind of knowledge—even that which angels are granted, or that which humans acquire because of their own intellectual pursuits—is a Divine gift. As the Qur’an tells us, “They [i.e. angels] said: ‘Glory be to You! We do have no knowledge save what You have taught us. Verily, You are the All-Knowing, All-Wise’” (Q 2:32). Indeed, it was Adam’s ability to grasp the abstract realities of things through naming them that astonished the angels, distinguishing him from the rest of Creation and entitling him to become God’s viceroy on Earth. For Nursi, the divine origin of the Qur’an renders it an unfailing criterion enabling one to distinguish between authentic and inauthentic knowledge (Nursi 1994, 23). Nursi defines the Qur’an as the embodiment of truth. In the book Ishārāt al-I‘jāz fī Maẓann al-Ijāz (“The Indications of Inimitability in the Loci of Apparent Terseness”), the fifth part of his Qur’anic commentary Risale-i Nur (“Epistles of Light”), Nursi defines the Qur’an as follows:

It is the pre-eternal translator of the great book of the universe; the discloser of the treasures of the divine names concealed in the pages of the earth and the heavens; the key to the truths hidden beneath the lines of events; the treasury of the Most Merciful’s favors and of the pre-eternal addresses, which issue forth from the World of the Unseen beyond the veil of this Manifest World; the sun, foundation, and plan of the spiritual world of Islam, and the map of the worlds of the hereafter. (al-Ansari, 253)

Thus, for him, the real source of the most authentic knowledge is the Qur’anic principles themselves, which “confirm each other in respect of humans’ feelings and intellect, blending them in a Qur’anic combination” (Muhsin 2004, 404). Indeed, according to Nursi, humans can hardly balance out the three aspects of their inner nature, namely their powers of appetite, anger and reasoning (Unal 2007, 51). For the purpose of the Divine test, humans were left unrestrained as far as their use of these inward powers is concerned. For instance, humans are seldom successful at getting the power of their anger to revolve around their courage (which is a combination of anger with reasoning), or in keeping their appetite in check with the principles of chastity (which is a combination of appetite with reasoning). Indeed, our intellect does not always ply the pathway of wisdom (i.e. our understanding of our limits), and justice (as the sum total of all virtues) is yet to be fully maintained in our social life. However, without obtaining this balance, humanity’s happiness is well-nigh impossible. Thus, according to Nursi, only the universal, unfailing intellect of God can cater to our quest for happiness by sending us Divine Revelation (Unal 1998, 24).

Divine Names

Nursi is sure to show that the spiritual viceregency (al-khilāfah al-ma‘nawiyyah) was granted to humanity because of their ability to mirror Divine names and attributes: “Man is a well-composed ode of wisdom proclaiming the manifestations of the Sacred Divine Names, and a seed-like self-evident miracle of Divine power containing all the members of an eternal tree (Nursi 2008, 329).” However, this means that the Divine attribute of “Mutakabbir” (supremely proud) is also reflected in humans, transforming into their self-identity and, sometimes, into outright egotism. Hence the Qur’an says, “We offered the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear its burden and got afraid thereof. However, humans picked it up” (Q 33:72). Ironically, even if humans oftentimes behave as if they were omnipotent, their direct power is confined to the distance of their arms’ length, for everything further stands out of their immediate command. In fact, physically speaking, the human body is quite helpless compared to other animals. Human knowledge always remains partial in comparison with Allah’s: “O humankind, you are the poor [in relation] to Allah” (Q 35:15). Humankind’s possession of anything is always limited, while their needs are unlimited. One’s mind, thanks to its consciousness of the past and future times, can reduce one to the level of a most wretched animal, for it can arouse in one an insatiable anxiety as to how one can meet one’s unlimited needs. According to Nursi, humans’ duty is to deploy their intellect within the guidelines provided by the universal intellect of the Revelation. They must take recourse to the power of God as an intercessor for their helplessness and resort to His boundless knowledge as a remedy for their ignorance (Unal 2007, 51). Thus, humans’ ontological poverty may become a source of their good qualities. Jealousy might transition into one’s emulating or competing with others with the pure intention of doing good, and one’s ambition can turn into one’s persistence in being virtuous (Unal 2007, 61).

According to Nursi, everything in the Heavens and the Earth serves humans. Humans, however, serve nothing of creaturely order, as their sole existential aim is to serve God, as stipulated in the Qur’an: “I (Allah) did not create the jinns and humans except that they should worship Me,” (Q 51:56) and, “It is He Who created for you all that is on earth” (Q 2:29) (Unal 1994, 4). That is to say, humans act as the ruling kings of nature; thanks to their ability to manage things and manipulate them in a way that benefits them, humans are radically different from animals.

Humans are seen by Nursi as the fruit of the tree of the Universe (al-Ansari, 106). Had any fruit of any tree become sentient and prostrated itself to its Creator, it would have performed an all-embracing type of worship on behalf of the entire tree.  Therefore, the fruit is the ultimate goal of the tree and the natural outcome of the tree’s life. In the same vein, humans, being the most perfect creatures in the world, are the latter’s fruit and final goal. As a fruit of a tree bears the whole plan of the tree’s life, the fruit of the universe, that is, humans, are a miniature index and quintessence of everything that the universe contains. To put it differently, humans are microcosms, and the universe is a “macrohuman” (Unal 1998, 4). All chemical and physical elements, indeed, life in all its manifestations—animalistic, vegetative, angelic, or diabolic—is present within humans in the same way it is present in the universe. On this point, Scheler was of the same opinion: humans, he thought, bear within themselves the essence of the whole universe (Unal 1998, 4).

Mirror

According to his Qur’anic anthropology, a unique feature Nursi confers on humans is the notion that we are “mirrors of God.” This conclusion proceeds from the following two aspects:

• In the same way that darkness serves as a foil for the beauty of light, the impotence of humans—their weakness, shortcomings, and mistakes—serve as a foil for the power of the All-Powerful, All-Subsistent, and Perfect One to manifest (al-Ansari, 117, 118).
• Being a mirror of the perfect names of Allah and not the authentic possessor thereof, humans fail to manifest the Divine names and attributes in full. Their partial manifestation within humans is rather meant to highlight the existence of the corresponding names and attributes of Allah, ones that are all-embracing and universal (al-Ansari, 115).

