My Bit for Change – Page 7 – Speak and get it out of your system!

Agenda for the Nation: 2013 and Beyond-1

The next government, which is expected to be in power sometime this year, shall have to formulate a national agenda for the next five years in the context of global, regional and domestic scenarios.

On the global scene, with haunting shadows of 9/11 still lingering, the real issue remains the need for an effective exit strategy. The way out is not yet clear and the costs of confusion and inaction are increasing, even multiplying. Despite some serious efforts, exit strategies are still in limbo. While this process has been unfolding, a new catastrophe in the form of a global financial crisis has cast its gloomy spell over the whole world.

The financial crisis began in September 2007 but the year 2008 was the worst hit. It was hoped that 2009 would be a year of recovery but even in the beginning of 2013, recovery remains a distant hope. During these five years, the financial predicament has impacted all the sectors of economy, attaining the proportions of an economic catastrophe.

Another important aspect is that a crisis emanating primarily in the private sector (banking, property and real estate), gradually affected other sectors having devastating consequences for production, trade, public debt, employment and budgetary deficits. State bailouts to save the system are beginning to change the role of government within the current capitalistic economic system. This has snowballed into an all-engulfing crisis. Greece, Spain and Italy are faced with crisis at the national levels. Other Western countries too have not been totally immune. Germany has so far been able not only to safeguard itself but also helped others, yet there is an increasing unease. France is in a difficult position.

In the US, national debt has crossed the 16-trillion-dollar limit and now they are trying to seek a new ceiling. The two-pronged strategy of tax cuts and state intervention to promote economic recovery has not been successful so far. It is now being realized that the economic crisis has the capacity to turn into a civilizational crisis exposing the weakness relating to the moral, political, structural and institutional dimensions.

In this context, the symptoms of a shift of global economic balance of power are also becoming visible. The role of Asia and Latin America is increasing. Even the developing countries, despite their problems, are searching for new roles. They are beginning to be looked upon as a source of strength in the future instead of a burden. China, Japan, Brazil, India and Turkey are being looked at as relatively more important players in the future. That is one scenario.

The second scenario relates to Arab Spring. From Pakistani point of view, two aspects are very important. One is that hegemonistic neo-colonial post-WWII arrangements that have so far been calling the shots in the region are crumbling. There is a universal urge for change. Secondly, this urge for change also reflects a new, assertive mood of the people, the real stakeholders, who were marginalized in the past. They are reasserting themselves to play a more decisive role. An unintended byproduct of these developments has a significant ideological dimension.

Whenever any genuine democratic process has unfolded in the Muslim World, it has also meant greater role of religion in general and Islam in particular. I recollect a very succinct observation by two Western scholars, of course in different contexts and with different objectives.

Wilfred Cantwell Smith mentions in his books, Islam in Modern History and Pakistan as an Islamic State, that whenever there would be democratization in Pakistan and other Muslim countries, Islamization would emerge as a corollary. Kissinger, also, in one of his speeches in the sixties, expressed this idea in with a deep concern. He was concerned that democratization in the Arab World may lead to a new role of Islam in politics that could be a challenge to the West and its interests. With this worry in his mind, Kissinger suggested stressed the need for balkanization of the Arab World, suggesting strategies for support of ethnic and sectarian movements. In his view, following a policy based on this strategy could also act as insurance to protect Israel. Promotion of ethnic and sectarian movements amongst the Kurds, Arabs, Iranians and Turks was part of this strategy. A similar game is being fostered in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Arab World today. This scenario must be kept in view when planning a future agenda for our country.

Regional Scenario

The third one is the regional scenario. Pakistan is at the receiving end of what is happening in Afghanistan. It is also being directly affected by America’s role in Iraq and US alignment with India. China’s current efforts to evolve a more assertive and multidimensional strategy has also its implications for Pakistan-China relations. While continuing its earlier development-specific efforts towards self-reliance, it is now making serious efforts to play a more active role in Asia and Africa, on its way to an emerging global power. The most immediate challenge that we face comes from the expected exit of the US and NATO forces from Afghanistan. This is unavoidable. Yet the way this is coming about is very lopsided. France has withdrawn abruptly. So did Italy. Spain had done that earlier. The UK is on the verge of withdrawal. And the US, too, has no other option. The post American scenario in Afghanistan is going to have crucial consequences for Pakistan. As also the Iran-Israel-America tension whose escalation would have very serious consequences for Pakistan and the Middle East. We cannot afford to ignore all these challenges.

Domestic Situation

The fourth scenario relates to the domestic situation. Even if we do not go very far back, the last fourteen years are very important. These years can be grouped into two periods: (a) the Musharraf period (1999-2008) and (b) the Zardari-PPP period (2008-2013). The former period witnessed reversal of the democratic process, re-establishment of military rule, subordination of all constitutional organs to the will of the military ruler, promotion of an elitist capitalistic economy, weakening of the country’s ideological identity and serious compromises on issues of independence and sovereignty of the state.

The tragic events of 9/11 and abject surrender of Pakistani leadership to the US pressure changed the whole equation of Pak-US relationship and resulted not only in seriously denting our national sovereignty and independence but also caused huge losses in life, property and economy. India-Pakistan relationships also took a new turn to the disadvantage of Pakistan with the core issues of Kashmir and water dispute sidelined. Out-of-the-box solutions became favorites; yet they ended up in fiascos. In short, Pakistan suffered in all respects: politics, economy, law and order, national cohesion, culture and ideology.

