Disasters are not God’s punishment; neglect is

Disasters Are the Fury of Nature, Not God, and Carelessness!!

Mohammed Khoshnaw | iKurd.net
Translated by iKurd.net from Kurdish Awene Newspaper

Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, landslides, avalanches, and so on, are the fury of nature, not divine wrath or punishment for sinners, oppressors, or those who abandon religious rituals or worship.

They are not signs of God’s anger! If that were the case, then true believers would receive their full share of provision, safety, and happiness.

If disasters were proportional to our sins and misdeeds, calamities and misfortunes would not surround us from all sides. Look from west to east: the floods in Indonesia killed hundreds, displaced thousands, and destroyed communities; wars in Gaza and Sudan, along with other conflicts, have caused widespread suffering; droughts and floods in Chamchamal continue to devastate the region.

The phenomena of the universe have scientific causes, they follow fixed paths and do not target those upon whom divine wrath has supposedly descended, nor do they seek out the misguided or corrupt. They do not favor believers. Rather, natural events follow their courses and affect those who are in their way.

Only those who act with knowledge and understanding can navigate the fury of nature safely. A believer who enters the sea without knowing how to swim will drown despite praying, while an atheist who knows how to swim will survive. This is the law of nature, nothing more, nothing less.

Those who build their homes in flood-prone areas should not expect prayers alone to save them. They must act responsibly, avoid dangerous zones, and take precautions for the safety of their children.

In short, areas in Erbil and especially the Garmiyan region are among the most vulnerable in Kurdistan to damage and floods. Erbil has made some improvements through new channels, embankments, and dams. Garmiyan and other regions must see government intervention to address these recurring problems.

Floods in Chamchamal, Sulaimani province, Iraqi Kurdistan, December 2025. Photo: Video/sm/via iKurd.net

Flood-prone areas require careful planning, renovating embankments, managing water flow, prohibiting construction on high-risk land, and redirecting flood paths. Natural disasters will create victims among the careless while sparing those who act responsibly.

Simply praying will not prevent destruction, just as repeated prayers in Friday sermons have not prevented recurring disasters.

Disasters are not acts of God. The Almighty does not demonstrate His power by punishing the weak, scattering them, or taking pride in cries and suffering. These events are the workings of nature, with all its life, death, and unpredictability, a fixed law that does not change.

When great disasters affect others, people say it is divine punishment on the oppressors; when it affects us, they claim it is a test of faith. The suffering of believers during disasters is not a punishment for their faith; rather, it is the result of natural forces acting according to their laws.

Millions of sinners and oppressors around the world live safely and healthily without ever receiving immediate retribution. The important lesson is that humans should perceive God as observing people impartially, rather than as a deity who becomes angry like humans.

Nature, too, is not angry in the human sense. Some disasters can be prevented with foresight, but negligence, carelessness, and indifference allow small problems to grow into terrifying catastrophes. A small leak in a water network, ignored, can lead to street collapses and flooding.

Tragically, Kurds, as individuals, as a society, and as authorities, often display extreme carelessness and disregard warnings. Historically, similar negligence contributed to the collapse of empires, such as Rome, where citizens relied entirely on the state and ignored public responsibility.

Carelessness leads to social stagnation and intellectual decline. In Kurdistan, this has become a societal issue: either society acts responsibly, or disasters like the Chamchamal floods continue to occur.

This article was originally published in the Kurdish language in Awene Newspaper on December 13, 2025.

The opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of iKurd.net or its editors.