Thus, humans’ lofty attributes serve the mission of being measurement units of the corresponding lofty attributes of the Divine. To put it differently, humanity’s partial and incomplete ability to comprehend the names and attributes of Allah gives it some idea about the unlimited, absolute nature of those names and attributes by the power of contrast. Also, even as far as their physical appearance is concerned, humans are beautiful mirrors of the Divine names and attributes (for instance, their faces are the proof of the inimitable and beautiful creative act) (al-Ansari, 115).  

   Even if humans have the nominal ability to create and manage, Nursi maintains, it is Allah who remains the real creator of everything and its sole manager. Verily, if other creatures “bow” in their servitude to humans, they do so only because Allah meant them to do so and because this “bowing” is their own, unique way of worshipping Allah. This is reflected in the Qur’anic verse “And to Allah prostrates all those within the heavens and the earth, willingly or by compulsion, as do their shadows in the mornings and in the evenings” (Q 13:15).

Dialogue

Another central feature of Nursi is the openness of his philosophy toward dialogue with alternative religious worldviews, especially with that of Christianity. As Ian Markham, a scholar of Nursi’s work, points out, “…Said Nursi is properly labelled an ‘inclusivist.’ He is committed to the truth of Islam… Yet he acknowledges that other traditions have a partial insight into the truth” (Markham 2004, 18). The value that Bediuzzaman placed on dialogue can be understood if we attend to his account of creation. For him everything in the world is intelligible and dialogic, as all entities—different as they might be in appearance—are essentially beautiful mirrors of God requiring that observers appreciate them. As Nursi says in his magnum opus, The Words: “Beauty and fairness desire to see and be seen. Both of these require the existence of yearning witnesses and bewildered admirers” (Nursi 2008, 80). During his lifetime, he several times reached out to Christian leaders, the most important instances being his sending his works to Pope Pius XII in 1950 and the visit that he paid to the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in Istanbul in 1953. His intention was to invite Muslims and Christians to cooperate against their common existential enemy, atheism (Michel 2005a, 36). According to Nursi, the verse Q 5:51 that calls Muslims “not to take the Jews and the Christians for your friends” is only applicable when the Jews and the Christians demonstrate qualities of disbelief and impiety—and not when they are pious followers of their religion. He also points out that the aforementioned verse should be interpreted within the more general context of Islamic Law. The very fact that Islamic law allows Muslim men to marry Jewish and Christian women suggests for Nursi that, if this profound relationship is allowed, so is friendship between the communities. Most naturally, the spouses will reciprocate love and compassion and will become intimate friends (Michel 2005b, 37). Nursi also found another reason to entertain dialogic relations with Christianity. That is, a Prophetic tradition predicts that, when the end of time will draw close, God-mindful Christians will swell the ranks of Muslims to fight their common adversary—atheism (Michel 2005b, 20). Indeed, the ideological opposition envisaged by Nursi is not against Christianity. Rather, it is against those elements of Western civilization that are alien to the spirit of what he believed to be true Christianity and that are focused on the anthropocentrism of Greco-Roman philosophical thought, which absolutized the human person and marginalized God (Michel 2005a, 29).

All in all, Nursi’s approach to humanity is informed by his unique interpretation of the Qur’an. Well-trained in the ways of modern philosophy and steeped in his own Islamic tradition, he spoke about some sort of theocentric humanism, in which one’s devotion to God necessitates one’s unconditional love for human beings as God’s best creatures to mirror His names and attributes. His is unique Qur’anic philosophy which endeavors to capture the very essence of being while remaining informed by the Qur’anic outlook. According to Nursi, those steeped in philosophy alone “consciously walk along dead end streets or through such labyrinths wherein finding the way becomes increasingly difficult” (Unal 2007, 66). In his sight, philosophy unaided by revelatory truths is too vague, convoluted, and idiosyncratic. As for his Qur’anic approach, it flaunts realism and objectivity. Based on centuries-old Islamic tradition, it proffers criteria that can be easily practiced. Finally, based on its notion of humans as the best pattern of God’s creation, the Scripture-based philosophy of Nursi envisages open-mindedness to other worldviews and is intrinsically inclusive—something that should be celebrated in our divided contemporary world.

References

• al-Ansari, Farid. Miftāḥ al-Nūr fī Mafāhīm Rasā’il al-Nūr (Miknas: Jami‘at al-Sulṭān al-Mawlā Ismā‘īl), 253, Kindle.
• “Are You Humanist?” American Humanist Association, http:///americanhumanist .org (accessed on Nov 19, 2019).
• Coruh, Hakan. “Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and his understanding of exegesis in his Risale-i-Nur,” (PhD diss., Australian Catholic University, 2015), 11, ACU Research Bank.
• Markham, Ian. “Truth and Toleration: The Said Nursi Achievement,” in Bringing Faith, Meaning & Peace to Life in a Multicultural World: The Risale-i Nur Approach (Istanbul: Nesil, 2004), 18.
• Ingrid Mattson, The Story of the Qur’an: Its History and Place in Muslim Life, (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013), 249.
• Michel, Thomas. “Muslim-Christian Dialogue and Cooperation in the Thought of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi,” in Said Nursi’s Views on Muslim-Christian Understanding, ed. Shukran Vahide (Istanbul: Soz Basim Yayin, 2005a), 36.
• Michel, Thomas. “Nursi’s View of Tolerance, Engagement with the Other, and the Future of Dialogue,” in Said Nursi’s Views on Muslim-Christian Understanding, ed. Shukran Vahide (Istanbul: Soz Basim Yayin, 2005b), 20.
• Muhsin, “‘Abd al-Hamid. The Theory of Knowledge in the Qur’an according to the Risale-i Nur,” in A Contemporary Approach to Understanding the Qur’an. The Example of the Risale-i Nur, ed. Abdullah Varlik (Istanbul: Sozler Publications, 2004), 404.
• Nursi, Bediuzzaman Said. The Words: On the Nature and Purposes of Man, Life, and All Things, (Istanbul: Sozler Publications) 2008, 296.
• Nursi, Bediuzzaman Said. “Ishārāt al-I‘jāz fī Maẓann al-Ijāz,” in Kulliyat Rasa’il al-Nur 5, trans. Ihsan Qasim al-Salih (Beirut: Nur, 1994), 23.
• Risale-i Nur Enstitusu, “’Her Sey O’ Mudur, Yoksa ‘Her Sey O’ndan’ Midir?” Sorularla Said Nursi, http://www.sorularlasaidnursi.com/her-sey-o-mudur-yoksa-her-sey-ondan-midir (accessed on Nov 19, 2019).
• Unal, Ali. Islamic Perspectives on Science: Knowledge and Responsibility (New Jersey: Light), 2007, 51.
• Unal, Ali. “Kant, Scheler and Bediuzzaman on Man,” Fountain Magazine 24, no. 4 (October-December 1998), https://fountainmagazine.com/1998/issue-24-october-december-1998/kant-scheler-and-bediuzzaman-on-man (accessed on Nov 17, 2019).

