Islamic fundamentalism and youth in Pakistan

[Zarvan]

One of my best friends is a Muslim, the problem is anyone talking sense in Pakistan is labeled liberal. We all can see these guys stuck in their history, they still talk in terms of liberals and Islamic values when they should be talking about humanity... isnt that the point of Islam?

The sense according to Indian terms and Indian meaning of sense

One of my best friends is a Muslim, the problem is anyone talking sense in Pakistan is labeled liberal. We all can see these guys stuck in their history, they still talk in terms of liberals and Islamic values when they should be talking about humanity... isnt that the point of Islam?

The sense according to Indian terms and Indian meaning of sense

 

[Dr. NooB NinjA]

lol Congrats, he even thanked you.

The sense according to Indian terms and Indian meaning of sense

How can "sense" be Indian or Pakistani??!!

sense - Definition and pronunciation | Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

 

[muse]

-----BTW, Does Islam allow use of terms such as 'A$$ Kicking', Zarvan?

Please open your mind, read the good book -- everything is allowed, so long as a "real" Muslim (read one whose tragedy it is to not be an arab) does it.

 

[Ignited Mind]

Please open your mind, read the good book -- everything is allowed, so long as a "real" Muslim (read one whose tragedy it is to not be an arab) does it.

Actually I only wanted to seek our resident e-mullah's opinion.

BTW, looks like he's really gone out to ceelbrate the killing of 167 innocents in Mumbai by his Mard-e-Mujahid kind.

Pretty quick, I must say.

 

[Saleem]

the topic should be anti muslim terror and pakistan....

 

[muse]

Actually I only wanted to seek our resident e-mullah's opinion.

BTW, looks like he's really gone out to ceelbrate the killing of 167 innocents in Mumbai by his Mard-e-Mujahid kind.

Pretty quick, I must say.

OK, some explanations first - He's not a e-mullah, he's a policeman (agent provacateur) and that does not mean that he has no buy in, he does, but one pays better than the other.

 

[DaRk WaVe]

the obsession with religion is the best things

meaning you actually have no problem with people suicide bombings and stupid Fatwas! Get off the computer its an infidel invention...

 

[Ignited Mind]

----------QUOTING THE PIC WILL PROBABLY GET ME BANNED--------

You're the man!

You're the ones upon whom our hope for Pakistan rest, and we're pretty sure you're not gonna disappoint.

 

[Zarvan]

meaning you actually have no problem with people suicide bombings and stupid Fatwas! Get off the computer its an infidel invention...

Suicide Bombings on innocent is not right and Fatwas are part of Islam but Only few Ulemas should be assigned to give Fatwas even when Most Sahabas were alive only few were given right to give Fatwas

 

[DaRk WaVe]

Suicide Bombings on innocent is not right and Fatwas are part of Islam but Only few Ulemas should be assigned to give Fatwas even when Most Sahabas were alive only few were given right to give Fatwas

but thats not happening or is it? My question still remains what is it that you disagree with in that article?

 

[Zarvan]

but thats not happening or is it? My question still remains what is it that you disagree with in that article?

I answered all of it a piece of crap written do you want to me agree with the opinion of an ashamed liberal a drug addict whose main problem is with Islam the rise of Islamic Parties is a good thing and they should focus on implementing Islamic law and Shariah and it doesn't matter when they became powerful

 

[Rusty]

Didn't even bother to read the article after I saw the first picture being of a Tableeghi Jamat.
Just by that one picture it is clearly obvious the point of the article is to vilify Muslim and reinforce Islamophobic ideals.

If you cant even differentiate Tableeghi Jamat, a people who are not political in the least and instead focus on giving lectures about personal conduct (ie reminding people to act good and decent), then what hope is there that the article is not meant to incite hatred for Muslims?

btw Tableeghi Jamat has explicitly stated that they do not get involved in politics.

 

[muse]

Dedicated to all those who did not read the article



It: a four-letter word
Syed Kamran Hashmi



It is undoubtedly rude and may actually be considered blasphemous to emphasise upon it in Pakistan. At a personal level, the consequences could be dire in the current circumstances when society is religiously polarised and emotions are running high. Therefore I have decided to refrain from mentioning it by name for now. It is the jugular vein for our survival and I can only refer to it as a four-letter word of English: (of paramount significance).

