As time passes, we are witnessing the tragic loss of thousands of lives, hundreds of thousands of injuries, and those who have lost everything in the aftermath of the recent earthquakes in Türkiye. The twin earthquakes that rocked the southeastern part of the country have sent a harrowing message to the world: If nature unleashes its wrath, humans could disappear without a trace.
The deadly tremors directly affected around 13.5 million people, nearly 12% of the national population, and 11 provinces with Kahramanmaraş as the epicenter. Strong tremors also hit Syria, causing casualties, and were felt in several countries in the region, including Lebanon, within less than 10 hours.
From the first moment of the twin quakes, I could feel it would turn out to be a disaster. Listening to the stories, tears welled up in my eyes. I heard a nine-story residential building was destroyed by the earthquake on Feb. 6, and people died within minutes. It was beyond imagination. I still recall those moments two or three times a day since it happened.
It was Feb. 5, and my friends came over the night before. We decided to watch movies to celebrate the last days of winter break. While everyone else fell asleep, I decided to listen to some music. It was just a few moments before the tremors of the quake when I recalled my mother emphasizing to me how precious the time is between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., which is associated with religious beliefs. I was missing her, and then I felt something. At first, I thought my head was spinning due to sleep deprivation, but soon I realized it was an earthquake. God! I remembered God and asked for his mercy. I screamed, as did my friends and neighbors. We rushed to the exit to save our lives. That moment made me realize the importance and value of life, something I would have never learned otherwise.
A few minutes passed, and we remained outside the building. It was freezing cold, and all of us were in our normal clothes. The severe cold weather and earthquake tremors, our fears, and shaking buildings made us feel vulnerable. After the earthquake passed, we put on coats and went outside. Aftershocks continued, and each one was more severe than the last. We were caught on the way to the second big earthquake. I saw the asphalt ripple during the earthquake. Nature was reacting to what we did and couldn't keep up with it.
Nature is the only home we know, home to all life forms. All the history, love, life, friendship, sorrows, joys and experiences we and our ancestors have ever had were right here. Millions of life forms existed well; some evolved, some went extinct. Humanity, however, managed to stay alive and is here to exist until the last moment.
However, the deeds of humanity have burdened nature. A real burden. While nature gives priority from oxygen to plants, from animals to humans, humanity has caused countless errors and omissions. Global warming, air pollution, extinction, plastic pollution, wars, destruction of the ozone layer, the greed for power and accumulation of land, and urbanization have all led to the preferred form of living being crowded, noisy, stale and polluted environments that force people far away from nature.
The burden humankind has placed on nature through its actions and continued production of pollutants has caused the environment to suffer. If humankind continues to act out of their own folly and ego, they will only bring themselves to their own destruction. However, if they recognize the consequences of their actions, then there is still hope for the world's creatures, both present and future, that God created and will continue to create.
Regrettably, the pursuit of generating more and more at the cost of unsustainable practices has become the driving force behind human existence. The exploitation of natural resources, the destruction of ancient forests through slash and burn, and the extraction of oil that pollutes the very air we breathe have become trademarks of a civilization that has lost its way.
The recent catastrophic event that shook the world has taught us invaluable lessons, including the significance of global unity, the extraordinary capabilities of rescue operations, the impacts of geographical changes, and the need to prioritize geography and construction in a manner that preserves nature. All of these components emphasize the criticality of averting such disasters.
While nature is beyond our control, we can listen to its plea for equilibrium in development. It is imperative that we stay united and extend a helping hand to those in need, without allowing superficial differences to divide the human race. As it is nature's responsibility to maintain the natural balance of the environment, we must not attempt to alter the environment to suit our requirements. Rather, we must strive to achieve a balance that will enable us to coexist in harmony with the world around us.
