2+2=5 ?

When the protagonist of the classic Orwell novel 1984 is asked during torture whether 2+2 equals 5, he wonders if the state makes it true and everybody is made to believe it, does that make 2+2=5 true?

Used in a novel published in 1949, Orwell’s allegory for totalitarianism, revisionism and the sheep like behavior of gullible citizens still rings true. 

Pakistan too suffers from this 2+2=5 syndrome. Does our educational system produce a crop of students who are able to think out of the box, challenge existing notions and have the courage to bring change? Is creativity encouraged or discouraged. Sadly the answer to these questions is no. Our educational system does not produce such a crop of students and yes, creativity is discouraged. Barring the institutions that are located in our apparently progressive and elite urban bubbles, curiosity and questioning is discouraged, though putting the blame solely on the educational system would be unfair. 

Take a look at our culture, after all every institution that exists in this country is derived from our culture. Does our culture promote values of free speech, encourage curiosity and applaud change?

Years ago when studying biology in my 9^th class, our teacher skipped the chapter on evolution because it was un-Islamic.  In my 2^nd year, my physics teacher spent two class sessions explaining to us in no less detail about the physical and mathematical proofs of Shab e Mairaj. No questions were asked, nor were we expected to ask. Who would have dared to ask? 

Including religious content in school textbooks and especially scientific textbooks discourages the student’s ability to think and reason with an open mind. Recently, Maulana Sherani, chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology called for ‘introducing a uniform system of education throughout the country, integrating religious teachings with the contemporary, mainstream education’. In other words, he envisions a madrassafied educational system of Pakistan while remaining completely oblivious to the rising sectarian tensions, religious extremism and economic strife. But Maulana sahib is a product of this system, what else he could have said?

Putting aside educational institutions, would questioning our values be allowed in our culture? The images of Salman Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti and Sabeen Mehmud pop up as a warning. Question and you will share the same fate. Many pens stop. Many cerebral cogs cease to work. The murderer of Sabeen Mehmud was an IBA graduate, but more so he was the product of this culturally constrained educational machinery. When confronted with facts which threaten to bring down everything you have been taught to believe is true, turning to violence is only but natural. What sort of educated aalim was Aamir Liaquat Husain when he spewed vicious comments on the Ahmadi minority on live television? Weren’t those who introduced Blasphemy law and laying foundations of hatred towards no Muslims, products of this system?

Extremism is a product of this system and it exists on both ends of our country’s religious spectrum. Moderation is but a wispy figment of our imagination. 

Look at the scenario unfolding on Pakistani social media. The people either out rightly accept a news or out rightly reject it. Everything is seen in a George Bush-esque black and white perspective. The amount of vitriol that is spewed out, the amount of hate that is generated, the number of unfounded accusations passionately advocated, give us an insight into the mind of an educated and tech savvy Pakistani- the so called future. The exploits of Imran Khan’s social media supporters have been discussed by every respected journalist. Say anything about PTI and you would be harassed by trolls who will insist on you to take your words back. Scratch that, you will find many extremist organizations like ASWJ running their social media accounts with ease and spreading their toxic ideology to the gullible and mostly young social media users. Don’t forget the Rawalpindi sponsored ghairat brigade as well. Criticize the ‘boys’ and you will face an onslaught of jingoist zombies who will make you cringe with their indoctrinated wisdom.

 Moderation has become but a wispy figment of our imagination. The age old machinery continues to churn out more obsolete products.

The practice of revisionism and adding religious hues to textbooks that started in Bhutto’s time, intensified in Zia’s era and given an added momentum in Musharraf’s years has put Pakistan on a path which only leads to religious fascism. 

No matter how much funds are reserved for educational growth, it still won’t matter if the children are taught to believe in the superiority of their own faith, suspect minorities and present faith inspired counter arguments. Our textbooks glorify the battles between Muslims and Hindus. The Hindus are introduced as uncultured folk who are shown the light of culture by the Muslim invaders. And they always end up deceiving Muslims. Imagine being a Hindu child in a Pakistani classroom. In our secondary level social studies textbooks, Muslims of Pakistan are always told to be related to Arabs, Turks and Persians. No link to South Asia is ever mentioned. One religion is taught to be made up of a Master Race and other minority religions are taught to consist of second class citizens. What sort of adults will our children become after being fed with such drivel? Outside of academic institutions, people around these children continue to inculcate them with ideas of segregation, intolerance and being subservient to the existing moth eaten culture which has brought Pakistan to this state where governance without patronage of criminal activities is impossible and where vote is still given on caste, creed and connections not on the manifesto and resume.

