I recently went to a clinic in a European country. After the doctor had performed a complete examination, I went to the office to ask for the bill. The secretary was in no hurry; she told me not to worry, that the bill would be sent to my hotel. I pointed out to her that I might leave before it arrived and she assured me that in such a case, the bill would be forwarded to me at my permanent address. While just as I was surprised by her trusting a stranger from a distant country, particularly in matters where money is involved, she was also surprised by my hurry to pay.

Her behavior, however, made me wonder about our own society. Wouldn’t it be possible for the members of our society to show mutual trust, considering the fact that our religion teaches people to be trustworthy and to fulfill one’s obligations and commitments?

Once I was stopped by an official in the payment section of a local business for a quarter of an hour simply to confirm whether my credit card was valid or not. On another occasion, I had a more bitter experience in a supermarket. I chose the items I wanted from the shelves and took them in a cart to the check-out cashier. Since I had no cash with me, I wanted to write a check. The cashier, however, would not agree to accept a check; for all he knew, the check might have been worthless. He simply asked the workers to return the items to the shelves. Though I was inconvenienced and annoyed, I understood his reasons. No doubt he had previously been the victim of swindlers.

What is most painful to me is the loss of trust in the Muslim community in general. They have no trust in themselves and those whom they deal with. Even hospitals are worried about their patients. Doctors hesitate to examine patients who are strangers if the patients have not paid in advance.

People of the older generation say that such behavior was not common in the past. What I want to know is how we can return to those days of mutual trust and belief. I believe it could be done by proper education and hard work.

Arab News Features 13 November 2002