پاکستان میں اسلام کی خدمت

برّصغیر پاک و ہند میں اسلام کی تاریخ اگرچہ پرانی ہے، لیکن اگر مسلمانوں کی کل تاریخ کا مطالعہ کیا جاےٴ تو معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ یہ کویٴ اتنی پرانی بات نہیں۔ برّصغیر میں اسلام گو کہ تجارت کے ذریعے متعارف ہوا، لیکن اکثر اوقات افغانستان کےلٹیرے اور فارس کے حکمران اس خطہ میں مذہب اسلام لے کر آےٴ۔ آج جس محمود غزنوی کو بت شکن قرار دیا جاتا ہے، معلوم ہوتا ہے کے اس کا ہندوستان پر حملے کرنے کا مقصد صرف اور صرف مال و دولت اکھٹّا کرنا تھا، افغانستان کے بت اسی طرح سلامت کھڑے تھے۔

بہر حال اب جب اسلام کی جڑیں اس خطے میں مضبوط ہو گٴیں اور مسلمانوں کی تعداد میں اضافہ ہونے لگا، تب برّصغیر پاک و ہند کے مسلمانوں نے اسلام میں آنے کے بعد اپنے اقدار اور ثقافت سے کنارہ کشی اختیار کرنی شروع کر دی، یہاں تک کے عرب ثقافت کو اسلامی ثقافت کا نام دیا جانے لگا۔ کچھ علماءکرام میں چند بنیادی اختلافات پر فرقہ بندیاں شروع ہوگٴیں۔ اس زمانے میں مسلمان فرقہ در فرقہ بٹتے چلے گےٴ، یہاں تک کے مسلمانوں کے فرقے ۵۰ سے بھی تجاوز کر گےٴ۔ ان فرقہ بندیوں کے نتیجے میں مسلمانوں کی مرکزی طاقت بھی بٹ گیٴ اور یکّے بعد دیگرے، ہندو اور پھر انگریز اِن پر مسلّت ہو گےٴ۔ ان دنوں سر سیّد احمد خان جیسے روشن خیال لوگ آگے بڑھے اور مسلمانوں کو تعلیم حاصل کرنے کی ترغیب دی، جو کہ بہت سے علماء کے نزدیک بہت غیر مقبول ہویٴ۔ اِن عالموں کے نزدیک انگریز کی تعلیم حاصل کرنا اسلامی تعلیم کے منافی تھا۔ حالاںکہ آحضرت محمّدصلیﷲعلیہوسلّم کی حدیثِ پاک کہ علم حاصل کرو چاہے چین جانا پڑے، اس سے صاف ظاہر ہے کہ مسلمان پر ہر قسم کی تعلیم حاصل کرنا فرض ہے۔ ذرا غور تو کیجیےٴ کہ ٦ صدی عیسویں میں چین میں کونسا اسلام تھا؟ تاریخ کا مطالعہ کریں تو معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ اس زمانے میں چین کیمیایٴ اور فلکیاتی علوم میں ترقّی کررہا تھا۔

اب آگے آ ٴیے، تحریکِ پاکستان کے وقت تقریبًا ہر بڑے عالم نے پاکستان کی مخالفت کی۔ لیکن جب مسلمانوں کی اکثریت نے ان نام نہاد علماء کو مسترد کر دیا تب ان علماءکرام نے پاکستان پر اپنے پنجے گاڑھنے شروع کر دیےٴ۔ محمّد علی جناح کی وفات کے بعد، جناب خان لیاقت علی خان نے اپنے اقتدار کو طول دینے کے لیےٴ پاکستان کے آ ٴین میں قراردادِ مقاصد متعرّف کروا ٴی۔ واضح رہے کہ محمّد علی جناح نے ایسی کسی قسم کی قرارداد آ ٴین ساز اسمبلی کے سامنے نہیں رکھی۔ اس قرارداد کے آنے سے علماء کیلےٴ سیاست کی ایک نیٴ راہ کھل گیٴ، مولویوں نے اپنے کارنامے دکھانے شروع کردیےٴ یہاں تک کے ١۹۵۳ کے فسادات تک نوبت پہنچ گیٴ۔ ان فسادات کے بعث لاہور میں جزوی مارشل لاء لگانا پڑا جس کے بعد پاکستانی فوج نے کیٴ مارشل لاء لگاےٴ۔

