The age of unreason

Let’s take an imaginary look at the history books of the future. Just like those of today speak of the iron age, the industrial revolution, the renaissance period and other key eras of our past, those in the coming age will speak of scientific and technological developments, perhaps even space travel as a form of tourism.

These books will possibly mention key scientific discoveries eliminating diseases or enable a greater understanding of the universe we inhabit. However, instead of scientific knowledge or tangible facts, our books will focus on why the gruesome sacrifice of a       black goat on the tarmac, before the take-off of an aircraft, is crucial to determining its safety. Chapters might deal with the significance of this unfortunate animal’s colour or draw up statistical tables on how effective slaughter is on preventing disaster.

Already, we should be expanding this research to other areas. Perhaps rituals of different kinds can be developed to prevent train derailment, industrial accidents, possibly even terrorist attacks. Certainly, these would be no less effective than the puny means we are using now – or indeed the absolute lack of any measures at all to tackle extremism, hatred and other issues. The superb report by the judicial commission headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa on the government failures which led to the attack in Quetta earlier this year, killing 70 young lawyers, is proof of our inaction. Perhaps it is best for us then to resort to killing goats, roosters or sticking pins into voodoo dolls.

We know that all these rituals take place across our country. As the PIA incident has proved, we live in an age of superstition and there is no evidence we are willing to move out of it and accept an age of science. According to one survey, the results of which cannot of course be authenticated, over 50 percent of people in Lahore have visited a practitioner of black magic at least once in their lifetime in hopes of solving their problems. In some cases, these are medical problems that could be dealt with by a practitioner doling out the required medication to control ailments effecting mental or physical health. The belief, however, that these illnesses are caused by acts of a malevolent enemy leads to illogical searches for ‘cures’.

Superstition is widespread. Institutes in Lahore and other places which quite openly advertise themselves on the internet, offer classes in palmistry, numerology, occult sciences and other equally dubious practices in courses for which formidably high costs are sought. Quite obviously, there are people who are willing to pay these amounts. At one centre, a three-month initiation into basic palmistry costs Rs60,000. But then of course the person paying for it would no doubt quickly earn the money back, practising in a society from which science and common sense is being driven out. Certainly, it is given very little respect beyond the curious demand from parents that children study it in schools, regardless of inclination or interest. But this belief in superiority of sciences is confused.

This confusion is the reason why school textbooks refuse to explain evolution at all, leaving a vital link in human development chain outside the framework of knowledge delivered to children. In other cases, extensive research has been carried out on paranormal phenomena in a country which urgently needs a focus on science that can tackle problems such as making water safe to drink or improving the quality of nutrition available to people. Science could also play a key role in improving use of agricultural land and small plots, but this of course is not our focus.

History will record how many of our prime ministers have turned to their favourite ‘pirs’ in order to reach crucial decisions in some cases affecting people across the nation. This would seem to be a disturbing way to engage in running a government – but we know it has happened. The pattern of consulting holy men or women is prevalent across society and we have failed to adopt science as a means to combat the problem. Spiritual healers offer advice which compels people to rise at dawn to light candles in hopes of curing infertility or to offer gifts to those who advise them. It is easy to see who is gaining from these practices.

The lack of respect for scientists can be gauged from the opposition that has come from that ultra-orthodox body, the Council of Islamic Ideology, to the renaming of the centre of physics at the Quaid-e-Azam University after the country’s first Nobel Laureate, Dr Abdus Salam. Others too have raised voices against this. The actual work of Dr Salam is not widely taught despite the fact that he was a world leader in particle physics. His contributions are recognised in books taught at centres of excellence around the world. In our own country, we are unable to bring ourselves to even permit a single centre to be named for him.

We also compel our children to depend on absurdly poorly and in some cases inaccurately written books on science which can in no way further their knowledge or understanding of the world they live in. This perhaps is one reason why so many turn to a world they understand better. This is the world inhabited by palmists, astrologers, tarot card readers, hakims and others who exist at every tier in society. Even the extremely privileged, with foreign degrees framed on their walls or placed carefully in leather portfolios, turn to them from time to time.

Why then should it be a surprise that rather than attempting to understand what has gone wrong with our ATR aircraft, we should simply sacrifice an animal close to the plane in the hope that it will not tumble out of the sky. No doubt, given the manner in which thinking has been constructed, many passengers too are reassured by this sight. But how will this frame our future and the development of a nation that seems to have become lost in time.

There is at least one police chief in the country who calls upon a particular holy man to help him solve crucial crimes through magical powers he professes to own. There have been others at senior levels in the past. We are then not moving towards any age of science or technology. Instead, we are moving back towards far more medieval practices and coming up with curious justifications for them.

Government leaders have defended the sacrifice of the goat, something that has brought much laughter during television talk shows. But this is really not a laughing matter. It in so many ways shapes the structure of our society and the failure to develop a culture of critical thinking and reason within it.

Reason or the ability to engage in it at an advanced level, to develop theories about our world and then prove them, is after all what separates man from most other living creatures. We need to cement this separation in our own country if we are to rise above superstition and beliefs which still mould the lives of majority of people in the country.

The writer is a freelance columnist and former newspaper editor.

Email: kamilahyat@hotmail.com