Weltanschauung

The structuralist poetics described the weltanschauung or the world view one has structured around the language that we speak growing up, in other words, our mother tongue. People like us, who grew up in the post colonial era, where English was and still continue to be of more importance than the language of our ancestors, our world view seems to be distorted, torn between three things; our tradition, our culture and that of our colonial masters. As they say, the gap that is left by the colonial armies, is filled with the language of the colonial masters and those gaps later empower everything as language is ten times more stronger than the physical armies as one can resist those armies and those power with more aggression and throw them out, but once language is embedded in the minds of the opressed, they become better slaves, even after the armies leave, the psychological remnants of the culture and language never let them be free of those masters and that inferiority complex that they had embedded within the minds of the slaves that they created.

In the post modern world, where structures have crumbled, where there seems to be no center whatsoever anywhere, where the moral values, and moral compasses have no grounding or no anchor and it shifts like sand dunes with winds or move around in the ocean with the waves and currents, one wonders where will we find some kind of structure to give meaning to all the madness that is going on around the world. The recent events of colonial settler’s genocidal war on Ghazza and later bombing of the most poor country in the world i.e. Yemen, has put a question mark on every single idea that has been floating around the world for so many years about the moral superiority of the global north. The movies like Avengers, Batman, Superman, all of them white, saving the world and rescuing the opressed people all around the world, seem to have crumbled as soon as the confict started. The idea of free speech, democracy, having opinions, everything that West used to justify it’s illegal bombing of Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria etc. all became invalid. The colonial, imperial powers came out as nothing but a facade that blew up like a balloon and there is nothing left of them to admire anymore.

The question now arises, what will be the world view or the weltanshuaang that we should look at. The language, that has enslaved us for so long, is breaking into small pieces, and we being more aware of the shackles that we knew were there but we never consciously tried to break free of them as we are now trying, struggling to. The world around, be it the north or the global south, nothing has answers to the questions that are being raised in this era. Where is the moral grounding? Where do we anchor the ship of values? The global north, which they made us believe that they have all the best universities, colleges, institutions, crumbled and shattered as people were fired, sacked, slandered for speaking up for a ceasfire. Imagine being called out for asking to stop the killing of innocent civilians and children. Imagine asking to not to target hospitals and being called a terrorists. The question now arises, if you have all the knowledge, all the technology in the world, but no moral values, would you create a human or a monster?!

About the other side of the picture. What is the world view or the weltanshauung of the other side of the conflict. What kind of worldview do these opressed people have? What understanding of the world do these people in Ghazza have to be so resilient, to be so patient in the time of such catastrophe, devastation and destruction.
‘Everything from Allah is beautiful’, were the words of the man who stood on the rubble of his home and his burnt shop smiling.
Such a simple sentence and such a beautiful and deep answer that people like me and you can’t fathom. The worldview that this simple man had is beyond any professor, intellectual that sits in the University of Oxford or Harvard. The weltanshauung that is metaphysical and transcends beyond the realm of the Western culture, langue and discourse. What makes his weltanshaaung so different from everyone we see around us. Living in the MiddleEast for most of my life, the comfortable lifestyle I had, I could never see things the way he is. This is not the story or words of just one man, but an entire population, who I never saw complaining amidst the destruction and devastation. The words, the attitude is the same that we have read about the Sahaba, the companions of the Prophet (SAW). It seems that they have internalized the word of Allah in such a way that they see life, death, destruction, and loss in an entire different way than we do. They seem like a different people, people who are connected to some kind of sabr that comes with endurance and huzn and love of Allah, Quran and the Prophet Muhamad (SAW).

Since the waltenshaaung has shifted with the crisis, it seems the strive to find a new moral ground or anchor has been created too. Once we know that the world, and specially the colonial, Western world has nothing to offer in this regard, where do we shift our focus too. The facade has fallen, the veil has been lifted, the ugliness of the colonial Western world, that has no moral grounding and loves killing children and innocent civilians, we know now, that the moral grounds have to come from the beautiful people, who have the worldview that is not tainted by the hypocrisy of the West and its influence like ours have. The tradition, the Book and the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), is the beacon of light, is the anchor of the moral compass and the grounding of the very foundation of our values as humans and not some farce that change every few years to suit some powerful people ans countries.