(To be continued)

Click here for Part II and Part III

The Dynamism of Islam

The notion that Islam is inherently hostile to innovation is untrue because no system of living could possibly prevail or prosper for so many centuries if it was hostile to innovation. Throughout world history, civilizations unable to initiate or adapt to progressive change (whether it be ideological or technological) were destroyed by Nature and replaced by other more innovation-friendly civilizations. This universe and everything in it as we can clearly see is governed by divine laws. One of those laws deals with the rise and fall of civilizations. The sunnat of Allah (swt) has been made quite clear in the Holy Quran. He says:

“And if Allah had not been repelling one set of people by means of another, the earth would have been filled with chaos. But Allah is bountiful to the world (and so repels chaos in this way)” (2:251)

And in other place in the Holy Quran it is mentioned:

“Had Allah (swt) not repelled one people by means of another people, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques wherein the name of Allah is often mentioned, would have been demolished.”(22:40)

Islam has survived over the centuries because of its unique quality to encourage and generate change wherever needed. Iqbal discusses this very adaptability and dynamism in Islam in his book “The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam.” He says:

“The ultimate spiritual basis of all life, as conceived by Islam, is eternal and reveals itself in variety and change. A society based on such a conception of Reality must reconcile, in its life, the categories of permanence and change. It must possess eternal principles to regulate its collective life, for the eternal gives us a foothold in the world of perpetual change. But eternal principles when they are understood to exclude all possibilities of change which according to the Quran, is one of the greatest ‘sign’ of God, tend to immobilize what is essentially mobile in its nature.”

The history of Islamic civilization shows that the peak era of Islam is replete with innovators in the fields of academics, research and science, all a natural consequence of the influence of Islam. However, it won’t be wrong to state that Muslims from the thirteenth century (C.E) onwards fell prey to intellectual as well as spiritual stagnation. Subsequently resulting in their replacement (according to the sunnah of Allah swt) from a leading world power to failed third world states.

What the Muslims need to understand is that it is not the way of Allah (swt) to change a people who do not want to change themselves.

“The fact is that Allah does not change a people’s lot unless they themselves change their own characteristics and when Allah decides to bring about retribution to a people, none can ward it off, nor can they find any defender or helper against Allah.”(13:11)

During that era of stagnation Muslims stopped all research in the fields of Islamic scholarship, world history, philosophy, science and technology. The moral and spiritual disintegration amongst the Muslim society paved the way for social, academic, scientific and ultimately political disintegration. The intellectual renaissance in Europe and its awakening from the Dark Ages (from the 16^th to 18^th century) roughly coincides with the period of European imperialism and colonialism over the Muslim world. This is another illustration of Allah (swt)’s sunnah of the replacement of one set of peoples with another. The Europeans received a substantial amount of knowledge from the Muslims. Jonathan Lyons in his book “The House of Wisdom” presents the Western debt to mediaeval Islamic learning.

He writes “The arrival of Arab science and philosophy, the legacy of the pioneering Adelard(an English scholar and scientist who learned from the Arabs and bought his learning back to Europe)and of those who hurried to follow his example, transmuted the backward west into a scientific and technological superpower…….Arab science altered medieval Christendom beyond recognition. For the first time in centuries, Europe’s eyes opened to the world around it………Arab science and philosophy helped rescue the Christian world from ignorance and made possible the very idea of the West.”

The work and books of scholars like Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Ahmed Bin Hambal, Imam Maalik and Imam Shaafi, pioneers of Islamic jurisprudence (6^th and 7^th century CE) and after them Imam Bukhari and Muslim, pioneers of Hadeeth sciences and academic research (8^th and 9^th century CE) were given a status so sacred that none dared to do further research and add to their legacy of knowledge and research. Dr Mehmood Ahmed Ghazi in his lectures on ‘Mahazrat e Qurani’ reveals that Ibn Jarir Al Tabari (838-923 CE) is the founding father of comparative jurisprudence and that he dared to question and compare the laws of different religions when none had even thought of the benefits of such a study.

The service rendered by all these scholars to Islam is indeed priceless. Having said that, it must be understood that they never intended for the Muslims to start following them blindly. All the four imams were very careful in giving fatwas (Islamic rulings based on Islamic law) and even then they accepted that the fatwas given were applicable to the situation they were dealing with at that time. Various incidents from the lives of the Imams mentioned in books like “Tazkra e Taabieen” (The stories of the taabieen) by Abdur Rehman Rafat Pasha and “Roshan Sitaray” (shinning stars) by Maulana Yusuf Islahi reveal the intellectually flexible personalities of the Imams and how they stopped their students from writing down their fatwas so that people would not follow them blindly but do research to reach the truth. Their tolerance and respect for each other’s Madhab is also highlighted in several books. It was the true understanding of their Deen which developed the versatility and intellect to learn and grow from their differences. Muslims can prove to be the true heirs of their legacy only if they can further build upon the body of knowledge left to them by their predecessors.

Islamic theologists and reformists like Al-Ghazali (10^th century CE) and Imam Ibn e Taimiyah (12the century CE) tried to revive the original teachings of Islam by doing research on the original sources of Islamic Law (Quran, sunnah, ahadeeth and the lives of the sahaba) and Ijtehaad according to the needs of their time. Both of them gained widespread following amongst the masses but unfortunately both of them were condemned and even persecuted by the “Official” (state-sponsored ulema) of their time. This trend of persecuting any dissident voice by state sponsored clergy still remains.

Ibn e Hazm(10^th century CE), Ibn Asakir(11^th century CE), Ibn e Rushd(11^th century CE), Sibit ibn Al-Jawzi(12^th century CE), Ibn e Katheer(13^th century CE), Ibn e Hajjar Al Asqalani(14^th Century CE), Ibn e Khaldun(14^th Century CE) and Al Suyuti(15^th century CE) are just a few prominent names from a long list of Muslim historians. Ibn e Katheer gained popularity due to the authenticity of his reports on the lives and occurrences of various caliphs and different Islamic dynasties in his famous book “Al Bidyah wa’l Nihayah,” while Ibn e Khaldun is best known for his “Muqaddimah” and is also one of the founding fathers of modern Historiography (The Study of the Methodology and Development of History). All these historians made use of the research methodology laid down by the pioneering Muhadditheen.

Allah swt’s promise to safeguard the Holy Quran and its teachings till the end of time set in motion a series of events (beginning from the time of Caliph Abu Bakar R.A) which prompted the Muslims to devise a methodology so fine that an unauthentic report would be filtered several times through it before reaching the masses, and only the most credible reports found a place in the books of ahadeeth, specifically the Sahah e Sitta (the authentic six).

