PKKH Exclusive | Dr. Aaminah Siddique
The rarest moments of life are those when expression by language fails, words lose their meaning, and no speech is rational enough to justify the weight of emotion. Death is a solid reality of life that only happens for us to witness in order to accept that life does go on, and nothing lasts forever. But death itself acts in prudence; when it happens where expected, and when it happens where least expected, both, leaving us with a lesson of its certainty.
On the 16th of December, 2014, death itself shook with the absurdity of its occurrence. When the skies were filled with angels welcoming souls into the Heavens above, Death watched the hurried feet of a mother running towards the gates, eyes brimming with tears, and a soul aching with pain, in search of the departed… and Death, gazed down upon its hands and perhaps for once felt ashamed of its job.
For once, life itself seemed to stop.
And we as a nation have travelled so far, far enough to perhaps still live on with the burden of losing 148 souls all at once because of and in return for – absolutely nothing. What has caused us to become so resilient that we feel but we do not react? How many lives have been lost in this wait that every blow is like a tide that hits the rocks and dies back into the sea?
Do you remember the blasts in the IIU Islamabad in 2009? Twin blasts that claimed 6 lives, of which 3 were students…? It was a suicide attack on students; the first of its kind, but it triggered no adequate response. Did those students not have any families? Were they not human beings or Pakistanis? When 6 lives lost provoked nothing more than few half hearted statements; 8 years later, the number exceeded to 148. And today, we have no right to blame anyone else, but ourselves. We have allowed the essence of our religion to be hijacked and misused like drugs in the hands of addicts.
The solutions to this can be immediate action, however not all can benefit in the greater run. Hanging convicted terrorists is a manageable procedure, but not the actual treatment. Flooding cities with boots will provide security, but also burden the Army especially with the current situation at the border. What needs to be understood is that this problem is not local, or limited. It is like a cancer metastasizing with every passing moment, while we are busy treating symptoms, and not the disease.
The name of this cancer which is devouring our society is takfir-ism. Killing Muslims in the name of Islam is a whole new level of absurdity and this is what it’s all about. There are several Ahadith available in reference to this menace, but the real question is how do we counter it? While the army battles these terrorists in the mountains, the ‘Imams’ and scholars back in the cities are liable to promote the correct image of Islam and denounce the actions of these so-called Muslims. Unfortunately, the response hasn’t been as strong as anticipated. In spite of the presence of several scholars and various Islamic schools, only a mere fraction has condemned the attacks, and even of those, most have avoided naming the culprits. One is forced to wonder what keeps our scholars from standing up and speaking the truth in the face of these lies that are tarnishing the image of the very religion they preach.
There are two probable reasons:
1) Our Imams and scholars need to be valued and protected. There have been reports of well known scholars and clerics being gunned down in the past years but as always, their loss has been easily and painfully disregarded. This is perhaps one of the main explanations for the lack of first scale response every time there is a terrorist event.
2) A serious lack of coordination between similar as well as varying schools of thought has caused the very religion of unity to collapse all over. This is a grave reality that must be countered at the earliest. In this struggle for Islam, prominent schools of thought have in fact drawn lines around themselves and refused to come together even for the sake of the country or Islam itself.
This is why in the current situation where every neighborhood has at least 3 different masajid connected to three different sects of Islam, all Imams give khutbas according to their own understanding regardless of the situation of the country and the mindset of the people. While some give peaceful, productive sermons, there are a few Imams who cross the limit out of emotions, often resulting in a backlash which is a stark example of extremism.
The solution to this is a thorough analysis of the madressahs (seminaries) presently running throughout the country. Where medicine, engineering, textile and even acting and fashion industries have proper patronage and associations responsible for the institutes running under them, Islamic schools have unfortunately no proper authority above them that can analyze and keep them in check. If an Imam gives a sermon in one Masjid about coexistence and tolerance, another Imam in vicinity speaks about defying and denouncing the infidels, and there is no one present to hold him liable for promoting extremism or hate speech.
There are several necessary steps that can be taken in this regard:
- The presence of an authority above the Imams and clerics or scholars is mandatory. A board (Wifaaq) of chosen Imams and scholars from all schools of thought can be selected to authorize the religious schools and Masajid working across the country. No Masjid should be constructed without registration from the Wifaaq. From students giving exams prepared by the Wifaaq and graduating with proper degrees attested by the Wifaaq, to Friday sermons prewritten and approved by the Wifaaq, would solve a lot if not all the problems spreading all over the state at the moment.
- The second solution comes by checking the mode of action that these terrorists acquire to carry out their atrocities and manipulation. By brainwashing youngsters and recruiting them for their evil purposes, these organizations currently work with great stealth and progress slowly but persistently. From online forums to pamphlets at schools and colleges, a number of students are easily convinced by the use of appealing statements, half pictured facts and fallacious claims. These orgs have not only succeeded in turning a great number of youth against the Army but have also convinced them that whoever supports the army is basically a traitor to the country. By crying false tears to false claims of lives being lost in the operations, they play innocent while carrying out their terrorist activities at the same time.
- If they target the brains of our kids, it is important for us to shield them prior to an offensive. Schools must start taking Islamic education seriously and should introduce Quran classes and lectures at a young age so their minds can develop with a fondness of their religion. These classes and lectures can be endorsed by the Islamic Board (Wifaaq ul Madaris) that has been suggested earlier. In addition to that, and in perspective of the current events, it is also pertinent to reinitiate boy scouts and girl guides in schools. This method of training is in accordance with international standards and not to be considered as a militant practice. It is extremely vital with respect to the present circumstances of terror threats everywhere in the country.
- Safety, is second to trust. It is important for the authorities responsible for civilian safety, to take the masses in confidence. Some details must be provided and civilians must be recruited in official training camps to be registered as members of a workforce. This would allow a gateway into neighborhoods when these members would work as a conduit for the intelligence. It would also help revive the faith that a number of people lost in our military.
Great nations are not the ones that suffer blows one by one, but their greatness is defined by their response to each blow that hits them. Our resilience as a nation has been extraordinary, but now Pakistan has endured enough. Victim to ethnicity, she lost a major chunk just two decades after independence. Suffered two wars and underwent never ending trials of corrupt, conscienceless leaders. This nation has great potential, a fertile soil that still produces even after constant floods, and drought. A soil, that produces generations meant to take over the world, in the form of child prodigies, and mothers, who send every one of their sons to war.
But Pakistan bleeds every day. And it is time to heal her wounds, because if not us, who? If not now, when?
Source: PKKH.tv