In the language of Sufism, yaqada (wakefulness) means that an initiate must be aware, careful and sensitive with respect to God’s commandments at the beginning of the journey, and without failing into any confusion, must be straightforward in thought, preserve spiritual balance, and act with insight in the face of the gifts that come as a result of advancing to the final point.

There have been somewhat different approaches to wakefulness. Some scholars have interpreted wakefulness as being where initiates perceive the Divine purpose in His prohibitions, especially at the beginning of the journey. When they have reached the final point where they are on the journey “toward God and with God and in God,” which denotes “subsistence” or “maintenance by God,” they should act with self-possession as if seeing God or as if being in His Presence. In the consciousness and knowledge of God that is required by the rank where they are, and thinking of themselves as humble servants of God, Whom they need at every breath and of Whom they should not be heedless even for a moment, they should always fix their eyes in humility and awareness on the door of God in expectation of His favors and in fear of any reproach from Him. They should be in constant wakefulness, thinking as Ibrahim Haqqi of Erzurum did:

Does sleeping in heedlessness behoove a humble servant, while the All-Merciful calls (His servants) with affection at nights?

Wakeful travelers to God act with insight at every step of the spiritual journey and represent the truth expressed in Say (O Messenger!): “This is my way: I call to God based on conscious insight and sure knowledge—I and those who follow me” (12:108). They receive beneficial advice from whatever they hear, and see every thing and event as being a different tablet of instruction, and continuously travel on the horizon of thinking, reflecting, and pondering. There is wisdom in their speeches, and a lesson in their silence, and their manners inspire awe. They remember God in the face of what they encounter, and their own faces reveal Him.

Such a degree of wakefulness can be also viewed as the deepening of insight and the horizon of the revival of an initiate with respect to “the reason occupied with and skilled in the matters of the Hereafter.” Some have considered it as an aspect or dimension of the heart. One of the important means of reaching this point is frequently reciting O the All-Living, O the Self-Subsisting, there is no deity but You. Frequent repetition of There is no deity but You, I appeal to Your help for the sake of Your Mercy, is another means. In attainment of this rank, it is also important to have adequate knowledge of the “days of God.” That is, we should never forget why and how God favored His obedient servants in the past and why and how He punished the rebellious.

Having a sound and sincere intention and viewpoint and being free from prejudices are among the important conditions needed to preserve wakefulness. Those whose minds are under the influence of their carnal impulses, whose eyes are closed to the lesson given by the “days of God,” and whose viewpoint is wrong, can have no insight, nor can they be wakeful. If wakefulness is seeing deeply and becoming acutely aware of being observed, then this can only be possible by having deep insight, by observing God’s rights, and by acting in awareness of always being seen by God. Those who cannot keep their eyes away from the “pictures” of others and their hearts from memories shared with others cannot be wakeful ones, nor can they be safe from falling, no matter what rank they have achieved. Safety is a special gift of God given to those who have spent their lives in quest of it. This is why those who regard themselves as safe are by no means safe.

Having a wakeful heart and eyes is dependent on the awareness of the fact that the Ultimate Truth always sees and knows us in the state in which we are and always knows with what we are occupied, and on turning to Him with all our being, and spending our lives in consciousness that we are always in His presence. The author of Nazmu’l-Maqamat, observes:

Always turn to that Most Exalted Being in humility, and with utmost poverty and helplessness;
to the extent that even if yourself were to give it up,
your heart should never falter and should remain fast in its place.
This is what people of truth call “presence,” And this is the reason why we always mention Him.

Wakeful travelers are deeply conscious that the Ultimate Truth always sees them, and think that, since He always sees them, they must therefore remain alert and self-possessed—that is, wakefulness has a connection with “excellence” or “perfect goodness” (the awareness of always being seen by God and acting as if seeing Him). Like hunters who keep a close, even secret watch on their prey, the travelers journeying to God are in constant expectation of the gifts that will come from Him, all but never blinking. In perfect reliance on the truth that there is no power and strength save with God, they never appeal to anyone other than Him in order to meet their needs, and always petition Him and find ways that lead to Him. God never leaves them by themselves, helpless.

The greatest hero of wakefulness, upon him be peace and blessings, says, “My eyes sleep but my heart does not,”[1] indicating constant wakefulness. To warn those who live unaware of this truth, ‘Ali, the Fourth Caliph, who was one of the most distinguished students of his school of light, declares: “People are asleep; they wake up when they die” [2].

O God! I ask You for Your forgiveness, health, and Your approval, regard, breezes of favor, friendship, and nearness to You. And bestow blessings and peace on our master Muhammad, the master of those near-stationed to You, and Your beloved and Messenger, and on his Family and Companions, who had great yearning to meet with You.

When we get a prescription from a doctor, the drug usually comes with instructions for how to use it. These include when we take the drug (before or after a meal), how many times a day and for how long we take it, and what we have to avoid while using the drug. Doctors also ask if we use any other medication or if we have any chronic disease before prescribing any new medication. Most medicines look similar, but drugs themselves can be very different. Have you thought about what happens to a drug when it gets into our body?