After these great historians Muslims did not progress in the study and reporting of history, thus the Western world took over from here and learned the science of history from the Muslims and expanded upon it. Someone had to take over because of the ‘replacement’ law of Allah, to keep the balance of the natural order in this universe intact. Those who adapt and change to better and innovative ways survive the test of nature.

The Muslims had rejected the printing press, labeling it ‘a tool of the devil.’ Consequently during that era from approximately the 12^th century to the 16^th century no printed book of a Muslim could be found, thus limiting their readership and availability. European scholars travelled to the Arab lands and translated their works into Latin, Hebrew and French. That is why now if we look back into time that era of stagnation proved to be the deathbed of Muslim progress. The masterpieces of our historians were translated and made use of extensively by the Europeans. Unfortunately, religious bias found its way into their books and the accomplishments of Islam and the Muslims were lost to the world for a very long time.

Lyons writes: “The West’s willful forgetting of the Arab Legacy began centuries ago, as anti-Muslim propaganda crafted in the shadow of the Crusades began to obscure any recognition of Arab culture’s profound role in the development of modern science.”

Muslim scientists like Al Khwarizmi (Mathmatician, Founding Father of Algebra), Abu Mas’shar Al-Balkhi (astrologer and astronomer), Al Farabi (philosopher and cosmologist), Al Beruni (mathematician, astronomer and linguist), Ibn e Sina (Philosopher and Physician), Nasir-al Din-Tusi (Mathmatician, astronomer and physicist), Jabir-ibn-e-Hayyan (Father of Chemistry), Al Kindi(Philosopher), Al Idrisi(Geographer), Ibn Al Nafis(Physician), Ibn e Battuta(explorer and geographer) and Ibn Al Haytham (opthamologist and research scientist) are just a few out of thousands of incredible Muslim scientists without whom modern science would never have reached the heights it has today. All of them were polymaths, only a few of their specialities are mentioned above. All of them belong to the golden era of Muslim progress (7^th to 13^th century CE). The subjects they specialized in were numerous i.e., Physics, Medicine, Surgery, Mathematics, Psychology, Geology, Anthropology etc. They researched and invented all possible sciences of their time.

“The Economist” on 26^th January 2013 published an article called “The Road to Renewal”. The author highlights the role of Islam in promoting scientific thought in medieval Islamic lands. He says:

“The caricature of Islam’s endemic backwardness is dispelled…. Not only were science and Islam compatible, but religion could spur even scientific innovation. Accurately calculating the beginning of Ramadan (determined by sighting of the new moon) motivated astronomers….”

In a research titled “Tolerance, Religious Competition and the Rise and Fall of Muslim science”(2008), the author Eric Chaney from Harvard explains how after expansion of the Islamic lands the inclusion of different cultures revealed true Islamic versatility and tolerance which in turn paved the way for innovation. He claims:

“The experience of medieval Islam suggests that diversity ‘when combined with tolerance’ can help encourage innovation and growth by preventing the dominance of innovation’resistant groups.”

What is important here is to identify and understand who are the innovation-resistant groups. According to “The Economist”,

“The roots of scientific backwardness lie not with religious leaders, but with secular rulers, who are stingy with cash as they are lavish with controls over independent thought.”

“The 57 countries in the Organization of the Islamic Conference spend a puny 0.81% of GDP on research and development, about a third of the world average. America, which has the world’s biggest science budget, spends 2.9%, Israel lavishes 4.4%”

The recent change of governments in the “Middle East” due to the Arab spring, notably in Egypt have bought forth a purely Islamic movement “the Ikhwan Ul Muslimoon” despite the chagrin of some factions around the world- both secular and Muslim(not nessacarily Islamic). These groups consider Islam like a ‘Madhab’, not a holistic system of life instituted by Divine revelation. Islam on the other hand has the ability and space to absorb all kinds of cultures till the end of this world, thus making it essentially multifaceted and flexible. Iqbal quotes Professor Horten is his lectures:

“The spirit of Islam is so broad that it is practically boundless. With the exception of atheistic ideas alone it has assimilated all the attainable ideas of surrounding peoples, and given them its own peculiar direction of development.”

A more recent example of the innovation- resistant groups can be seen in Pakistan who have suddenly woken up form their slumber to save Pakistan before the upcoming elections. They consider it their religious duty to go door to door and ask the people to boycott the elections as they are a part of a Democratic system of government which is “Kufr” (disbelief). The alternative, they say, is ‘Khilafat’ (which by the way is in many ways democratic in its ethos). However, since there is no comprehensive system and candidature for khilafat at the time, one can suppose that all we can do is wait for a savior while the forces of actual ‘Kufr’ take over and ruin us. But Iqbal gives us hope:

“The spirit of Islam is bound to work itself out in spite of the rigorous conservatism of our doctors”.

Maulana Shibli Naumani in his famous book “Al Farooq” records the changes Caliph Omer ( R.A) made to the annexed Persian and Roman cities. Once they were under Muslim rule they were given full security and all of their previous Laws were restored with just the necessary changes required by the Sharia (Islamic Law). The best rule was that of the Caliph Omer in spite of all common misconceptions about the harshness and inflexibility of his personality. The caliph was very versatile and innovation-friendly because that is the beauty of this Deen. It gives us a structure and a mould and the rest it leaves to us. The Holy Quran and Sunnah become the guidelines while Ijtehad (juristic innovation) and Ijma (consensus of opinion) make way. The mould is strong because it is divine and will always stand the test of time.

The Choice

Tears strolled down my cheeks and I turned my head to take one last look at Masjid-e-Nabwi as our bus pulled away onto the streets of the beloved city. The days I spent in the city of my Nabi were no doubt the best days of my life. The love I felt elsewhere for Muhammed S.A.W swung in full bloom in his Masjid. “The city” was all around me. I had begun living in that era. I could hear ‘azan-e-Bilali’ ringing in my ears during every azan. I could hear the sahabas working all night with my Nabi in Salman Farsi R.A’s date farm. I didn’t dare walk with my shoes on the soil that the Nabi and his sahabas walked. I could hear the sound of horses hooves in the ground of Uhud and see them fighting for one cause. As I stepped into the cave in which my Nabi took refuge during the battle, I could hear the shouts of sahabas fighting to save their Nabi from any harm. I saw Ayesha and Fatima R.A running around in the battle field to fetch water for the mujahideen. I could feel the tension in the air and heard Mount Uhud crying and weeping for the martyrs.

