Daily Times

The common notion is that religion binds people together and forms a certain kind of unity in society. This may be true in the case of homogenous societies where there are no economic and political complexities. The social reformation in the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not have such rigidity in religion, nor was it imposed upon others, thus allowing for people from all walks of life to suit their own preferences in society, unlike what others teach about absolute religious dictation today. Those laws that were endorsed in the Quran should be viewed in the historical context that was reflective of the realities of the time in which they were revealed. The initial years of Islam were in fact much more harmonious before the first political divide started emerging with the row over the selection of the Khalifa, the Caliphate rule that hardly remained for two decades. During that time, there was no idea of sharia, which, according to some scholars, is often misunderstood to be imposed on society. Some scholars have pointed out that sharia is not a code but merely a loose set of duties assigned to a Muslim, subjected to the opinions of the ulema (clergy) more than the religious texts. Therefore, by any logic, sharia can not be binding for Muslims in general as the codes defined by it are differently interpreted by different sects of Islam, and hence it loses its universal appeal. More so, it is stated clearly in the Quran that there is no compulsion in religion, which removes all confusion over the issue of governance.
The current realities of today reflect a different picture than what was found in history. Where societies grow, differences in their worldview also widen. Where no two individuals can think alike in their perception of religion, it would be reactionary to impose it on them. The current version of Islam is what has been preached after years of successive adulteration of Islamic injunctions. Every fiqh or sect in Islam (of which there are many) has its own version of Islam, yet they try to supersede other in terms of their authority. The dictated codes of Islam we see today are the superficial values based on morality and stricter lifestyles, leaving no room for individuality and free thought, which is degenerative for any given society. Islam in politics makes it even more dangerous as it shrouds the greater global and national political issues that need proper redress in realistic, pragmatic terms.
With its origin being controversial, the clergy claim Pakistan to have been created for Islam, whereas other historians cite Jinnah’s collection of statements in which he wanted Pakistan to be run on non-theocratic values, as is also enshrined in his famous speech to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. However, all this changed with the death of Jinnah when the Objectives Resolution was passed, stating that the “sovereignty of the state rests with Allah alone”. This in itself has had dangerous implications because taking away the sovereign right of the people to run the country and handing it to God is an absurd idea that causes philosophical confusion by distancing us from basic human values. The Islamic insertion into state policies was the first ever attempt to appease the powerful clergy who wanted their share in the affairs of the state, even though they were the ones who vehemently opposed the creation of Pakistan. The first interference in state affairs just sowed the seed of growth of Islamic radicalism, which gradually grew each time Islamic principles were injected into the Constitution and state policies. There is sheer confusion over the idea that Pakistan was created for the Muslims versus it being created for Islam. If it is implied that the country was created for Muslims, then it means the same is implicated for minorities, some of who migrated to Pakistan at the time of its creation because they saw the hope of a better life for themselves free from the religious extremism they faced in India before. But this hope turned into disaster when the Pakistani cause was hijacked by the clergy who asserted that Pakistan’s objectives should be based on Islamic principles, thus leaving the minorities politically stranded.
Today, Pakistan suffers from an ideological crisis while the radical version of Islam is being penetrated into the national mindset, which has a direct effect on the state’s resolve to adopt counter terrorism. While the actions of the state against militants is commendable, very little is done to take religiously motivated political and militant ideologies to task, to which Pakistan has been providing an enabling environment to breed and grow.
For dissenting views, there is a tendency of violence meted out against them, not so much from the state as from religious groups. The very fact that there are numerous Muslim identities within the state is a deterrent for any imposition of laws that may be found contradictory to their beliefs. The imposition of sharia will only make matters worse while attempting to homogenise Muslim populations as well as minorities by shrinking their individual spaces within a state. With unequal rights for women and minorities, aggression from main religious-political groups against other sects of Islam, demeaning Shia Muslims, complete ostracisation of the Ahmedis from the fold of Islam and delineation from the strong Sufi pluralistic cultures all have caused the Muslims to be humiliated for their religious sub-sects.
Discrimination arises when a dominant force tries to supersede marginal groups. This is the reason why the Wahhabi brand of Islam (the puritanical ideology of Islam used by the radicals), emanating from Saudi Arabia is trying to dominate the Muslim world by completely rejecting the diversity in the Muslim world. Wahhabi tendencies have built inroads into Pakistan, trying to eliminate the pluralism that this country once enjoyed. To say that the Muslim ummah needs to be united on the premise of Islam is a dangerous and delusional idea unless there is just one brand of Islam to which everyone agrees. But this is just not humanly possible. It is nothing but secular values that preserve many a tradition in Pakistan as long as they do not discriminate against others on the basis of religion.

The writer tweets at @zeebahashmi and can be reached at zeeba.hashmi@gmail.com