بہرکیف ١۹۷۴ بھی آگیا، جب قومی اسمبلی نے قادیانی فرقے کو اقلیّت قرار دے دیا۔ ٦ اکتوبر کو نواےٴ وقت نے اس خبر کو اس طرح رپورٹ کیا

ٰقادیانی فرقہ کو چھوڑ کر جو بھی ۷۲﴿بہتّر﴾ فرقے مسلمانوں کے بتاےٴ جاتے ہیں، سب کے سب اس مسلہ کے اس حل پر متّفق اور خوش ہیں۔

نواےٴوقت ٦ اکتوبر١۹۷۴

اس اعلامیہ کو علماء نے اجماعِ امّت کا نام دیا۔ اور یہ بھول گےٴ کے اسلام میں فرقہ بندی پر خود مہر لگا رہے ہیں۔ مزید یہ کہ مسلم علماء نے اس فرقہ بندی کو تسلیم کرکے آ ٴین کا حصّہ بنادیا گایا۔ لیکن اس وقت کے علماء کی اقتدار کی حوس پوری نہیں ہویٴ، بھٹّو کے خلاف مہم میں تمام علماء نے شمولیت اختیار کی، اور آخر میں ایک آمر جنرل ضیاءالحق کے ساتھ مل گےٴ۔ جنرل ضیاءالحق نے بھی اپنے اقتدار کو طول دینے کے لیےٴ مولویوں کا سہارا لیا۔ توہینِ رسالت کے تمام تر قوانین اسی عرصہ میں متعرّف کرواےٴ گےٴ۔ جنرل ضیاءالحق نے افغان جہاد کے نام پر ان نام نہاد مذہبی جماعتوں کو پروان چڑہایا۔ افغان جہاد کے بعد ان جہادی تنظیموں کو پالنا مشکل ہو گیا، تب ان مذہبی جماعتوں نے آپس کے تعصّب کی بنیاد پر ان عسکری تنظیموں کو ایک دوسرے کے اوپر استمعال کرنا شروع کردیا۔ تب سے اب تک اس فرقہ واریت پر قابو نہیں پایا جاسکا ہے۔

مذہب کے نام پر سیاست نے اس ملک کو اس نِہج پر پہنچا دیا جہاں سے واپسی بہت مشکل ہے۔ ہمارے مذہبی رہنماوٴں نے عوام النّاس کو تعلیم سے دور جہالت کے اندھیروں میں دھکیل دیا۔ آج کے علماء نے اسلام کے نام کو جس قدر نقصان پہنچایا ہے شاید ہی کسی اور شہٴ نے پہنچایا ہو۔ یہ وہ لوگ ہیں جو ممتاز قادری جیسے قاتلوں کی حوصلہ افزایٴ کرتے پھر رہے ہیں اور کویٴ پوچھنے والا نہیں۔ توہینِ رسالت پر خاکسار پہلے ہی کافی کچھ لکھ چکا ہے، لیکن ہمارا جہالت سے بھر پور معاشرہ ابھی بھی ممتاز قادری کے فعل کو اسلامی اقدار کے مطابق سمجھتا ہے۔ ﷲ اس قوم کو ہدایت دے اور ان نام نہاد علماء سے پاکستان کو نجات بخشے۔آمین

Beygairat Brigade: Alu Anday

A short Summary of Pakistan’s history

Shariah, the Saudi style (protests and rallies banned)

Photo courtesy BBC News

Protests ‘contradict’ Islamic law and are banned, Interior ministry declares

Saudi Arabia has imposed a ban on protests and rallies, the interior ministry declared “the protests and rallies are in conflict with shariah”, hence dubbing them unIslamic.  It amuses me, how Saudi Arabia is the ‘authority’ on Shariah, if it’s in their interest, on a given day, a democratic practice (if it is non-violent and non-raging) which has been there through the history of mankind (not to mention at the time of the Prophet peace be upon him) is suddenly unIslamic! While their minions in Pakistan, continue not only to protest a controversial law, but also glorify a murderer.