“This is Uhud, the mountain which loves us and we love it.” Sahih Bukhari Kitabul Hajj Hadith no. 3207.

As I entered Masjid Quba I could feel the enthusiasm my Nabi must have felt when starting a new life in a new city. The apprehension he must have felt leaving his beloved city behind and giving himself up to a new people on the will of Allah.

“A place of worship which was found upon duty (to Allah) from the first day is more worthy that thou shouldst stand (to pray) therein, wherein are men who love to purify themselves. Allah loveth the purifiers.” —Qur’an, 9:108

In Masjid Qiblatain, I felt the gratitude my Nabi and his sahabas must have felt as they turned themselves towards the Kaaba during their salah. I was able to see their faces during their ruku and sajood bright with anticipation to learn about the sudden change.

“We have seen the turning of your face from the sky, so we will direct your towards a qiblah that will please you, so turn your face towards the sacred mosque and wherever you are direct your faces towards it. Those who were given the book know that it is the truth from your lord, and Allah is not unaware of what they do.” —Qur’an,2:144

Needless to say, I was surrounded by “the city”. Everywhere I went I could feel ‘his’ presence. With every step I took, I felt ashamed of walking the same ground as that great man. The feeling was overwhelming. It overcame me. I felt I belonged here. I felt I can never ever be happy anywhere else. How can a person leave this city for anywhere else in the world? How can a person leave this city where showers of ‘rehmat’ can actually be felt for anything in the world? I knew if I was given a choice to live here or leave, I would never leave. But I had no choice. I had to leave. But…

I learnt there were people who had the choice. And they chose to leave.

Abu Ayub Ansari R.A. whose house Muhammed S.A.W preferred to live in over every house in the city chose to leave for Turkey. His grave is now in Istanbul. Bilal R.A whom Muhammed S.A.W called ‘sayyedna’ left for Syria and now rests there. Huzaifa and Jabir bin Abdullah R.A left for Iraq. Graves of 29 great sahabas are found in different parts of Turkey. Saad bin Abi Waqas left for China. He returned to Madina later but left his two companions behind who rest there. These great men’s love for Muhammed S.A.W could not be compared. Who did not let the water of their Nabi’s ablution fall to the ground. They loved him more than their own selves, their parents and their family. Abu Safyan said,

“By Allah I have never seen before such a people who are most sincere in their love than the companions of Muhammad.”

These great men chose to leave the city of their beloved because they knew they had a mission in their hands.

“Muhammad is no more than a Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve him) with gratitude.—Qur’an, 3:144

They made ‘his’ mission their mission. They took his message and spread all around the world. They had accepted that ‘the land’ and ‘the law’ belonged to Allah alone and they strived to let the world know they meant business. It was because of their life long struggle that during my hajj journey I saw people from those parts of the world, names of which, I never came across. As I saw groups of Hajjaj from China chanting ‘Labaik Allahumma Labaik’, I saw the struggle of Saad bin Abi Waqas behind them. I saw the hard work of Abu Ayub Ansari and other sahabas behind every Turkish man and woman. It was because of Zuhair bin Qais’s struggle that people from North African tribes were also there to pay their obligation.

These great men had a choice. They had a choice to either live in the city of Muhammed S.A.W or live eternally with Muhammed S.A.W. These great men had a choice and they chose wisely.

A Colonized Ridiculousness

How many times do we actually sit down and ask ourselves how ridiculous we sound? And how ridiculous we should sound? And how we are indoctrinating this ridiculousness to our coming generation?

Now let me be the odd one, the strange one, the party pooper, the nonsensical one, and let me tell you that there is something very ridiculous at the sight of seeing a mother struggling phonetically with her child to explain to him that he must use words of a language foreign to him and remain a constant rebel to his comfort and nature by staying as far away from those inferior, those desi, those Urduish words that his mind uses to make sense of the world. But alas, it is that mother who is being scorned by the child’s so-called educator that it is in fact her job to make sure that the child is surrounded by as much words loaded with declamations of inferiority, of psychological bullying, of an age-old legacy telling the child that he is still a colonized subject- that it is that legacy of his oriental heritage, all of Indian and Arabic literature, which is intrinsically inferior to any good shelf of a British library.

And yes there is a contradiction at work here. You may ask why is it that I use the same language I speak of so badly to speak of it so badly. Well, I see no problem here. There is no problem in using any language. The language is not the problem. You can and should use the English language. And the same can be said for Saraiki, French, Urdu, German, Pashto or Arabic. The only condition is that they are just languages- means of communicating what we have in our minds with other people-and nothing more. They are to serve the same purpose and are little different in this sense. They should not be a sign of superiority, of intellect, of status, of class, and of all such non-sense we have come up over the years. After all, how is a thought expressed in one language, any better than a thought- a mere concept- expressed in any other language.

Then why is it that poor and helpless human beings are told in our sad state of a country that they have to learn a language before they can actually learn something concrete- like to say knowledge itself. As weird and shocking to our English-is-a-global-language enthusiasts as it may sound, these humans- these lower-class nobodies, these forgotten proletariats of our forgetful socialists, these mechanics and drivers and maasis and cooks- already know a language. Why should they learn another language to start learning something if they already know a language? Why can’t they be taught in the language they speak and think in?

But doesn’t everyone know why? Will these people, who we throw so much pity on, not become a threat to ourselves? And will we not have to compete with ‘them’. We know we can afford a quality education in a language foreign to our whole continent. But these wretched of the earth cannot. We can secure for our children the privilege of remaining in our beloved elite class, while ‘their’ whole generations would grow up serving ours- never to escape this vicious cycle we have so ingeniously created.

