| 04 April 2004 | Sunday | 13 Safar 1425 |
Rich students, poor teachers
What Muslims must recognize at the outset is that the real choice is not between Islam and secularism, as some would have us believe. The choice is between balance and imbalance, which leads respectively to the one between progress and regress. And it is not at all clear if Islam is inimical to the former or that the former can only be achieved in a secular setting. Islam's rise was certainty not founded on secularism, nor was the Victorian West's.
In fact, "post-Christian" society seems set to reverse that earlier ascent, having demolished the very foundations of its stability and growth: the two-parent household, and the institutions of trust and honesty, replacing them with naked materialism. It might seem hard to isolate such tendencies ex-ante when things seem to be going so well for the West. But look beyond the current economic boom and through the institutional inertia inherited from the past, and western society appears very rickety indeed.
Equally rickety, if not more, is the theory that any impending vacancy at the top of the civilizational pyramid will fall to the Muslims. One, it is still possible that remedial steps taken in the West may retard or even reverse their decline. Second, Muslim societies must first confront the plethora of moral, social, political and economic crises they themselves face. Leaderless, punctuated by extremism, and bereft of any positive spillover from the past, our communities are probably slipping faster than any other and may well be headed for the lowest rungs of the pyramid.
To avoid such an eventuality, we must seek to "regain our balance". Taken metaphorically, this is merely a cry of common sense. Taken literally, it is a central teaching of Islam rooted in the very philosophy of our existence. Recall the repeated reference to "meezan" (balance) and "adl" (justice and even-handedness) in the Quran and the Prophet's (PBUH) famous quote: "The best of actions are those which are moderate/balanced."
Understanding the philosophical underpinnings of this requires an investigation of the defining characteristics of man. What is it, after all, that makes our existence unique in this universe?
Descartes, the 17th century rationalist and founder of modern philosophy believed "I think therefore I am", thus defining human existence squarely in the context of human intellect. To him, the material body could not distinguish man from other species, only an immaterial mind could. Spinoza, who took on Descartes argued that man's body and mind were not separate entities but a continuous substance, thus the view "I feel therefore I am", which gave primacy to the emotional dimension of our existence.
Jacques Maritain, the principal exponent of Thomism in the 20th century, presents man as a spiritual being, a living soul, which if stripped of its spirituality, collapses to "a certain quantity of matter, so many appetites, impulses and desires, a point in space, a digestion, a thing of senses, nothing more."
In "Chahar Zindaan-e-Insaan", Dr. Ali Shariati arguably enriches these definitions by lending them a dynamic societal context. Stressing, like Iqbal, the importance of "assertive will-power imbued with moral values" (to borrow Khushwant Singh's definition of Iqbal's "khudi") Shariati postulates: "I rebel, therefore I am." The societal context we operate in, and our desire and ability to influence it, comes out very clearly from this and Shariati's other writings.
Using these ideas as ingredients, one can then broadly identify the four salient dimensions to any person's existence: the intellectual, the spiritual, the emotional, and the societal. Becoming the best of humans, one would think, must consist in striking an optimal balance between these four motivating forces of our existence.
Advancing one over the other, i.e. tilting the balance in any one direction may seem attractive in certain situations and times, but must eventually weaken our claim to the "taqweem-e-ahsan" (the highest plane, in the words of the Qur'an). Thus, an overdose of the intellectual is likely to deliver disillusionment, doubt and eventually atheism, while prioritizing the spiritual over everything else can render one a hermit.
Similarly, excessive pandering to one's emotional beckonings can unleash extremist tendencies (suicidal, included) or animalism (as in the West), while disproportionate centring on society and its rules could suppress people's individualities, obsessing them instead with the bland performance of social and religious rituals.
The converse scenario is also worth considering. Discouraging the intellectual, and the critical questioning and reasoning processes it nourishes, can be fatal for common sense - the first pre-requisite for self-preservation or progress. Likewise, spiritual vacuum should make perfect breeding ground for psychopathic penchants, racist cults and paganism. Suppression of emotions, whether conscious or unconscious, may cause indifference, inaction and obsequiousness to take root.
Finally, a community boasting weak social bonds would likely become a target for cultural invasion by other stronger societies and religions.The task at hand, therefore, is to assess the nature and degree of imbalance as regard these four dimensions. Muslims probably need to do the same - introspect into what we lack and what we abound with. I do not wish to dwell on the very obvious excesses and deficits characterizing the Ummah, but some finer points are worth mentioning.
