A day of rejoicing and reflection

COMING as it does within weeks of a return to representative rule, Eid-ul-Fitr this year is a doubly blessed event. Its spiritual and moral aspects, as well as its socio-cultural dimensions, lend to it an extraordinary significance transcending the ritualistic observance of fasting and the rejoicing befitting the occasion. The congregational prayer and payment of Fitra signify thanksgiving as well as a charitable gesture towards the poor and the disadvantaged. The traditional mode of celebration apart, there is a soul-lifting message in the underlying spirit of voluntary restraint and self-discipline that is the essence of fasting of which today’s festivity is the culminating point. An elevating and chastening experience, fasting is divinely prescribed as a shield against evil, not period-bound, but its successful completion does warrant a day radiant with a widely shared sense of fulfilment. How far the higher aims and objectives of this regimen of abstinence have been achieved is for every Muslim to determine through a self-searching assessment.

The test is not over with the passage of a month, nor is lavish feasting at the end of each day of fasting in keeping with the spirit of Islam. The symbolic significance of fraternal bonding and fellow-feeling, expressed through greeting one another after the Eid prayers, should be understood and embodied in collective behaviour. The accent must be on the deeper meaning of the outer forms that should exemplify the true meaning of Islamic brotherhood. The Holy Quran — God’s greatest gift to mankind and the Believers in particular, which His last Prophet started receiving during Ramazan — says: “Hold fast all of you together the rope of Allah and do not separate...” It goes on to remind the Muslims: “How you were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that you became brothers by His Grace and (how) you were on the brink of an abyss of fire and He did save you from it...”

At this critical juncture when the Muslim world is in the grip of a trauma and Islam is being maligned and projected as an instrument of terror, and Muslims are passing through a nightmarish experience, especially in the West, the Millat should unite on a common platform with a resolve and a programme to meet this challenge. If the sense of belonging and brotherhood is transformed into action and a positive response is formulated, the destiny of Muslims can be changed. Nearer home, the induction of a democratic order, however fragile and flawed, makes this Eid more meaningful. Let us remember one of the Quaid-i-Azam’s Eid messages in which he says: “The sacred month of Ramazan is just over and you have gone through it with exemplary patience and confidence. The eagerly-awaited Eid morning has now ushered into all Muslim homes a bright and glorious ray of happiness. Let us pray that this may bring peace and prosperity to us all.

Putin’s Pakistan-bashing

IT is unfortunate that Mr Vladimir Putin should have added to tensions between Pakistan and India instead of casting a healthy and moderating influence on the situation in South Asia. The joint statement issued after the Russian President’s talks with Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee was marked by one-sidedness and a blatant disregard for truth and objectivity. The joint statement is replete with the Indian brand of rhetoric, asking Islamabad to eliminate the “terrorist structure” presumably in existence in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir and stop “cross-border terrorism.” Unless this was done, the statement said, no talks could begin between Islamabad and New Delhi. In other words, Russia has endorsed India’s unilateral decision not to have talks with Pakistan at all. The statement made no mention of the over 70,000 people killed in occupied Kashmir since the uprising began in 1989, nor did Mr Putin choose to say a word about the horrendous human rights violations in the valley. These violations have been reported by international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International. Yet the Russian president chose to ignore them. The joint statement merely referred to the need for resolving all issues “in a bilateral framework” after Islamabad had fulfilled its obligations. There was no reference to the need for India to meet its own international obligations. These obligations include the promises given by India’s top leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, to the UN for giving the people of Kashmir their right of self-determination.

The joint statement will thus be seen as an attempt to turn the US-led coalition’s war on terrorism into an occasion for Pakistan-bashing. The reference to the need for action against states harbouring or abetting terrorists is aimed pointedly at Islamabad. Clearly, in view of its own record in Chechnya, Russia could do little but to endorse India’s subjugation of the Kashmiri people. The two countries have no one else to look to for support in their oppressive practices. Russia’s negative attitude is in contrast with the more balanced approach adopted by the US and China toward the situation in the subcontinent.

IT quandary

GOOD intentions alone are never a substitute for long-term planning and a sense of realism when it comes to implementing a policy. This realization is perhaps belatedly dawning on Sindh’s education authorities which find themselves in a quandary following the hasty implementation of compulsory Information Technology courses in the province’s government-run colleges. While no one will quarrel with the idea of making college students computer literate, it is clear that the necessary groundwork for this ambitious plan was not properly done. As a result, some 90,000 class XI and XII students are reportedly still waiting to know when, if ever, examinations in the subject are going to be held. Students who enrolled in 2001 did not sit for their IT exams the following year and were told that there would be a combined paper in early 2003. However, utter confusion still prevails over the format and nature of the long-delayed examinations.

The reason for this is simple. Many of the institutions simply did not have the necessary equipment or manpower to teach the subject properly. They were asked to jump on the IT bandwagon by the government without being given the time or resources to achieve the objective. The education boards in the province hastily prepared the syllabus and got it recognized without having any of the infrastructure or teaching staff in place. In many parts of Sindh’s interior, private companies were asked to provide the necessary training, with extremely mixed results. As things stand, there seems to be an air of panic prevailing, despite the education authorities’ claims that the examinations will be held on schedule. The moral is simple: before launching any scheme, it is necessary to first get some fundamentals right.