Ummah Yearnings

[muse]

Even after the publishing of what every Pakistani already knew, namely that the Saudi and Emerati fund Madaress liked to particular ideologies and therefore terrorism in Pakistan --- Some in Pakistan, yearn to be united with the arbi - what explains this ??





Yearning for a Muslim ummah
Syed Kamran Hashmi


The nostalgia of an exalted and united Muslim ummah (nation) is responsible for the identity crisis among Pakistanis, which impedes the development of strong nationalism. Its roots can be traced to the Two-Nation theory, the glimpses of which can be witnessed in the writings of Allama Iqbal. The longing for compassionate brotherhood among Muslims creates confusion in the minds of Pakistanis when they suffer humiliation and exploitation at the hands of their Muslim brothers in Arab countries.

The condescending attitude of Arabs towards Muslims of non-Arab origin should not surprise us. Pakistanis living in the Middle Eastern countries have endured this derogatory and discriminatory behaviour for decades now. The immigration policy, which prohibits the extension of any property or citizenship rights to the foreigners working in these states, is also a reflection of their racial bias against the Muslims of the subcontinent. On the contrary, their attitude is very respectful, courteous and generous when it comes to the Caucasians of the US or any of the Western European countries. This discrimination can also be discerned in the huge salary difference between Americans or Europeans and Pakistanis or Indians with equal levels of qualification and experience.

The concept of racial supremacy also manifests itself in their official documents, where Arabs allegedly identify themselves as whites while we mark our ethnicity as Asians. Their assumptions in religious matters are also startling, as some Arabs believe that understanding of the Arabic language is a prerequisite to comprehending the concepts of Islam completely. In some extreme cases, it is believed that the Divine pardon can only be bestowed upon Arabic-speaking Muslims.

The Two-Nation theory identifies Muslims of the subcontinent on the basis of their faith instead of their association with the homeland. This leads them to continue to yearn for a larger, more powerful and united Muslim ummah in the world. This ideology of pan-Islamism, which later on gave rise to the ‘Ideology of Pakistan’, had a tremendous role in carving out a separate homeland but failed to unite the Pakistanis to achieve the objectives of independence. Even after 64 years, the Pakistani population, though predominantly Muslim, remains deeply fragmented on regional, ethnic and linguistic bases.

It is the religious identification through the Two-Nation theory that has led us to regard people of Arab and Persian origin as our heroes. We praise the efforts of these military commanders for their services to Islam but ignore the fact that they invaded our homeland. The list of such characters includes the likes of Mahmud Ghaznavi, Muhammad bin Qasim, Zaheeruddin Babar, who are revered celebrities of Pakistanis. At the same time, we blatantly show animosity and hostility towards local commanders due to their religious faith even if they stood up against the invading armies to protect the homeland. In our search for faith-based inspiration, we also remain oblivious as a nation of the services of King Porus who stood up against Alexander the Great.

A vast majority of Pakistani Muslims do not have an Arab, Turkish or Persian descent; they are natives of this land. Yet, after converting to Islam, they disowned their cultural heritage. They, instead, took pride in becoming the colonies of Arabs and Turks in the name of Islam and considered them as their saviours. On the other hand, even though the foreign rulers shared the same religion with us, they did not treat the converted Indian Muslims with the same honour and dignity as they treated their fellow countrymen. Razia Sultan is a great example. She had a Turk heritage and had to lose the crown as a punishment for her transgression when she wanted to install local Muslims in high official positions.

Our faith should act as a stimulus, not an obstacle, for the emergence of our national identity like it does for Iranians, Egyptians and Turks. These nations, while sticking to their religion, have not compromised on their national heritage. Even after the Islamic revolution in Iran, the Iranians preserved and boast of their history and pre-Islamic Persian civilisation. They are neither hesitant nor ashamed of their heritage before the dawn of Islam. The same goes for the Egyptians; they are predominantly Muslim but are proud of their history, which includes the pharaohs and their structural monuments like the pyramids and the Sphinx.

Historically, Muslims have always been divided into various factions and the propensity of a religion to ignite sectarianism, which further fragments society, can be detrimental to the future prospects of any country. We will have to join hands as one nation and give up our infatuation with a united ummah for a more realistic and pragmatic goal of a united Pakistan. We need to grow out of our own dark ages through building a strong Pakistan as our sole identity.

