Smokers' Corner: Mice

[s90]

NFP asks if minorities will ever be treated well enough to not feel like misfits.

By Nadeem F. Paracha

Some days ago, while waiting in my car for a traffic signal to turn green, a young kid nonchalantly stuck a flyer under one of the car’s wipers. Usually I throw away such pieces of paper, but this time I decided to take a look at it. It was a flyer advertising a Montessori school called ‘Model Islamic Montessori.’

Once home, I decided to call the school and asked to be connected to the principal.

“Hello, Asalamwualaikum,” I said.
“Walaikumasslam,” came the reply. It was a lady.
“Is this the principal of Model Islamic Montessori?” I asked.
“Yes, how can I help you?”
“I have a three-year-old son whom I wanted admitted in your school,” I said.
“Okay, he’s most welcome,” she replied.
“But I have some questions,” I said.
“Sure, you can ask us anything,” she offered.
“How is your school different from the non-Islamic Montessori schools?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” She responded.
“Yours is an Islamic Montessori, right?” I said.
“Well, yes…” she hesitated a bit.
“So how is an Islamic Montessori different from a non-Islamic Montessori?” I asked again.
“Well… we teach children about their Islamic heritage and the basic principles of Islam, like roza (fasting), salat …”
“You mean namaaz?” I interrupted.
“Yes, namaaz, it’s the same thing” she explained.
“Fair enough,” I said. “What else do you guys teach the children?” I asked.
“Well, we teach them good manners and…”
“Islamic manners?” I interrupted.
“Well… yes,” she hesitated again.
“That’s good,” I said. “Islamic manners are so much better and civilised than non-Islamic manners.”
“Err, sir… may I ask you a question?” She asked, politely.
“Sure, madam."
“Why are you going on and on about Muslim and non-Muslim?” She protested.

“Well, I want my son to be in an Islamic school. And since yours says ‘Model Islamic Montessori’, I am just trying to make sure it is not like all these other non-Islamic Montessori schools out there.”

“How old is your son?” She asked.
“He’s three.”
“Why don’t you come over and we’ll take you around the school," she said.
“Do you teach them how to recite naats?” I asked.
“Yes, we do,” she replied, proudly.

“And you don’t teach them those stupid old English nursery rhymes that have sinister hidden Zionist messages in them, right?” I said.

She snickered: “Don’t know about that, sir, but yes, we do discourage teachers from teaching children nursery rhymes.”

“That good to know,” I said. “What about qawalli? Are the children taught any qawalli? I love qawalli.” I started to hum one, “Bhar do jholi meri…”

“Err… no, sir,” she interrupted. “Just naats and basic Islamiat.”

“But doesn’t a kid usually study and learn all this in a non-Islamic school as well? How is your school Islamic?” I asked.

“Sir, why don’t you come over and see for yourself,” she insisted. “No other montessori has young girls in hijab and boys in traditional Islamic dress. Come and see for yourself. You’ll be impressed,” she explained.

“Young girls in Hijab!” I sounded delighted. “Wonderful. What about the young boys?”

“They are only allowed to wear shalwar-kameez and praying caps,” she said.

“But shalwar-kameez is a national dress, not an Islamic dress,” I said. “You should have the boys wear Arabic choghas! I will make sure my son wears one.”

“What’s his name?” She asked.
“Paul Neil Fernandes Jr.,” I said.
Silence.
“Hello? Madam Principal. You there?”
“Is this a joke?” She responded, somewhat sternly.
“No, madam. Not at all. I am very serious,” I replied.
“You are Christian. Why would you want your son in an Islamic school?” She asked.

“That’s simple. Because I am Christian in an Islamic Republic. Do you know how it feels like being a religious minority in an Islamic Republic, madam?”

Silence.

“Well, I want my son to learn all the mannerisms of a good Muslim so he does not feel like a misfit!” I continued.
“Why don’t you convert then?” She replied, in a matter-of-fact manner.
“Why should I?” I said.
“Because of the way you feel,” she said.
“Why don’t you change?” I replied.
“Change?” She asked.
“Yes, change the way we are sometimes treated here.” I said.

“Sir, I don’t want to get into all this,” she announced. “And anyway, I don’t think we can accommodate your child in our school.”

“Just because he’s Christian?” I asked.
“I’m afraid so,” she said.

“But a lot of Pakistani Muslims are accommodated in Christian schools,” I protested. “Why not treat my kid as a Pakistani and more so, a human being?”

“Sir, I am sorry, but we can’t help you,” she lamented.
“What if I give you double the usual fee of your school?” I offered.
“Sir, that would be seen as a bribe,” she said.
“Not really,” I replied. “Take it as jaziah!”

