The Crown of Nature

Coronaviruses refer to a group of related viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. These viruses, as many have already learned probably, derived their names from their shape:  they display large distinctive, petal-shaped peplomers or spikes, reminiscent of a crown[i].

The virus is indeed a symbol of a crown of Mother Earth who shook the whole world and restored its power. However, many conspiracy theories float around the origin of the virus. Some speculate the virus didn’t originate from animals as initially claimed, but was created artificially by humans in laboratories. Allegedly, it was a deliberate attempt of the US or the UK to hamper the Chinese economic growth.[ii] Others attempt to prove correlations between the 5G launch in Wuhan, or blame the virus labs in the city.[iii]

“Clairvoyant” religious and spiritual explanations seem to be another escape in mystery. Dean Koontz predicted the virus apparently in his book The Eyes of Darkness, while other religious groups refer to their spiritual authorities.  People have been spammed by numerous posts and videos with such annotations whereby, overnight “everyone became a virus expert”, with no previous fact check. This can be very dangerous, since information of this kind can fuel social crises, like the fire vandalism by anti 5G movements[iv].

Referring to all these speculations, here is an evidence check: a) to disclaim discrediting sources, b) to show that the virus is human, and c) to see what humanity should learn from it.

Firstly, here is a response to the “human created it” group od speculators.

It is claimed that the virus is created artificially in labs, as a biological weapon.

there is only scarce knowledge about the virus, but genetic analysis disapprove these claims. If it was a human created biological weapon, its mutations would show more successful bindings with human cells, which can be predicted and controlled through computer simulations. This is not the case[1].[v]

Another popular belief is that viruses are inventions of large pharmaceutical corporations who want to claim huge financial gains through vaccine and drug sales[vi]. Such believes cause often a rise of immunisation resistance, which causes higher rates of spread of infectious diseases. [2]

Numerous epidemiologists from over the world have strongly rejected the possibility of the laboratorial origin of the virus:

• Humans cannot create a virus so perfectly. We overdid in natural destruction and nature knows how to protect itself,[vii] said pathology expert Aleksandra Djuran during one of her public appearances.

Even the book written by Koontz seems to be taken out of context by people who probably actually didn’t read it before sharing posts about its prophecy[viii]. The speculations around the correlation between the 5G lack any scientific evidence as well. Some links to events and viral outbreaks are pointed out, but with no strong scientific proof.[3]

However, there is so much unknown to the virus. In such events, humans of any race or religion tends to seek spirituality or mystery to comfort their inconvenience. Some Muslim groups spread all over the internet an information that late Sheikh Nazim Haqqani of Cyprus forecasted the virus already in 2011.

The full video is available on Youtube. In 35:37 he says:

• Make peace with Allah… Keep the orders of Allah. If not, he will send a virus… This comes from bad behaviours…

He adds further that the virus would spread around only certain countries, which includes Turkey, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Damascus, and other Arab countries and would remain only in the Islamic world.

The coronavirus has spread over more than merely these Muslim majority countries, which brings us to the conclusion that his lecture was misinterpreted. Without any intention to discredit religious authorities, there is a need to fact check what they said, in what context and make sure we do not misuse their teachings and misguide people.

However, a credit can be given to Sheikh Haqqani’s degree in chemical engineering and scientific knowledge to take his advice and connect them to previous warnings by epidemiologists, which are  very compatible with religious sources.

Humans have indeed trespassed in their behaviour: irrational consumption, ecological destruction, use of illegal weapons, CO₂ emissions and other acts have disrupted the environment in every single way. In this context, the Quran instructs the human being to consume in moderate quantities the gifts from nature:

• “O you who believe, forbid not the good things which Allah has made lawful for you and exceed not the limits. Surely Allah loves not those who exceed the limits.[ix]

The Quran confirms also another fact: that everything on Earth is glorifies their Lord, which indicates that nature speaks in its own language.[x] Science has proven that the whole ecosystem communicates with each other. Trees communicate through their own frequencies, through leaves and roots[xi]. Animals have a way of communication and coexistence.[xii]

Indeed, the human being has trespassed and destroyed the ecosystem, ruined the homes of animals and forced them out of forests. It is an interesting coincidence that the virus attacks lungs and causes breathing issues since human beings breath oxygen: which comes from trees that have been destroyed throughout the past century and accelerated climate change.