The writer is a freelance columnist residing in the US. He can be reached at skhashmi@yahoo.com

 

[Pioneerfirst]

There is no practical word "Ummah" in the world.Muslims are divided e.g tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia,Some muslim countries supporting attack on Libya,seecterian thinking etc.Pakistan was the best Islamic country in 60s but when we stood up for Ummah in 80s we were destroyed and destruction continues today.So forget about Ummah no other religion in the world uses such term for themselves,we use and situation is evident.

 

[muse]

Pioneer

check out what the author has to say, pretty much like yourself:

We will have to join hands as one nation and give up our infatuation with a united ummah for a more realistic and pragmatic goal of a united Pakistan. We need to grow out of our own dark ages through building a strong Pakistan as our sole identity.

 

[Truth Teller]

Even after the Islamic revolution in Iran, the Iranians preserved and boast of their history and pre-Islamic Persian civilisation. They are neither hesitant nor ashamed of their heritage before the dawn of Islam. The same goes for the Egyptians; they are predominantly Muslim but are proud of their history, which includes the pharaohs and their structural monuments like the pyramids and the Sphinx.

Exactly this. Pakistanis should take pride in Indus Valley Cilvization (the world's oldest, richest civlization). We should take pride in Vedic civlization.

We should take pride in our King Porus whom Alexander the great fought his most difficult battle with, Alexander was almost defeated by King Porus. Some historians even claim Alexander was deafeated in Pakistan by King Porus.

History shows the Arabs and Mongols were defeated in Pakistan.

We should take pride in the fact the world's first university was developed in Pakistan, Punjab, Taxila.

Pakistanis should stop allowing bhartis to take credit for the achievements of Pakistani's ancestors. The reason bhartis can easily lay claim of Pakistani heritage is due to Pakistani's ignorance.

Look how defensive Egyptians are towards those Afro-centrists who have the nerve to claim the Egyptian history and civlization as their own. Pakistanis must defend their heritage and history against these bharti-centrists in the same manner as the Egyptians.

Though I think this article makes the situation sound alot worse than it actually is. If you search online, you will find hundreds of Bloggs and articles written by Pakistanis taking pride in their native history and heritage.

 

[muse]

Exactly this. Pakistanis shoiuld take pride in Indus Valley Ciclization (the world's oldest, richest civlization). We should take pride in Vedic civlization. We should take pride in King Porus. We should take pride in the fact the world's first university was develpoed in Pakistan, Taxila.

Pakistanis should stop allowing Indians to take credit for the achievements of Pakistani's ancestors.

And so why don't we?? Again, the unfortunate answer is Islamism -- We have become more jahil than the arbi, we hate our own history, our own heros - for the likes of Bin Qassim - stranger than fiction -- and we for reasons I'm not sure I understand, have zero confidence in ourselves as Muslims -

 

[SQ8]

Whilst I agree with the idea that Pakistan must be united first.. damage has already been done which now necessitates using Islam to clean up a mess left by the misuse of sub-Islamic teachings.
The cause of a united ummah may not be the calling card for such a movement, but it must incorporate elements from it, to offer a more balanced yet more attractive alternative to the terrorists and their likes roaming the streets of Pakistan.

Whether or not it was "pakistan ka matlab kya La-ilaha illallah".. it has come to point that it has become the only way to save it.

 

[Kompromat]

Whilst I agree with the idea that Pakistan must be united first.. damage has already been done which now necessitates using Islam to clean up a mess left by the misuse of sub-Islamic teachings.
The cause of a united ummah may not be the calling card for such a movement, but it must incorporate elements from it, to offer a more balanced yet more attractive alternative to the terrorists and their likes roaming the streets of Pakistan.

Whether or not it was "pakistan ka matlab kya La-ilaha illallah".. it has come to point that it has become the only way to save it.

I would like to take your view on implications for Pakistan of arab spring & how we should position ourselves? .

 

[T-Faz]

And so why don't we?? Again, the unfortunate answer is Islamism -- We have become more jahil than the arbi, we hate our own history, our own heros - for the likes of Bin Qassim - stranger than fiction -- and we for reasons I'm not sure I understand, have zero confidence in ourselves as Muslims -

We grow up with this nonsense about Bin Qasim being our hero, how shameful to have a hero who was killed brutally just because he did not send some slave girl to Arabia for the kings pleasure.