All body functions and disease processes—as well as most drug reactions—occur at the cellular level. Drugs are chemicals that alter basic processes in body cells. They cannot add functions and activities but can only affect normal cellular functions and activities. Drugs given for systemic effects must reach adequate concentrations in the blood and other tissue fluids surrounding our cells to have an effect. Drugs must circulate through their body, reach their intended cells, and, after affecting the cells, be eliminated from the body. But how do all these processes occur? How do systemic drugs reach, interact with, and leave the body’s cells?

The answers to these questions are answered by one of the main domains of pharmacology—pharmacokinetics. Pharmacokinetics is derived from the Greek words pharmakon (drug) and kinetikos (movement) and means “what the body does to a drug.” It refers to the movement of a drug into, through, and out of the body.

Knowledge of pharmacokinetic principles helps healthcare providers to adjust dosages more accurately and rapidly. Application of pharmacokinetic principles to individualize pharmacotherapy is termed therapeutic drug monitoring and aims to give the exact amount of drug to each person.

The four main parts of the pharmacokinetic processes are

• Absorption
• Distribution
• Metabolism
• Elimination

These processes are abbreviated as ADME.

Figure. Entry and movement of drug molecules through the body to sites of action, as well as metabolism and excretion 

Absorption

Absorption is the process that occurs when a drug enters the body until it enters the bloodstream to be circulated. The duration of a drug’s action is largely determined by the rate of absorption, and intensity is determined by the extent of absorption.

Numerous factors affect the rate and extent of drug absorption, including dosage, form, route of administration, blood flow to the site of administration, gastrointestinal function, and the presence of food or other drugs.

Most oral drugs must be swallowed, dissolved in gastric fluid, and delivered to the small intestine (which has a large surface area for absorption of nutrients and drugs) before they are absorbed. Liquid medications are absorbed faster than tablets or capsules because they need not be dissolved. Rapid movement through the stomach and small intestine may increase drug absorption by promoting contact with absorptive mucous membrane; it also may decrease absorption because some drugs may move through the small intestine too rapidly to be absorbed. For many drugs, the presence of food in the stomach slows the rate of absorption and may decrease the amount of drug absorbed. That is why some drugs are taken before meals and some after.

Drugs cannot be absorbed well when a patient has diarrhea and the intestines are working excessively; the effect of the drug will be reduced. Absorption may be increased if the patient has constipation and the intestines are working very slowly; this could have unforeseen adverse effects.

Drugs injected into subcutaneous (under the skin) or intramuscular (in the muscles) tissues are usually absorbed more rapidly than oral drugs because they move directly from the injection site to the bloodstream. Absorption is rapid from muscle sites because muscle tissue has abundant blood supply. Drugs injected intravenously (into the veins) do not need to be absorbed because they are placed directly into the bloodstream.

Other absorptive sites include the skin, mucous membranes, and lungs. Most drugs applied to the skin are given for local effects (e.g., muscle relaxant creams, itch relief ointments, and burn ointments). Systemic absorption is minimal from intact skin but may be considerable when the skin is inflamed or damaged. Also, a number of drugs have been formulated in adhesive skin patches for absorption through the skin. Some drugs applied to mucous membranes also are given for local effects. However, systemic absorption occurs from the mucosa of the oral cavity, nose, eyes, etc. Drugs absorbed through mucous membranes pass directly into the bloodstream. For example, nitroglycerin sublingual tablets are used to treat episodes of angina (chest pain) in people who have coronary artery disease. It is also used just before activities that may cause episodes of angina to prevent symptoms. It works by relaxing the blood vessels so the heart does not need to work as hard and therefore does not need as much oxygen. The lungs can be a good absorption site, as they have a large surface area for absorption of anesthetic gases and a few other drugs.

Distribution

Distribution involves the transport of drug molecules within the body. Once a drug is injected or absorbed into the bloodstream, it is carried by the blood and tissue fluids to its sites of pharmacologic action, metabolism, and excretion. Most drug molecules enter and leave the bloodstream at the capillary level, through gaps between the cells that form capillary walls.

Distribution depends largely on the adequacy of blood circulation. Drugs are distributed rapidly to organs receiving a large blood supply, such as the heart, liver, and kidneys. Distribution to other internal organs, muscle, fat, and skin is usually slower.

An important factor in drug distribution is protein binding. Most drugs form a complex with plasma proteins such as albumin. These proteins act as carriers for the drugs. Drug molecules bound to plasma proteins are pharmacologically inactive because the large size of the complex prevents their leaving the bloodstream through the small openings in capillary walls and reaching their sites of action. Only the free or unbound portion of a drug acts on the body’s cells. As the free drug acts on cells, the decrease in plasma protein levels causes some of the bound drug to be released.

Protein binding allows part of a drug dose to be stored and released as needed. Some drugs also are stored in muscle, fat, or other body tissues and released gradually when plasma drug levels fall. These storage mechanisms reduce the risk of toxicity. Drugs that are highly bound to plasma proteins or stored extensively in other tissues have a long duration of action. This affects the frequency of intake of a drug and is why some drugs are taken more frequently.

Drug distribution into the central nervous system (CNS) is limited because of the blood–brain barrier, which is composed of capillaries with tight walls and limits the movement of drug molecules into brain tissue. This barrier has been created to act as a selectively permeable membrane to protect the CNS. However, it also can make drug therapy for CNS disorders more difficult because drugs must pass through the cells of the capillary wall rather than between cells. As a result, only drugs that are lipid soluble or have a transport system can cross the blood–brain barrier and reach therapeutic concentrations in brain tissue.

Drug distribution during pregnancy and lactation is also unique. During pregnancy, most drugs cross the placenta and may affect the fetus. During lactation, many drugs enter breast milk and may affect the nursing infant. This barrier is also important and protects the fetus from the adverse effects of drugs.

If we have valuable things at home or at work, we put them in extra safe places and use extra security systems to protect them. So it is with our body: our brain and a fetus are extra protected by these barriers.

Metabolism

Metabolism is the chemical reaction by which drugs are inactivated or bio-transformed by the body. Most often, an active drug is changed into one or more inactive metabolites, which are then excreted. Some active drugs yield metabolites that are also active and that continue to exert their effects on the body’s cells until they are metabolized further or excreted. Other drugs (called prodrugs) are initially inactive and exert no pharmacologic effects until they are metabolized.