A Different Lens

I have been struggling for the past couple of weeks to pen down something. My mind boggled, my emotions fried and my life distracted. My insides are in turmoil. I have always been amazed by this miracle of Allah Suhanahu wa Ta’ala of how in fills our hearts with the love of other people, who are not our blood relations, not our friends nor our acquaintances. Every single person’s ordeal seems like etched in my heart, every person’s tears has moved me to tears, I know I can never understand their pain, anguish, heartbreak or the burden they bear, I feel something in my heart that these mere words can never do justice to.

I have the understanding of things now that I could hardly understand in the past. I remember how the Quran says to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), to not let these people denying the truth, consume you. And I always used to wonder why was the Prophet so consumed by that, why did he felt so… I only realized just now that when people can see the Truth as light as the Day and you know that they know it, and yet they don’t testify it or acknowledge it is very frustrating. In the current times, when people everywhere, don’t want to acknowledge that war crimes are taking place, over 7000 children have died, that IOF kills, kidnaps, blows up hospitals and time and again refers to turning Ghazza into a ‘football field’ or ‘parking lot’ and are in complete denial of a genocide and a holocaust taking place right in front of their eyes, makes you realize how heart wrenching the situation must have been for the Prophet (saw). He preached the Quraish and the people of Makkah for 13 years, and for 13 years, they knew he was telling the truth and yet they didn’t accept it. As the Quran says, ‘ it is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts’. How can one see all these modern warfare tech weapons unleashed on civilians and yet turn a blind eye to the atrocities that the state of Israel is committing. So much so that these people think that bombing hospitals and doctors is acceptable. How sick and how much of a psychopath one has to be to accept that and not bat an eye.

The people of Ghazza were denied food, meds, water, fuel and basic necessities. In the current times, when human beings think that they are on the pinnacle of civilization and where human rights are for all, such behaviour puts a question mark on the intellect of the so-called human beings. The struggle they went through in the past one and a half month, is unquestionably, not only horrendous, horrific but it also raises questions as to what is this so-called-civilised world have come to. Are we even human to deny basic human rights to more than 2 million civilians. The human rights organization, the women’s rights organizations, UNICEF, UNESCO, feminists, children’s rights organizations, all were silent and are still silent. The hypocrisy of all these people, who wail at the fully covered women because they think their rights are breached, where are they when the women, pregnant women and girls were bombed to bits, when they were being amputated and when C-sections were performed on them, without anesthesia. Where is UNICEF, when the school board cancelled the year because all the kids were killed, and when the Israelis chanted that,’ There are no schools in Gaza, because we have killed all the babies’.

The insanity has cross all limits so much so that I can’t wrap it around my head. We feel angry , anguished, heart broken and depressed everyday. Why can’t the world see it. Why are people so heartless and so emotionless as to look at the atrocities and just turn a blind eye towards it. Everyday, brings new pain, new low and new destruction, yet the people, to whom Allah has given power, sit and do nothing except for paying lip service, doing extreme disservice to everyone around them. The respectable, don’t seem respectable now. There is NO freedom of speech, where people so proudly used to boast that they are the flagbearers of freedom of speech.

Blood on Their Hands

As the death toll mounts, and the world looks at it with horror, the insanity and the foolishness is revealed. I thought we have seen the low of humankind when they killed indiscriminately in Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria. But with the events unfolding with every passing moment, we realise that we discover that we were wrong and it’s a bottomless pit and these ministers and leaders are racing to show us how horrendous their insides are. Every time has it’s own Pharoah. Musa (AS)’s Pharoah killed babies too, then there was Abu Jahl, the Pharoah during the times of Prophet Muhammad(SAW), and today, it’s Netanyahu, Biden and Sunak. Their brutality knows no border.

When 9/11 happened, I was in school. The events that followed destroyed not only Afghanistan but Pakistan too. If you take out the interviews, the media, the news, articles, anything from those times, the words, the narrative, the propaganda is still the same. When Bush was asked to try Osama Bin Laden in a neutral country, he said that he wanted to go on a ‘Crusade’ and hence, bombed the country to bits. The soldiers there did every inhumane thing they could have possibly do; keeping parts of Afghan’s human bodies as trophies, raping girls, and killing off whole families at point blank, and all of this was during the ground invasion. They blew up houses and killed innocent civilians through drones in Pakistan too, claiming militants were hiding there. The Blackwater organization was on its feet working in Pakistan and Afghanistan and Iraq killing whoever they wanted whenever they wanted.