It can easily be considered as one of the most important aspects of global human existence. It is absolutely necessary. It rules the world. It guides and directs us. It provides meaning to life. It leads us to the unseen universe of bliss and eternity. It is a delight. It is an addiction. It is a gift and a divine pleasure. Most of us agree that it could be as critical as a chilled glass of water in a hot summer day for a thirsty old man, or as vital as a piece of bread for a starving child in the middle of a famine and as provocative as a falling apple on the ground for a thoughtful Isaac Newton, lost in his ruminations.

According to some scientists, the reverberations of it can be heard from a very early age, as early as in infancy, but its true colours reveal themselves as we grow older. It becomes the backbone of all our activities. It becomes a compulsion and a necessity in our everyday life. It is powerful and ubiquitous. Its dimensions are diverse and myriad that distinguishes human behaviour from other animals.

With its significance being realised even more through across the globe, its place in our national discourse is remarkably shrinking. We are regressing from a higher level of liberal values to adopt a lower level of non-religious, local and traditional culture. We are debating about its importance and trying to limit its utility. We are segregating it between genders. We are promoting double standards in society, making it unfair for our daughters. We confuse our duplicity with morality and sometimes we blame it on the Scripture. At others, in our xenophobic minds, we even consider it as a foreign idea, an anti-Muslim conspiracy. We feel embarrassed to discuss it publicly; we are ashamed to admit our failure to promote it and therefore, we continue to deny its importance as the fundamental instrument to liberate our minds from our deep-rooted conservative ideas.

At the peak of Islamic civilisation, our approach towards it always had been complimentary and encouraging. We had realised its significance and therefore were leading the world in all spheres of life. On the one hand, it included the arts and culture, diversity and pluralism, literature and creativity, and on the other hand, we were making tremendous progress in science and technology. Society was progressive; it was transparent and the virtues of patience, tolerance and forbearance were not only practised, they were promoted and encouraged throughout the empire. In those times, we were the liberals, unbigoted and the enlightened ones, while the rest of the civilisations were lurking in their dark ages.

Unfortunately, in present times, we deviated from our liberal values and dissociated ourselves from it, at least partially. We disowned it. We missed the spirit of it and went after the dogma — the cover. We created a taboo and the essence of it became a ritual for us. The enjoyment, the excitement and the thrill associated with it all disappeared. Our lack of commitment translated into our failures. The others picked the joy of it and benefited exceptionally. They are racing ahead, leaping forward and making progress.

Even our youth trails far behind in their achievements regarding it, when compared to their age-matched counterparts in the rest of the world. In both the USA and Europe, they have developed instruments to pass it on to their youth. Their culture has evolved to promote it across the board. They have lifted the taboo. There is no stigma attached to it; instead, it has become a matter of pride in society. There is no gender disparity; young boys and girls get an equal opportunity to identify their talents through it and express them accordingly. It is rewarding because as these children grow older, they become independent thinkers, and they are equipped to take on the challenges of the world. They lead the world with dedication and remain focused on research and innovation.

We still do not completely understand how and when we lost our relationship with it. We do not contemplate when it lost it charms for us when God clearly instructs His last Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) about it: read/Iqra.

The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at skhashmi@yahoo.com

 

[Zarvan]

Dedicated to all those who did not read the article



It: a four-letter word
Syed Kamran Hashmi



It is undoubtedly rude and may actually be considered blasphemous to emphasise upon it in Pakistan. At a personal level, the consequences could be dire in the current circumstances when society is religiously polarised and emotions are running high. Therefore I have decided to refrain from mentioning it by name for now. It is the jugular vein for our survival and I can only refer to it as a four-letter word of English: (of paramount significance).

It can easily be considered as one of the most important aspects of global human existence. It is absolutely necessary. It rules the world. It guides and directs us. It provides meaning to life. It leads us to the unseen universe of bliss and eternity. It is a delight. It is an addiction. It is a gift and a divine pleasure. Most of us agree that it could be as critical as a chilled glass of water in a hot summer day for a thirsty old man, or as vital as a piece of bread for a starving child in the middle of a famine and as provocative as a falling apple on the ground for a thoughtful Isaac Newton, lost in his ruminations.

According to some scientists, the reverberations of it can be heard from a very early age, as early as in infancy, but its true colours reveal themselves as we grow older. It becomes the backbone of all our activities. It becomes a compulsion and a necessity in our everyday life. It is powerful and ubiquitous. Its dimensions are diverse and myriad that distinguishes human behaviour from other animals.