Most drugs are lipid soluble, a characteristic that aids their movement across cell membranes. However, the kidneys, which are the primary excretory organs, can excrete only water-soluble substances. Therefore, one function of metabolism is to convert fat-soluble drugs into water-soluble metabolites.

Hepatic drug metabolism—or clearance—is a major mechanism for terminating drug action and eliminating drug molecules from the body. Most drugs are metabolized by enzymes in the liver, red blood cells, plasma, kidneys, lungs, and gastrointestinal mucosa.

With long term administration, some drugs stimulate liver cells to produce larger amounts of drug metabolizing enzymes (a process called enzyme induction). Enzyme induction accelerates drug metabolism because larger amounts of the enzymes allow larger amounts of a drug to be metabolized during a given time. As a result, larger doses of the rapidly metabolized drug may be required to produce or maintain therapeutic effects. Metabolism also can be decreased or delayed in a process called enzyme inhibition, which most often occurs with concurrent administration of two or more drugs that compete for the same metabolizing enzymes. In this case, smaller doses of the slowly metabolized drug may be needed to avoid adverse reactions and toxicity from drug accumulation. Thus, doctors always ask about any medications already being used before prescribing a new medication. Also, some foods (eg. grapefruit), drinks (alcohol), and smoking affect the activity of the enzymes which are metabolizing the drugs in the liver. Thus, we must be careful and follow a doctor’s instructions while using any medication.

The rate of drug metabolism is also reduced in infants (their hepatic enzyme system is immature), in people with impaired blood flow to the liver or severe hepatic or cardiovascular disease, and in people who are malnourished or on low-protein diets. Metabolism in  elderly people and pregnant women also changes a lot; thus, the dose given to each individual should be carefully calculated—especially in children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

Excretion

Excretion refers to the elimination of a drug from the body. Effective excretion requires adequate functioning of the circulatory system and of the organs of excretion (kidneys, bowel, lungs, and skin). Most drugs are excreted by the kidneys and eliminated unchanged or as metabolites in urine. Some drugs or metabolites are excreted in bile, then eliminated in feces; others are excreted in bile, reabsorbed from the small intestine, returned to the liver (called enterohepatic recirculation), metabolized, and eventually excreted in urine. Some oral drugs are not absorbed and are excreted in the feces. The lungs mainly remove volatile substances, such as anesthetic gases. The skin has minimal excretory function. Factors impairing excretion, especially severe renal disease, lead to accumulation of numerous drugs and may cause severe adverse effects if dosage is not reduced. Doctors always ask about any chronic diseases before prescribing any medication.

The process of developing a drug is long and difficult. The instructions for usage are decided after many experimental and clinical trials. None of the instructions given with medications are decided randomly; thus, we must completely follow the instructions to maximize the positive effects of a drug and to avoid any possible adverse effects.

References

• Abrams, Anne Collins., Carol Barnett Lammon, and Sandra Smith Pennington. Clinical Drug Therapy: Rationales for Nursing Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007.
• Basic&Clinical Pharmacology, 12^th Edition, McGrawHill Lange.
• Modern Pharmacology with Clinical Applications, Sixth Edition, Charles R. Craig and Robert E. Stitzel, Lippincott Williams &Wilkins.

When the novel coronavirus Covid-19 started to spread across the world at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, it challenged not only people but also systems. As Necip Fazil Kisakurek warned in his poem Destan, “Stop, you masses; this street is a dead end!” The Covid-19 pandemic has forced humans to change their lifestyles. Health, finance, and education systems could no longer preserve their status quo and were obliged to change to survive.

During this unprecedented situation, I tried to turn challenges into opportunities and asked myself: “What can I do during isolation for my personal and spiritual development?” Besides reading, watercolor painting, participating in spiritual and professional meetings via Zoom, learning daily Arabic words, and virtually visiting the British Museum to see the Pharaoh’s body mentioned in the Holy Quran (10:92), I took a free online course titled Fundamentals of Neuroscience – Part 1: The Electrical Properties of the Neuron from Harvard University on the edX platform [1]. With little background knowledge but lots of interest, I took this course to explore the beautiful names of God (Asma ul Husna) manifested in neuroscience. It was a self-paced, 5-week-long course with video lectures, quizzes, discussion board topics, and virtual field trips.

I really enjoyed the course. It made me think of and thank God “the most glorified” because of the amazing nervous system He bestowed upon me. It helped me to overcome my negligence and be aware of this magnificent creation.  I witnessed the Divine Wisdom when a cadaver’s brain was examined in a video lecture recorded at the Harvard Medical School.  As a very delicate organ, the brain was so well protected that it reminded me of one of the names of Allah (SWT)—Al-Hafız, or The Preserver, which means, “The One whose power preserves the heavens and the earth. The One who is the guardian and preserver of all the worlds. The One who protects and preserves all of creation from perishing. The One who is vigilantly guarding every detail of all that has been created. The One who remembers and preserves all that has ever been and all that is, while keeping under Divine protection the knowledge of all that shall be” [2].

The skull, which is an incredibly tough structure, encloses the brain like a chest. Then, there are three layers of meninges which protect the soft tissue of the brain from traumatic injury. The thickest and toughest layer is called the “dura mater,” which translates to “tough mother” [3]; (originally derived from medieval Latin, literally “hard mother,” which is a translation of Arabic al-‘umm al-jafiya “coarse mother”). Since it embraces the brain for protection, it reminded me of the name Al-Raheem (The All-Merciful). 

Another delicate organ, the spinal cord, is protected by bony pieces called vertebrae. Along the spinal cord are a huge number of little nerve fibers.  They carry information to various muscles and ultimately bring sensory information back to the brain. Both the brain and spinal cord are bathed in fluid known as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) [4]. This fluid’s duty is not only to carry nutrients to tissue and remove toxins and waste but also to protect the brain and the spinal cord [3].  It is not hard to see the manifestation of the name Al-Hafız (The Preserver) in this excellent creation. Cerebrospinal fluid is held inside layers of the meninges which surround the brain and spinal cord. In addition to the dura mater, the other two meningeal layers are called the pia mater and arachnoid mater. The dura mater, the outermost layer, is a tough connective tissue. However, heritable disorders and injuries that may happen during medical procedures such as epidural injections may lead to a hole or tear in the dura. When the spinal dura has a hole or tear, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks out. These defects can be small or large, and often result in a low volume of CSF remaining around the brain and spinal cord. Among the symptoms of a leak or tear are severe positional headache and rarely, dementia, stroke, coma, and even death [4].

