Page 24 - TheMoralOfYourStory

24 CHILDART THE MORAL OF YOUR STORY APR-JUN 2021 25

CREATING JUST had worked for the UN, he had not brought back a television
for the customs director. He now wanted the full bribe or the
UN position in Southeast Asia would disappear into the air.
We had already packed our belongings, given up our home,
SYSTEMS and bid our farewell to friends and family. The customs officer
had us.

He also showed my father an intelligence report that
suggested that my elder brother had been spying for a foreign
government. My brother and I had merely been playing sports
SOHAIL INAYATULLAH with the children of the ambassador. At twelve and fourteen
years old, we had no intelligence-gathering capabilities. At
our age, basketball was far more important. My father did
UNESCO CHAIR IN FUTURES STUDIES not give in. Corruption was not on.
METAFUTURE.ORG Luckily, one of my father’s former students had risen to a high
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA rank in the government. When he was told of the attempt
by the customs officer to extort funds from my father, he
intervened, and we were given the exit visas.
I have been fortunate to live in areas where petty corruption
does not exist. Yet, there is systemic corruption that allows
the wealthiest to not give their “fair” share back to society.
These rules ensure that systems of inequity continue, and that
nature and the poor bear the brunt of economic development.

My parents asked me to drive my motorcycle The story In my childhood, my mother told me stories of the Prophet
to the restaurant, Shalimar, to pick up food Muhammad. In one, a man enters Muhammad’s tent. After
for the family. Once I had the meals in my was about a failed assassination attempt, he is now at the mercy of the
backpack, I started to drive home. On the Prophet, who must decide his fate. The Prophet lets him go.
way, a policeman waved me down. I had For my mother, the story was about compassion first, not
forgotten to turn the motorcycle lights on. compassion anger, not revenge. And in instances of corruption in our home
I was thankful that he had notified me. But country, my mother would remind us that it is poverty that
then he insisted I go with him to the police first, not anger, creates corruption. The person may or may not be good, but
kiosk. There he asked me to pay a large for sure, external conditions, often poverty, move us toward
fine–$300–straightaway. I told him I was 16 not revenge. behavior that does not create a better society.
years old and did not have the money. I only Recently, the head of police of one nation was attending
had three dollars. He said that was fine, but one of my presentations on the futures of law enforcement.
I needed to pay him directly or I would lose There was a conflict in that nation between leaders. I asked
my license, and this would go to the courts. I him who he would arrest. He told me, privately, that he knew
started to give him the cash, but he insisted which one was corrupt, but that in arresting this man he would
I do so underneath the table. I now suddenly lose his job and become subject to the full apparatus of the
felt I was in some bad Bollywood or Mafia corrupt system. There was nothing he could do. Retirement
movie. was just around the corner. He had a lot to lose by making
I drove home excited to tell my parents of my the choice he felt was morally correct. The challenge for this
journey and my excellent negotiation skills. police commissioner is universal. It is not just individuals but
My father, however, was furious. He gave me also systems of corruption that are the problem.
a long lecture on how countries could never As a 16-year-old I should not have had to negotiate a driving
become fully developed until corruption was fine. Either I should have been fined or warned to turn my
weeded out of society. lights on. We need to create a future–a system of trust–where
Years ago, when we were leaving our home there is no need for transactions to be under the table.
nation for my father’s job at the United Morality is both individual and collective. We need rules and
Nations in Southeast Asia, the customs a deep underlying story that supports all of us doing the right
officer refused to give our family exit visas. thing as much and as far as possible. Individuals can make
My father queried him. Eventually, he said a difference by their uncompromising behavior. They can
he was angry that when my father had show compassion for others who are unable to. We need
returned from Geneva years ago, where he to create systems of rules that ensure no one will be put in
morally compromised situations.

ARTWORK AKHTOTY NURTANOVA AGE 08 KAZAKHSTAN https://icaf.org