| September 21, 2006 | Thursday | Sha'aban 27, 1427 |
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Economic growth affected
Education without manners
Appeal to FPSC chairman
Substandard sewerage installation
Misinterpreting Jinnah
Bravado and incompetence
Ashes to ashes
Exercise in futility
Between the leaves
Conductor and midwife
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
THERE are two major reasons as to why Islam becomes an easy target for the western media when compared to other religions. The first reason is that Islam provides a complete code of life and it is for this reason that every action of a Muslim is attributed to his religion.
Since the media these days only focuses on the military action of Muslims, a negative perception is being created in the minds of people from the West. The most difficult part of Islam for most westerners to grasp is that there is no separation of church and state. The religion of Islam and the government are one. Islamic law is controlled, ruled and regulated by the Islamic religion.
The notion of mixture of religion and government is rejected by scholars in the West as they are of the opinion that that any mixture of ‘church and state’ is inherently evil and filled with many problems.
The second reason is that the Islamic jurisprudence and laws are in conflict with the jurisprudence and laws being practised in the West. I would hereinafter point out the Islamic laws which are not in consonance with the laws of the West and which have faced heavy criticism from the West.
In Islam, murder is a tort and not a crime. The concept that a murderer may secure his release by paying to the victim is not acceptable to the West. Some reporters in the mass media have criticised the thought of ‘blood money’ as barbaric. Muslim scholars point out that reason for making murder a tort is that it is better to forgive than to punish a criminal. The critics point out that such a concept may lead to exploitation and will also encourage crimes as every person about to commit murder may have it in his mind that even if he gets caught, he may be able to secure his release by paying ‘blood money’.
Under Islamic laws, capacity for acquisition may be perfect or imperfect. Imperfect capacity is attributed to women and slaves. A woman does not have the right to be a head of state, the right to be a qadi(judge) and the right to testify in cases being tried under hudood and qisas provisions. In addition to this, she does not have the right to divorce like the right given to a man; she is given a share in inheritance that is equal to half the share of a male heir, and the diyat paid in compensation of her death is half that of a man. These provisions have led certain Orientalists like Joseph Schacht to observe that in Islamic law “a woman is half of a man”.
Under Islamic law the punishment for apostacy is death. This law again comes under heavy criticism from the West as they are of an opinion that just as every non-Muslim has a right to embrace Islam, every Muslim should also have the right to change his belief. This law often comes under attack from the West which accuses the Muslims of double standards.
Islamic laws relating to economics are also not considered to be practical by the West. In Islam a valid contract requires that consideration be definite at the time of contract. Therefore, insurance is prohibited in Islam. In Islam a person cannot sell a property prior to its ‘existence’. Interest is also prohibited. Such laws are again in conflict with the laws in the West. As a matter of fact even the Muslim countries circumvent these laws. For instance, instead of the term ‘interest’, words like ‘mark-up’ and ‘sharing of profits’ are used in banking transactions.
Islamic punishments are also considered to be cruel in the West. The punishment such as chopping of hands and stoning to death are abhorred in the West and their laws prohibit it. The US constitution prohibits any cruel punishment. Therefore, when the western media witnesses such punishments, it gives them a ground to label Islamic laws as cruel and barbaric.
What I want to point out is that there might not be a clash of civilisation but definitely a clash of laws between the Islamic laws and those practised in the West. It also needs to be realised that the media in the West does not criticise Islam only for political reasons but also because they genuinely believe that Islamic laws have their roots from tribal laws and have no place in this century.
ANIL KHAN LUNI
Lahore
THIS refers to the news item ‘Low credit off-take may affect GDP growth’ (Aug 22). According to reports, credit facilities availed by textile and communication sectors have declined significantly. Whatever the reasons, be it the absence of expansion plans or cost-effective processes, the fact seems to be a hard pill for bankers. Some questions come to mind:
1. Why is the banking sector worried if the manufacturing sector attains self-sufficiency and gets rid of loans and interest charges thereon, thereby lowering production costs? This particularly holds true for textiles as our exporters may gain cost advantage.
2. Why cannot banks find other avenues of credit disbursement, for example, project financing or cottage industries?
3. Why don’t banks concentrate on the recovery of loans granted to politicians, feudals, bureaucrats and corrupt officials?
4. Profits of all commercial banks have almost doubled for the past one-and-a-half years. Many banks have also launched mutual funds to gain tax advantage, further increasing their profits but one doesn’t see any corporate social responsibility on their part. (The pitiable condition of Chundrigar Road is ample proof of the fact where all major banks and financial institutions are located).
5. Most importantly, how is the GDP growth adversely affected by only one sector? What about the share of agriculture, industry, transport and communication, trade, livestock, fisheries and service sectors? Does the data from only the financial sector form the basis for the GDP and national income? It appears to be so given the cosmetic figures and statistics quoted by the economic affairs division.
TAHIR MAQBUL ZUBERI
Karachi
IN the days gone by subjects like health and hygiene, civics, nature study and basics of religion were taught in pre-matric classes. Students were also taught to love animals, plants, and respect the elderly people in the family or outside. This was something very good.