I would never want a hero like this so called man whose goal was to capture and send a beautiful girl to the king for gratification.

In reality when the Arabs first came to this region, they were heavily defeated at Makran by the local people.

Raja Dahir is our hero, he gave shelter to the family of Mohammed (SAW) when they were being hunted down, he fought bravely.

Even though his later life is controversial, he made this region proud, the arabs won later only because the locals supported them.

But alas, they were kicked out again.

I have only recently started reading and learning about history, we are a people of a great civilization and we have a great past.

We do not need to borrow a shameful history of another people, we have our own.

 

[T-Faz]

Whilst I agree with the idea that Pakistan must be united first.. damage has already been done which now necessitates using Islam to clean up a mess left by the misuse of sub-Islamic teachings.
The cause of a united ummah may not be the calling card for such a movement, but it must incorporate elements from it, to offer a more balanced yet more attractive alternative to the terrorists and their likes roaming the streets of Pakistan.

Whether or not it was "pakistan ka matlab kya La-ilaha illallah".. it has come to point that it has become the only way to save it.

This attitude comes across as appeasing, why should there be any appeasement when you very well know that all it takes is one small step in the wrong direction and it all goes wrong.

The idea of incorporating elements from Ummah is not feasible, firstly because the idea of an Ummah varies from sect to sect, secondly we cannot favor one sect over the other for this particular implementation.

The only alternate is to openly accept that Pakistan is an heir to the proud history that we have from this region.

We have to be our own people and we have a great past that we should use to unite ourselves.

 

[SQ8]

I would like to take your view on implications for Pakistan of arab spring & how we should position ourselves? .

In one word... Nothing.. take no sides as of yet publically. Yet it falls to both Intel agencies.. and embassy staff to keep contacts with all sides.
For eg... in Libya, its clear that the rebels are on the upsurge.. still, the position taken by both sides has nationalistic rather than religious fervor to it.
The best line is to support peace thru negotiations, whereby you make no enemies.
It may seem hypocritical at this time, and a side must be chosen.. however for that to happen one must have sufficient intel on the groundwork for the parties, who supports them? what are their demands and goals?
Our ISI is currently ill-connected to get the correct info( assuming there is an actual government policy on the arab spring and that there has been a comprehensive meeting of the NSC on it) since its connections were and most likely still are with the agencies of the states experiencing the uprising and therefore would only get a one sided view.
If this was truly a government and a intelligent parliament.. there would have been a debate on this in the NA.
Alas.. things are as they are..

 

[SQ8]

This attitude comes across as appeasing, why should there be any appeasement when you very well know that all it takes is one small step in the wrong direction and it all goes wrong.

The idea of incorporating elements from Ummah is not feasible, firstly because the idea of an Ummah varies from sect to sect, secondly we cannot favor one sect over the other for this particular implementation.

The only alternate is to openly accept that Pakistan is a the heir to the proud history that we have from this region.

We have to be our own people and we have a great past that we should use to unite ourselves.

But herien lies the problem.
India too is heir to the history..
it may be too much to ask to justify Pakistan's existence, since that is long done and no longer relevant... but what is our purpose as a nation?
What people do we stand for? The IVC? the "khurasaans" ?
The idea is not to appease the misled ones, the idea is to contest them on their own ground.
Yes Pakistan was made with the Muslim electorate of India in mind, Yes it stands for promoting harmony between nations, both Muslim and non-Muslims... and Yes it stands to voice the cause of the majority of its populous as well... the majority DOES wish for increased co-operation between Muslim states, the Majority DOES compromise of people tired with western hypocrisy over Israel..
The majority does oppose the hegemony of one power over the rest.
The Majority.. over 80%, do have Islam play a major role in their lives.. and want to (if albeit a little selectively) have it play more of a role.
However, Pakistan will not stand for intolerance, it will not stand for mindless violence, it does not stand for imposition of draconian and misinterpreted laws..

By presenting a secular view, one grants more strength to these misled factions who will exploit the sentiment of the people..
people that are tired, hungry and poor.. They have witnessed that at the end of the day.. their prayer does land them something.. so believe in it.
You remove that out of the equation, the only thing that seems real to them.. and they will revolt.

As to where it goes wrong.. well.. it was wrong to begin with.. Zia's attempts were to boost his own power.. the same goes for others.
Falzur Rehman and many other JI folks use selective ayat's to present a distorted viewpoint.. this is wrong.. and must be countered by reteaching such ideals.

