Faith, Religion and National Direction

A well argued article on certain key points facing the Pakistani polity! Each of the points raised is a valid one and each one needs to be answered without any prejudicial inclination.

Ciao!

Brig. Sahib:

Every other paragraph in the article starts out very promisingly but then ends up in the same quagmire of ``Doctrinal aspects of Islam were founded more than 1400 years ago and, unlike Christianity and Jewism, are not subject to re-interpretation.``

Its like being an adolescent who just doesn`t want to grow up.One cannot absolve Islam from blame by only looking at its humanistic aspects.If the religious parties enjoy such low level of public support(something I`ve always disagreed with) how come the common man continues to sacrifice any chance to better his life by sending the bearded low-lifes to the land of the houris and the ghulmans? Ironically I think the mullahs are on more solid ground here than their liberal apologist counterparts. They are merely regurgitating the word of Allah and the Prophet. Please save all the nonsense about the ``research`` casting aspersion on the source of most sayings of the Prophet.The actual edicts may have been scarier!!

Religion has to be confined to the privacy of ones home before any talk of reformation can begin.In the meantime lets continue the confused debate refusing to confront the issue head-on.

later

-sac

In recent years, a host of Pakistani army officers have produced a plethora of written material in various channels of mass communication. Brigadier Mateen Mohajir’s article on the Chowk is an an interesting addition. Mohajir’s focus seems at odds with many other army officers, particularly Brigadier Usman Khalid (currently residing in London). Where Usman Khalid stresses the need for Jihad and military solutions, Mateen Mohajir urges the need to rationalize our thinking as a means for the survival of our state and nation. In calling for an Agenda for Change, Mohajir (in particular) supports the current Military dictatorship and its 7-point agenda. He also maintains that “criticism of governance, expressed or implied for the sake of buttressing arguments against “military rule”, are insufficient to tide over the failings of the other organs of State. Although Usman Khalid and Mateen Mohajir see Pakistani and South Asian reality somewhat differently, they both fail to identify that the institution of army is a major source of the plight of the people of Pakistan. It is also interesting that neither the Chowk Staff nor any Chowkwalla has to date said anything about the recent (partial or full?) publication of the well-known (but classified) Hamoodur Rahman Report. Shouldn`t we discuss specific parts of this important/historic document?
Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

Mateen Mohajir maintains that ``the very quality of Life of our people is at stake.`` Is the nation of Pakistani people limited to only those who enjoy some quality of life and whose quality of life is at stake? Please explain.
Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

Pakistan seems to be riveted to the ethos of 53 years ago, stuck in a calendar page of the past. There seems to be no new thoughts or ideas for national progress. Where are the intellectuals? Where are the leaders?

MA Jinnah never in his wildest dreams envisioned an Islamic Pakistan. He envisioned a Pakistan that would be a model nation in secularism and national character, because he believed that since the majority were Muslims, given the confidence he had in Islam, Pakistan would never turn into a fundamentalist nation. He trusted that Islam would do it for him. Lo, it was a costly experiment.

Here in lies the reason. A nation that has majority Muslim population will not be secular simply because of Islam. However, a majority Hindu nation has been secular for 53 years and is well poised to continue along the same lines simply because Hinduism is not a fundamentalist religion. The West is secular because Christianity is not fundamentalist. Islam is a fundamentalist religion. Any population that adheres to fundamentalist ideologies can never be secular. Say what you may, no true intellectual can ever deny this.

Simple, believe it or not, until Islam becomes a more tolerant and universal religion there is no end to the problems of the world. Islam is the last big monolith of Ideology that still keeps mankind in the past. It will crumble just as Judaism and Christianity did sooner than later. When Christianity crumbled, the western world leaped into the lead. We need Islam to crumble before the rest of the world can leap forward too. India, Israel, Russia and the West are doing a good job of pushing Islam into a corner. It might take another century of building pressure on Islam before some Mohammed Luther comes by.

