Daily Times

Sir: Every year, the world is bestowed with the magnificent images of one of the largest conventions of any faith. Millions of Muslims from every corner of the world gather under the majestic green dome in Makkah. Believers in lines of pure black and white move in synchronised spiritual harmony. It reinforces Quaid-e-Azam’s Teen Talwar (Three Sword) principle of “Unity, Faith and Discipline” (only practiced elsewhere). But while the heavenly pictures calm our mind and soul, one cannot stop thinking about the role of the Imam-e-Kaaba. Leading prayers in the holiest of Muslim places and delivering a religious sermon for people across the globe, the Imam bears one of the most significant positions in promoting the message and understanding of Islam. Even so, his statements are closely monitored and he is not allowed to speak against his government. He communicates information that is religiously motivated and at the same time remains in conjugation with political policies. This is a key factor in maintaining peace and harmony between religious institutions and the government, which eventually benefits the entire country. In Pakistan on the other hand, every mullah is a commander whose mosque is his citadel and whose students are his foot soldiers. Because most mullahs lack education, awareness and supervision by higher authorities, they inevitably preach heavily in favour of gender bias. They do not condemn sectarian violence, stay mum about the havoc leashed by extremists upon us and only participate in creating misunderstandings, intolerance and fatalistic forms of thinking.

MOBEEN SHAH

Via Email