I AM a 16-year-old Muslim from the United States, a land where Islamic symbols are not prominently displayed. During my current visit to Karachi, I have noticed religious expressions splashed across billboards and on the windshields of rickshaws and bumper stickers in quite captivating fonts.

However, these very same cars and motorbikes, with stickers, partake in the reckless ‘dance’ that is known as everyday driving in Karachi.

These vehicles not only perform a terrifying ballet, each one blindly cutting off the other, but also entirely shun the concept of lanes and red lights.

The road accidents we hear about almost daily in Karachi take place only because of human recklessness. News- papers on daily basis flash news of horrible traffic accidents resulting in serious injuries or deaths. Talking to people, I realised that their rationale lies deeper within the fabric of Islam, a religion heavily based on the concept of fate. While it is true that the alluring concept of fate is to give comfort, and affirm that every individual has a path to salvation, it is often misapplied and leads to a false sense that an individual has little control over one’s life.

The misuse of faith seems to have contributed to apathy. That being so, the Third World nature of Karachi could be the result of misused religious expressions. The incentive to work on Karachi’s future may become lost if such an approach is continued.

On the flip side, however, I also saw a beneficial impact of religion on society. While driving to one of Karachi’s fishing villages, I found the surroundings rather unfamiliar to any Westernised teenager. I was petrified as stray dogs dashed around the village with bloodstained necks, and mosquitoes were eagerly feasting on human flesh. Amidst this, a poignant moment of human connection emerged. The wife of the fisherman we were visiting defied the surrounding chaos and invited us into her house for a cup of tea. The pristine and tidy nature of the house contrasted sharply with its surroundings. The hospitality we were showered with reflected Pakistani values. Cleanliness and good morals are tightly knit within the fabric of Islam. Truly, when religion is fused into the backbone of a country, virtuous principles continue to naturally crystallise as the guiding ideals.

Moving down to this path, if Pakistanis truly integrate religion into their daily lives, a nation with a strong moral fabric will surely emerge.

Islam’s trajectory in Pakistan should not be defined solely by its teachings, but also by how people use it to contri- bute to the betterment of the country.

Kamran Salahuddin
Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2024