Daily Times

The tragic assassination of Salmaan Taseer is symbolic in many ways. It reflects the polarisation of our society, it speaks volumes of the identity crisis plaguing the future generation and it exposes the vulnerability of each person living in a country without governance. The extreme difference in lifestyles, mindsets and exposure has created this ‘me vs. you’ aggression, where tolerance and coexistence are considered signs of weakness and gutlessness, and retaliation and aggression are markers of bravado. A society brimming with frustration and lack of direction has become an ideal breeding ground for rebels without a cause. Mumtaz Qadri, the man who turned his machine gun on the governor, is a product of an environment where rather mundane and empty lives are temporarily thrilled by moments of glory delivered by a misdirected belief in letting ‘faith’ triumph over ‘evil’. How many of these aimless and wandering minds exist in our society is a matter of real danger and deliberation.

The right to be right all the time is what is wrong. What is ‘right’ is defined by one’s own interpretation of faith and religion. Young, unexposed minds are fed a narrow and manipulated interpretation of religion by the clergy who exploit the meaningless existence of these very minds by giving them their own meanings under the guise of religious tenets. The Blasphemy Law has become a ‘do or die’ debate triggered by the religious parties to make their presence felt. Mass protests and threats have abounded; voices of sanity on both sides — for it and against it — are drowned out by the insane clamour of faith, rights and injustice decreed on religious rather than human grounds taking centre-stage in the media and minds of the public. Does strong faith give you license to be arrogant and punishing towards those who do not share your beliefs or does it give you the humility to respect different beliefs and learn from them?

Extremism of all kinds is counter-productive in the long run. Too much of anything or too little of anything tilts the balance of sanity. Too much awareness and too little awareness are tests of character. Does with more knowledge come more understanding and progress or does with more knowledge come more self-awareness of how to assert oneself and downplay all else? The preachers of faith of all religions will unanimously talk about humility and tolerance as the main tenets of humanity but, in practice, these very preachers advocate and instigate opposing behaviour. Thus a more learned and exposed world, having learned from history, will oppose force, oppression and war as strategies for sustainable progress, yet what we have witnessed is an acceleration of these very destructive forces all around the world. Does learning and awareness create superiority of mind, where you believe that what you think is the be all and end all? Or does the over-aware and under-aware mind present equal danger, with one refusing to concede to differing points of view and the other not having the power to refute opposition? Has globalisation created a less equal world where the haves with their greater mind power have ensured that the have-nots with unexpanded minds remain subject to their occasional benevolence and regular arrogance?

These are the contradictions that have led to a very restless and war-torn world in general and a destabilised Pakistan in particular. The Ground Zero mosque debate in the US has certainly exposed what a farce the word ‘civilisation’ is, with neither party willing to relent and religious zealots promising bloodshed as a solution for avenging the bloodshed of 9/11.

The present unrest in the world is due to the insecurity of nations, organisations and individuals of losing their identities and hold over others. American supremacy is being challenged by lesser nations; large multinationals are being questioned over their ethics and conduct, and each individual is struggling to establish his or her own roots of religion, culture and history. The fear of either having it all or not having anything is the root cause of a mindset that has brought this world to a win or lose strife, where the concept of coexistence and cohabitation are clichés in great rhetoric. Religious zealots are branding the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan as a jihad over the opponents of Islam. The suicide bomber psychology stems from a mind fed only one side of the picture. A mass awareness campaign at all levels in the media and schools is required to make people understand the true meaning of Islam rather than the cramming of Arabic with little emphasis on getting to the real spirit of how to live with purity of intent and action.

What is the essence of the right thing? How do you prevent the ritual from overtaking the spiritual? The right thing is to look at the common teachings of all religions, as they are surely the principles that have indisputably been proved as the true ways to live. The problem is that when our values are not aligned to principles, we create an internal conflict, which results in self-righteous denouncements and actions. The solution therefore lies in questioning what we value. Do we value just our own opinions or do we value the opinion that is true regardless of whom it belongs to? Thus the right thing is to opt for peace and non-violence rather than the imposition of beliefs to depose opposing beliefs. We all know that Islam teaches peace and compassion and forbids force and aggression. If these are the principle teachings of our religion, why are they not taught in homes and schools?

Let us not live with the ghosts of history. Let us ensure that the deeds that have brought our country to its knees are exorcised. Let us not become slaves to our own apprehensions and close our mind’s eye to scenarios away from our individual beliefs but focus on principles that are more beneficial to a larger majority. Let us not become devoid of the ability to give up our obsession with our own ideas and inculcate the spirit of looking at divergent views and synergising a solution suitable for all. Let us be human and look at other people without wearing the lens of religion, race and class. Let us go back to the basics of humanity, humility, dignity and true integrity, where we aspire for unity but not uniformity, where we aim for peace and not war, where we create acceptance and respect for difference in thought rather than animosity and disrespect for disagreements to our way of believing and behaving. How can one human being try to decree a life and death judgement and not be creating blasphemy on the power of the Almighty? All this merciless conduct in the name of the most merciful, or is it?

The writer is a consultant and can be reached at andleeb.abbas1@gmail.com