The war crimes that happened in those days came to light years after they had taken place. The people were kidnapped, and abducted from various parts of the world, and were sent to Guantanamo Bay Prison, Bagram Prison and Prisons in Iraq. The pictures are still on the internet and the testimonies are there of how these prisoners were treated, and were kept in prisons for years and years without any charges and they were subjected to worst kinds of tortures that anyone in this world could ever imagine. The so-called harbingers of peace and the flagbearers of justice, turned out to be savages with no morality whatsoever. They didn’t have any humanity, they didn’t have any moral values, and certainly were not the best of the people as they claimed to be.

The so-called freedom of speech turned out to be a hoax too because in US now it is illegal to ban Israel and go for BDS but it is okay to condemn the people of Palestine to a genocide! They are now proposing bills to expel Palestinians from their country. So much for free speech and freedom and the American Dream and what not. If you want to expel them from your country then rid their country from the occupiers. But no, they can’t even do that. The very fact that these countries, the best countries in the world, who have the moral high ground, thinks that chanting pro-Palestinian slogans is also ‘hate speech’ and want to turn around the tables and are propagating that this is ‘antisemitism’! When you scroll around your social media, you come across these people, and the talking points only revolve around the events that happened on October, the seventh! And how appalling it is that there are no pictures on the internet whatsoever of ‘decapitated’ babies and children. But everyone turns a blind eye to the babies, that are not even days old and are killed by Israeli airstrikes, the pictures of children killed and mutilated by the bombs. Have you seen the father who was carrying parts of his children in a polythene bag?! Do they count for anything? But the most appalling thing was when the Israeli minister screamed in the cabinet that these children are not equal to our children. If this was a statement of any Muslim minister, the West would have bombed that place saying that these people are terrorists and are a threat to their ‘national security’ and their existence.

There in no moral background of the US or the West’s policies. The people, who caused Holocaust, dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killed millions in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, everywhere, say that Muslims are terrorists and a threat to their existence. How ironic! As the world watches in horror and the leaders, be it democratic, or dictatorship or whatever, I have come to this conclusion, wherever there is evil in this world, US, UK and the West are in compliance with one another in abetting to those crimes and stand steadfast in those values that only harm other people mostly because they are not the same race i.e. white!

Now the West, and the world stands with Israel, with it’s so called notion of ‘right to self defense ‘. Imagine how comical it is that the only nuclear power in the Middle East, is wailing like a child over some stones that were thrown by some teenagers at their fully armored tanks. And in retaliation killed over 10,000 innocent civilians, most of whom are kids. Now their cultural minister is asking for a Nuclear bomb be dropped on the city of Ghazza, because carpet bombing was not killing enough of the Palestinians and they want that piece of land for themselves. It seems to me that the times have not changed yet, some people are always more equal than the others. The idea of being ‘white supremacist’, ‘white man’s burden’ and ‘others’ will always be there. The US and Europeans, the British and the Israelis have very beautiful notion that they are the supreme race. US President Biden saying that US is the greatest country and is responsible for the world (bully of the world). These countries have this notion that they are untouchables and will never be held accountable for the crimes they committed because all of them would veto one another in the UN and get away with everything.

The reality is that the supporters of genocide and ethnic cleansing that is happening in Ghazza, will face dire consequences in the future. You cannot do injustice in this world and sleep like a baby. There will always be consequences. And Insha’Allah we will see who will win in the Hereafter.

Modern Day Colonialism

The first ever department of English was established in the colony of the subcontinent. And do you wonder why? To make us into better slaves. And if you still cannot understand what it means, you can just listen to Rishi Sunak, the PM of UK. He is of an Indian descent and India was a British colony up until 78 years ago. When you look at him, stating his stance on the ceasefire, his refusal to consider the ceasefire and letting humanitarian aid into Gaza, you understand that he still has that mentality of a people that were colonized years ago and still can’t break out of this colonial mindset where you cannot steer away from what your “master” wants.

The colonials have always believed that the whites are a superior race and everyone else is touched by the devil and are cannibals. Everyone else is less human and are animals and have to be treated as such. One would have thought that this is the twenty first century and human beings will not be judged by the colour of their skin or the country they are born in or the religion they follow. It turns out that you are wrong! Even when there are millions of immigrants in the European countries and US and Canada, Muslims are not equal human beings and will never be treated as one. The people of colour will always be the people of colour. The constant repetition from the Israeli Ministers, calling Palestinians, as ‘human animals’ doesn’t come as a shock. This has always been the case with the colonizers, oppressors and occupiers. The Western Media, who claims to be the upholder of human rights and free speech, is not disgusted, or shows any remorse into supporting the idea that ,’Yes! They can say that to the people of Palestine, as they are not “white skinned, blue eyed, Europeans”. There is no backlash as such from the so called human right activists that how can one human life be less worthy as compared to a fair-skinned European.

