Friday, September 4, 2009

Religious Ignorance

I had an opportunity to follow a very lively debate about a Pakistani woman being forced into prostitution due to the financial situation of the girl. Since she was educated to the secondary school she rose through the ranks and became a dealer providing girls to brothels in Lahore.... during the debate some members kept argued lack of Islamic teaching to blame to the argument of an elderly gentleman arguing of declining common decency amongst us. The gentleman with the religious card wanted to show as if Islam is the only religion highlighting such moral values while others dont. I wonder which other religion in the world would condone the events that led to that woman becoming a sex worker. So reckon it was about society being devoid of human dignity that led to the person's misfortunes and nothing else. Moral degradation is rampant unfortunate is the minorities are singled out by one eyed people and mullahs. It is an irony we have become so intolerant and disrespectful of others.

It also reminded me of my life during the Zia ulhaq reign and how we were led to believe that it is our religious duty to wipe the world of infidels... the definition of which I have started questioning.

The point is we in Pakistan are so lost as to what the world is that despite being morally bankrupt we believe we are the best.... it takes me back to the muslims of India in general... We lost everything in 1857 when last mughal emperor was sort of unceremoniously evicted from his palace in what we can in current terms call a coup and then we were led into a live of oblivion by obscurantist of that time... branding every forward looking person as a Kafir... leading to what we are today but, when it came to discussing greatness we only had the relics of yester years to show nothing of present time to back it up. This mindset of grandeur still exist amongst us.

Pakistanis are led to believe in a dream that doesnt exist and that the dream of greatness of a nation... we are hardly a single nation what to talk about great...

The point is our media, our education system all have to actually reflect the open mindedness of muslims that rose them to power... Respecting others and not making a statement about how great a muslim we are in every other sentence and not in action.

In my view we have to live it rather than speak it.

Last month I was in Netherlands... the most liberal of liberal countries on earth known for its coffee shops and sex business. I was fortunate to see the other side of it.. I went to what is the bible belt of holland with people living by what they feel is the truth.... being there reminded me of prophet's saying... "Cleanliness is half religion" and when I saw the town and compared it with ours.. I had to question our standing.

If we list down all the traits of "A Good Muslim" run it across the board and then run it counter with "The Infidels Of The West" i wonder where we will stand....

3 comments:

  1. Hé siraj,
    good of you to be so candid. In the Netherlands this would make you an abvious target for islamists or islamic terrorists. Can you speak freely in the uae?

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  2. I am glad to see that you can think beyond the "obvious". Thanks for sharing
    Nazir

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