A scent of common sense

In times of madness, when allegations of being ‘anti-state’, ‘anti-Islam’ or a blasphemer are freely hurled about in the mainstream media and social media – to the point where they have become a joke – it is crucial that common sense prevails.

Unfortunately, common sense seems to have drifted away like the wisps of steam that rise briefly from a cup of tea, before cooling down into a tepid, murky-coloured liquid. This is why people seem to lose contact with reality when an accusation, wrapped in the coatings of religion or patriotism, is hurled about. As a consequence, people have been lynched or set ablaze by mobs. Thousands have been thrown into prison cells and others viciously vilified on public forums. These are not the signs of a rational society.

People within our society need to be re-taught how to think. They must assess opinions delivered from elevated pulpits – whether they are placed inside mosques or television studios. Even Facebook pages have, in some cases, been turned into spaces from which similar, vindictive sermons are delivered. These words can quite literally mean death for an individual who has committed no crime.

We have banished from our minds the basic principle of justice: anyone not found guilty and convicted by a court of law after the due process of law is completed is innocent, and must be treated as such. We no longer bother with proving a crime. We simply act outside the law. This is the symptom of a society where rule of law has essentially broken down and nothing else exists to protect people who attract hate speech or malevolent contempt.     

We need our religious scholars to come forward and help rectify at least some of these problems. These men – and there are also many women who hold the same degree of knowledge – have respect in society. They need to speak out openly and more frequently – especially when an orthodox Council of Islamic Ideology is quick to deliver its often absurd pronouncements defending child marriage and opposing the use of DNA tests as evidence in rape cases.

Lately, the views of several senior members of the ulema on various matters have made logical sense. A group of scholars recently pointed out on a television show that anyone who makes an accusation of blasphemy which he or she is unable to prove deserves a more severe punishment than the blasphemer. We have never punished anyone for hurling accusations of blasphemy.

According to the scholars, jail cells are packed with inmates who have been accused of hurting religious sentiments by people who have family, property or business disputes with them. Personal enmity seems to be a key factor in such cases. The insatiable media appetite for sensationalism, and what we call ‘breaking news’, has also played a major role. This is often equated with meaningless tripe.

There are other social issues on which the more learned interpreters of Islam hold perfectly balanced and well-justified views – all of which would help create a more sane society. Religious scholars could also issue reminders of the need for greater tolerance and the acceptance of divergent views. This, after all, has been a hallmark in the history of Islam. While it is true that state matters should ideally not be grounded in religious interpretation, the situation we have reached today makes it imperative that people who understand religion better than others raise their voices.

It is true that many are scared to do so. Some of them have already left the country. When this happens, the field is left open for men such as Maulana Abdul Aziz of the Lal Masjid, who has, in recent months, defended the Islamic State and other extremist organisations. He is also unrelenting in declaring people ‘anti-Islam’.  

The key question is: why is Maulana Aziz able to preach at all? He was a leader of the activities that ignited from the Lal Masjid in the run-up to the raid on the premises of the mosque and its madressahs in 2007. These activities included the attempt to take over government buildings by force; bring young, female madressah students armed with sticks out on the streets of Islamabad; chastise women who they believed dressed improperly; and engaged in activities which they interpreted as being contrary to religion. It was this mentality which led to subsequent events, such as the 2011 assassination of Salmaan Taseer and the elevation of his killer to the status of a hero.

Thwarting these elements will take time and effort. The media, in particular, needs to take a retrospective look at itself and its role in pushing forward hatred to draw in higher ratings. The essentially right-wing personal opinions of many TV anchors have played a part in spewing hatred. For others, their conscience seems to have vanished. Until the media as a whole regains this conscience, we will continue to flounder. Our educational system also needs to encourage people to think and build acceptance and admiration for the diversity in our country.

Our success as a nation lies in protecting the 3,000-year-old heritage of the Kalash culture rather than in stamping over it and introducing a sameness that has robbed us of so much already.

The need to protect people who diverge from the official narrative is of utmost importance. This is the narrative that is shared by the government, and preachers and large sections of the media. This is what makes it so dangerous. The move to arrest Hafiz Saeed of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa only came as a result of the threat posed by a White House run by the unpredictable Donald Trump. We acted instantly as the warning was delivered from Washington.

In the past, similar advice from the previous Obama administration – which was perhaps less likely to bomb the country or take other frenzied action – produced limited results. But we should not be acting out of the fear of others. It is our own integrity and our own standing as a nation that we need to protect. Our policies must be directed towards this goal.

There are considerable doubts about where key members of government actually stand. They must now take sides and act to uphold rule of law. A failure to ensure equal justice for all will only worsen existing tensions and produce an environment in which an even greater fear will hold sway and fewer individuals will speak out at all.

Silence is always dangerous. Despite the candlelight vigils and the small protests held for activists who have been killed or targeted, the voices of dissent are limited. As a result, those who do speak out can easily become targets themselves.

The writer is a freelancecolumnist and former
newspaper editor.

Email: kamilahyat@hotmail.com