The language, the lexicon that has been used in the news by the anchor persons or the interviewers or the leaders of the world shape the way they want people to think about a certain situation and the events. There are always sides. The right and the wrong side. What these small ‘slip of tongues’, deliberate use of certain words and the words that construe a certain image in the minds of the masses, do is sometimes completely change the way a person might be thinking. Let’s start with a context, when 9/11 happened, Bush, on the TV called war on Afghanistan, ‘ a crusade!’ This word ‘crusade’ have a religious context and this is exactly what they tried to implant in the minds of people. The kind of phrases that followed were, ‘whether you are “with us” or “against us” driving people into thinking that there is only one way to handle this situation and that be to wipe out a country where “others” live, who in turn are a threat to our existence. The constant need for asking the Muslims to condemn what happened on 7th October has become a crucial part of how the media starts their day but the same people are not saying a word of condemnation on the killings of 7000+ innocent civilians, because these innocent Palestinian civilians are “the others” and not “humans” and are “lesser beings”. They have started calling it a war between Israel and Gaza. What hypocrisy is this?? Israel, having ‘weapons of mass destruction’, the best intelligence agency, sophisticated and trained army, against innocent civilians without water, food supply, electricity and medicine… There is NO COMPARISON!

I don’t personally think that it’s colonialism. This is pure ethnic cleansing as the US minister said that they will turn Gaza into “parking lot”. Time and again the Israeli minister has said that we will “kill” everyone of them. The Israeli Minister saying on TV that drive them out into the Sinai Desert. The Israelis chanting in Jerusalem that ‘ there are no schools in Gaza, we have killed all the children’. This is not colonialism, this is a GENOCIDE! This is their mindset, this is their aim. The so-called flagbearers of peace, are all murderers. The journalists sided with the oppressors. The news channels aided the massacre of innocent children, unborn babies in the wombs of their mother, the mothers, the fathers, and the innocent people just because they lived on the “other side”!

An Open Letter To the Leaders of the Muslim World

Past couple of weeks have been quite heart wrenching as the news from Al Quds, Sheikh Jarrah and Gaza keeps coming in. The Israeli assault over the unarmed and innocent Palestinians is not only shattering the hearts of Muslims around the world but also raising a question on the very role of the leaders of all the Muslim countries around the world.

The Muslim leaders called for OIC and then they even called press conferences and sent out press releases where they condemned the heinous acts of the apartheid state of Israel. That, indeed, must have sent the message to their own people, that yes, they do side with the Palestinians but the big question is: Is this act enough?

President Arif Alvi reportedly said that since the Muslim nations are weak, their voice has no power in the international realm. Prime Minister has sent medicines and COVID relief meds to Palestine. Saudi Arabia has condemned the whole act. Turkey is saying we will do something and strongly condemned the attack. Egypt is silent. Qatar has deported the ambassador of Israel . UAE has blamed Hamas for the whole affair because it retaliated with their homemade rockets when Israeli forces used stun grenades and F-16s and white phosphorus bombs on the innocent civilians of Palestine. Kuwait said that they will imprison anyone who said that they support Israel.

One wonders that if the condemnation is the only thing that they can do? What are we (the masses) supposed to do then? The masses are doing the same, condemning and holding rallies to stand up for their brothers in these tested times.

The Question is : where is the best intelligence agency of the world? Where is the best army of the world?! Where is the commander of the United Muslim Army of the world? What are these so-called armies of the world protecting when their brothers, sisters and children in Islam need them the most? The leaders turn a blind eye to the atrocities does by the Zionist regime of the Jews and think that they have nothing to do with the whole situation? Was the whole Muslim block army made just for fun and play and was to be used just against the Muslims?

