Disrespectful people lose their own dignity and value

Many times at many of our local businesses I am simply amazed at the rude and indignant attitudes that exist among many of the workers. 

People seem to be rather short and irritated with customers.

I have witnessed so much of this poor behaviour that I feel qualified to say that I, as a consumer and user of services, feel rather slighted. 

Though we have all this Customer Service awareness going on, it just is not reaching the consumer in an amicable way.

I have seen children as well as senior citizens treated rather poorly by those ‘over’ the counter.

Everyone deserves respect and human dignity; even the animals. 

The dignity of the human person has a transcendent value and is not based on material worth, individual accomplishments, achieved merit, quality of life, legal mandate, or perceived value in the eyes of others.

God tells us in the Quran (Koran): We have honoured the children of Adam… and WE are all the children of Adam, hence no matter what walk of life we come from we deserve to be treated with respect and human dignity. 

No one has the right to dismiss this fact.

The Quran teaches and makes it clear to us that there is individual dignity as well as dignity which we must confer upon others; in essence we must respect one another.

This is further supported by the sunnah (behaviour) of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh).

At the family and social level and indeed all other levels of life, belief in the dignity of each and every human being is the foundation of moral values and ethics, and should be reflected in our treatment of others in our day-to-day lives.

To support that we should respect all persons, The Desiderata states: As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

Without a doubt we must improve from all aspects of Bermuda life, beginning with the politicians.

Government must be the trendsetter – don’t you agree. 

After all, in this time of conflict and struggle, times have not been this uncertain or unkind for a long time, therefore we are all in this together and we must hold each other up in human dignity.

We cannot look down on others and treat them poorly and without respect; those who do so only lose their own human dignity and self-respect.

They become worse than those they scorned.

People in the humanities such as social workers, teachers and parents especially need to take heed.

We all must improve on our virtues and behaviours towards those in our homes, families and communities.

If we walk more softly on the earth we will find that our speech and actions are more productive.

The Prophet (pbuh) stressed this when he said: Whenever gentleness is added to something, if adorns it; and whenever gentleness is withdrawn from something, it leaves it defective.

Truly dignified behaviour generates a love of Allah and all that surrounds us — a love of people, nature and the creatures that inhabit the earth.

Let us begin to respect and love each other always today.