(the fact that I am a star wars fan may not be beneficial to my argument..but these days its the best analogy I can come up with to say what I wish to..George lucas would be proud..those that have not seen star wars.. cant help you)

Right now, the Taliban and their seemingly more pacifist likes roaming the streets and the internet are the Sith.. the "dark side" of Islam..
They offer a more belligerent, a more angry version of Islam.. which appeals to all those in fear of their lives, their living.. (roti, kapra and makaan etc).
Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate ala intolerance, militancy and its associated cousins.
And the Force is strong with this nation, which is why it also gets swayed easily.
You cannot fight that ideology using conventional means.. you need the Jedi to do that.. the idea is out there. it exists...
it is this sort of ideology that will not only counter such "dark" ideals.. it will also stand to better counter other threats to Pakistan that may or may not exist...and other threats that are emerging on the horizon for those such as me who do believe in a "Ummah".
The problem is outlining and steering clear of the line that leads to Anakin Skywalkers becoming Darth Vaders..
that line can be established by a consensus.. it is not easy.. but it is not impossible as well.

 

[T-Faz]

But herien lies the problem.
India too is heir to the history..
it may be too much to ask to justify Pakistan's existence, since that is long done and no longer relevant... but what is our purpose as a nation?

India does not claim the Indus Valley Civilization as it own, it may claim the Mauryan Civilization and ones that originated from land within the boundaries of current day india. It also does not claim Raja Dahir, Porus and a number of others as its own history, we occupy this land and we have a right to it, it is as simple as that.

Similarly we do not have to justify anything to anyone, all I am stating is that we need to appreciate our history and unite using it as a basis of our foundation. If we keep claiming Ummah as our future goal, we will always be subservient to another nation and its people who have different goals.

What people do we stand for? The IVC? the "khurasaans" ?
The idea is not to appease the misled ones, the idea is to contest them on their own ground.
Yes Pakistan was made with the Muslim electorate of India in mind, Yes it stands for promoting harmony between nations, both Muslim and non-Muslims... and Yes it stands to voice the cause of the majority of its populous as well... the majority DOES wish for increased co-operation between Muslim states, the Majority DOES compromise of people tired with western hypocrisy over Israel..

You can contest them by showing them the reality, that the Ummah dream is of nothing but negation to us and our past.

The so called majority has been brain washed to such an extent that we have an alarming number in this nation who openly support murder in the name of religion. This majority is not thinking of humanity but rather a developed sense of religiosity that is slowly devouring one and all in this nation/state.

What has Israel got to do with anyway, this is about Pakistan not Israel or other Muslims states.

Our goal should be to look our for the interest of this nation and not other Muslim states or Israel.

The majority does oppose the hegemony of one power over the rest.
The Majority.. over 80%, do have Islam play a major role in their lives.. and want to (if albeit a little selectively) have it play more of a role.
However, Pakistan will not stand for intolerance, it will not stand for mindless violence, it does not stand for imposition of draconian and misinterpreted laws..

The majority chose the likes of Zardari to lead us, the majority chose the likes of Sharif to lead us.

I am very sure the majority is not capable of making rational and well thought out decisions.

The majority can have Islam play a role in their lives, no one here is asking for people to stop practicing Islam, no one here is asking for Islam to limited.

All that is asked is for Islam not play a role in politics, is that too much to ask because it is this use of political Islam that has caused intolerance, mindless violence and regressive laws.

By presenting a secular view, one grants more strength to these misled factions who will exploit the sentiment of the people..
people that are tired, hungry and poor.. They have witnessed that at the end of the day.. their prayer does land them something.. so believe in it.
You remove that out of the equation, the only thing that seems real to them.. and they will revolt.

Its about countering these people, no one is advocating a sudden implementation of anything drastic but rather a well planned campaign to instill humanity, tolerance, goodwill and faith amongst the people of the nation.

By appeasing these groups we have allowed the extremists to toy with public sentiment unabated. No one is asking anyone to stop praying or forcing them even, its about limitation of Islam in the political arena, you can follow any faith in your personal capacity.

Your argument follows the same old mentality instilled into Pakistani's that by limiting Islam in politics, somehow Islam will also be limited in your personal life.