Leaders of the Muslim World, have you not read in the Quran, Allah say in Surah an-nisa (ayat 75-76):

75. And what is wrong with you that you
    fight not in the Cause of Allāh, and for
    those weak, ill‑treated, and oppressed
    among men, women, and children,
    whose cry is: “Our Lord! Rescue
    us from this town whose people are
    oppressors; and raise for us, from You,
    one who will protect, and raise for us,
    from You, one who will help.”
76. Those who believe, fight in the Cause
    of Allāh, and those who disbelieve,
    fight in the cause of Ṭāghūt (Satan)(1).
    So fight you against the friends of
    Shaiṭān (Satan). Ever feeble indeed is
    the plot of Shaiṭān (Satan).

These are the kinds of leaders or the heads of the states of the Muslim Ummah. The state of affairs is in the hands of those who are not capable of providing Muslims some self respect. We are put to shame by them and we are embarrassed, as the people, that we cannot do much physically. The Muslim Leaders and the ulema of the Muslim countries have failed the people of Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Rohingya , Muslims of China, Kashmir, Bosnia, etc. They believe in the jihad that you can do by your words, by pen by your character or by just praying five times a day.

Doesn’t Quran say in Surah At-Tauba (ayat 19-20) :

Do you consider the providing of
drinking water for the pilgrims
and the maintenance of Al‑Masjid
al‑Ḥarām (in Makkah) as equal to
the one who believes in Allāh and
the Last Day, and strives hard and
fights in the Cause of Allāh? They
are not equal before Allāh. And
Allāh guides not those people who
are the Ẓālimūn (polytheists and
wrong‑doers). Those who believed (in the Oneness
of Allāh — Islāmic Monotheism) and
emigrated and strove hard and fought
in Allāh’s Cause with their wealth and their lives are far higher in degree with Allāh. They are the successful.

Do Kings, Prime Ministers, Presidents and the Ulemas of the Muslim nations think that the kind violence, bloodshed, genocide that has been going on around the world only on Muslims can be waived off by providing a soft image of Islam?! Do they think the Ayaat of the Quran deem invalid (Astaghfirullah) in today’s world?! Do they think that they will not be tested like Muslims before them ? Quran says in Surah Al-ankabot (verse 2-6):

Do people think that they will be left
alone because they say: “We believe,”
and will not be tested?

3. And We indeed tested those who were
   before them. And Allāh will certainly
   make (it) known (the truth of) those
   who are true, and will certainly make
   (it) known (the falsehood of) those
   who are liars, (although Allāh knows
   all that before putting them to test).
4. Or think those who do evil deeds that
   they can outstrip Us (i.e. escape Our
   punishment)? Evil is that which they
   judge!
5. Whoever hopes for the Meeting(1) with
   Allāh, then Allāh’s Term is surely
   coming and He is the All‑Hearer, the
   All‑Knower.
6. And whosoever strives, he strives
   only for himself. Verily, Allāh stands
   not in need of any of the ‘Ālamīn
   (mankind, jinn, and all that exists)

Whatever that is happening in Gaza, Palestine or infact any other place where Muslims are oppressed, executed and expelled just because they are Muslims, it is not a test for those people as much as it is a test for the rest of the Muslim Ummah. Do we think that we will not be questioned about what we did for the oppressed?!! The scholars were supposed to educate but they stay clear of the politics as it may tarnish their image, the ulemas just pray (whereas they should have been the one guiding the leaders of the Muslim nations as to what should the adequate response should be) and the leaders…what can I say, they just condemn. It seems as if no body is capable of doing anything and this reminds me of the beautiful hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaehi wassallam):

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Companions were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when a Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and asked him about the exact date of the Hour. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) however proceeded with his speech to the audience. Some of the audience thought that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) heard what the man said but disliked his question and some others thought that he did not hear it. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished his talk, he said: “Where is the one who asked about the date of the Hour? The man informed him of his existence. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then said: “If the trust is betrayed and neglected, then expect the coming of the Hour”. The man further asked about the trust and how it can be wasted or betrayed. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When the matter is entrusted to those who are unqualified to implement its duties, then wait for the Hour”

(Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Hadiths no.59, 6496)

Now is the time to act as how the sahabah acted in those times. They didn’t sit around and waited for Allah’s help. Remember Allah’s help come to those who get up and fight in His name. Allah’s help came to those 313 people, who fought against the army of thousands.Allah has promised His help to those who stand in the face of Muzlimun.

