Pakistan's Moment

Mr. Shahid Burki (KT Opinion “Pakistan’s Egypt Moment”) paints a very dismal yet quite realistic picture of Pakistan’s prevailing socio-economic crisis. The sordid and self-centered rulers of Pakistan since its creations and their inept governance today have pushed the country to the precipice of complete meltdown. Definitely a revolution seems imminent and could not be timed more perfectly. It has become more of a necessity than a mere possibility.

However, unlike the Egyptians or Tunisians, Pakistanis are much more diverse and divided when it comes to political ideology and democratic views. Much of this is credited to the ominous success of the various political parties, a dominant feudal system and poignantly regional and provincial differences. Differences are so strong that when it comes to safeguarding their identities and ideologies they leave no barrier broken and no limits crossed even disregarding humanity and sensibility. Also, unlike Egypt and Tunisia, a revolt against a military dictator seems much more plausible than against a complete political and democratic regime.

Nevertheless, UNITY was the core and essential element that drove a whole country to abrogate their decades of misery. Likewise, the only practical and possible element that could unify and combine the tragically diverse mindset of the people of Pakistan is ‘Religion’ and Faith. It is by far the only conjugational element left within each Pakistani that somehow links and bonds them together. This is no way a suggestion that an Islamic votary and his followers take up arms and start upon a killing spree. Nor is this to be confused or even fused with the idea of Islamic Militancy. These actions are in no way related to the basics of our religion. Those that do indulge in them are a mere manifestation of any other terrorist.

Though the experts do not predict such a revolt, however Pakistan being an Islamic Republic does have the will and history to rise with their religion and change the course of the waves.

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This blog featured in KT Letters to the Editor, 22nd Feb, 2011

Self-Realization - The Need of the hour

A beholder may only develop a palpable perspective; but to establish the true judgment he needs to ponder.

There have been quite a few theories floating around regarding the devastating floods that have razed and ravaged more than a quarter of the nation. A horde of environmentalists’ have blatantly, and rightly, accused the expansive of use of fossil fuel by every individual all over the world in degenerating the global climate thus resulting in global warming. One of the aftermaths of this global warming, they suggest, is “high frequency of heavy precipitation events over most land areas”. The according judgment that firmly binds the above statement as a measurable argument is a simple principle. Warm air holds more moisture than cold air thus there is more suspended moisture during warmer seasons (and as the earth gets warmer, there is a higher content of moisture in the air) and periodically falls to the ground.

Although a scathing review of our lifestyle, yet undeniably true. The finger points directly to each one of us and our mundane course of life that is accustomed to the heavy use of locomotives and an even heavier use of lower grade gasoline. However, this is just an aspect of our daily lives that has directly constituted towards such a reckoning. In the last decade draughts, earthquakes and floods have razed havoc across Pakistan, yet each time we successfully deduce an inane reasoning to justify natures work and forget to judge the innate reason behind.

A wider perspective of all such tragedies that have befallen us is to scrutinize our entire daily lives and not just one aspect of it. We all collectively believe, without any recourse that any such calamity is from the Almighty alone. No denying that. It is with His Command alone that any great fortune be bestowed on us or a great calamity befalls on us, and all such elements traverse to form a chain leading to the event. What have we done that sparked such a staunch warning from Allah?

Allah had blessed us and our forefathers with pride, honor, dignity and freedom in form of Pakistan. With great scarifies was a land created in the name of Islam, where Muslims would practice Islam in light of the Divine Law (Quran) and spread the message forward without any hindrances. Groom and nurture our generations under an Islamic dominance, cultivate the social and moral practices of Islam into our lives. Pakistan became the only nation created on the basis of religion and not any racial decorum.

Unfortunately we have exuberantly failed in accomplishing any of that. The land of Muslims has been transformed into a war-waging land of terrorists and religious fanatics. Our social and moral values have degenerated to such as extent that in no way do we depict an Islamic society, let alone a human society. Social intolerance and crimes like theft, robbery, and extortion are at an all time high. Moral dignities and values are long lost and forgotten such that domestic violence and disturbance has become a norm. We have disfigured the actual image of Islam moved far away from its teaching and molded them to befit our needs. We, as a nation, have failed collectively. It is not just a handful of individual who are to be held accountable, we are in it altogether. Each one of us has his/her own share in bringing such calamities upon us. The finger points directly to each one of us and our mundane course of life.

The first and foremost thing is ‘self-realization’. A man can starve from self-realization as much as from bread. We all are guilty of our own share for the present condition, and we must realize it. We all contribute, knowingly or unknowingly, in conniving to the entire plot. We need to realize and set ourselves straight. Just as we would walk shorter distances to avoid the unnecessary burning of gasoline and filling the atmosphere with more carbon dioxide or car-pool with friends. Similarly, we need to rectify our individual acts. Turn towards our intrinsic values, be more inclined towards our religious duties, and be mindful of right and wrong. Repent, seek forgiveness and learn from such incidents.

Pakistan Fashion Week & What it brought forth!