As humans who are created “Ruler on Earth”, we have failed. In response, Mother Earth, has found her way to send its warning and intervened by sending a virus that has shown humanity its boundaries. It truly deserves thus the name “Corona”, the Crown Virus, – a delegate of the Creator who shows who rules the world.

And yet, nature has not been too harsh on us. The virus is not as deadly as other diseases, which gives humanity sufficient time to contemplate about its future behaviour and reconcile with the planet. In fact, it is even a mercy of nature, to prevent us from destroying our own home.

Indeed: the virus is an example of nature’s perfection!

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Endnotes:

[1]This does not mean that a virus cannot escape from the lab. It has just been disapproved in the case of COVID-19

[2] It can be harmful to follow advice given by people spreading anti-vaccine news without clear evidence. The harm caused by vaccines usually comes from other sources, such as untested vaccines and similar.

[3] There are many links to sources that disapprove the 5G conspiracies, yet no scientific evidence exists that would prove the hypothesis

[i] Almeida JD, Berry DM, Cunningham CH, Hamre D, Hofstad MS, Mallucci L, McIntosh K, Tyrrell DA (November 1968). “Virology: Coronaviruses”. Nature. 220 (5168): 650. doi:10.1038/220650b0

[ii] see Memri (March 18, 2020) Conspiracy Theories In The Arab Media: The Coronavirus Is Part Of An American Plot To Ruin The Chinese Economy And Reprogram The Global Economy. Special Dispatch No. 8644. Retrieved April 15 2020 Link: https://www.memri.org/reports/conspiracy-theories-arab-media-coronavirus-part-american-plot-ruin-chinese-economy-and

[iii] Fildes N, Mark DS, Murphy H (April 16 2020) How a 5G coronavirus conspiracy spread across Europe. Financial Times. Retrieved April 16 2002. Link https://www.ft.com/content/1eeedb71-d9dc-4b13-9b45-fcb7898ae9e1

[iv] Child D. (April 13, 2020) Fighting fake news: The new front in the coronavirus battle. AlJazeera English. Retrieved April 15 2020. Link https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/fighting-fake-news-front-coronavirus-battle-200413164832300.html

[v] Alexander E. Gorbalenya, Susan C. Baker, at al. (February 2020) Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: The species and its viruses – a statement of the Coronavirus Study Group. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. BioRXIV. Retrieved April1 6, 2020. Link https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.07.937862

[vi] Gouri S (March 5. 2020) Why are there so many conspiracy theories around the coronavirus? Aljazeera English. Retrieved April 15, 2020. Link https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/conspiracy-theories-coronavirus-200303170729373.html

[vii] Aleksandra Dj. (April 10, 2020) Face TV. Retrieved April 16. Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaU0hgISapY

[viii] See  Harmeet K. (March 13, 2020) No, Dean Koontz did not predict the coronavirus in a 1981 novel. CNN. Retrieved April 14, 2020. Link https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/us/dean-koontz-novel-coronavirus-debunk-trnd/index.html

[ix] Quran, Al-Ma’idah 87

[x] Quran, Beni Israil 44

[xi] Mark W (March 7, 2018) Trees Talk To Each Other! TED Talks. Retrieved April 15, 2020. Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un2yBgIAxYs&feature=youtu.be

[xii] Hilary T (September 5, 2003) Theorising Nature and Society in Sociology: The Invisibility of Animals. Wiley Online Library. Sociologia Ruralis Volume 43, Issue 3. Retrieved April 15, 2020. Link https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9523.00241