Such hypocrisy, from someone who claims to be the ‘servant of the house of Lord’. It isn’t surprising though, we have seen the same ‘twisting of Islamic references‘ from Pakistani (self-proclaimed) clerics too. However, the sad part is that the Islamic world (the common Muslim) fails to see this bigotry. It is due to the ignorance of common Muslims, they are being deceived  by the (self-proclaimed) religious elite. Islam have been hijacked by this elite and being used against a common Muslim. It will be interesting to see how clerics in Pakistan ‘interpret’ Saudi opinion (fatwa) about protests. If they do own it as Islamic, how will they justify their actions on the ‘protection’ of the controversial blasphemy law.

Taking hypocrisy to a new level

There is a saying,  “the true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity”; I think that this quote sums up all the politico-religious groups in Pakistan.

Since the infamous incident of Lahore, there has been a lot of controversy theories developing within the political system of Pakistan. This is a tough one for, not just for the government, but everyone even remotely involved with politics or government. Wikileaks have proven the fact that every political figure is either directly or indirectly in contact with the American establishment. Americans will not tolerate the fact that its ‘official’ gets punished for being a terrorist by another country, since they are the leaders in the global war on terror.

The issue has grown out of proportions, it’s now a matter of dignity rather justice. Americans have already announced that the case of Raymond Davis will affect the bonds between Pakistan and the United States, which (it may not appear the case to a commoner) is taken very seriously in Pakistani political camps. I don’t have to re-iterate the revelations of Wikileaks, one can figure why some in Pakistani politics are so keen to hand Raymond Davis over to American officials.

The most interesting side to this story is the one of our politico-religious sections. Progressions, are being carried out, speeches are being made, banners are raised and (American) flags are burnt in protest of the murders carried out by Raymond Davis in broad daylight. Ofcourse no one in their right mind can defend the extreme actions of Raymond Davis, every Pakistani is in a state of shock and rage after what happened in Lahore that day, this man should be brought to justice and that should happen in Pakistan only. But these people who are once again bringing the nation on the streets, are the same who not so long ago were celebrating the horrifying murder of Salman Taseer. Those who celebrate one murderer (Mumtaz Qadri) are condemning the other one (Raymond Davis). It really confuses me, how people follow these ignorant, self-centered, deceiving and self-proclaimed scholars who openly contradict their own actions? First the infamous ‘Namoos-e-Risalat Tehrik’, now Raymond Davis, they just need an issue, may it be calling Islam a peaceful religion (they don’t like it at all), or anything against the United States of America and they will make it look like its an ‘attack on belief’.

Why is it that the nation fails to observe their hypocrisy? When will Muslims of Pakistan will understand that fact that they are being played by these (self-proclaimed) religious scholars? How will the common Muslim know his religion is being hijacked by an ignorant man who doesn’t even know laws of Physics? The only way to put an end to this is to separate religion from politics. If that doesn’t happen, this menace will bring more shame and misery to the Nation.

Pray tell (by Nadeem F. Paracha)

January 23, 2011 (Dawn Opinions)

Oh, my, that label again: ‘Liberal extremist.’ What on earth does it mean? Absolutely nothing. Great wordplay and deliciously idiosyncratic, but that’s about it.

However, since the popular electronic media in Pakistan is usually about a rather nihilistic strain of whatever it considers to be news and analysis, this topsy-turvy label has become the catch-all term of a number of TV anchors, hosts and, ahem, analysts.