Most of the people are laid back and waiting for Imam Mehdi to.arrive and the save the Muslims from such trials and tribulations. To all those people, who are sitting and waiting, do you think you will not be questioned about what did you do when F-16s , drone missiles and massive artillery was used against your brother. If I were in his place, would I not want someone to help me. This reminds me of another hadith :

Narrated (Abdullah bin Umar): Allah’s Messenger (P.B.U.H) said,

“A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to  an oppressor. Whoever fulfill the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his need; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Ressurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Ressurection”

– Sahih Al Bukhari (The Book of Mazalim) 

Narrated Anas: The Prophet (SAW) said, 

“None of you will have faith till he likes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself”

–Sahih Al Bukhari (The Book of Belief i.e. Faith)

The fitnah in Palestine is not as much a test for those people, they have passed the test with flying colours, it is but a test for the rest of the Muslim nations, their leaders ( both political and religious) . What strategy they have up their sleeves that will stop the genocide of the Muslims in Palestine or Burma or Kashmir or Syria etc. The world will never stand with the Muslims, the rest of the world has built up the narrative that Muslims are terrorists because, unfortunately, only a handful of people retaliate. The other are too busy bathing in their precious lifestyles to care. Non Muslims could never have dared touched a hair of a Muslim, if the Muslim had stood united against anything and everything. We still have time to think, to stand in a row and come out of our comfort zones and be what we were supposed to be, the Muslims who stand for their fellow Muslims.

“You Will be Able to Marry ‘white-skinned’ Kashmiri girls Now!”

We are looking towards another genocide, and this time around the victims are Muslims of Occupied Kashmir. And no one will bat an eye because it is the MUSLIMS of Kasmir, had it been another nation, the state conferring to this would have been deemed terrorist state and the western countries would have formed an alliance to bomb that state to nothing as they did with Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Western world has always been like that when it comes to genocide against Muslims, the world that looks in retrospect at the pictures of Jews being tortured and killed by Nazis and says ‘never again’, is silent on the mass killings of Kashmiris because they are Muslims. The West and the feminist movements that go wild that the women who wear burqas are opressed and should be liberated, are silent because women in question are Muslims and from Kashmir and even if they are raped, it is okay. The double standards of the West is just ‘WOW’ when it comes to Muslims and Muslim women. We didn’t see any reaction from all those feminist movements when the BJP announced that you will now be able.to marry ‘white-skinned’ women. Even the human right’s activists went silent on the ‘racial’ remarks.

The Muslim world has again shown how low they have stooped to when it comes to standing with your Muslim brothers. UAE says it is with India for the mass killings of the Kashmiris. The rest of the Muslim world has no voice whatsoever. They live in their little bubbles of happiness and wouldn’t really care about the rest of the Muslims. Muslims, living in Muslim countries are opressed, so we shouldn’t really be shocked any ways. This episode will be written down in history as a massive failure of the Muslim ummah, where they couldn’t stop a massacre, rapes of women and children and massive ethnic cleansing. The world doesn’t stand with Syrian people, doesn’t stand with Palestine, doesn’t stand with rohingya and Chinese Muslims AND THEY WILL NOT STAND WITH KASHMIRI MUSLIMS!!! BRAVO!

The most bizarre of reactions came from the leadership of Pakistan. They talk little of Kashmir. Prime Minister claimed a few weeks back that U.S. has agreed to be a third party in solving of Kashmir issue and yet this happens after a few days! The news is filled with racial slurs of party leaders against one another. OIC has not been called yet! Even the role of OIC has been compromised since they called in India as a guest in the previous session. Will OIC now intervene in this new move of the land grabbing act of India. What we see is the same old attitude of the politicians, hurling insults at one another and showing not a single speck of seriousness.

This is just heart breaking that no one really cares!

The Mess

The mess that started a few days ago has long lasting impact on the mind of those who can actually think and see far better than those who can not see beyond the heroism of one man. Anyway, Pakistan was attacked earlier this week by Indian forces. Indian Airforce claimed that it killed around 300 militants in Pakistan, whereas, only trees were destroyed in the Balakot area. The whole International media took it as if nothing has happened and that Pakistan is the country that harbours militants and should be treated as a country any one can go to and drop their missiles and bombs. This is what has been going on since 9/11, since Musharraf gave a green signal to the US to use Pakistani soil and to bomb it via drones or missiles whenever they want. The mess that we have harboured in the name of ‘war against terrorism’!