For these moth eaten societal structures to change we have to ask ourselves the ultimate questions

If your religion says that 2+2=5, would you accept it?
If your culture says that 2+2=5, would you accept it?

Another Islamophobic Movie: Please Ignore

After numerous deaths, burnings, protests, suicide attacks, website bans and religio-jingoism laced TV Talk Shows later, it seems like we are going back to square one.  Another Anti Islam ‘movie’ called, The Innocent Prophet - Life of Muhammad from the Point of View of an Ex-Muslim, is being released by an ‘Ex-Muslim’ and a Pakistani refugee in Spain, named Imran Firasat. The usual suspects Dr. Terry Jones and Islam Watch .Org are collaborating on the film project, which is supposed to be a documentary questioning whether the Prophet of Islam promoted peace and showing how Islam spreads violence. The tried and tested formula of spewing out amateurish and laughable Anti Islamic bilge in the name of Freedom of Expression is again being used.

Imran Firasat

The documentary was supposed to be released on 14th December 2012, but after a fierce back lash from Muslim groups, and most importantly, after warnings by the government of Spain that he might be deported back to Pakistan if he continues with the attempt, Imran Firasat has decided to temporarily delay the launch of his documentary which he says will be released online after he has shown the authorities that  there is “nothing in this movie which doesn´t fall under the right of freedom of expression” and which, “will not cause any kind of loss to humanity”. You are allowed to roll your eyes.

What is anticipated from this documentary is more Anti Islam rhetoric and what is also expected is the violent Muslim reaction which will certainly lead to a couple of deaths and after a few days, when all the hate from either side has been spilled out, when Muslim conservatives will have strengthened their positions in their respective societies, this incident will be forgotten. The perpetrators of anti Islamic speech will again prepare for a hate campaign, which as the trend shows are becoming more moronic with each attempt.

But, let us not give importance to an another kiddish attempt against Islam, it pains me when I see innocent lives lost over things that will be forgotten after a couple of days, what will not come back are the persons who will lose their lives.

But having said that it is worth noting that the amount of content vilifying Islam and Muslims has increased as of late, and thanks to the clerics from our side, the anti Islam hatemongers  are finding themselves publicized without any advertising overhead to worry about. Let’s face it; The Innocence of the Muslims would not have spread like a wildfire if the Egyptian clerics hadn’t showed the clips on national televisions. And it’s not that the Muslims are violent by nature, it’s just that if you keep playing the hateful images again and again in front of an already infuriated audience, you are bound to incense them further. This is what George W Bush and Co. did with the American public by stamping the images of burning Twin Towers on the minds of ordinary American citizens and created a war hysteria that would see Iraq and Afghanistan devastated and USA slumping into recession.

The solution to these issues lies not in more violence, but providing logical counter arguments to the detractors. In reacting violently against such rubbish attempts to malign the Muslim World , it would be a much better option if we made movies, documentaries and arranged interfaith conferences that reflect the Islam that our Prophet (PBUH) preached and not the Islam that Terry Jones and Imran Firasat want the world to believe.  It astonishes me to see that how easily we fall for the tricks of these hate mongers and forget the lessons of peace and patience that Islam has taught us. It pains me to see that we readily ignore the works of many Islamic organizations in western countries who strive day and night to promote the real Islam while Terry Jones and Co. get prime time space on our TV sets.  Yes, sooner or later, this hate-filled documentary is going to be released and yes, the Islamophobes will continue to indulge in their odium against Islam, but we have to show ourselves to be above such irrational, imprudent and comic attempts. There are better and more peaceful ways to protest. My request to religious leaders is to show responsibility and calm the masses should any attempt is made.

The last words belong to a homeopathy student Sabahat Siddiqui, who in response to this incident told me,

If the world desires any kind of peace, there must be laws to stop such hateful material to be made or published against any religion! All faiths are from the God and should be respected likewise.

Because man is much more sexual in nature than women!