If you look at the entire nervous system in context, you will see how armored everything is. The skull, vertebrae, and cerebrospinal fluid are all created as an armor to protect the brain and spinal cord. However, despite this armoring, damage does sometimes occur. Because of concussive injuries, the brain sloshes around in the head which may result in some damage or swelling [3].

When the brain’s armor is breached, there are lessons to be learned. Phineas Gage (1823–1860), an American railroad construction foreman, is a famous case of someone who survived an accident in which a large iron bar went through the left side of his face, through his eye and straight through the top of his skull taking a significant portion of his brain’s left frontal lobe with it. He was in a coma for a while until he amazingly woke up. The accident affected his personality and behavior over the remaining 12 years of his life‍ in such a way that his friends said he was “no longer Gage.”  ‌Gage influenced 19th-century discussions about the mind and brain and was perhaps the first case to suggest the brain’s role in deter­min­ing per­son­al­ity, and that damage to specific parts of the brain might cause specific mental changes [3, 6].

The virtual field trip to the Warren Anatomical Museum in Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library of Medicine was among one of the many exciting activities included in the course. In that museum, Phineas Gage’s skull is exhibited. Seeing his skull was like rabita al-mawt (contemplating death) for me. As human beings, we may suffer from ineffable pains while we live, but patience, submission to God, and consent to the tests we face are some of the essentials for turning pain into gain in the hereafter. 

Phineas Gage’s incident made me contemplate another aspect of God’s flawless creation.  Everything that we see on one side of the brain is replicated on the other side. So, despite damage on one side, it can still be possible to not have major deficits. Even though Gage became less capable, he was still highly functional: he travelled abroad and held a job. From the neuroscience perspective, our brains make us who we are.  The frontal lobe of the brain is responsible for governing human behavior, such as speech production, problem solving, and planning, and is remarkably larger in humans when compared to other animals [3].   

The brain’s physical structure is also amazing. We possess more brain folds, sulci (like valleys) and gyri (like mountains), than any other species. These folds make it possible to fit the brain into skull. It is like the way that human intestines, which can range from 7.5 to 8.5 meters (25 to 28 feet) in length [7], crumple in on themselves to be able to fit inside the abdominal cavity.  This similarity encourages me to contemplate more about creation of the One and Only Deity, Who is Al-Ahad (The Unique), Al-Wahid (The One), Al-Khaliq (The Creator), Al-Baari’ (The Originator), and Al-Musawwir (The Fashioner).

During this course, I had a chance to learn more about our nervous system and the neurons (nerve cells) which use electrical signaling to communicate and allow our nervous system to function. How can such tiny and unconscious neurons (we have about 86 billion of them in our brains [8] work in harmony without the knowledge of physics, mathematics, chemistry, and electricity to make us talk, walk, think, feel, etc.? It is because they are obedient soldiers of The All-Knowing, The All-Wise, and the One to Whom all praise is due. 

References

1. edX: a massive open online course provider founded by Harvard and MIT. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdX#cite_note-3
2. AsmaulHusna, http://www.asmaulhusna.in/?99BeautifulDevineNamesofAllah&AsmaulHusna&name=AL-HAFIZ,
3. edX Harvard University, https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:HarvardX+MCB80.1x+2T2020/course/
4. Spinal CSF Leak Foundation, https://spinalcsfleak.org/about-spinal-csf-leaks/overview/
5. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, 25^th Flashes, 7^th Remedy, http://www.erisale.com/?bookId=203&locale=en&pageNo=265#content.en.203.270
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage
7. Length of a Human Intestine, The Physics Factbook, https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/AnneMarieThomasino.shtml
8. Kendra Cherry, How Many Neurons Are in the Brain, https://www.verywellmind.com/

When calligraphy appeared millennia ago, it was an impressive evolution in writing. Ordinary handwriting simply conveys a message, but in calligraphy, the writing itself is art, allowing one to see each word and phrase as a painting. Besides its visual appeal, calligraphy lingers deep in the subconscious, like a subliminal message.

There are various theories about the origin of calligraphy, but the historical facts suggest that China was the first country where calligraphy came into practice. The Chinese mostly used brushes to write. The origin of calligraphy can be traced to the Shang Dynasty, but the art became more common during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE). Master calligraphers like Wen Zhengming (1470-1559) and Zhu Yunming (1461-1527) emerged during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Much later, the Chinese developed a new style called Sini, which is calligraphy written with a horsehair brush. A calligrapher in this tradition today is Haji Noor Din Mi Guangiang.

New scripts and styles were invented by the Romans, who popularized writing with a pen. Pieces of Roman calligraphy can be seen on the statues and architecture around Italy and in museums.

Calligraphy was soon practiced in many European countries, as well as in Muslim countries like Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Morocco, Spain, and Syria. Calligraphists used a Qalam, a pen made of dried reed until more traditional ink pens were invented.

Significance of calligraphic characters

The strokes of vertical lines, squares, circles, and curves all have their own significance. Light lines give the impression that the calligrapher was in a happy mood. If the lines are heavy and dark, they reflect melancholy and sadness. According to some historians, long vertical lines tell about the heights of success one can reach, or the oneness of God. Circles and interlaced circles and squares or four-sided polygons signify unity and order, various cultural traits, and prosperity. The curves reflect the rise or decline of dynasties.

Urdu, Persian and Arabic calligraphy

Urdu, Persian, and Arabic calligraphy is signified by elegant penmanship and visual appeal and became widespread during the medieval ages. People proficient in calligraphy opened learning centers to teach the art. Some started their own businesses, selling poems and manuscripts duly calligraphed.

