We can’t make our decisions without outer interference, we can’t question the world when it abducts our people, our lands are bombarded almost every day without our permission, Our army takes orders from US, Whoever whenever finds something to blame; they blame Pakistan.
Please! There is a limit of being Optimistic. If you think having food, living under the roof of your house, performing daily rituals is Independence, you are mistaken! I can do that in any continent any country. Or maybe I can do it more comfortably in other countries than in Pakistan.
64 years ago Muslims were fooled by the slogan of “Pakistan ka matlab kya La Ilaha Illalah” They united themselves under this slogan and hoped for something better but what we got is just a piece of land sectioned by Britishers ruled by Super Powers! Although we achieved it with the purpose of La Ilaha Illalah! Where we could assure that the authority and Sovereignty would always belong to Allah alone but we can see now that the authority belongs to US nationally, Zardari domestically and Altaf bhai in Karachi. We are fooled, distracted and biased and yet we say “Pakistan Zindabad”.
It would have been better if we never followed the international rules of “Nationalism and Patriotism” and would have remembered the Islamic golden principles of Unity. Islam forbids all the existences of boundaries and separated lands. Islam acknowledges Pakistanis, Iraqis and Afghanis etc all under one name that is “Muslim Ummah”. Our Propher PBUH and all the Caliphs who ruled for centuries never divided themselves into countries but they had a single government whose sovereign was Allah and the constitution was Quran. More than 40 countries from today were once a part of Islamic Empire united under the leadership of Caliphs. It’s only a slight glimpse of how we held things in the past. But we are so indulged in western hypocrisy that we have totally forgotten these perfect principles but we do remember the western rules of baseless Patriotism.
The boundaries set by British commission are so dear to us that we have separated our Eid according to these boundaries; we just call for unity inside Pakistan forgetting that all the 57 muslim countries should mean the same to us as Pakistan does. We have tried to unite under the banner of Muhajirs, Punjabis and Sindhis etc but the trick ended in vain. So we moved to the national level and tried to go united as Pakistanis. We never see that the grouping which is based on the demarcation of lands is never too strong to unite people for a cause, because it has no actual basis. Lands are demarcated into sections just to point out the area where you live. The demarcation has no other background and thus it fails to unite people. We tried to move to the national level and raised the idea to go united as Pakistani. And I ask you the same question what basis you have for unity now? Patriotism? Patriotism is just a mere feeling of people belonging to some area having some attachment with it. It’s nothing which will make you proud, nothing which will take you to the top. George Bernard Shaw says “Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.” It’s something very weak like a feeling and it is injected into the hearts of Muslims to keep them blind to the actual perspective of Unity. The unity which really made them dominating over the world, the unity which really made them superior and mightier. Yes I mean going United as the Muslim Ummah!
Just for the sake of clarification I wish to add this Hadith with the article:
It is narrated by Abu Daud that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “He is not one us who calls for `Asabiyah, (nationalism/tribalism) or who fights for `Asabiyah or who dies for `Asabiyah. People should give up their pride in nations because this is a coal from the coals of hell-fire. If they do not give this up Allah (swt) will consider them lower than a lowly worm which pushes itself through khur (feces).” [Abu Dawd and Tirmidhi].
Afridi
Hi
I will say you have put good effort in this article, but still you have lot of space to improve. I feel the writing and thinking is abit amature, but I can attribute this to your age. Dont take it wrong though, with time you will learn new things and when you see you own writings after some time you will also feel the same and you will think that part was silly :).
On the topic I agree with you. But here is few things I want to add. The problem is not with ideologies and isms, the problem is with the people(not all). lets take grouping ideology based on regional boundaries (patriotism), racial( mostly nationalism). Now when do we see harmful effects of these grouping ideologies, when emotional attachment (love,hate,pride) comes into play. Prof. Hoodbhoy states “Patriotism is not about hating people on the other side of the boundary, but to love people on this side of boundary”. Well I disagree in the sense that when I love people on this side of boundary I am putting imbalance, it mean that relatively I hate the people on the other side of the boundary. Now this hate will in some form appear, just because I loved the people on this side of the boundary. See emotional attachments. Same goes for nationalism.
Now if not emotional attachment then what we can do with these grouping ideologies. Well in the Quran its mentioned on several places that (not exact words), we have divided people into groups so they can identify each other, nobody is better then anybody else, the standard of being better is only based on Tqwa. Now we analysis this, what for me the grouping ideologies are just for administrative purpose. Ok I belong to this country, I have this currency, I have this time standards, I have this import/exports etc. Ideally speaking, this administrative purpose of grouping is also not free of flaws. The less the grouping boundaries (both physical and imaginary), the less the problems. But hey what we are humans, these emotional attachment will always come in actions. We will have contradictions in our actions and speaking we are not stones. So i don’t know if its possible to follow a grouping ideology ideally without emotional attachment. The above discussion was based when all the groups(countries, nations) involved were lets say equal (common) in aspects of strength, finance, freedom etc, e.g ( any two countries e.g Russia and China).
Now there is also perspective difference too. By that I mean from which point of view you are looking at it. We are living in a word where there are people who are oppressors and people being oppressed. Now the ideas of grouping ideologies (Patriotism, Nationalism) somehow changes. The oppressed people look at those ideas as survival tools, it gives them strength, unity, and most of all life. They look at it as there last resort. And well personally i would do the same, everybody will do it. They wont care what me and you think about nationalism and patriotism, is it biased or not. They will try to use to recover from this imbalance. And of course the oppressors have always used the grouping ideology for the purpose of domination and exploitation. That’s what they how bring imbalance. All of it for personal material gain.
So when someone talk about grouping ideologies as nationalism and patriotism. I think its wise to research into from what perspective he is looking at it a commoner, an oppressed, or an oppressor. After that your judgement will be approved and appreciated by many of the audience and viewers.
Talking about our country Pakistan. We have nationalism problems. Let not deny the fact But We have people being oppressed in some regions. Then of course we will have this problem. Now Personally What i think is break down those humongous and useless proveniences. Those border were drawn based on races :(, not a single administrative point is taken in consideration while making those boundaries. Not a single country has proveniences and states such as Pakistan. Break them into pieces based on the administrative strategy. It will solve so many racial and nationalism issues and bring lots of administrative ease. But for this purpose we need an able government body. Not a biased and corrupt government, which will always look for political benefits in marking the boundaries and exploit it.
The religion is also treated as grouping ideology in today’s world. Few of the religions I studied look at it from this point of view. Most of the religion specially Islam emphasis religion as a way of life (cultural ideology). But today the follower of Islam themselves look at it from point of view of some kind of grouping ideology. Now what makes the difference between a grouping ideology and way of life (cultural) ideology. Emotional attachment. The harmful effect are less (I haven’t seen any), by loving your way of life, way of dressing, way of eating, then compare it with the loving people you belong to. Though I may not be making a good sense here, I am sorry but I myself is kinda clearing it for myself.
Whenever i go into religion discussions I always emphasis and make it clear to the audience that Islam is way of life (cultural ideology) not a grouping Ideology. Islam looks at grouping from the perspective of administrative purpose only. Emotions are limited to the way of living, not the people belonging to it. When Allah says, love me, and my prophet, it mean love the way of life given to you by Allah and his prophet, not hate the people who hate Allah and prophet.
Have a nice day Sir.