You know we have been saying on the forum that this islamism stuff really is opium because it serves to put a lid on peoples aspiration for lives that are materially better - in a sense materially better lives are lives of increasing dignity and what this Islamism stuff does, is to tell people that they are unworthy -- consider the response of the so called Mullahs to the floods, the floods and suffering was blamed on the wrath of God and for Pakistanis not being pious enough -- of course this did explain that God loved the rich more than the poor, since the rich did not suffer --
That's quite a sharp derivation man! Very precise one that tells who open themselves up to this sense of the Mullahs, and why do they do so. No wonder, the rich bin Laden's own niece is a hot model, while those who can barely afford different clothes for different occasions are the major followers of his ideology.
That thread, Defending Islam, there I once posted an article. It began by saying how in the evening, in front of some certain Tablighi Jamaat Mosque, the hawkers park their carts beside the imported cars, and everyone gets first come first served basis preference for parking. Sounds really nice egalitarian society type. But once inside, the atmosphere changes. Commoners become the celebrities, and celebrities become the gullible.
The entire idea is that whatever you have done in your life, holds no value whatsoever unless you have done something that those specific Mullahs preach. Once outside, the celebrities may be back to their daily lives and indulge in their own tempting vices, but I am sure the commoners, or the poor, will live for this new found identity, for this is all they will have to make them feel worthwhile.
Generally speaking the more committed our respondents are to islamism and socially conservative and misogynist attitudes justified on religious grounds, the more the respondent is relatively poorer or from a relatively poorer background as compared to those who do not exhibit or express the same kinds of attitudes and the same kinds of justification
Yes, that is bound to happen. People take pride in their heritage. And heritage is an inseperable part of identity. However, if there is anything missing, or any guilt lingering far away in the past of the heritage, then the concept of identity is broken. That is when the forceful nature of the character comes out. The show of force, i.e., mysogynist attitude, or forced conservatism, gives them a feel of authority, legality, and righteousness. They measure their deeds throughout lives on the scale of those Mullahs, and then they begin to feel important.
The mere fact that they can "justifiably" force someone to do something (doesn't necessarily have to be with Islamism, or religion, though the religion part certainly provides them with great satisfying sense of authority) somehow subconsciously compensates them for the lack of any just authority or identity they hold.
They use the religion as nothing more than a crutch for them to carry that sinful corpse. But they cannot get over, for it is their own corpse and it refuses to budge at the touches of humanity.
I am not sure if this attitude, or this concept they hold for a society, can be easily cured. Education will not be the one to play the role here. And economic reforms are too gradual a process, and may be too late to happen.
While such hunger to be authoritative can be seen among the poor in almost every country, it is so many times more pronounced in Pakistan, and with my lack of deep knowledge about that country, I can only wonder about what can be done to slow down, if not halt this disastrous phenomenon.