Quranic verses were calligraphed in manuscripts and inscribed on many buildings, including on the walls of mosques and museums. It was common among people to frame such scripts and hang them on the walls in their houses. Ancient inscriptions are found in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, where one can also see the letters dictated by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, inviting other leaders to Islam, to follow the right path, and attain the heights of humanity.

Keith Critchlow, an author and calligraphist, says: “Islamic patterns are created to lead the viewer to an understanding of underlying reality rather that being mere decoration…The patterns are believed to be the bridge to spiritual realm, the instrument to purify the mind and the soul.”

Critchlow’s comment is true. Yet, while many calligraphy works are based on Qur’anic text, they are not limited to religious subjects. The art of calligraphy signifies the centrality of writing and written text in Islam.

As time progressed, different styles of Islamic calligraphy evolved. All had their own allure. The styles are referred to as Kufic, Naskh, and Nastaliq.

Kufic

Kufic is the earliest style of Arabic script used in documents and inscriptions. It is based on angular shapes and long vertical lines. The words appear hung together and connected to each other, and the letters are rounded or curved. For more than five centuries, this style remained in practice, mainly because of the need to transcribe the Holy Qur’an to distribute among believers. The letters and messages of the Prophet and the Caliphs were written by scribes in Kufic script. Coins during the Umayyads period had Kufic inscriptions. Various inscriptions in Kufic were also seen in the mosques and other architecture and on metalware and ceramics.

At Bhambore, in Pakistan, the remains of early Islamic structures are covered in Kufic inscriptions.

The Kufic script in its plain and ornamental forms continued to be used in the Islamic world until the tenth century.

Naskh

After the tenth century, a new style of writing with rounded characters called Naskh came into practice along with the spread of Islam and became popular in many parts of the Muslim world. The script also suited the pace of conversions to Islam because of its simplicity. In Pakistan, it was used for writing Sindhi, Panjabi, Pashto, and, of course, Urdu.

Nastaliq

Another calligraphic script, very much refined, was developed in the fourteenth century in Iran by Mir Ali of Tabriz. It had a characteristic dropping ductus, repetitive curvatures, and almost no straight lines. The Nastaliq became the most popular style of calligraphy in Persian writings in Iran and its neighboring countries, from Central Asia to India and Pakistan. Besides historical and scientific works, court calligraphers also transcribed royal memoirs and decrees.

As time progressed, even more variations of calligraphic script were developed. Manuscripts transcribed by expert calligraphers were illuminated and illustrated with fine miniature paintings to make them things of beauty and visual appeal. They were mostly bound in leather, with the covers stamped in golden ink, showing beaded edges around medallions in the center. Later, the process was replaced by gilding with arabesque and decorative figures, and sometimes with lacquer work.

The Mughal Emperors had a great love for calligraphy, but when the Empire began to decline and the last Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was imprisoned, the art of calligraphy also began to decline, since it lost royal patronage.

The art of Islamic calligraphy is still being performed in countries like Pakistan, India, Iraq, Iran, Turkey and others.

Why have many people suddenly quit eating fish? Is dumped fishing gear the largest polluter of our oceans? (Spoiler Alert: Yes) (2 & 16). Seaspiracy, A Netflix documentary about commercial fishing and its impact on ocean life has garnered celebrity endorsements and fan outcries alike. Tom Brady, arguably the best football player of all time, called the documentary a must-watch. The cause for the immense emotional reaction is how wasteful practices, lack of regulation, and illegal fishing are destroying sea life and the oceans for the sake of increased profits for greedy corporations. Foreseeing the horrible consequences of continuing current commercial fishing industry practices, the director asks the audience to stop eating fish to save our marine ecosystems.

Critics have argued some of the statistics in the film are misleading (13). Additionally, it is unclear how the film will affect world seafood consumption as it is not easy for a person to change their diet if they have been eating seafood for decades. Not only is this unrealistic but it simultaneously makes us avoid the actual perpetrators of these crimes, the commercial fishing industry at large. Leaning into veganism pushes the responsibility away from a corrupt, sometimes criminal industry, and onto 200 million Netflix subscribers. The film could have been much more impactful if the conclusion had focused on increasing regulations and, through civil discourses and legal pressure, holding commercial fishing corporations accountable for the damage that they are doing.

More than half a million “tonnes of nets, long lines, pots, traps, plastic fishing crates etc. used in commercial fishing are dumped and discarded at sea” annually (2). Although a small part of this is due to overcrowded fisheries, most of this littering is done to conceal illegal fishing activities (2). Modern commercial fishing gear is very strong and effective—at times a bit too effective for the health of ocean life, as fish and birds that are not targets are frequently caught.  Bycatch is when unintended or low commercial value ocean life is caught and then released back into the ocean.  For example, in commercial fishing, every year more than 300,000 whales and dolphins are killed as bycatch (17). By the time these whales and dolphins are released back into the ocean they are either dying or already dead. Not only is this a matter of conscience, but one does not need to be an animal lover to recognize the critical role whales play in our delicate ecosystem. Valuable nutrients like iron, nitrogen, and phosphorus found in fecal plumes of whales stimulate the production of phytoplankton which is the base of many marine food chains. Phytoplankton is extremely important for the ocean as it generates energy through photosynthesis. This energy then gets distributed to the whole marine ecosystem as the phytoplankton are eaten. For example, phytoplankton get eaten by zooplankton, which is a crucial nutrient source for many species such as krill, fish, marine mammals, and other marine invertebrates (3). The animal welfare institute suggests whales to be “fully protected from commercial and “scientific” whaling, bycatch in fishing gear, and other threats to their survival, so that they can fulfill their role in helping to sustain the planet and humankind” (3). 

Is there a solution for this? Well, “proven solutions do exist, such as modifying fishing gear so that fewer non-target species are caught or can escape. In many cases, these modifications are simple and inexpensive.” For example, j-shaped hooks kill non-targeted species such as turtles because they cause internal bleeding or suffocation when ingested. Circle hooks on the other hand are only effective against target species such as tuna and swordfish. Unfortunately, these solutions are not widely applied, mainly due to concerns about profitability and lack of regulation as well as a lack of research and development funding (4). In addition, most of the commercial fishing industry isn’t motivated by preventing the unnecessary death of wildlife as much as it is by profits. In addition, regulations are hard to enforce due to fishing vessels being alone on the ocean for most of their time at sea. However, if we want future generations to enjoy seafood, there must be some revisions and adjustments to how we treat the ocean and its inhabitants.