Musharraf has made a huge mistake handing over our bases to US and handing over a Muslim country to US over a phone call. Not only that he gave them permission to attack our people living near Durand line because these people were closely related to the Afghanis across the border. The drones killed innocent civillians more than it killed militants. Anyway, the point is, when a free ticket was given to one country to attack our people, without any proof, that they were terrorists, not only made the world believe that we were harbouring terrorists and have camps in our country that anyone, anywhere in the world has a free ticket to bomb! The most perfect Intelligence Agency had let the US come in till Abbotabad and allegedly took OBL from there and did nothing to stop it or condemn it. Anyway, my point is when you let one country in your borders and let them play dirty, how will you stop your arch rival from doing the same when they claim that you are fuelling terrorism in their country.

International media will never see the picture in objectivity as it does not sell. Muslims will always be a white man’s burden and they will continue to be portrayed as the real evil in this world, no matter how many atrocities the Hindu extremists would do against the Muslims in Kashmir, Jammu or Gujrat. Because, as Muhammad Asad puts it, the hatred for Muslims that the West harbour in their hearts,brains and DNAs dates back to the times of the first Crusades and they can never detach themselves from it. That is why the International community and media stood and sympathized with the Indians even when they escalated the Pulwama incident, knowing fully well, that Pakistan was not involved!

The only reaction that came from the International community was after the MIG 21 aircraft of the Indian Air force was shot down. And that be asking for restraint from the Pakistani side. Not a single newspaper of any country, blamed India for escalating the tensions between the two countries. This, not only showed the bias of the International Community but also that no matter how much a Muslim country is their ally, a non-muslim country will always be a more favoured nation. And since Musharraf had always submitted in front of the US and NATO forces when they attacked the tribal belt, everyone was made to believe that Pakistan has terrorist elements.

The Prime Minister Imran Khan, announced the release of the Indian Pilot caught the next day calling it a ‘gesture of peace!’ The immaturity of the decision cannot be measured by any yardstick! Pakistan had an upper hand and what Pakistan could have done was that at least,should have involved a third party and diplomatic corridors should have been used. The whole world was all praises for the Prime Minister but this International Community did not question Indian action in any way. They did not push, nor tried to de-escalate the situation as was. No international pressure was exerted on India whatsoever. Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister failed miserably in calling out to friends, and allies alike to diffuse the situation. Pakistan, has foolishly, believed that India would take it as a gesture of goodwill whereas, if we look at the history of India, be it BJP or Congress, they have always been anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim and never have taken Pakistan’s peace gestures as a joke. A treaty, a third party involvement, could have reaped not only better results but would have at least put things on the table, even Pulwama incident. It could have brought forward the Kashmir issue, and other issues too and case could have been made in front of the International community that Pakistan is willing to take things forward and not down the hill.

One of the blunders that could have been avoided by the Prime Minister was the blunder of waiting for three days ,after Pulwama accusations made by the Indians, before replying. He should at least would have taken that very opportunity of MBS and should have asked them to mediate between them and the Indians; and like the foreign Secretary of KSA said that we will try to diffuse the situation between the two countries, this opportunity should have been availed there and then. A third party should have been called in as soon as the accusation was made and shouldn’t have been waited on!

India, will never sit quietly with this humiliation of two jets being shot down by Pakistan. Things will not die down. The role of UN, US and other countries is pathetic on the whole scenario. I hope better sense would prevail and we avoid a war because this war will bring such destruction that is beyond anyone’s imagination.

The New World

The new government has been formed and the new setup has begun. A lot has been said and there is soo much going on and so many perspectives and soo many analysis being done everyday that one seems as if a lot will be done soon enough. Though the new government has just talked about the audit of the former government’s development projects, and still a lot of focus on the last government rather than things that will be spectacular like fireworks and wow us all. But maybe, we are expecting too much.

Anyway, what we are looking at right now is a financial crisis and I am not an expert at this; I am a lay man when it comes to financial strategies, audits, budgets and all but whatever I know doesn’t paint a good picture of the near future. I remember when Musharraf came to power and 9/11 happened, the industrialists were adamant into going with the Bush and the US because the other way round would ruin their businesses. The economic policies of Pakistan were marked by this main event too as they threatened to put sanctions if Pakistan didn’t chose a side (everyone knows how Bush said it was either ‘with us or against us’ situation). The reason I am going back to Musharraf is because since then, we have seen a very sharp decline in the industrial sector, specially the textile sector. For example, the dye industry has been eradicated from Pakistan, it has been shifted to either India or China. The garments we see in the international markets are either Indian, Bangladeshi or Chinese. Pakistani products are rarely seen in the big brands’ shop where Pakistan was a leading exporter with quality products. What Musharraf came around with has stuck to Pakistan and is still clinging on to Pakistan.  My point here is; does the new government of Pakistan know what we have lost, where are we standing, what policies the International companies have sworn us into since Mushy and how will we get out of it, where should we invest, which industry will be on the hit list(as in what will be the top priority?) and how will they go about it? These questions were not answered by the newly formed government as I was expecting so I still feel it is just talk and no work. But since the cabinet is similar to that of Mushy, we might see a facade of things being better… just my thoughts.. I might be wrong.