If there is one thing Muslim history cannot glorify, it is the Ummah's treatment of intellectuals through the ages. From the Umayyads to the Ottomans, the Fatimids to the Mughals, intolerance for objective and critical thinking has been remarkable and unabating. Scholars have either been bribed or bullied into compromising their intellectual honesty, or offered the sword.
No doubt, Muslims were not alone in this. Christians have been equally guilty of treating their scientists and thinkers as threats rather than assets. But, while they realized their mistake and changed course, we religiously clung to ours, proclaiming infidelity on everyone from Iqbal to Maududi, Abdus Salaam to Shariati, Ali Naqi to Fazlur-Rahman (the philosopher) to quote a few.
If the future is to be any better, this must change to include an objective comprehension of religion. The focus must shift from memorizing the Quran to understanding it, from arrogating the right to claim righteousness to researching the right path, and from believing in a particular version of history to actually reading it first-hand.
The ink of a scholar is holier than the blood of a martyr, we are told. In other words, emotions uninformed by intellect can go misdirected. This line of reasoning is often taken to urge "emotional" Muslims to calm themselves down and hand over the drivers' seat to more "sober" intellectuals. While this might indeed constitute sensible strategy, it should not be allowed to become an argument to cool Muslims down to the point of cowardice.
Passion is one of the greatest attributes of a momin, without which, there would be little to separate him from the rest. Also, it is a myth that any challenge faced by a nation can be braved on the back of intellectual and material resources alone. No. You need feelings, you need sensitivity, you need passion, you need adrenaline.
Indeed, in the worst of times, when everyone, including the scholar is tempted to scribe and subscribe to half-truths, it is the ink of the martyrs' blood that keeps the pen straight. The importance our faith assigns to passion is reflected by the Quran's use of the term "mawaddat" (love inspired by reason but imbued with passion) to describe our desired association with the Prophet and his "qurba".
Man has been endowed with the spiritual dimension to temper the animal in him; to help control his instincts of anger, greed, and sex ("nafs-e-ammara"). The process by which a "nafs" replaces slavery to these instincts by control of them is called "tazkia" and the product called "nafs-e-mutmainna" - central ingredients of the Prophet's teachings and personality, respectively.
Keeping this in the backdrop, we should be able to see that passions inspired by individual meditation and born out of one's own spiritual purification are necessarily more virtuous than those driven by anger or vengeance, or whipped up by some kind of bigoted ritualistic preaching. This is probably the reason why Islamic Sufism (past and present) has been able to exert a much lasting and stronger influence on other civilizations than military aggression or ultra-conservative religious preaching.
(The counter-productiveness of the recent acts of indiscriminate suicide-bombing can also be also understood in the same context.) In a period in which feelings of anger and hatred run high, there is something that can, indeed, be learnt from the Sufi.
But the Sufi must also realize that society, and the political and economic realities it cradles, cannot be divorced from religion. Islam cannot be confined to a cave, or to the beads of a rosary. Neither can the revolutionary call of Islam be silenced by a passive recitation of religious edicts. The message of Islam is "La Ilaha Illallah". Its acceptance must begin with an unequivocal rejection of all false deities, including, inter alia, man's own ego, wealth and power.
Focusing on the first while ignoring the others would be akin to washing your face with rainwater while submerged neck down in slime. Thus, Iqbal writes: "nikal kar khaankahon se ada kar rasm-e-Shabbeeri". And, contrary to the illusion of many, "rasm-e-shabbeeri" does not seek to undermine the core rituals of Islam: "Salaat", "Saum", "Zakat", "Haj", but to purify them from human adulteration, so that they can resume serving their intended societal functions.
(Concluded)
Rich students, poor teachers
Hundreds of college teachers from all over Sindh walked in protest on a warm March 31 afternoon on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road and went up to the CM House despite vigorous police efforts to stop them.
They were all looking impassioned and upset and were from different age groups. This reportedly extreme step was taken by them in consequence to the black days observed by the college teachers in the recent past for the acceptance of their many demands - now well known.
Before one proceeds further, let us put focus that teachers have a track record of agitation for their demands, most of which relate to their financial needs, terms of employment, and promotions. Of course, there is a good justification for their anger. In a society where materialism is so rampant and so successful, and where the status of teachers is so uncomfortable to put it vaguely and deliberately, there is no conceivable reason why teachers should not get their pound of flesh.
As one saw teachers on streets that Wednesday afternoon, memories of such angry marches from the late sixties came alive. One such march, headed by that untiring Anita Ghulam Ali, (now a dignified veteran) went up to the residence of the Commissioner of Karachi, and that was Masood Nabi Noor. I still recall the firmness of her tone, and the angry teachers who stood by her as she talked to the bureaucrat.