Another example of wastefulness in the commercial fishing industry is related to “continued demand for shark fin soup, dumplings, and other shark fin dishes,” as Tabrizi explained in his documentary. In the documentary, these luxury dishes are shown to be “served in restaurants around the world perpetuating the practice of finning, resulting in an estimated 73 million sharks being killed each year for their fins alone. Because of the high commercial value of shark fins and the relatively low value of shark meat, fishermen often take only the fins and leave the rest of the body behind—another extremely cruel and wasteful practice. Typically, sharks are finned alive: brought aboard fishing vessels to have their fins sliced off, then thrown back into the sea, where they suffocate, bleed to death, or are eaten by other animals. Appallingly, the animals are usually conscious through much of the ordeal (5). This situation also affects the marine ecosystem at large because sharks are apex predators in many ecosystems and their disappearance causes “dangerous imbalances” according to the Animal Welfare Institute (5). Since sharks are apex predators, they change their diet based on what’s available. Consequently, sharks are credited with preventing any one species from monopolizing, thus ensuring biodiversity (18).

Fortunately, there are solutions and companies that are willing to act. Thai Union, the world’s biggest tuna processor (6), is committed to more sustainable and socially responsible seafood. Since 2017, they are reducing fish aggregating devices which are free floating devices that result in the unnecessary death of sharks, turtles, and juvenile tuna. They also committed to ensuring independent observers are aboard all fishing ships to ensure compliance with legal and ethical codes. Since longline vessels are risk-prone in terms of bycatch like seabirds, turtles, and sharks, they are changing to pole-line or troll-catching techniques (7). Because pole lining is more labor-intensive, it will also have the potential to create more jobs. However, most corporations will likely see it as an extra cost to their business if they are not invested in the long-term advantages of fishing industry reform. In addition to creating various reforms in the fishing industry, it will be just as critical to change the culture around the industry to create long-term buy-in (8). These reforms are crucial to leaving a sustainable future for coming generations.

The commercial fishing industry is also intertwined with organized crime, which is very harmful to the global commitment to sustainable fishing and the health of marine life (9). “In a recent review over half of the countries (30/53 top fishing countries) assessed for compliance with illegal and unreported fishing in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO UN) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries were awarded fail grades (less than 4/10)” (10). Illegal fishing destroys ecosystems which will make the world uninhabitable for future generations and “does not respect national and international actions designed to reduce bycatch and mitigate the incidental mortality of marine animals such as sharks, turtles, birds and mammals” (10).

There is also considerable discourse from religious leaders regarding ocean conservation. The Dalai Lama stressed the importance of nonviolence while voicing his support for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s goal of preventing whalers from harming whales (11). Bal tashḥit is the Jewish prohibition against wastefulness and destruction and is regarded as an ethical principle by Jewish environmentalists. The prohibition against wastefulness also exists in Christianity and Islam. These viewpoints offer common ground for the East and West (12).

Regulation through certification has been seen as a solution for the lack of law enforcement oversight in many countries, but it requires funding for oversight by law enforcement, such as the example from Thai Union. Some activists support abstaining from eating fish, but in a statement, Oceana, an NGO campaigning for ocean protection, stated “choosing to abstain from consuming seafood is not a realistic choice for the hundreds of millions of people around the world who depend on coastal fisheries—many of whom are also facing poverty, hunger and malnutrition” (13).

If we don’t cause any unnecessary pain for fish, don’t catch stuff we’re not going to sell or eat, don’t harm the environment, and follow governmental regulations, fishing is a benevolent way of feeding humans. Unfortunately, these rules are generally not followed by the fishing industry around the world. Nevertheless, instead of cutting fish out of our diet, I think we should put pressure on governments and the fishing industry through legal and civic means to uphold the guidelines set by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (14). Let’s hope for sustainable fishing and for marine ecosystems to stay healthy for future generations. 

Sources

• https://www.gentside.co.uk/netflix/seaspiracy-has-convinced-thousands-of-viewers-to-stop-eating-fish_art7131.html
• https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/06/dumped-fishing-gear-is-biggest-plastic-polluter-in-ocean-finds-report
• https://awionline.org/awi-quarterly/fall-2017/whale-effect-ocean-life-ecological-and-economic-value-cetaceans
• https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/bycatch
• https://awionline.org/content/shark-finning
• https://vegconomist.com/companies-and-portraits/tides-turn-as-worlds-biggest-tuna-processor-recognises-that-future-of-seafood-is-plant-based-and-cell-based/
• https://www.thaiunion.com/en/newsroom/press-release/505/thai-union-commits-to-more-sustainable-socially-responsible-seafood
• https://oceana.org/blog/attention-shoppers-pole-and-line-today%E2%80%99s-eco-friendliest-label-canned-tuna
• https://oceanpanel.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/Organised%20Crime%20in%20the%20Fisheries%20Sector%20Full%20Paper%20Final.pdf
• [26, Pitcher TJ, Pramod G, Kalikoski D, Short K (2008) Safe Conduct? Twelve Years Fishing under the UN Code. Gland: WWF.]
• https://www.seashepherd.org.uk/news-and-commentary/news/sea-shepherd-acknowledges-the-guidance-of-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama.html
• http://107.21.79.195/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Yoreh_Tanhum_S_2014_PhD-b3e.pdf
• https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/31/seaspiracy-netflix-documentary-accused-of-misrepresentation-by-participants
• https://www.fao.org/3/ba0022t/ba0022t.pdf)(https://www.fao.org/3/i0816t/i0816t.pdf
• Netflix Seaspiracy (highly recommend watching it): https://www.netflix.com/title/81014008
• https://www.seashepherdglobal.org/latest-news/marine-debris-plastic-fishing-gear/
• https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/seaspiracy-viral-new-netflix-documentary-5-takeaways-fishing/
• https://envhumanities.sites.gettysburg.edu/es225b-spring19/public-perception-of-the-great-white-shark/ecological-importance-of-the-great-white-shark/