Armchair activists play a crucial role in creating greater moral awareness and compelling a change in attitudes when important events occur 
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I dislike the label &#8216;activist&#8217;, armchair or otherwise. To be defined as an activist is to be defined by the inactivity of others. Armchair activism, as I see it, is a constant struggle against (to paraphrase Milton Freidman) ‘the tyranny of the status quo’; that dread inertia that prevents people at large from forming the critical mass required to propel decisive solutions to social issues that affect them all. 
Armchair activism is different in nature from ‘on-the-ground’ activists who have a gamut of other responsibilities, like standing in front of tanks and bulldozers should the need arise. (Raashid Riza has an excellent post on contemporary activism, armchair activism and cynics of all forms in the light of recent events <a href="http://www.the-platform.org.uk/2012/11/28/of-activism-armchair-activism-and-cynicism/">here</a>.) Armchair activists are more specifically involved in spreading the word in the domain of public opinion &#8211; they are in the fight against ignorance, cynicism and apathy. 
The goal of the armchair activist, conscious or otherwise, is to convince OTHER people of the need for altruism and moral consideration. Theirs is a sustained effort at tipping the balance of this inertia, at creating that critical mass. Social media has contributed to a phenomenal rise in armchair activism. The ability to influence public opinion is now at our very fingertips. 
But armchair activists are rendered outcasts in an environment still dominated by  the primary tyrannical force, materialism. Materialism breeds selfishness, and selfishness is protected by cynicism. Cynicism denies responsibility for the actions of others, even individuals the cynics themselves have elected into power. Cynics deny that one can make a difference, but know that many can. However they doubt that enough will overcome their own cynicism in order to join together convincingly, thus building a self fulfilling philosophy that makes selfishness always comfortably right. 
This is played out in social networks, both real and virtual, everyday. People cannot understand why other people get all up in arms about things that happen thousands of miles away. These others can&#8217;t understand how some can idly sit by and look at pictures of kittens when not only kittens but children are being slaughtered indiscriminately ONLY a few thousand miles away. Vocal cynics resent being reminded of the latter. And say so. Scoffing at idealists is a popular pastime when idealists get active. 
And then there is the silent majority, too caught up with its own affairs to even bother with vocalising its cynicism. To all of them, the ‘voice of the people’ is a myth. Or if it exists, it only exists in order to elect the next American Idol, or president. 
This disillusionment with the power of the ‘voice of the people’ is the primary source of conscious or unconscious ire for the armchair activist. Forever trying to influence and educate, shock and engage the public at large, armchair activists capitalise on critical events they see as having the ability to finally tip the majority in their favor. These are the times when they get really active, because to them it is all about critical mass. 
And they help. Public outrage in the wake of Israel’s <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mehdi-hasan/gaza-10-things-you-need-to-know_b_2139356.html">illegal</a> Operation Pillar of Cloud helped accelerate the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/22/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-conflict.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0">ceasefire</a> agreement; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill">public </a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill">outrage</a> at the Deepwater Horizon oil spill sparked investigations debating BP’s drilling practices, the risks of oil spills and key environmental issues in general. But have they done enough? I’d say no. The underlying causes of these issues remain, ready to burst forth in some new form of violence in the future. Change more radical than this would need to happen for a permanent solution, the kind of solutions that all activists, everywhere, ardently hope for. 
But, unfortunate as it may be, this kind of critical mass manifests only when a major crisis is imminent. Only when the disease spreads to the very foundations of the materialism that breeds the cynicism, that breeds the apathy of public opinion, will the majority awaken from its inertia. But when this does happen, to paraphrase Friedman again, their actions will depend on the ideas that are ‘lying around’, the discourses, social infrastructure, alternative policies and theories of change that have been kept alive by activists of all kinds, waiting until the ‘impossible’ becomes the ‘inevitable’. 
This is probably why activism and armchair activism appear futile in the short term and only superficially effective in the medium term. For long lasting change to occur, whatever that may mean, the efforts of activists are not enough.  It takes the efforts of non-activists as well, in the process converting everyone into someone who acts, removing the need to define what an ‘activist’ is altogether.
<pre>Image from: http://www.bazaarvoice.com/blog/2011/06/13/what-companies-should-know-about-social-hyper-users/</pre>