Our ridiculousness then is only a cover for preserving our class interests. We make fun of people who cannot speak the language properly even when the content of his or her proposition may actually be beyond the capacity of our own intellect. We consider those who cannot speak fluently to be lower and inferior human beings. When we want to tell someone that we are something- such insecure people we are- we immediately code-switch to the English language.

We refuse to see the ridiculousness behind all this madness. Far from it we don’t even realize how much damage we are doing to ourselves. It is unhealthy and sickly what we are doing. To be someone you are not is only an insult to who you are. But who are you and who am I.

Why be ashamed of our own cultural and religious heritage, of centuries of civilization, of literature, of creativity and of art. Why be a lower quality of somebody else by voluntarily accepting his superiority and by giving in our own sense of being? Why this ridiculousness?

A Message From An American to Pakistanis

Micah Daigle, an American citizen from San Francisco, posted on Facebook after Boston Bombings.

“On Friday at 7:05pm Eastern Time, Boston Police received a report that suspected terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was hiding in a boat in Watertown.At 7:15pm, the low buzz of a drone was heard overheard. Seconds later, an enormous explosion engulfed the area, destroying the boat and several nearby homes. Sources say 46 Watertown residents were killed in the missile strike, including 12 children….Of course, that’s not what happened. But if it did, wouldn’t we find it unconscionable?

If so, then why are Americans okay with our government doing this to people in other countries?

In Pakistan alone, the U.S. government has killed more than 3,000 people with drone strikes… and only 1 out of 50 were suspected terrorists. The rest were bystanders, rescue workers, and children.

Let’s stop this madness now.

One people. One planet. ♥”

The love and empathy that came with this powerful post flooded Micah’s facebook account with thousands of messages, followers and friend request as it went viral in Pakistan. Gratitude, love and respect for Micah from Pakistanis was all over his wall. Today his facebook wall says something that builds bridges across two nations. I couldn’t help sharing it.

“It’s been an amazing 24 hours. To my new Pakistani friends:

For years, I’ve only been able to imagine how it must feel to live under skies pregnant with hellfire missiles. But in the last day, I’ve had the honor of talking with hundreds of you and hearing your stories. Though I feel a bit undeserving of all the attention and praise, that hasn’t stopped me from scooping up as much knowledge as I can before this little bubble of Internet magic pops.Though the results aren’t surprising, this is what I’ve learned.

1. The vast majority of you are decent, reasonable, good-hearted human beings. There are certainly people who are violent and power-hungry in your country, but most of you just want to lead fulfilling, loved-filled lives. Just like many of us.

2. You are tired of living under the constant threat of violence. You’ve grown a resilience that comes from living in such a place, but there’s also a deep weariness. You just want it to stop. You don’t want to have to worry about being bombed at any moment. Just like many of us.3. You don’t support terrorists, but you can understand why some people become terrorists. You see that our bombings only fan the flames of hatred, by taking the lives of innocents, and creating a desire for revenge within their loved ones. You know that for every terrorist we kill, we create several more ready to take their place. And you are able to understand this terrible cycle without defending or excusing those who commit acts of terror. Just like many of us.

4. You are forgiving and understanding of Americans even though our government bombs you. You have your own corrupt government that doesn’t represent your interests, which allows you to see why a nation of good people can do horrible things. You can separate people from the system they are embedded in. Just like many of us.

5. Many of you think of yourselves as Global Citizens first and Pakistanis second. You can see that you share more in common with reasonable people in other countries than with the extremists in your own. So many of you have have shifted from a mindset dominated by Me into a mindset dominated by We. Just like many of us.

6. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t proud to be Pakistani! I can’t count the number of generous offers I’ve received to be hosted and fed if I come to your country. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, you are an incredibly hospitable people. You’re proud of your land, your food, your culture. Just like many of us.

7. You’re human, and you’re deserving of love.

Just like ALL of us.

♥”

Say no to war, say no to killings, say yes to love, peace and harmony. Live and let live!

The Curse of Being Liberal

I came home late one night after a stressful day at work and switched on the TV to shed a bit of tension out of my system. I switched on to one of the Pakistani news channels only to have it switched off within five minutes with a bigger headache than what I had started with. The reason was the unbearable level of noise that the respected participants of the ‘top rated’ talk show were generating. The high profile host of the show was smiling all the while as if enjoying every bit of the ‘prime time fight’. My patience reserves exhausted when one of the participants in a western suit and tie called the other a ‘liberal’ in such a derogatory way as if he was abusing the other.

After switching off the TV, the inquisitive part of me immediately reached out for the online dictionary to check if the meanings of liberal had changed to something bad since I last looked at it in my school days a quarter of a century ago! After all, the world has changed quite a bit in that period. To my amazement, it still read the same:

adj. favourable to progress or reform, tolerant, open-minded

Finding apparently nothing wrong with these words either, left me even more perplexed because I thought that being open minded and progressive is also what the religion teaches and the society demands from us.

If we delve into the history of Islam, we see that Quran was revealed in a span of 23 years. During these 23 years, a lot changed and accordingly did the revelations from God, e.g., banning of alcohol was done in phases. Some of the earlier revelations from the same God on His previous messengers were superseded with new ones and rules were relaxed according to situations. So religion in itself is progressive and teaches us not to get stuck in time. The question arose that if there was room for progression in those 23 years 1400 years ago then why not now when advancements have been made at a pace never before seen in the history of mankind? Why is it that the liberals are frowned upon in our society?

So I decided to do some research on liberalism as it is understood in politics. Good old Dr Wikipedia says: Liberalism is a political philosophy or worldview founded on ideas of liberty, equality and justice (both legal and social justice). Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally they support ideas such as free and fair elections, civil rights, freedom of press, freedom of religion, free trade and private property. As far as my meagre thinking goes, none of these is either against the religion, law or general norms of society. In fact, this is probably the reason why in the 20^th century it’s the liberal democracies that have seen the most growth and progress made.