In Reply to Bina Shah (Nudity and the Niqab: The Debate Continues) __________________________________________________________________________ First, I would start by partially agreeing with your statement that women should be allowed to wear whatever they choose. Moreover, I wish that (to quote you) "One day, women will be free to make their own choices about their clothing, and men will simply have to get out of the way." Nevertheless, here is a question that arises when I read your blog; should there be a limit to what a woman chooses to wear? Should the women -and for that matter men as well-be allowed to wear literally anything that they want to wear? Can I as a man be allowed to walk into my office wearing nothing but white boxer shorts and a top hat? Will the office management allow me to wear that? If it doesn't, then should I brand my office management as myopic rigid and conservative shmucks?

The reason behind all this controversy on the niqabs, burkas, hijabs and abayas is the misunderstanding of the original message words of Quran. Hijab in the Quran is used to denote a modest dress. A sort of separation between men and women, it was not implied in the Quran as the covering of the whole female body as we see it today. In fact the word Hijab was misunderstood by the Islamic jurisprudents to mean 'satr' which implies covering up yourself, which if used in the context of Hijab, actually bars women from going outside and remain locked up inside their homes which of course is impractical. The basic premise of Quran is to place restrictions on both men and women in regards to their conduct outside their homes. But an important factor to consider here is that the verses were revealed back in the 7th century and were primarily meant to guide the Muslims in those formative years. However, the views that would have been perfectly sane and rational in those times cannot be held as practical in this era, that much we have to give to the Muslim liberals. If revisit the Quranic verses that order the women to remain covered and hidden in their houses, we find the following: “O wives of the Prophet! You are not as other women..." (33:32) "Remain in your houses." (33:33) Here we see that the restrictions that were reserved for the wives of the Prophet (PBUH) were taken by the jurisprudents to mean as general instructions for all the women. These instructions in those days were the ancient equivalent of modern security procedures regarding the family members of high-ranking officials and public figures, which of course can’t simply be applied to the public. What the Quran actually says is, "Say to the believing men to cast down their glance and guard their private parts..." (24:30), thus, it imposes a restriction on Muslim men and women regarding their conduct. And (to the chagrin of the liberals) these restrictions are neither fantastic nor impractical. In all the civilized western countries there laws against nudity as well as sexual offences. Society, thus itself imposes laws on what we wear and how we choose to act, something, which -to its credit-Islam outlined back in the 7th century AD. Yes, the concept of Hijab is there in Quran, but the Hijab that we refer today to as THE Hijab, is more related to the Arab culture, which we like to idealize in the same way as the medieval western nations idealized the Vatican and later the Renaissance gripped Europe idealized the ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Thus, I leave it upon you to decide which culture you would like to follow and how much promiscuity would you be willing to allow in the society. I really do agree with your statement that women should be allowed to wear whatever they choose to wear but restrictions should be there, why? Because man is much more sexual in nature than women -Ref: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cultural-animal/201012/the-reality-the-male-sex-drive http://www.webmd.com/sex/features/sex-drive-how-do-men-women-compare It is this sexual nature of man that if suppressed or given a free ticket lead to sexual crimes. I again repeat that the extreme, suppression (in the case of Arab and South Asian cultures) and liberalization (in the case of Western nations) will only bring sexual harm to the women. Thus, restrictions on what women and men wear will I am afraid always be there but it depends whether we gravitate towards extreme conservatism or extreme liberalization or should we choose the middle way-the moderate way, which is neither liberal nor conservative. Miss Bina Shah's said blog can be accessed at http://binashah.blogspot.nl/2012/07/nudity-and-niqab-debate-continues.html

Spiritually, Morally and Politically Corrupt.

The people of Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) were funny people. Funny in a way that when in 1453, hundreds of thousands of Ottoman Muslim soldiers were standing at its gates, they still found time to search for divine signs of their victory and debate on who was a good Christian or a bad Christian, whether the pope in Rome was going to accept their Orthodox Christianity, whether this part of the Bible was right or wrong, and when would the angels descend on Earth to wipe off the Muslim armies that were standing outside the city gates and getting impatient to decapitate every single one of them. They took furious pride in their history. They remembered how in the distant past their ancestors had repelled each and every Muslim invasion on their city and how they had made their city a jewel of the known world. And just that. The Muslims on the other hand never gave up their hope of conquering that bastion of Christianity in the east. And their hopes came to fruition when Sultan Mehmet delivered Constantinople to them (credit to Mehmet for not allowing widespread bloodshed and giving express orders to protect the city's historical artifacts-compare that to Bush's invasion of Iraq). Sultan Mehmet was a sly and ruthless monarch. He used the latest and most advanced technology of his day to capture vast territories. He was ruthless. But ingenious and cunning. To add insult to Christianity he in fact recruited thousands of Christians from the Balkans to fight for his cause promising them land, wealth and women. Few of them ever converted to Islam-and no one compelled them. According to studies, 70 percent of advisors in Saladin’s (the hero of Islamic Armies in the Crusades) court were Jewish. But the Mullah doesn’t want you to know this. Does he?

