NADEEM F. Paracha’s article ‘The rise and fall of a spiritual rebel’ (Sept 21) is quite abysmal.

In my opinion, Ghulam Ahmed Parvez’s contribution towards Islam is unparallel. He was a thinker par excellence, who remained loyal to his cause and didn’t use any tactics to gain any cheap popularity or fame.

He implored upon the Muslims to ponder deeply over the message of the Holy Quran and do not mix local traditions in it. He was a great exponent of the use of knowledge and wisdom in understanding Islam.

It was, in fact, Masood Khaddar Posh who suggested ‘namaz’ (prayers) in Urdu in public. Masood made a place for himself in 1957 as the only man ever to have the courage of his conviction to say ‘namaz’ publicly in Urdu in Lawrence Gardens, Lahore, as he believed that the only way to effectively communicate with God is in one’s own mother tongue.

Moreover, it is too early to presume that G.A. Parvez suffered ‘self-doubt, disillusionment and intellectual exhaustion’ before his death. May be future generations of Muslims will recognise and understand the depth of his intellectual work and give him the right place in Islamic history.

Today, we need scholars like G.A. Parvez to tackle extremism in the shape of Talibanisation and violent sectarianism.

Dr Uzma Hanif
Lahore

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2014