“No school can supply an anti-liberal education, or a fascist education, as these terms are contradictory. Liberalism and education are one.”― George Seldes

Why then is the word liberal so demonised by one side of our ever growing left-right divide? Watching the vomit of words going on on our TV screens, it seems that the liberal is portrayed as a hard drinking, clubbing, womanising species who feeds on US dollars, follows the paymaster’s dictates only and hence devoid of any patriotism. A liberal is also considered to be having nothing to do with the religion and thus lacking any moral bearings. Nothing could be further from the truth than this wayward perception. Being liberal neither means that one is an atheist, nor does it imply that one is unpatriotic.

Just like conservatism, liberalism also has its core principles, the difference being that liberalism is not afraid to question the status quo. It looks for answers to the whys that keep propping up in every mind but is shunned to believe the ‘way it is’. The foundation of this philosophy is that all ideas will be constantly examined, scrutinised, studied and debated. If new information emerges to challenge the present state, it will be rightfully taken into account. Liberalism searches for the ultimate value on which to build a moral foundation: the Truth.

This does not imply in any way that it is only the liberals searching for the truth. The point to be made is that however healthy our left-right debates may be, it is wrong on either side to accuse the other of being a traitor or unpatriotic on being liberal or conservative. A liberal can be just as much loyal to the country and just as dedicated to the religion as a conservative and vice versa. At the end of the day it is the humans that err, not the ideology.

Testimonial of Jamaat-e-Islami Worker

And hold fast by the rope (covenant) of Allah all together and be not disunited -Quran: Ch 3 Verse 103

The message: Love for all, hatred for none!

In the name of people of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. I being a devoted worker of Jamaat e Islami that was founded by Syed Abul Ala Moududi in 1940 swear upon Allah to make this promise that i will uphold the message of Islam and ideology of Pakistan. I will remain loyal and adhere to the legal, political and constitutional framework and respective law of the land. I will always reject violence, financial and moral corruption and will always safeguard the interest of Pakistan. I will remember the sacrifice of millions of Muslims during partition in a movement envisioned by Allama Muhammad Iqbal and led by our founding father Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

I will never be part of any underground movement, i will always uphold merit and volunteer for the causes of social welfare to help nurture the needs of deprived people of Pakistan. I admit to the fact that minorities in Pakistan have an integral role in the development of Pakistan, they have similar rights of access to all facilities of social welfare as accorded by the constitution for Muslim majority.

I would uphold my belief in declaring the rights and status of women as equal partners in the endeavor of nation building. I will always admit to the fact that the role of women is sublime, builders of mankind and that man is retainer of the legacy. I will support initiatives for the rights of women in terms of access to education, health facilities and swift delivery of justice. I admit to the fact that women have the right to report heinous crimes like rape and the judge can announce a verdict on the basis of circumstantial evidence in case she is not able to produce four witnesses.

I would never condone violence against women of any kind and will encourage the society to maintain reverence towards women and discipline in morality. It is relevant to mention that JI held Jirga in district Dir of Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa and for the first time in history Jirga allowed women to cast votes in election, this is a practical example of our service to the empowerment of women.

I consider Youth as a major part of Pakistani population and our valued asset. Pakistani youth is undeniably enthusiastic and energetic. It is dire need of the hour to utilize the potential of these young men and women towards progression and development of the country. The dilemma is that our youth is purposeless and in search of a direction. We aspire to indulge this influential segment of the society in a meaningful effort by initiating pro-youth schemes to achieve national objectives. As a matter of policy, we will give premier importance to issues like unemployment and scarce academic opportunities. We will take initiatives to create employment while providing assistance to youth by encouraging Entrepreneurship through facilitation of interest free loans. We will promote Islamic culture and traditions amongst them to get familiar with core values of Islam and discover a purpose of life. Thus JI has given 40% of tickets to the rising youth amongst its ranks.

We in JI believe in the life long struggle for change despite of the fact we are in parliament or not, we are always at the helm of national and international affairs concerning Muslim Ummah. The people of Pakistan should note that if a JI candidate reaches the parliament it would be the privilege of the people of that constituency but not his family. In JI traditionally assumption of responsibility is mourned for the fact the individual will be answerable to the system of JI and finally in the court of Allah SWT and that fear is way too “Real”. This is not being orthodox but fundamental to keep the fabric of unity intact otherwise as a country by virtue of the rulers we have no good history towards the progression of country and social welfare of people.

In case JI’s candidates win: We will tell them as far as you adhere to remain in service to the People of Pakistan and you will uphold integrity of your character and would not misuse the power vested in you for your personal interest, we will stand by you in case you fail we will rise against you; even if it is one of our blood relation.

In case JI’s candidates lose: We promise the people of Pakistan our selfless devotion in hard times and in rejoice towards building peaceful, tolerant, economically stable neighborhoods around the country from Khyber to Karachi.

People should not confuse the ideology of JI with that of Taliban and Al Qaeda. Our belief is in Dawah preaching in the way of Allah, those who accept we embrace and prepare them to practice the treasured values of Islam for success here and hereafter. We have no intentions to enforce religion against the will of people. We are satisfied that the Constitution of Pakistan sufficiently establishes grounds to ensure Governance in accordance with the teachings of Islam. We deserve enough leverage that we can commit errors as human beings but we also have this trigger of change amongst us and we do not fear in accepting our mistakes and correcting them for good.

As a matter of principle Syed Munawar Hassan, Amir JI will not contest upcoming elections to support JI’s Candidates throughout the country. However, the candidates of JI have entered into the ring of Polls in full swing. While all parties are currently engaged in resolving disputes of ticket nominations, JI has nominated its candidates without any dispute who have actually been campaigning for the last six months.

By virtue of the facts stated above it is our national duty to challenge tyranny as raised by a British humanist -Emily “Rebellion against tyranny is obedience to God” maintaining the balance of thought famous leader Thomas Jefferson vowed “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man”.

Please vote in favor of those candidates who meet the criterion laid down by the constitution. In case we fail to do so, we will have to suffer 1800 days in despair. So make wise decisions.