So, do you notice eerie similarities between the Constantinople of 1453 and the Pakistan and Muslim World of today? Both of them being involved in stupid religious debates. Both having a corrupt bureaucracy and religious clergy (The Emperor of Constantinople was at least good- nonetheless a bit foolish).

The Mullah curse

Both refuse to adapt to the changing world and both are victims of a superpower state. Christian Constantinople collapsed and became pre dominantly Muslim, what about Pakistan....??? I heard that the Muslims in Iraq are rapidly converting to Christianity, so much so that entire churches are being built for accommodating the increasing numbers.

Iraqis and Afghanis are openly converting Christianity.

The killing of Salman Taseer on 4 Jan was a grim reminder of the fact that the nation (including the politicians) is now spiritually, morally, and politically corrupt. Killing a man because he said something contradictory to your beliefs? And what beliefs were they? Oh yeah, he chose to defend a Christian woman, having children, who “”allegedly”” said something about the Prophet (SAWS) that the villagers found blasphemous. And now she's being sentenced to death under the 'Black' Blasphemy law. Yes, that is exactly why he was killed; he termed the blasphemy law as a Black Law (I agree with him too). For all his political faults, he chose to act exactly how a good Muslim should. And who are we to judge that who is a good Muslim or a bad Muslim... Oh, sorry I forgot, the Mullah. This black law that was created by Zia has been effectively used by ‘pious’ men to take revenge from their 'non Muslim' enemies. If you are, a landlord and you happen to want a plot of land belonging to a poor non- Muslim, then worry not, the Tauheen e Risalat qanoon is there to save the day. All you have to do is to say, Hey this man defiled the name of the Prophet. Get some cronies to support you, go to the court and file a case, knowing that the game is certainly in the bag. If you happen to be annoyed by a certain 'non-Muslim' person, worry not, the Tauheen Risalat Qanoon is there to help you out!

Asia Bibi now faces hangman's noose, thanks to the Blasphemy Law

It’s disgusting that how the name of Prophet is now being used to take revenge, spill blood and grab acres of land. I believe that instead of imposing that black law on the non-Muslims, this law should be struck on those who are much more effectively defiling the name of the Prophet. It’s equally heart wrenching to view the different comments that are being posted on major news sites and forums ( one reader said, 'Islam, religion of Peace. And Love. Haha'). And honestly, who can fault these people. Obviously, the wrong version of Islam is being presented to them and they have every right to express their disgust. It’s funny that those Muslims who choose to spread Islam through the Jihad of Pen are now branded as Heretics. Shame.

But on the positive side, the religious parties have yet to gain majority in the National Assembly, which suggests that the people don’t support them much, but here lies the conundrum. Although the religious parties don’t get much votes from the people, but still the people are so conservative. For further explanation, do read this article on Dawn website http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/05/facebook-praise-for-taseers-assassination.html.

Where are we heading? What is our future? These are questions that wannabe news analysts love to ask. Well the answer is, annihilation, or at least becoming an American Colony or being merged back into India. I mean look at the situation, the Pashtuns are hinting towards creating a separate state for themselves merging both parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Then the Balochis are even more enthusiastic about their independence. And the Sindhi nationalists do hope for their own homeland ( although they say that very very quietly, but a stupid slur by Zulfiqar Mirza was a big hint). That leaves Punjab, which is hated by all three provinces. Coupled with that we have the religious fanatics attacking in every corner of the country and the Americans are persistently saying Do More Do More. If we don’t change our attitude and our beliefs then get ready for destruction because then the world community wont remove Pakistan because it’s a Nuclear Muslim State. No. It would wipe off Pakistan for the sake of humanity and no one will ever object to that. Don’t let 1453 happen to us.