Vox Populi Vox Facebook

Hajj in Sri Lanka is a time when pilgrims go to Mecca or celebrate it at home, sometimes sacrificing an animal as per Islamic rites, but there are underlying political ramifications 
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It’s Hajj season again. From all over Sri Lanka, a few thousand fortunate Muslims have already left to perform the pilgrimage, a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those who can afford it, joining hundreds of thousands more in Mecca. The Hajj is considered the pilgrimage of Abraham and has been practised ever since the time of that prophet, peace be upon him. 
But the time of Hajj is also significant to those who remain in their homes. According to Muslim belief, good deeds carried out in the first ten days of the month of Hajj bear great merit in the eyes of Allah.  Aside from fasting, charity and reflecting on the Qur&#8217;an, a special good deed carried out by Muslims is the Uduhiyyah or the Hajj sacrifice. 
In Sri Lanka where Muslims are a minority, the sudden rise of animal slaughter during Hajj has sometimes drawn the ire of Buddhists and attracted negative publicity over the years. This is especially significant now in a climate where certain political opportunists are spurring <a href="http://www.the-platform.org.uk/2012/10/04/of-a-sustained-buddhist-extremism-in-sri-lanka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ethnic rivalry </a>between Muslims and the Sinhalese. 
Here in Sri Lanka animals are killed on a daily basis for meat, and this goes largely uncontested. The majority of Buddhists also eat meat, though many abhor beef. The beef industry is largely monopolised by Muslims and has always been a target for those seeking political gain. 
Furores also arose in recent times in Sri Lanka over ritual sacrifice of animals in the Hindu Kovil of Munneswar, led by a senior minister, but backed by a faction of the Buddhist clergy. The sacrifice was allowed to go ahead despite protests as the<a href="http://abdulhalik.wordpress.com/wp-admin/Furor%20also%20rose%20in%20recent%20times%20in%20Sri%20Lanka%20over%20ritual%20sacrifice%20of%20animals%20in%20the%20Hindu%20Kovil%20of%20Munneswar.%20The%20sacrifice%20was%20allowed%20to%20go%20ahead%20despite%20protests%20as%20the%20penal%20code%20in%20no%20way%20prevents%20the%20slaughter%20of%20animals%20in%20the%20country." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> penal code</a> in no way prevents the slaughter of animals in the country. 
The issue is not the slaughter of animals per se, but the graphic display of slaughter that can sometimes take place during Hajj, or other religious festivals that can be used by opportunistic forces to stir up trouble in the name of religion. And when Muslims themselves neglect to follow proper Islamic protocol in carrying out the sacrifice, the issue is only exacerbated. 
Openly displaying the animal to be slaughtered, letting its dying cries be heard by neighbours and unhygienic disposal of waste matter is guaranteed to rub people up the wrong way. These practices are frowned upon in Islam in accordance with the Prophet Muhammad&#8217;s (may peace and blessings be upon him) example of respect for the faith and sentiments of non-Muslims. And of course hygiene is a central tenet of Islam (the Prophet is reported to have said ‘cleanliness is half of faith’). The above was highlighted in Friday sermons throughout the country on the Friday preceding Hajj. 
Muslims must understand that religious obligations can still be fulfilled without hurting the feelings of non-Muslims (it’s probably better fulfilled that way), and non-Muslims must understand the significance of the act and the importance Islam places on animal rights. They should also not be led astray by misconceptions and political opportunists. 
The Qur&#8217;an explicitly states that animals can be used for human benefit (Qur’an 40:79-80) and it stresses equally that animals have their own lives and existences that must be respected and honoured by man (Qur’an 6:38, 24:41). This may appear contradictory, but Islam teaches that all objects, from plants to stars, exist in submission to the will of Allah. And on Earth, man is the ‘vice-regent’ of Allah and can use the planet’s resources in accordance with Islamic law. This law is strict on preventing abuse however, and when it comes to animals, prohibits overworking, overburdening and the infliction of cruelty on them and allows hunting only for the sake of food. 
Some claim the Islamic method of slaughtering animals is cruel. But in fact it is a humane and hygienic way of killing a beast. The cutting of the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels in the neck (the spinal cord is kept intact) prevents the flow of blood to the nerves that cause the sensation of pain in the brain (the animal struggles and writhes due to muscular contraction). All the blood is drained, blood being a medium for germs and bacteria, which ensures that the meat is clean and stays fresh far longer. 
Before being slaughtered, the animal must be treated with kindness and given food and water; it is prohibited for instance, to sharpen a knife or to slaughter another animal in front of it. 
The significance of the Hajj sacrifice is the commemoration and remembrance of the devotion of Abraham (peace be upon him). In a divinely inspired dream, Abraham saw himself sacrificing his oldest son Ismail to Allah. When he told this to Ismail, Ismail asked him to obey the command and said that he would be patient with the will of God. But when the blade descended upon Ismail’s neck, it failed to cut; Allah did not take the life of Ismail, providing a ram to be sacrificed in his stead. 
This act of complete submission on the part of Abraham is remembered by Muslims worldwide by sacrificing a lamb, cow or another suitable animal. They keep one third of the meat for themselves, give one third to neighbours and friends and the final third to the poor, ensuring that no one goes hungry during the feast of Eid-Ul-Adha, the Hajj festival. 
The day starts with a congregational prayer in the mosque. Muslims celebrate by visiting family and friends, exchanging gifts and remembering and thanking Allah for His blessings. The sacrifice of an animal is purely a measure of faith, as the Qur’an says “it is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him.”(22:37).
<pre>Image from: <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=hajj&amp;start=180&amp;um=1&amp;hl=en&amp;biw=1280&amp;bih=666&amp;tbm=isch&amp;tbnid=RwceK7fSpfRKCM:&amp;imgrefurl=http://www.britishmuseum.org/channel/exhibitions/2012/hajj.aspx&amp;docid=4GRpYJiavL2sIM&amp;imgurl=http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/Hajj_promo_944.jpg&amp;w=944&amp;h=531&amp;ei=kcWIUK2DI4eEhQemuoGYCQ&amp;zoom=1&amp;iact=hc&amp;vpx=193&amp;vpy=194&amp;dur=3151&amp;hovh=168&amp;hovw=300&amp;tx=216&amp;ty=99&amp;sig=118424850272822809058&amp;page=10&amp;tbnh=138&amp;tbnw=246&amp;ndsp=25&amp;ved=1t:429,r:90,s:100,i:274">The British Museum</a></pre>

Halik Azeez