With its significance being realised even more through across the globe, its place in our national discourse is remarkably shrinking. We are regressing from a higher level of liberal values to adopt a lower level of non-religious, local and traditional culture. We are debating about its importance and trying to limit its utility. We are segregating it between genders. We are promoting double standards in society, making it unfair for our daughters. We confuse our duplicity with morality and sometimes we blame it on the Scripture. At others, in our xenophobic minds, we even consider it as a foreign idea, an anti-Muslim conspiracy. We feel embarrassed to discuss it publicly; we are ashamed to admit our failure to promote it and therefore, we continue to deny its importance as the fundamental instrument to liberate our minds from our deep-rooted conservative ideas.

At the peak of Islamic civilisation, our approach towards it always had been complimentary and encouraging. We had realised its significance and therefore were leading the world in all spheres of life. On the one hand, it included the arts and culture, diversity and pluralism, literature and creativity, and on the other hand, we were making tremendous progress in science and technology. Society was progressive; it was transparent and the virtues of patience, tolerance and forbearance were not only practised, they were promoted and encouraged throughout the empire. In those times, we were the liberals, unbigoted and the enlightened ones, while the rest of the civilisations were lurking in their dark ages.

Unfortunately, in present times, we deviated from our liberal values and dissociated ourselves from it, at least partially. We disowned it. We missed the spirit of it and went after the dogma — the cover. We created a taboo and the essence of it became a ritual for us. The enjoyment, the excitement and the thrill associated with it all disappeared. Our lack of commitment translated into our failures. The others picked the joy of it and benefited exceptionally. They are racing ahead, leaping forward and making progress.

Even our youth trails far behind in their achievements regarding it, when compared to their age-matched counterparts in the rest of the world. In both the USA and Europe, they have developed instruments to pass it on to their youth. Their culture has evolved to promote it across the board. They have lifted the taboo. There is no stigma attached to it; instead, it has become a matter of pride in society. There is no gender disparity; young boys and girls get an equal opportunity to identify their talents through it and express them accordingly. It is rewarding because as these children grow older, they become independent thinkers, and they are equipped to take on the challenges of the world. They lead the world with dedication and remain focused on research and innovation.

We still do not completely understand how and when we lost our relationship with it. We do not contemplate when it lost it charms for us when God clearly instructs His last Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) about it: read/Iqra.

The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at skhashmi@yahoo.com

First of all Iqra doesn't mean to read it meant to recite the problem is the confused liberals who think only getting naked will make them progress and prosper that is their biggest mistake

 

[Armstrong]

Didn't even bother to read the article after I saw the first picture being of a Tableeghi Jamat.
Just by that one picture it is clearly obvious the point of the article is to vilify Muslim and reinforce Islamophobic ideals.

If you cant even differentiate Tableeghi Jamat, a people who are not political in the least and instead focus on giving lectures about personal conduct (ie reminding people to act good and decent), then what hope is there that the article is not meant to incite hatred for Muslims?

btw Tableeghi Jamat has explicitly stated that they do not get involved in politics.

Mate, I didn't fully understand the contention of the article either; it raises some valid points but I would rather if Mr.Paracha had expounded upon it more than a stroll down history ! On the topic of Islamic Fundamentalism and the Youth of Pakistan; is it not true that we've got a strong correlation between the two ? I mean I've known friends who'd not break fast with an Ahmedi simply because he or she is an Ahmedi. Now however much I dislike that I do concede that it is the prerogative of that person to choose or refuse to engage in something with as deep a religious connotation as 'fasting' but surely we mustn't compound that 'exclusivity' with 'a holier than thou' attitude at best or an out-right abuse of all modicums of politeness at the very worst; though I'm sure elsewhere the 'very worst' part tends to be a lot worse than what it was in my friend's case.

I believe that it is hard to reconcile 'Secularism' with some of the more communal aspects of our religion but surely the present situation that we find ourselves in that not only institutionalizes bigotry but also condones it on a societal level, is hardly the Pakistan Jinnah or Iqbal wanted. Unless we fix greater 'Hadood or Limits' on the Government's say on One's personal life our present system will implode on us.

P.S I've got enough family members in the Tableeghi Jamat to know that these guys almost never get a visa application to the US refused when they're going there because barring the individualistic aspect of faith they don't really talk about 'Jihad' or even 'Political Islam'. I don't really agree with these guys...partly because they wanted me to wear 'pyjamas' when I play football ! , but I'm not sure if they're that big a threat either. Lets deal with the TTP, the Sipah Sahaba, the Punjabi Taliban and their seminaries first.