Daily Times

Religious fundamentalism is posing an existential threat to the sovereignty of the country.

During and after the Afghan war, clerics trained many young men and radicalised them on the pretext of jihad.

The jihad has ended, but its repercussions on the social fabric of society have lingered and continue to flare sectarianism. Furthermore, religious extremism has also injected political discourse with its venom, with politicians exploiting religious sentiments for political gains.

It’s ironic that despite the presence of countless sects, each claiming its own validity, Pakistan has failed to prosper and overcome its instability.

The misuse of blasphemy laws and hate speech in religious sermons has created a sense of insecurity and terror in the minorities.

In their new video message, Tehrik-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah announced that they will launch a new movement in April in order to pressurise the law enforcement bodies for their demands. Rizvi and his close companions are openly threatening and spewing hate messages and posts on social media against administration, military and higher judiciary of Pakistan. This time, it seems, they are more determined to form their own state within the state.

Their motif seems to be of two types; first to bind the higher judiciary not to take any strict action on their last Faizabad dharna and the second to coin massive space for his assemblage in the next general elections of 2018 by provoking public sentiments on religious stances.

Most of the fundamentalist factions and religious groups are just power hungry bigots representing their particular mind-set

Anyhow, behind most of the religious assemblages and stratums have political motives to strengthen themselves or the political elites. Moreover, political parties use street power and religious hegemony of these religious assemblages to fulfill political needs. The religious political parties and religious bands particularly JUI-F, Jamat-i-Islami and Majlis-i-Ihrar somehow ever remained in the mainstream of the Pakistani politics both in authoritarian and democratic regimes.

The leadership of religious political parties comprises of opportunist and power seeker politicians who try to overcome political scenario in the name of religion. Molana Fazal-ur-Rehman, Sami-ul-Haq any Pirs and Sajadah Nashins are the samples for such game of power in the very name of religion. As these Pirs and Sajadah Nashins fully supported Khadim Husain Rizvi during his Faizabad Dharna along with his stance on Mumtaz Qadari (the murderer of Suleman Tasir the former Governor of the Punjab). However, later they criticized the hanging of Mumtaz Qadari by the Nawaz regime.

Many Mullahs misused the platform of Mosques and the podiums subjecting to their personal and political agendas at the cost of hatred and law and order. These radicalised religious stratums effect the national integration by misinterpreting the religion. Its prominent example is the citation of the Ramdhan and Shawal’s Moon (crescent). Mufti Popalzai of Masjid Qasim Khan Peshawar, many Mullahs from FATA and other parts of the Country cause the division among the Pakistani nation just to notify the country of their presence.

Allama Tahir-ul-Qadai, head of the Pakistan Awami Tahrik (PAT), plays his role in creating socio-political chaos during his visits to Pakistan. His speeches and stances are sufficient to determine his political postures accentuating Model Town massacre. This is assuming as well that he is getting socio-political and economic benefits by politicising the horrific incident rather than to conclude this Case.

Molana Tahir Ashrafi, head of Pakistan Ulema Council and a part of “Islamic Ideological Council”, is an alleged alcoholic. The presence of many other controversial Mullahs in the Council questions the worth and work of this Council.

Molana Abdul Aziz and his brother Abdul Rasheed Ghazi of Lal Masjid and administration of Jamia Hafsa Islamabad have challenged the writ of the State to establish a state within the state in 2007. They provoked the common people and students of madrasa occupying the capital in to implement their extremist agenda. Allegedly, they started to register the people for suicide bombing and trained them to coup against the State. Finally, Pervez Musharf launched the operation to contain the situation and Ghazi Abdul Rasheed along with many other resistant was killed. Nevertheless, Abdul Aziz is still heading the Lal Masjid and a potential risk for the peace in Islamabad.

The religious stratums have grown stronger in the Country; the liberal or moderate thinkers even cannot openly discuss the religious matters and the modern Islam. The Fatwa dealers have fully occupied the minds of the common people. During the past 70 years, no Govt. took severe actions against this radicalization. Even both military and civil regimes had the courage to condemn or criticize the taboos set by the radical religious factions.  Gen. Zia was the chief contributor to strengthen this religious extremist mind set. He patronized the Mullah-ism in the Country. His religious policy drifted Pakistan towards extremism turning it into a bifurcated nation.

The false interpretation of the Islamic teachings by the extremist Mullahs have been damaging the worthwhile and universal teachings of Islam and portraying wrong message to the world.

The misinterpretation of jihad and shariah has done great disservice to religion as well as society.

People consider it an essential part of their faith to follow these Mullahs rather than going through the religious scriptures themselves. Such religious clergies take advantage of people’s regret for being away from the religion and try to fill in the gap between an individual and his Creator with their own version of interpretations of the Holy Book. Perversely, these Mullahs being aware of their “market value” feel comfortable to abuse anyone in their gatherings, conferences and speeches. Resultantly, these religious clergies encourage the society not to tolerate any personal views deviating from the concept in their minds due to the short sightedness of the natives.

Other than un-registered, 25000 registered madrasas with more than 2 million students are functional in Pakistan. While only in 2004, according to the Govt. officials, about 500 complaints of child molestation in madrasas were reported and 400 more have been reported during the last decade. These reported figures just a tip of an iceberg as compare to the actual incidents. In the Madrasas, the sexual abuse with the students by the Qaris or Mullahs are common, which reflects the actual mind-set of these so-called religious scholars and the moral decline of the society.

Most of the extremist outfits like Sipah-i-Sahaba, Jesh Muhammad, TTP, Sipah-i-Muhammad, Jamat-ul-Dawah, Ihrari and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, etc. are commonly led by the Qaris, Hafizs or Mullahs who belong to the Madrassa culture and they rely on the radicalised poor class of Madrassa students. These banned extremist organizations commonly headed by the Molana Azam Tariq, Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, Molana Ahmad Ludhianvi and Hafiz Saeed etc. They raise funds for Madrassas through charity in the name of religion. Most of the extremist groups have been banned by the Govt. but their ideologies still intensely exist and still appealing a certain mind set.

The strict monitoring of the funding, curriculum, syllabus and administration of Madrasas is essential for the restoration of peace and religious harmony in Pakistan. The terrorist groups, in the name of Shariyyah, are now approaching colleges and universities. Last year “Ansar-ul-Shariyyah”, a terrorist group were detected in Karachi. Most of its members were highly qualified and studying in renowned universities.

To sum up, most of the fundamental factions and religious groups are just power seekers and represent a particular mind-set. The Mullahs in the politics are enjoying the socio-political status and economic benefits in the name of religion rather than serving society or religion. In order to increase their worth, they are strengthening the socio-religious diversities fabricating the “values” in the minds of their followers who lack the ability to differentiate between politics and religion.

Religious political parties, after getting votes in the name of Islam, have nothing to offer before their voters. As a result, they start emotional blackmailing as a tool to change the subject and to create an impact that the undelivered portfolios of their offices are nothing as compare to the religious values and duties.

The criticism of the voter is slightly altered with the regret and a lesson to sacrifice. Therefore, a person who comes with the complaint goes home with “a different plan” to serve his religion. Religious harmony and elimination of Mullahism is the solution, rather the only solution, of Pakistan’s existing problems and guarantees the peaceful Pakistan with prosperity.

The writer can be reached at busharathistorian@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, March 31^st2018.