Main problem is Hypocrisy. Regret to advise that in my country of birth man on the street observes religious rituals but does not act on its principals. A poignant article published in the Daily News is note below. However people will ignore it because it has been written by a Liberal.
Religion without morality?
Ghazi Salahuddin
Sunday, July 29, 2012
From Print Edition
We have these two overlapping realities to contend with. In the first place, there should be no quarrel with the fact that the common citizens of Pakistan are overwhelmingly religious. A manifestation of this religiosity is strikingly evident in this month of Ramazan.
At the same time, the Pakistani society is infested with corruption, intolerance, lawlessness and a general intimation of moral and intellectual deterioration. And this state of affairs would not be possible without a penchant for deviant behaviour on the part of a very large number of people.
Now that Ramazan is here, the entire rhythm of our lives has changed. We do have some inspiring and engaging expressions of a collective participation in the observance of roza, with all its prescribed routines. Iftar becomes an occasion for family and friends to get together and this can be a socially gratifying experience. There is a kind of celebratory atmosphere and its tempo must gradually increase to welcome the festival of Eid.
With all this show of piety and spiritual righteousness, Ramazan does not bring any respite from the normal rigours of living in an almost anarchic and ungodly society. On the other hand, the real paradox is that violence and disorder tend to rise during Ramazan. Crime is also seen to escalate.
For instance, on the very first day of the Holy Month, there were three terrorist attacks. Nine persons were killed in a suicide blast in the tribal region of Orakzai. Near Gawadar, in Balochistan, seven personnel of Pakistan Coast Guards were killed in an ambush. Four persons died when a bomb exploded near a pick-up truck in Upper Dir.
So the cycle of violence is continuing and the law and order situation has worsened in Karachi. In fact, Ramazan is the month when shopkeepers go for larger profits, prompting extortionists to make larger demands. Besides, more people lose their temper more easily. Productivity falls in most sectors.
The point simply is that even when a remarkable majority submits itself to the devout discipline of Ramazan, our collective behaviour betrays no ethical revival or any inclination towards atonement of any kind. Those who indulge in corrupt practices continue to do so. The exploiters and the cheaters, though they fervently seek Gods forgiveness, remain unrepentant.
Indeed, the contradictions that are highlighted in this month have a larger and abiding significance. As I have alluded at the outset, its the juxtaposition of an obsessive religiosity and a deep-rooted malaise in a moral context that one cannot easily explain. There seems to be a symbiotic relationship between the two.
Having said this, I would hesitate to enter into a debate on the consequences of a passionate induction of religion in the public space in politics. We just do not have an environment in which a rational debate can be held on these matters. It would be pointless, at this time, to emphasise that religion is not the business of the state. Remember that speech made by someone on August 11, 1947 someone who is increasingly becoming irrelevant in this country?
Likewise, those who are genuinely religious and aspire to live in accordance with the universal values of truth and integrity and high moral values find it difficult to adjust to the prevailing circumstances. All around us, the ideals that would sustain a civilised community are disintegrating and the entire system is falling apart. Social injustice is manifest in the poverty and degradation of the underprivileged that are also deprived of human dignity.
Actually, there is no need to underline the gravity of the present situation because it is very much an accepted fact. Everyone you talk to gives the impression of becoming more depressed as new calamities unfold. There is no end to reports and events that illustrate the wickedness that has polluted our society.
On Thursday, British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Adam Thompson, said in Islamabad: Unfortunately, you people are world leaders in visa scam. Forgery is a strong industry here. He was obviously speaking with reference to the so-called UK visa scam story published by the British tabloid The Sun.
Also this week, the Gilani Poll/Gallup Pakistan reported the results of two surveys conducted in their series on Ramazan and the role of religion in Pakistan. It was reported on Tuesday, with reference to self-per caption as a religious person that 84 percent of Pakistanis define themselves as religious persons, 12 percent say they are not religious. Interestingly, one percent say they are atheists while three percent did not answer the specific question.
On Friday, it was revealed, with reference to approaches to religion, that 77 percent of Pakistanis say their approach to religion is to observe religious code, while 23 percent say they can serve religion through good human relations. Make what you may of these results. I will only point out that a large majority professes to be religious.
Would it not be fair to expect that a society that has so many ardent believers would be at peace with itself and generate honesty and trust in human relations? Would not they serve as a barrier to rampant corruption and misuse of power and authority? I do not know if these and similar questions are really important for religious people. Perhaps they are preoccupied with other matters.
Think of the dark passions that had been unleashed in the aftermath of the assassination of Salmaan Taseer. No one could have ignored the tide that was raised and even the government, duty-bound to honour the memory of its own leader, decided to surrender to the forces of extremism.
Take this as an aside because the fundamental challenge is to make Pakistan safe for all individuals of faith and to transform the lives of the most vulnerable sections of our society, particularly women and religious minorities. Terrorist violence that has left the social order in tatters is also seen to be rooted in religious bigotry and obscurantism. Sectarian killings constitute the most damning indictment of our collective religiosity.
Do we have the courage and the fortitude to confront these issues and undertake a sober and unprejudiced analysis of the uses of religion in our public life, particularly its impact on the democratisation of a backward, feudalistic and dogma-ridden society? Finally, it is all about social change and its direction.
Hence, we need to explore the dark continent that Pakistan has become. In many ways, we lead sinful lives and still seek, desperately, the bounty of heaven. It is like openly cheating in exams and then insisting that our degrees are legitimate.
The writer is a staff member. Email: ghazi_salahuddin@hotmail. Com
Religion without morality? - Ghazi Salahuddin