The Quranic Concept of Truth and Journalism

“We need not be theologians to see that we have shifted responsibility for making the world interesting from God to the newspaperman.” (Daniel J Boorstin)

This article could have begun with an example of Yellow Journalism. A sensational headline bound to attract, opening lines to chill the spine, spicy factoids sugarcoated as facts, an agenda to shame the devil and shocking pictures as icing on th e cake. The only reason of opening it with this quote is to highlight what has become of journalism in present times. But to think better of it, surely the Quran must lay down guidelines for ethical reporting and that ought to form the preamble to this article. Although a list of Quranic principles which could serve as an ethical code of conduct for journalism could be exhaustive, there is one principle that is vital to any such list: Truth. It is to be kept in mind that the canvas on which this Quranic standard is boldly painted is God Consciousness, which is indeed the underlying principle governing all actions of a Muslim. Naturally, the implication of Divine accountability for all our actions must lead to a natural sense of self accountability.

O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God; and let every human being look to what he sends ahead for the morrow! And [once again]: Remain conscious of God, for God is fully aware of all that you do. (Quran, 59:18).

Truth is a concept that has been repeated in the Quran umpteen times to highlight its importance. Words like “Haq” and “Sidq” have been used repeatedly and all aspects of Truth have been expounded upon in various contexts. The Quranic notion of Truth is absolute, ultimate and definitive. Indeed one of the names of Allah is “Al-Haq”. The Word of Allah, the Quran, is an absolute truth, being a criterion to judge between the true and the false. The Messengers have been sent to guide to the Truth, validate and establish it. Believers are acceptors, upholders, adherents and supporters of the Truth. Truth has been likened to as the light while falsehood as the dark. Death, the Day of Judgment, the Hereafter, Paradise and Hell are expressed as being the ultimate Truths. Truth is, indeed one of the central themes of the Quran and thus one of the basic tenets of Islam.

Say: “The Truth has arrived and Falsehood neither creates anything new, nor restores anything.” (Quran,34:49)

Once Truth assumes the place of one of the guiding beacons in Islam, its role in an Islamic Society or amongst Muslims becomes doctrinal and it assumes the foremost place in the Islamic code of conduct. Thus, by application, accepting, professing, adhering, supporting, expressing, searching, spreading, upholding, validating, establishing, manifesting and revealing the Truth is part of the Muslim way of life and its manifesto. Linking up with reporting and journalism, Truth is the one fundamental principle that translates as the prime objective of journalism. Accurate, uncompromised and unaltered reporting of Truth with no strings attached.

And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). (Quran, 2:42)

“Why do you mix Truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know?”. (Quran, 3:71)

Truth has to be the scarlet thread of all reporting. In this era of information operations it is necessary to elevate reporting and free it from the shackles of the overall information strategy which tends to subjugate it to the role of a mere tool for the extension of a grader schema. This is only possible when the prime objective of reporting is the broadcast of Truth. News has to be authenticated before being broadcasted and the responsibility lies on the reporter to confirm the accuracy of a report before spreading undue fear or thrill. Confirming a report’s authenticity is necessary lest that report causes damage or unwarranted loss. Reporting should never be speculative or based on mere conjecture. A part of the truth or incomplete facts should not prompt to jump to conclusions or lead to fanciful thinking. However, it is to be kept in mind that the responsibility of communication of Truth does not rest with journalists or their kin alone. The overall system has to be tailored so that Truth can flourish and can be freely propagated.

O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and [always] speak with a will to bring out [only] what is just and true. (Quran, 33:70).

Guesswork, spying, slander and backbiting are all vices to be avoided. No paparazzi spying on celebrities. No speculation on what someone might have done. No unfair means to make glitzy headlines. No debate on the meaning, constituents, form, nature and context of Truth, as what Truth means is clear. No indirect implications, subtle insinuations, hidden agendas, prejudices and ulterior motives. No incorrect, adulterated, partial and extra-contextual quoting from sources or references. No factoids, semi-truths or pseudo-truths and one sided coverage No fear of repercussions, pressures of protagonists or antagonists.

When there comes to them a matter, be it of security or fear, they broadcast it; if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, those of them whose task it is to investigate would have known the matter.(Quran, 4:83).

O you who believe! if an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people in ignorance, then be sorry for what you have done. (Quran, 49:6).

For, most of them follow nothing but conjecture: [and,] behold, conjecture can never be a substitute for truth. Verily, God has full knowledge of all that they do. (Quran, 10:36).

O you who have attained to faith! Avoid most guesswork [about one another] for, behold, some of [such] guesswork is [in itself] a sin; and do not spy upon one another, and neither allow yourselves to speak ill of one another behind your backs….(Quran, 49:12).

Can you, then, hope that they will believe in what you are preaching – seeing that a good many of them were wont to listen to the word of God and then, after having understood it, to pervert it knowingly? (Quran, 2:75).

Truth is indispensable when it comes to reporting and journalism. Imagine an era of journalism where the golden principle of Truth as illustrated by the Quran form a code of conduct. Where media is free from its inherent evils because of adherence to the cardinals of Truth and honesty. Where no color can be ascribed to journalism signifying its ills. Where conscientious and conscious reporting is the norm and Truth is the only ulterior motive and hidden agenda and is clearly manifest. The hope for such an era is not Utopian, not in the least for Muslims.

And say: “Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.” (Quran, 17:81)

Children – Flowers of Paradise

It was my first week of school as a 2^nd grade teacher, and the day was about to end. Students were packing up their bags. Suddenly, I remembered that I had to distribute notice flyers which were given to me by the administration. I said to the class in my firm bossy voice, “ok, calm down! No one is leaving the room until I say so. I have to distribute these.”

As I finished distributing these flyers, another teacher knocked at my door saying she needed my help with something in her room. Her desk drawer was stuck and by the time I helped her pull the drawer out, the bell had rung. I hurried back to my classroom imagining the worst as I had left 18 seven years olds on their own for 5 whole minutes. And as expected, all hell had broken loose. Chairs were turned upside down, children were throwing pieces of chalk at each other and some were even standing on the tables. But the funny part was that not a single child had left the room even though the afternoon bell had rung. Why, you ask? Because I had told them: ‘No one is going to leave the room until I say so’ and I had not said so.