Children are now sent to good schools in neat and clean school uniforms with a heavy load of textbooks and exercise books, whether all that is required or not.
A child of six to eight years has access to calculators, computers and cellphones to use as he likes. But what is lamentable is that despite a back-breaking cost of education, students are not taught any manners, as teachers think that it is the home where a student is supposed to learn manners but parents on their part feel that it is the school where students lend a better ear to their teachers.
Good manners that are essential for a student to learn are neglected. Most of the students are bereft of good manners and know not to use the ‘thank you’ or ‘please’ or ‘excuse me’ if they are running past you in busy areas.
It is time both parents and teachers realised this. A period or two should necessarily be provided in the school curriculum in a week or a fortnight where basics of religion, fellow feelings, honesty in life, truthfulness, piety and pity, patriotism, etc., are taught to them in every school as today’s students are future custodians of our country. Plants grown without care are unsightly to the looks.
So, is the case of a child to grow without manners. An eye has to be kept by parents not only on the homework given by teachers but also to see what manners the child is learning at the school. Good manners maketh a man, as the saying goes. Children should not be left to grow untrimmed like a wild bush.
Pakistan would be proud of its education policies if our future generations are taught to be patriotic and well-disciplined to be better citizens and not fall an easy prey to any lure for subversive acts.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
THIS has reference to Mr Ibrahim Shirwani’s article ‘FATA officials criticise new promotion policy’ (Sept 14). We, the officers of different service groups of the Civil Services of Pakistan, would like to bring to the notice of the FPSC chairman that the problem is not of Fata alone but of all service groups.
The selection board for promoting officers from different service groups of BPS 19 and 20 met in Islamabad on Aug 28 and 29. A few board members prevailed upon it to alter its laid-down procedure of minimum requirement by increasing the already established benchmark needed for promotion. This decision was taken without considering the implications or the injustice attached to it.
The board was made to ignore the sanctity and deviated from its established practice.. The new system creates a different bench mark for different service groups which is not only wrong but creates dichotomy instead of unison among the service groups, thus defeating the purpose of establishing these service groups (common training programme) in the first place.
It is also held that the requirement as written down in the code assesses the minimum of 70 ACR points needed for an officer to qualify for promotion. We, the officers who were not considered for promotion but otherwise met the laid-down promotion criteria, are aggrieved by the decision of the board. We request you to review the proceedings of the board on the established criteria and appeal to your sense of justice to do the right.
AFFECTED OFFICERS
Karachi
WE keep on getting confirmation that ‘clean water’ will be available to majority of the populace very soon. How is this going to happen with the present trend of not following standards in sewerage installations throughout Karachi?
The correct building regulations and international codes ask for water tightness as an essential requirement of a well-laid drainage system. Tests for drains to ensure there is no leak either in the pipe joints or in the manholes are standard procedures but we seem to be oblivious to this requirement.
Even in Gulf countries, proper procedure of drainage system pressure testing has been followed for at least 20 years, as personally experienced. The result is that in Karachi, and indeed everywhere else in the country, sewage spreads throughout the heavily populated locality sub-soil water, and with our water supply piping system also leaking at many places, there is a serious domestic water contamination hazard causing jaundice and stomach infection.
We do not follow codes and standards and then are ‘surprised’ when natural interventions take place (example of Hyderabad flooding should really open the eyes of authorities). How can there be a healthy population if we cannot supply ‘clean’ water (at least, not with serious contamination)?
The city’s infrastructure is in the hands of engineers who do not want to follow proper codes. Who is responsible for this failure? We seem to be answerable to nobody but, obviously, this cannot go on.
AINUL ABEDIN
Karachi
I WAS surprised to read Mr Sharifuddin Pirzada’s remarks that the “Quaid wanted Pakistan to be an Islamic state and not a secular state.” He was addressing a gathering of Pakistan Foundation and Pakistan Movement workers Trust (Sept 1).
I just want to remind the former minister that the ulema in India were organisationally, as well as politically, opposed to the making of a Muslim homeland — a fact whether anybody likes it or not.
The Quaid based his political philosophy on the ‘two-nation’ theory. There was nothing anti-God or anti-religion in it. It was a plan for the solution of the political, economic and cultural problems of people (Muslims) in India.
What else had motivated the Muslims in their struggle for a national homeland? They were free to practise Islam in India. Millions of Muslims still living in India have the same freedom (going to mosques, celebrating Eid, etc).
The reason mullahs opposed Pakistan was that they believed in India’s historical status quo and hated political movements which could divide India and bring about an economic and political change.
The idea (Muslim homeland) was very difficult for them to swallow as well as for the Congress Party.
The word ‘secular’ is also taken in a wrong sense. Secularism does not mean ‘la dini’, ‘kufr’ or war against Allah. It has nothing to do with Allah or His ‘deen’. Secularism basically means power to the people and it’s a conceptive framework for the scientific administration of a state in which people are sovereign in the management of their worldly affairs and not subjects and slaves, to be driven around this and that.