One of the more balanced articles I have read on Chowk. Somewhere in between the two categories of people who correspond on Chowk: people with liberal/secular views who think Pakistan needs to completely take religion out of our national affairs and limit it to personal issues, and the religious right (religious very right, in case of Pakistan), who think that Pakistan should be based on a strict literal interpretation of the Quran and Hadith, with a handful of religious, ``scholars and jurists`` controlling the interpretations.

With regard to Pakistan, I don`t think either of the above two views will work. The former has worked well in the West, and will continue to work well in the West. The simple reason being the Western populace is not nearly as religious as the population in Pakistan, and they do not believe in pre-decided destiny like most Pakistanis. Rightly or wrongly, religion is a very integral part of the life of the common Pakistani. He/she wants to see religion in national affairs.

The later view may work in places like Saudia Arabia, but will not work in countries which do not have a definite source of, ``infinite`` income like oil. There is enough money and resources to keep the people happy in the oil rich states. They thus have the luxury of letting a handful of kings, religious scholars etc. run state affairs. In case of Pakistan, handing over the progress of the whole country to a group of people, who themselves have a very limited knowledge of how a state should function in the global economy, would be disastrous. Letting a group like that control Pakistan`s destiny, will definitely limit Pakistan`s progress.

What Pakistan requires (what will acceptable to the Pakistani society; perhaps a better phrase) is something down the middle. Whether this is the best solution is debatable, and depends on which end of the religious/secular spectrum one fits into. However, it is the only approach, in my view, that will work. I think the author has done a good job of highlighting this middle of the line approach. Just like Pakistan needs an economic middle class, it needs an intellectual one also (intellectual middle class, in terms of religious/secular views). The two extreme views (extreme in case of the Pakistani culture, society etc.) are too impractical for Pakistan. They make work in the USA and Saudia Arabia. I don`t think either will work in Pakistan.

Thank you, All, for your various comments.

Feroz, Thanks for you appreciation.

Sac, I have no intention of getting into a slanging match on the very soundness of the logic and reason inherent in ISLAM. Suffice for me to say that `adolescence` is not prevalent in introspection: my viewpoint is that some of the Religious ``leaders`` and ``scholars`` tend to infer more rigidity into the doctrinal aspects of our Faith. The general public tends to equate ``jihad`` with any and every thing that is supposedly done by just pronouncing it as in the cause of the Faith or even, Allah (I seek forgiveness if my thinking is awry)

Bilal, may I suggest that I have tried to project that `quality of life` is being denied to each and every citizen of Pakistan - high or low - by the foolishness of our various `elites` and more specially the waste of our most precious resources on what I think are insular issues which have no relevance to our progress and forward thrust. ``Jihad`` as I have suggested in my article and above, is a misconceived concept as is being propogated by many: you have identified some of my erstwhile peers (many other `Usman Khalids`, as you might be aware of!)

Bilal, incidentally I have read a couple of your articles on the CHOWK and in The Nation: please keep at it!

Mateen

``... that all would be well with Muslims and every problem of theirs would be solved, if only they would become Muslims-in-the-true-sense”

I have a problem with such statements because while they identify as villain some thing we do not like and that we are therefore desirous to believe, there is no way to really check their truth value. How does one define what a good muslim is? Since there are many definitions, whose definition should be adopted? Are Indonesians ``good`` muslims or ``bad``? And the taliban-Or Saudi Arabia? How does one become ``more muslim``? The only sense such statements make is if they are interpreted to mean that nobody could ever be a perfect muslim, and therefore all his problems are never going to be solved.

But logic apart, I think a deeper problem is that Islamic politics (the way a ``good`` muslim society should be) is increasingly coming in conflict with modern thinking. It is hard for a state to be both ``Islamic`` and ``modern``. Take a random example, should the state teach its students about modern science and evolution, or should it reject evolution and talk about Baba Adam? In which case is it being ``more Islamic`` and is it becoming better though doing this? Or, how should an Islamic state treat its minorities? like second class citizens as the religious leaders would have one beleive the Quran says, or as equal citizens as a modern state is expected to do?