 

[SSGPA1]

Nadeem has a point but he is too critical when it comes to Islamic traditions. May be he should ask the Catholic schools why are they called Catholic schools.

I am all for Islamic schools, but ones which teach nursery rhymes and naats.

 

[sparklingway]

NFP went to much down the criticism drain and degressed towards a much wider social commentary. This sentence summarized the better points of his argument:-

“But a lot of Pakistani Muslims are accommodated in Christian schools,” I protested. “Why not treat my kid as a Pakistani and more so, a human being?”

 

[Hang em High]

Lets first clear a few things then we can discuss Why should we have Islamic Schools?
First of all, if somebody uses the word Islam or any other Islamic name or symbol it doesn't mean that person is truly representing Islam.
Secondly, in Pakistan minorities are treated far better than that in many other economically advanced countries. Hai we don't ask them to wear or not to wear anything!!! [though they have to wear something ].
Thirdly, its not about having a catholic or Islamic school! its about ownership of your culture. Accepting that who you are.
Read Outliers [by Malcom Gladwell], our cultures define us for generations, even after getting out of the geographical areas out parental cultures are based in.
Economic and technological advancement doesn't means that the costumes of one society are any better or worst than any other. One can work as intelligently in a Levi jeans as in Dhoti. It a matter of attitude.

 

[Hang em High]

One thing I have noticed is that we are too apologetic for being who we are. [i don't know but psychologists must have a good term for it].
If one an internal tour someone asks us 'are you Pakistani?'
we blush and say yes in a very ashamed manner... as if it was the will of God... i couldn't have done anything about it.
Then are you muslim too???
Are we turn red and try to form a response as if we were saying ' yeah mate i am gonna do something about it soon'. or we will say 'yeah but that really matters'.
I am surprised if it didn't why did it came in the conversation.

Man..... did we bombed Nagasaki and heroshima,
did we started world wars,
did we caused millions of people to migrate,
Do we consume 30% of world resources and leave millions to starve,
Did we started wars and then ran tail in toes,
I think more Muslims and more Pakistanis have died in terrorist attacks than any other nationality, religion or country.

Peshawar alone has faced 64 suicide attacks recently.
Dears we have to understand, we are not the oppressors, we are the oppressed. And we have to be proud to be Humans, Muslims and Pakistanis.

 

[SSGPA1]

One thing I have noticed is that we are too apologetic for being who we are. [i don't know but psychologists must have a good term for it].
If one an internal tour someone asks us 'are you Pakistani?'
we blush and say yes in a very ashamed manner... as if it was the will of God... i couldn't have done anything about it.
Then are you muslim too???
Are we turn red and try to form a response as if we were saying ' yeah mate i am gonna do something about it soon'. or we will say 'yeah but that really matters'.
I am surprised if it didn't why did it came in the conversation.

Man..... did we bombed Nagasaki and heroshima,
did we started world wars,
did we caused millions of people to migrate,
Do we consume 30% of world resources and leave millions to starve,
Did we started wars and then ran tail in toes,
I think more Muslims and more Pakistanis have died in terrorist attacks than any other nationality, religion or country.

Peshawar alone has faced 64 suicide attacks recently.
Dears we have to understand, we are not the oppressors, we are the oppressed. And we have to be proud to be Humans, Muslims and Pakistanis.

You have completly missed the point of the article and our comments. We are proud to be Pakistanis and Muslims and we would like to see all minorities treated equally and fairly in Pakistan.

I personally don't give two sweet sh**s about how others treat minorities in their respective countries, my concern is only Pakistan.

 

[Meesna]

Secondly, in Pakistan minorities are treated far better than that in many other economically advanced countries.

Really? When was the last time a few Muslims were burnt alive in any of the economically advanced countries?

Let's not be too awakward with this and stay with facts.

 

[Hang em High]

Really? When was the last time a few Muslims were burnt alive in any of the economically advanced countries?

Let's not be too awkward with this and stay with facts.

Well that was very sad... but again man we don't ask them not to wear their religious symbol... or hate them for which God they worship... or don't abuse them for who they... or things their fellows have done... how many Christine have we murdered after US attacks on Iraq or Afghanistan... or how many Hindus have we killed after Hindu Muslim riots in neighborhood. We neither take revenge on our countrymen for things they haven't done nor do we stop them from following their religions... and about that burning thing.... i think it need some background check it was not done because they were not muslims but because they had burnt and had some blasphemous thing about the Holy Quran.