These children were supposed to be the naughtiest and the snobbiest kids of the school. And yet, they remained in the room just because their teacher had told them to. This made me reflect. My own obedience towards Allah S.W.T was not even a fraction of obedience just displayed by my class. This class was supposed to be the most disobedient and hyperactive class of the school but I had a whole new perspective now. I was judging them in a whole new paradigm. It was all in the eyes of the beholder. This was the first lesson I learnt as I set my foot into the “profession of the prophets.”

Children, according to a Hadith, are flowers of Jannah.

But in schools, and at home, they are treated like anything but flowers. A scholar once said,

“These children do not need loving parents. They need trained parents.”

When getting married, zero attention is given to this matter although upbringing of a new human being is the most important and difficult task to be faced by the newlyweds. Awareness to get trained to raise children as an asset for the Muslim Ummah in this world and as asset for the parents in the hereafter should be our foremost concern.

Although many institutions have taken up this task in our country to train parents and teachers and assist them in the carrying out of this enormous responsibility, a lot more still needs to be done. In all the parenting workshops and seminars I have attended, the percentage of male participants is never more than 10%. It’s as if we have concluded that parent means the mother. Fathers are ATM booths—only needed for money.

The religion which we follow and the Prophet (SAW) for whom we vow to die give us a very different idea of parenting. And who better to train us than the best teacher of the world.

When I look into Muhammad (SAW)’s life and his interactions with the child, I sit in complete awe. A man with a responsibility which has no match to any responsibility in the world and yet I see him racing along with the children, laughing and clapping. His Seerah tells us that the children waited for him outside the Masjid and when he (S.A.W) came out, he used to stretch both his hands and the children would come running to him, falling on him from all sides. And mind you, these children were not his relatives. They were mere acquaintances he would see every day on the streets. For a self analysis, I stood with my arms stretched in a family gathering and asked the group of kids which included my two sons along with their cousins to come running to me. I told them it was a game. I hung my head in shame as even my own sons shied away. It told me a lot about my parenting.

I looked deep into the Seerah of Rasulallah SAW and saw him commencing the Jummah Khutbah with a child on his lap. I saw him kissing and hugging the children of Medina at random. I saw him playing games on the streets of Medina with the children he barely knew. They loved him and he loved them. According to him, “Children are flowers of jannah.” Which brings me back to my first lesson – it’s all in the perspective. We see them as flowers so we treat them as flowers. We see them as valued assets, so we treat them as valued assets.

We have to come to this realization that the responsibility for which we will be held most accountable for is the little creations around us. We are leaving an impact on each and every one of them consciously or unconsciously. We need to educate ourselves to be able to educate little ones. No number of degrees would make us qualified for this job if we ignore the Sunnah of the greatest teacher in the world. And the most important lesson that he SAW gave us is of love and love only.

Parents and to-be parents need to realize that dealing with children is an art; a skill, which needs to be developed and groomed like any other skill. Once this realization hits home, it will be an easier task to make way for the education.

Indeed, Mankind is in Utter Loss

Risk is the greatest source of fear in our lives. Whenever we think about starting a business, we are mostly concerned about the risks of failure involved. A lot of strategies are formulated to mitigate the risks and threats to avoid loss and many a times business is not even started because of the risk of failure. While thinking about our careers and money etc, we calculate all the risks involved. But it’s unfortunate that we are complacent about our real profit and real loss; the sole purpose for which we are sent into this world.

Sura Asr (ch 103 Quran) is a short chapter in Holy Quran which tells us how to avoid the risk of failure in this life and hereafter. It chalks out a strategy for leading a successful life and avoiding what the Almighty calls ‘utter loss of mankind’.

By the time. Lo Mankind is in the state of loss. Except for those who have faith and do righteous deeds, and counsel each other to hold on to truth and counsel each other to be steadfast. (Qur’an – 103)

Allah has sworn by time that it has testified that people are heading towards a total loss and chaos. This is the point of great concern, as our creator has certified that we are in loss. The word of Creator is very important because HE knows us (human beings) inside out to the depth of our cells and DNA. If HE has suggested something, it can’t be wrong.

Allah has given a four point strategy for everyone to follow for what . First and foremost is Faith which has the prime importance on the way of success. Without faith, a person cannot succeed in the eyes of Allah. Faith ties us in a bond and without such a bond, we are free electrons which can be taken away by anything. Belief in Almighty is not something merely philosophical, it shapes the way of life. It defines the framework for our lives and the dos and don’ts we have to cater for in our personal life choices.

Virtuous deeds are tied up with faith. Mere faith is not enough for success. It shows that merely claiming to be a Muslim is not enough, unless and until a person coin his words into actions, therefore, righteous deeds are very significant. It’s a generic term which contains everything done for the betterment of humanity.

Sura Asar teaches us to develop a society which is based on propagation of virtues. Convincing each other about being righteous actually develops a peer pressure. A society where good deeds are easy and bad deeds are difficult. At the moment, we live in a society which is exactly the opposite of this. So Islam impresses upon an integrated and clean social fabric and believers are told to counsel, advice, support and teach each other about the right path. It also shows that faithful are concerned about each other and help out to raise each other’s levels of Eiman (faith). It generates a society based on co-operation instead of cut-throat competition.

Patience means persistence on virtous deeds.It means continuity of good deeds, patience to avoid bad deeds and steadfastness in the times of troubles that come as a package when following the righteous path. It means believers console each other in testing times. It also means patience and tolerance in general life. When dealing with other communities, Muslims need to show patience and tolerance which will help them to propagate peace.

These four steps are mandatory and requisites for ultimate success.

Also, it determines the misconception that I will preach when I am perfect first. It asks muslims to tell each other about truth. Perfection is neither required nor expected, rather a continuous reminder is required.

These simple words defines the fabric of a Muslim society. In simple words this chapter tells us to give importance to ‘real’ success and failure in our life. No matter how much successful we consider ourselves in terms of money and social status, this chapter warns us that we are at loss if we are not on the pathway set for a believer.