Incidentally, I would be curious to know how evolution is dealt with in Pakistan?

-narain

Very well thought out article. Thank you.

JR #5, `` India, Israel, Russia and the West are doing a good job of pushing Islam into a corner.``

Unfortunately JR, instead of pushing the problem-causing fundamentalists into a corner, these countries are putting ordinary poor people into a corner for being Muslims. There is no justice in that. How about putting Saudia Arabia into a corner? I believe those ``Muslims`` are the most fundamental of all. But no, Saudi Arabia has oil, thus a blind eye is turned towards the injustices done there in the name of religion.

So please don`t give me any crap about pushing the fundamental ``Islam`` into a corner for the betterment of society. The ``righteousness`` of the countries you mentioned is quite hypocritical and bigoted. The fundamentalists, the so-called bad ``Muslims`` are still running around spreading their

flags of Jihad and hatred, while the innocent poor Muslims are suffering for their sins.

If the United States wanted to, it could have Osama bin Laden arrested, assasinated quite easily. It could have Saddam ousted out of power. But taking out the bad seeds (the fundos and co) means the fruit (Islam and peace loving Muslims) is still edible (accepted), and what the US, India, Russia want is to eradicate the fruit (Islam and peace loving Muslims) or poison it so it`s worthless. It was done to the Jews, it`s the Muslims turn now. I just hope we can come out of it as strongly as the Jews.

You have identified some key issues, but carefully avoided the role of Pakistan Army in the bringing Pakistan to its knees. What role has Army, along with its notorious “ISI” arm, played in breeding and nurturing the religious right which you are now blaming for so many of our ills?

General PM recently blamed the Pakistan elite for all the problems we are now facing… Isn’t Pakistan Army elite of the elites?

And you haven’t answered Bilal Ahmad’s question on Army being the major source of plight for the people of Pakistan.

BAD STRATEGY / BAD TACTICS

The only way forward out of the mess is to curtail the Kashmir related psychosis at this point in time. We have to mobilize the entire spectrum of resources available to the government and the people of Pakistan to dramatically increase the literacy rate and substantially upgrading the manpower base. All our adminstrative resources, intelligence resources and whatever there is available must be mobilised to this end....

#9 Scout:

``the US, India, Russia want is to eradicate the fruit (Islam and peace loving Muslims) or poison it so it`s worthless.``

Please attribute such an intention to India atleast. With 150 million Muslims in its fold, India can ill afford to push peace loving Muslims to the corner. And before you start on them, let me remind you that the RSS (or the hardliners of the BJP) etc are not India, they are just themselves. And though, they are influential, they can only so much, influence a diverse nation like India. Secondly, India is dealing with the Jehadis, as they should be dealt with, and knows how to distinguish between them and other Muslims. Please watch out before you make another such claim.

Satyavadi

Brig. M.M.,

Chowk constantly amazes me by drawing on a lot of highly knowledgeable (mostly anonymous) people; it has certainly been an enriching experience for me.

My suggestion is that defence experts(assuming) such as you who have a lot of ``domain`` expertise in ``popular`` topics of discussion should perhaps give us your insights in your core area of expertise. It could be the state of Indian (non)Intelligence in Kashmir or Jehadis in the Pak Army, or the Nukes, Afghanistan..etc. I am sure, now that you are in an observer seat, you can see and comment much better on such matters.

There are so many keyboard strategists on chowk it would be nice to here from some real vardis. I am sure you have many valuable insights into other areas of current affairs too, but do keep my suggestion in mind.

Thanks

Vikram

wow, agreed with the content, very impressed with the writing skill.

shandana

wow, agreed with the content, very impressed with the writing skill.

shandana

Please excuse this tangent....

A Z A D I

A glorious fragrance, not chambeli but
Z afran from the Vale continues to call like an
A zan where all spiritual journeys commence
D evotion to a path, the road to freedom
I mmersed in your elixir, God is one.

Ras H. Siddiqui
8-14-00
Independence Day