It was in the path-breaking book, ‘Humankind: A Hopeful History’, by Rutger Bregman that I read about a strange prison. It is a high security prison inside the woods at Halden in Norway. However, it is not a conventional one, and the inmates there enjoy what we call a luxurious life. It is almost like a resort and there is no conventional security device or the wardens prying on the prisoners.

Quite often you can see the wardens engaged in discussion and conversation with the inmates over a cup of coffee or during dinner.

But no one wants to live there forever, and every inmate waits for the day of release, despite having a cozy life without being behind the war while undergoing the jail term. This because a prisoner spends a life isolated from everyone known to him or her, and not connected with the world. You remain a lonely self even if there is no conventional prisoner cell and you are surrounded by luxuries.

Man is born to live a free life, which a jail can never offer. It is a rehabilitation centre that makes you think of the punishment you got for the crime you committed. It makes you realize what the meaning of free life is.

Whenever I read about the act of clemency on the part of the rulers during the holy month of Ramadan, I used to think about the humanity’s yearning for freedom. The basic tenet of Islam is rooted on this element of freedom that never intrudes into the space of others.

This Eid Oman released 304 inmates, including 108 foreigners, under the special royal pardon given to the prisoners convicted in various cases. Those who are released are not hardcore criminals who are threat to the society. They are the ones who committed pardonable crimes often due to sheer helplessness.

The holy month also teaches us about the importance of forgiving others, and becoming more humane. We know that Islam is one religion that wanted to give utmost respect to the war prisoners. Here, those who benefitted from the clemency ordered by His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, the Supreme Commander, include 108 foreigners too.

This means, it respects the life of the family members waiting for the jailed person back in their native place and also their pain. That is why the release of the prisoners becomes an act of real benevolence.

Further, here a few others got the clemency thanks to the efforts of the Fak Kurba initiative, implemented through voluntary efforts by the Omani Lawyers Association, which provided various types of support to the prisoners in jail for no major criminal offence. In the past also, the organization had helped secure the release of prisoners who have been jailed in Oman for non-criminal offences, especially the financially weak people who are languishing in jail for crimes relating to civil, commercial, legal and labour-based issues. If an organization or individual is able to bring happiness back to the family, it is the most appreciable act of humanity.

Quite often, people get entangled in legal issues unknowingly or due to financial constraints. Eid al-Fitr brings them the opportunity to enjoy the taste of freedom once again, of course adhering to the rules of the land, and the initiatives like Fak Kurba further give a fillip to that.

No rule spare criminals, but those who are pushed behind the bars for no major offences deserve to enjoy the free air. Eid Al Fitr is such an occasion that helps people to enjoy the taste of freedom after the month-long fasting that brings one closer to Almighty.