So, then, what is a liberal extremist? How many Pakistanis do you know who advocate the abolition of faith, legalisation of cannabis, the creation of nude beaches, support gay marriages or… oh, okay, so this is not what you mean. Then what? If you guys who have suddenly become so fond of this phrase mean by it Pakistanis who emphasise reason over passion (especially in political and theological matters), or who find religion synonymous with humanitarianism, tolerance and compassion, or who like political parties that they support to retain a degree of secularism, or those who cherish the concept of social and religious pluralism and diversity, if these are the dreaded liberal extremists so many Pakistanis have suddenly started moaning about, then I pray for me to become one of the finest liberal extremists in this land of the pure.

So, can one suggest that what passes as being plain old liberal elsewhere becomes liberal extremism in Pakistan? There is another innocent question I would like to ask of all those who have been swinging their fists by suggesting the following brilliant insight: ‘The problem in Pakistan is religious extremism and liberal extremism.’

If so, then pray tell, dear sirs and madams, exactly how can one couple the two phrases in the same sentence? To begin with, one can safely suggest that those you call liberal extremists constitute an embarrassingly minute percentage compared to the glorious blooming and flowering we have seen of what are called religious extremists.

Over and over again we have heard and seen the delightful things faith-based extremists advocate, preach, feel happy about and shower rose petals for, but what have the malicious liberal extremists to gloat and float about? I’ve heard arguments (and that’s about it) from the liberals in the following cases, but no liberal extremist distributed sweetmeat when Dr Aafia was convicted; never saw this extremist chant ‘yea, baby, let’s have more,’ when the news of a drone attack breaks; never seen one claiming that such or such person should be killed just because he or she disagreed with the liberal extremist. Sure he or she may have a sympathetic argument about what their counterparts may consider to be treason, sacrilege, etc., but that’s it.

Kindly stop using this term, liberal extremists, as if it was an indigenous made-in-Pakistan media masterstroke. The term first began being used in the US during the 1970s. It was coined by some ultra-conservative Republican politicians and Christian evangelists against certain mainstream American newspapers, TV channels and filmmaking circles. These guys from that country’s far right in politics and religion thought that the American media and Hollywood were brimming with atheists, agnostics and liberals who were soft on the Soviet Union (mostly because the media was opposing the war in Vietnam).

It was a lunatic fringe whom the then liberal American media suspected of having extreme political and religious views, and this fringe retaliated (in typical knee-jerk fashion), by calling their detractors as liberal extremists. This term was again used during the conservative Reagan years in the 1980s against mainstream media outlets who were opposing his overtly laissez faire economic policies and his arming of the paid mercenaries to topple the revolutionary leftist regime in Nicaragua.

By the end of the Cold War (1990), the liberal extremist tag was hung around social and environmentalist groups that began agitating against large multinational corporations and ‘globalisation.’ The media in this respect was finally let off the hook and the reason was simple. With the arrival of such monsters like FOX-News and SkyNews, things in this respect were turned on their heads when it was the media that began adopting this term for detractors of corporate capitalism and the new millennium’s ‘neo-con’ polices.

In Pakistan it was the military dictatorship of General Musharraf who first used this term. In many of his apologetic speeches he defended his (albeit half-baked) actions against extremist religious organisations by adopting the old 1970s American ultra-conservatives’ mantra of being against both extremes (religious and liberal). However, the irony was that genuine liberalism (that the American conservatives used to call liberal extremism in the US) was almost non-existent in Pakistan.

Right-wing apologists of faith-based extremism now found in abundance in the FOX-News like environment in Pakistan’s electronic media have simply picked up where Musharraf had left: Blame the large-scale presence of both state sponsored and populist, civilian extremism in the country on the handful of vocal liberals by calling them liberal extremists. Of course, intoxicated on the delusion that they have discovered a perfect explanation to defend their sheepish defence of violence-prone extremism, they conveniently forget it is not liberal extremists blowing themselves up in public places or showering rose petals on killers.

by Nadeem F. Paracha