Mr Jinnah clearly states in a radio message to Australia on Feb 19, 1948: “But make no mistake, Pakistan is not a theocracy or anything like it.”
He also says: “The new state would be a modern democratic state with sovereignty resting in the people.” (From Jinnah to Zia) Then again in February 1948 he said to the people of the United States: “Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic state ruled by the priests with a divine mission.”
Fortunately, all answers are available in the speeches and writings of the Father of the Nation but nobody is more blind than the man who refuses to see.
AIZED NASIM
Lahore
KAISER Bengali’s ‘Whither Balochistan?’ is filled with so many distortions that one hardly knows where to begin. But I will limit myself to the one cause that is dear to my heart — the loss of East Pakistan.
Mr Bengali insists: “In 1971, the then generals opted to lay down their arms before the Indian army rather than negotiate and arrive at a compromise with the leaders of the people of the eastern wing of Pakistan.” This is the narrative that India has fed the West, and our liberals have lapped it up obediently.
In fact, as shown in Kissinger’s book Years of Upheaval, the government of Pakistan was prepared to arrive at virtually any political compromise throughout 1971. India under Indira Gandhi deliberately made this impossible by barring international access to the East Pakistani leadership, and saying it could not accept “the death of Bangladesh.”
As a result, Mrs Gandhi got her pound of flesh and thousands of West Pakistanis were killed in the most savage methods. But for the western media, and ’liberals’ those West Pakistanis, like the Punjabis being slaughtered in Balochistan, are the children of a lesser god.
SAAD GUL
North Carolina, USA
IT would not be a bad idea to confiscate hockey sticks of the Pakistan team that is now headed for home in disgrace. The sticks should be burned to ashes and the ashes should then be put in an urn to start a National Challenge Cup (a.k.a. the Pakistan Ashes) to help select a team that can face the rigours of an international hockey match.
It is indeed very sad to see how hockey and many other sports in Pakistan have hit rock-bottom. There is something terribly wrong with our planning, the choice of human resource in man management, and, of course, the long-forlorn magnetism of the former hockey sides who won with sheer display of skill and charisma. Hockey played on natural grass was an art and we excelled in every sphere of the game.
Sport today, hockey included, is planned more on strategic lines with the judicious use of technology and management skills, not to mention the whims and speculative advice of our former greats.
Let our legends lead a gracious life in retirement. It is time that hockey was administered by an organisation, not a federation, composed of qualified managers, strategic game planners, physical fitness experts and a generous dose of high-level competitions across the country. Aim not at the next Olympic Games or the next big hockey tournament, but instead at the next 25 years.
MENIN RODRIGUES
Karachi
IN his column ‘An exercise in futility’ (Sept 17) Mr Cowasjee seemed to be much impressed with the Quaid’s August 11 speech and he thinks that it was the only impressing event in the making of Pakistan.
However, in his many articles Mr Cowasjee has skipped the word ‘Islamic’ from the title “Islamic Republic of Pakistan”. Instead he refers to the “Republic of Pakistan” or sometimes merely the “Republic”. I would like to ask him why he omits to include ‘Islamic’ in his columns.
FAKHIR HASAN
Lahore
THE Times, London, in its issue of Sept 11 published the foreign editorial ‘Between the leaves’ which shows the deep- rooted suspicion or fear or hatred of the Muslim community as a whole. The editorial says, inter alia, “The actual position of what has brought contemporary terror about can be found in the expulsion of Muslims from Spain in the 15th century.... or, at the latest, a defeat outside the gates of Vienna two hundreds years after.”
Mercifully, the leader writer did not add the Crusades or the end of Mughal rule by the British. All of this is like Hitler peeping into the dark recesses of nomadic life in Central Asia to base his race theory which justified brutality against what in his views were the lower scum of human strata.
To this may be added the observation by Bernard Lewis in one of his books that the root of terrorism can be traced to the Assassins (Hasan bin Sabah). No wonder that even H.H. the Pope has similar nightmare.
These are glimpses into the innermost mental processes of western thinkers barring a few sane voices. It is like a person unbaring his soul in unguarded moments truthfully.
When such thinking prevails, which is undoubtedly outright plain prejudice, all the invasions and murders and destructions of Muslim lands can be fully rationalised and then it becomes impossible to reach an honourable compromise except what is now being termed terrorism.
The West does not accept that the root-cause of all freedom wars, either in the classical sense or guerilla warfare or the fatalistic acts by desperately convinced fighters, is the West’s mania to dominate and colonise. How can there be dialogue with this mentality. Huntington was simply articulating these prejudices when he propounded the “Clash of Civilisations.”
F. HASAN
Karachi
ON the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the conductor of the world orchestra adamantly waved his baton to play the war on terror tune over and over again even if the audience drops dead. He believes that all non-Americans and Muslims are terrorists and enemies of humanity.
During the war in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, the US dragged its feet on arranging an immediate ceasefire. Secretary Rice commented that the prevalent happenings were the birth-pangs of a new Middle East. After facing a month of relentless resistance, the new Middle East suffered a miscarriage and since then the midwife has disappeared.
RAFI ADAMJEE
Karachi
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