Indeed over the years, throughout the history of this country, there have been teachers' marches and protest rallies, black days, and strikes. Even students have been in the forefront in various causes, though as of now, student unions stand banned.
One fails to understand why there was an attempt made by the area police that afternoon, on March 31 to stop teachers from proceeding to the Sindh chief minister's house, who wasn't there, by the way. Even if teachers knew of his absence, the walk was a symbolic step to register their feelings on their pending demands. Reports said that "on the way police repeatedly tried to block their way, by applying conventional tactics at different places along Dr Ziauddin Road.
The police made their last attempt to stop the march at the PIDC traffic signal, but a good number of women protesters managed to break the police barrier to reach their destination. And finally there was a sit-in at the main gate of the CM's house.
It was a rush hour and there was exceptionally heavy traffic on Dr Ziauddin Road due to diversions made on Abdullah Haroon Road, because of enhanced security at the US Consulate. It is creating frustrating traffic delays in the vicinity of Dr Ziauddin Road but so far there is no relief and no hope?
I saw men and women in police uniform trying to block protesters, and snatching their banners. Disturbing, even fearful thoughts crossed my mind. What if it turned ugly? There have been numerous occasions when immature handling of such educated protesters has become a problem of needlessly large proportions. Slogans were raised by weary teachers against the authorities, and bureaucrats, including the chief secretary.
There are other details all of which reflect the unhappy state of education in this society. I am one of those who has a soft corner for the teaching profession, and believe that teachers have been given a long-term unfair deal. Society, including employers, have given teachers everything, but respect, and decent salaries. It is appalling to see rich students and poor teachers, and I am ashamed.
In fact even the appearance of teachers leaves much to be desired, says a friend of mind who points to their living conditions in official campuses, and compares them to the fashionable housing societies that are regarded as trend-setters, with society not bothered about the means that could be questionable, dubious.
The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) which is leading this expression of the teachers' voice, has decided to observe a black day on Wednesday, 7th April. That implies that the struggle is still on, and, in fact, in a broader sense, the struggle will go on for a very long time. This set of demands may get accepted, but what is more significant is that teachers at all levels in this society need to be a contented and idealistic community of men and women.
Then only can the cherished goal of making Pakistan an educated society be attained. No real progress can be made in the education sector, unless teachers are a satisfied category of professionals. Their professionalism has to be accepted, and respected by society, and in Karachi, by a city that has evidently resources to give teachers a better deal.
As if teachers protesting on streets wasn't bad enough there have been familiar but yet inexplicable reports that there is a textbook shortage created by the Sindh Textbook Board. And there are all kinds of explanations and excuses being given, and assurances that free books will be made available by the end of this month. Keep in mind that the schools began functioning, on April 1 after the examination break, who bothers!
The world of textbooks is a sorry mess each year, or almost each year, and one reason is that they keep on revising textbooks. That alone reflects the state of education in the province, the city or even in the country.
From whatever reports have appeared, the reasons for this shortage of textbooks, for the government primary schools in particular is that there has been a lack of coordination between the concerned departments, as well as a release of funds, said another reports. Is there anyone who is responsible for this state of affairs? Is the Sindh government going to hold someone responsible? And people know.
There are an indication from news reports that the private sector factor is also a cause of the delay. What is happening borders on a scandal, protested one parent and insisted that there was a need to investigate the issue, and make details public.
But another parent was skeptical and pessimistic, and said that soon this "noise" will die down, until it surfaces next academic year. She said that the manner in which little school boys and girls have to carry loads and loads of books to school daily in their bulging school bags, reflects the kind of confusion prevailing in the world of textbooks. These school bags symbolise the text of the school books...a text or a curriculum that keeps getting revised and rewritten, from time to time.
After all these years it is disappointing to see that the country and the province do not know what to teach the young of this country. There was then a reference to the debate and the controversy that is afloat about the curriculum in the textbooks of the land.
But that is another issue, and it would be significant to see how it is handled in view of the fact that the matter has been raised in the National Assembly, and a protest movement has been threatened.
Let us express our deepest disappointment at the fact that the Sindh Textbook Board has failed to meet its deadlines in a sector that is apparently not taken earnestly at all, regardless of what they may say in official assurances. Official comfort is no substitute for the reality that textbooks are unavailable - and such reasons like "manuscript of some of the subjects could not be developed by the STB or some of those could not be reviewed and cleared by the Curriculum Wing of the Federal Ministry." But didn't someone say that education was a provincial subject?
What is actually happening is that each department or responsible officer is passing the buck. No one knows where the buck should stop?