Daily Times

In Pakistan, a generation has
been raised that does not believe in an argument predicating on rational or logical thinking. The generation requires necessarily a religious decree (fatwa) to comprehend a point. The trend indicates that the generation has drifted away from the mainstream thought-valuing societal pluralism or heterogeneity and seeking the advantage of scientific thought. The members of this generation have been narrowing down their aims and objectives in the light of religious thought only.

If the members of such a generation were religiously educated to a sufficient level, it would have been a great achievement of that generation and a matter of benefit for society in general. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The members of this generation require a religious decree even to understand that Islam abhors an attack on the worship places of the followers of other religions. The situation indicates that Pakistani society is not only facing the dilemma of the emergence of a deviant generation but also an ignorant one. It also means that a counter-culture has taken birth, which is now challenging the mainstream norms of society.

The state cannot be exculpated from the responsibility for the development of such a generation. The state is responsible for the emergence of this generation because of three main reasons: first, the state kept the (members of the) generation ignorant by not disseminating the message of enlightenment amongst it over the years by constructing state-run educational institutions; secondly, the state exploited ignorance and religious sentiment of the (members of the) generation to meet its foreign policy objectives; and thirdly, the state manipulated the emotionally charged members of this generation to serve its domestic policy goals. Nevertheless, there has appeared another parallel phenomenon: a group of the proponents of medievalism has surfaced in almost all sections of society, which bolster the stance of that ignorant, emotional and hidebound generation. Even if the state discovered that (Islamic) ideology was the mainstay of its formation and the same is its motivating force to survive on the earth, the state failed to outline the contours and determine the direction of that ideology. Pakistan, as a state, let its version of ideology takes its course free of any (rational) check. That was a dangerous proposition the consequences of which are rocking Pakistan at the moment.

What has so far been proven is that Talibanisation is contagious in nature. It can be said that Talibanisation is an ideology that spreads from one person to another. The original meaning of the word ‘Talib’ (singular of Taliban) may be a person who is a ‘seeker of (religious) knowledge’. If fundamentalist is considered a misnomer for the word ‘Taliban’, medievalist may be considered a proper word. Nonetheless, Talibanisation is an ideology because it expresses a way of thinking ranging from ending women’s education of worldly knowledge by considering it anti-Islam to attacking the worship places of religious minorities such as Christians by considering them a representative of the west (which is also deliberated necessarily anti-Islam). Looking at Talibanisation from the prism of effects it has produced, it can be said that it is a misplaced thought or a misdirected ideology, which bears all the potential of making Pakistan incongruent with the current trends and development in the world. In the recent past, Pakistan declared itself a fortress of Islam, and today, Talibanisation is preparing to take on Islamabad. Both the political and military leadership has dropped the rhetoric of the ‘fortress of Islam’ and which shows that both are now on the defensive.

It is apparent that what is Islamic and what is un-Islamic is the concept on which Talibanisation feeds. In a state that declares itself an Islamic Republic of Pakistan, such a conflict is understandable. However, if ignorance is the leading factor that defines what is Islamic and what is not, the kind of situation emerges as a result can be understood. The factor of anti-Islam (or pro-west) can also be viewed as a product of ignorance (which sprouts from rampant illiteracy). A dilemma is that the number of ignorant lot is so enormous that the literate portion is also affected by the retrograde thought. Consequently, the literate section starts observing at least silence on the matter. Moreover, Pakistan is still caught in the quandary what kind of Islamic Republic it is: medieval or modern. Given the presence of the phenomenon of Talibanisation on its land and given the state of the complicity of society to it, Pakistan stands short of being a modern Islamic Republic.

The overall scenario answers the question what the future of Talibanisation is in Pakistan. That is, the future of Talibaniation in Pakistan hinges on answering certain questions: first, will the state construct educational institutions in the areas left unattended in the past; second, will the state rethink its policy of using the ignorant, uneducated and emotionally charged people to serve its foreign or domestic policy agendas; third, will the state be able to sketch out the margins and direction of its ideology; fourth, will the education system put in place deliver the quality of (critical) thinking that makes a person think independently and rationally; fifth, will society decide collectively to shun the yearning for medievalism; sixth, will society choose to disinfect itself of Talibanisation; seventh, will society resolve to dispirit those who keep on churning out parochial and jingoistic views?

The bleak side of the picture is that Pakistan is in the mid of the storm called Talibanisation. Pakistan is a victim of its own mistakes first and circumstances later. Pakistan is facing problems in braving the storm that is unprecedented in its history. Perhaps, Pakistan is waiting for the time when the storm ends automatically and Pakistan takes control of the situation. It is obvious that Pakistan is not finding a chance to steer its way out of the predicament it is in currently.

The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo.com