That is not the case, Islam can be practiced openly and freely but political Islam must end

As to where it goes wrong.. well.. it was wrong to begin with.. Zia's attempts were to boost his own power.. the same goes for others.
Falzur Rehman and many other JI folks use selective ayat's to present a distorted viewpoint.. this is wrong.. and must be countered by reteaching such ideals.

This is why I advocate a stop to political Islam, you can on a personal level continue to do what you want, preach, pray and openly declare your religion. But political Islam must not be used, it has harmed us a lot and we cannot allow it to happen anymore.

(the fact that I am a star wars fan may not be beneficial to my argument..but these days its the best analogy I can come up with to say what I wish to..George lucas would be proud)

Right now, the Taliban and their seemingly more pacifist likes roaming the streets and the internet are the Sith.. the "dark side" of Islam..
They offer a more belligerent, a more angry version of Islam.. which appeals to all those in fear of their lives, their living.. (roti, kapra and makaan etc).
Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate ala intolerance, militancy and its associated cousins.
And the Force is strong with this nation, which is why it also gets swayed easily.
You cannot fight that ideology using conventional means.. you need the Jedi to do that.. the idea is out there. it exists...
it is this sort of ideology that will not only counter such "dark" ideals.. it will also stand to better counter other threats to Pakistan that may or may not exist...and other threats that are emerging on the horizon for those such as me who do believe in a "Ummah".
The problem is outlining and steering clear of the line that leads to Anakin Skywalkers becoming Darth Vaders..
that line can be established by a consensus.. it is not easy.. but it is not impossible as well.

Well, use the force, that is the only way out.

 

[muse]

Two really curious responses from you Santro -- I'm sure you have given these much thought so please do try to explain it in some detail --

You say the solution to Islamism is more of it?? Please elaborate

and please comment on whether you think there is any merit in pursuing the "material" aspect of culture -- you refer to the Talib types as the dark side of Islam, an incredible statement, you basically are saying that blowing up shrines, schools, making misogyny the law , forcing people on pain of death to do away with their conscience, is Islam -- well, it isn't, it will never be Islam.

All these ills, not in Arabia, but in Pakistan, are due to our inattention to the "material" aspects of culture.

Now about history

India too is heir to the history..
it may be too much to ask to justify Pakistan's existence, since that is long done and no longer relevant... but what is our purpose as a nation?
What people do we stand for? The IVC? the "khurasaans" ?

Why the problem with India but not the problem with Algeria ka matlab kya or Misr ka matlab kya -- India is heir to multiple heritages, just as Pakistan is -- where did this exclusive business come from??

What do people stand for?? But why this question does not arise in relation tor Iran or Arabia or Turkiye, why just in relation to India?

Now don't get me wrong, India is heir, because we have been persuaded to abandon our heritage -- if the heritage is in Pakistan, it belongs to Pakistan

The solution to Islamism is not more Islamism --- this idea has endangered Islam and Muslims -- the solution to Islamism is to reassert that the world of our material existence is much much more than religious sciences, that the very idea of science negates the exclusivist claim, that the very idea of science suggests an open universe, there is no greater defeat for the closed universe of Islamism.

 

[Vinod2070]

A vast majority of Pakistani Muslims do not have an Arab, Turkish or Persian descent; they are natives of this land. Yet, after converting to Islam, they disowned their cultural heritage. They, instead, took pride in becoming the colonies of Arabs and Turks in the name of Islam and considered them as their saviours. On the other hand, even though the foreign rulers shared the same religion with us, they did not treat the converted Indian Muslims with the same honour and dignity as they treated their fellow countrymen.

This part is always puzzling for non Muslims. One doesn't see anyone else doing it. One doesn't see Christians in India or Pakistan thinking they are Europeans or Americans for example.

After reading a book by V S Naipaul, I understood that this phenomenon exists. It's cause still remains a mystery. It is just so counter intuitive.

 

[somebozo]

The loose concept of ummah can be defined as a fedration of Islamic countries adhering to common law, relaxed taxation and integration business interests and favorable taxes and commerce towards each other. Sort of like a unitied regional and commericial block on the lines of NAFTA and EU.

Thinking of ummah united as one large visa free country is a fools dream and will led to shattering like that of soviet union..
Individualism and nationalism will always take over communal unification no matter how hard you try.
Its better to work with in the constrains than hopelessly try to break them.