Pakistan kicked off Fashion Week, a four day event in Karachi, just two hours by plane from primary nesting places for Al Qaeda and the Taliban, last week. The event signified the Nihilism, Opulence and assertion of modernity of Pakistan,
Though loudly applauded and largely acknowledged, Pakistan Fashion Week is a hard and fierce some sting to our social ideology, moreover it more greatly notions an act of insolence against the Islamic teaching which are the founding stone of Pakistan.
In principle Islam has ordained a very specific and vastly responsible role for its women in society. Islam regards her role in society as a mother and a wife as the most scared and essential one. Neither maids nor babysitters can possibly take the mothers place as the educator of upright, complex-free and carefully reared children. Such a noble and vital role, which largely shapes the future of nations, cannot be regarded as “idleness”.
What the Pakistan Fashion Week brings forth into the eyes of the world is a distorted and rather confused and dismal image of Pakistan’s current society. With a large number of female participants viciously dressed in designer-wear, spiked jewelry, exposing tattoos, navels and shoulders the event substantially donates Pakistan’s progress towards a more modernized and western-influenced society and farther from ideal Islamic one. The designer dresses (such as Sonya Battla) represented a mockery of our culture and society values and an emulation of the western civilization.
History testifies that when a community shakes off barbarism and advances towards civilization, its women follow its men as maids and bondwomen. And during their advancement they bestow undue freedom upon the fair sex with the result that latter’s excessive freedom deals a fatal blow at the family life which is the very basis of civilization. More than that it brings in its wake a flood of obscenity, licentiousness and sexual perversion, which ruin the morals of the whole community.
It is not aimed to degrade the thorough and thought out efforts of the designers, however it is intended to pragmatically and prudently denounces the western influence that has raved our minds. These efforts should more coherently be focused on promoting and depicting Pakistan and its society in its most intrinsic and rightfully judged manner.

Become Pakistan, once again

It was on this auspicious occasion when the First Governor General of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, on the 15th Aug, 1947 sent his flavoring emotional greetings of independence to the nation all over. It was all those words that had been an insinuation, inspiration and the guiding force behind the creation of a Muslim nation. 62 years later, we emulate the same passion and zeal that our fore fathers exhibited and celebrate the most honorable day of our not-so-pleasant past. In these times of scarce electricity and a sharp rise in street violence, we still have lit our houses with flashing colored lights, decorated the streets with waving flags, we are chanting slogans of nationhood, signing patriotic songs all in the name of valor, dignity, pride and prosperity of Pakistan.

All along the way and in the midst of these flamboyant celebrations, not many foresee brighten en route for the future. A nation crippled with economic frustration and living amidst constant fear of terrorist, plummeting administrative, legislative and political statures, Pakistan has in all its might, lost its sole cause of existence. A land foresighted for a cohesive Muslim brotherhood and a nation that would thrive on Islamic principles and regulations.

Had Pakistan been a name of an entity or individual, would he be a Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi or Pathan? Had Pakistan been a name of a creed, would it be Islamic, secular or, as the newly devised terminology, Moderate?

62 years of dust and rubble blown into the face, meticulously enduring against political, economical and administrative blocs both internal and external, the nerve breaking legacy of the Muslim Brotherhood as a nation has, somehow, still been preserved. We have tumbled and fallen, yet we are not dejected. We have been beaten and bruised, yet we are still strong and faithful. Let us unite once again, let us strive once again, and let us become Pakistan once again.

JIHAD - understand it!

The on going War-Against-Terror by the US and its Allies in Afghanistan and Iraq and the troubled tribal areas of Pakistan by it well-fashioned army against the Al-Qaeda network has instinctively cultivated and further nurtured a great misconception and blemished one of the fundamentals of Islam – JIHAD. The Al-Qaeda fighters, termed as ‘Jihadis’ – the one who fights for the cause of Jihad, have deteriorated the very meaning of Jihad and convinced feeble minds in the west, and across the globe, in affirming the fallacy and delusion portrayed about Jihad and Islam.
JIHAD – commonly translated as the ‘Holy War’, however, recently it has become synonymous with a vision of marching band of religious fanatics with savage beards and fierce some eyes, brandishing swords and attacking infidels wherever encountered and pressing them under the sword of the sake of Islam. This awry and deceitful vision is the courtesy of those benefactors of ours who are engaged in an extremely unholy war to attain the mere joys of the worldly lure. Their fight and struggle is not for God but for their contentment and pleasure. They have manufactured regulations to deceive the innocent minds to take up guns and wrap explosive belts and justify their approach and confuse the understanding of Islam.
True Meaning of Jihad
Islam is neither a religion nor Muslims a nation since it nullifies the true essence of Jihad (which is known as ‘The best of all Prayers’). Islam is a revolutionary ideology and program which seeks to perfect the social order of the whole world and rebuild its conformity with its own tents and ideals. Muslim is a revolutionary party that is organized by Islam to carry into effect the revolutionary program. And, Jihad is a revolutionary struggle by Muslims to achieve this objective. The most nearest and correct meaning, in layman terms, would be “to exert one’s utmost endeavor to promoting a cause.” Islam established an ideology for the welfare of not just a common man, a community, a Nation but for the entire Mankind. Towards this end, to press all forces either speech, pen. Spending good, physical effort or, lastly, by the power of sword and a composite term for the use of all of these forces is JIHAD.
Conditions of Validity
Jihad is not merely a struggle, it is a struggle ‘in the way of God’, which is the essential condition that governs the validity of this struggle. Many have without a thought, sorted to the literal translation of the condition and have misled their mindset. However in Islam the expression undermines all such work done for the collective well-being of mankind and in which functionary has no vested interested other than to attain the pleasure of God. A person devoted to bring about a revolution in the system of life and establish a new system in conformity with the ideology of Islam, his / hers struggle should be free of any self-fish motives.
Current Scenario
The current scenario and misconception poses a great threat to the Muslims and if not rectified it shall eventually lead to a bigger hatred towards the Muslims. It has become the utmost responsibility and a paramount duty of all the Muslims to educate and spread the reality of Jihad not only to the far west but also, and most significantly among those feeble minded young enthusiastic Muslims - ready to lay their lives - trapped deep within a labyrinth of an unholy war manifested by those seeking only their equanimity. I hope my message reaches out to those far and wide and to those lost.