A lot happened during Musharraf’s era. One can not forget the Oct 8th earthquake that brought in havoc in the northern part of Pakistan. A lot of aid started pouring as soon as the rescue aid operations started. USAID and a lot of other International NGOs started working in Pakistan in the name of help to be provided to the vast mountain area that was devastated by the earthquake. A lot of aid went missing, a lot of things went unexplained. Till date we do not know on what conditions were those aid given, what sanctions were put on the economic and political front in the name of those aids. To think that the International community only gave all that money on humanitarian basis will be too naive. These questions have not been answered and have not been dealt with either by the military government nor have they been answered by the civilian governments that followed. Since the new government is plundering itself into auditing the development programs of the previous government, it is necessary to bring forward the issues, the policies, the loopholes, the man holes of the governments preceding it in order to fully know the position this country in the international scenario since US wants to quit Afghanistan as well.

The issue of the missing persons also started in the Musharraf era. Musharraf, himself has shamelessly recorded in his book, that he SOLD Pakistani men,women and children for dollars. Dr. Afia is still in US detention center and has gone through immense mental, physical and sexual abuse. This is just one case. We know Amna Janjua is still fighting to get her husband back and loads and loads of people, who have been standing there in the capital and are waiting for their loved one’s return. The matter of Dr. Afia is under Foreign Ministry but rest are unknown. Since the newly elected Prime Minister has announced that he will keep the Ministry of Internal Affairs under himself, this must be the most important issue since new cases of missing persons have come up in the last couple of months namely of Romana Hussain and Roshan bibi just on the pretext of being affiliated with Hizb-ut-tehreer. These are the cases that have come upfront,but I wonder how many cases are still under the carpet. These raise a question on the power of the government, the military and the intelligence agencies. The question here is; Why not open trials, why not open court sessions?? Why such secrecy if they are criminals??What are these Intelligence agencies so afraid of? The new government should be able to at least give one statement on this issue.

Unfortunately, the list of issues goes on and on and on. The question is, will the new government be able to answer all these questions, these core issues? Will they work on the facades or will they go deeper to tackle the core issues of this country?

Only time will tell…

 

Identity Crisis

When Musharraf came to power and the whole 9/11 thing happened, major changes were seen in the political, social and economic scene in Pakistan. When the US said that, ” either you are with us, or against us”, it divided the people of Pakistan. Most of them supported Afghanistan and believed that the US operation was unjust. There were statistics that said that they supported Musharraf… whatever! Anyway, during this whole crisis, his think tanks derived a formula of “sab se pehle Pakistan”, there were songs, concerts, and what not to make sure that this message was embedded in the minds of people so that they would think “Pakistan First”! It was pretty effective as people have this nationalistic mentality in Pakistan where everyone’s either a Punjabi or a Pathan or a Sindhi, or a Balochi or a Muhajir or a Pakhtoon! Proof of it is that NWFP’s name has been changed to Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, the Siraikis want another province for themselves! And it is soo sad! So, back to where I was, Musharraf was pretty much successful in making people think with his media campaigns to think about being  a Pakistani first. And because it was the period when the US coalition attacked Afghanistan, this nationalistic thought overcame all the other provincial identities.

And why am I mentioning all this?! Because we fail to prioritize our identities! There’s been a video that a friend of mine posted on her wall on FB, and the title is, “yea kin logon ki basti hai aey Khuda” by some group called Jagoo Pakistan. The group though criticizes the media responsibilities towards Dr. Afia and too much publicity to Shoaib and Sania wedding and the attitude of the government towards Dr. Afia as compared to that towards Sania Mirza.  I’d agree to the part that yes, the media hasn’t done justice to Dr. Afia but we have to see where we can draw lines. Sania  Mirza maybe Indian but she is a Muslim first. So, when you call her  the “other” or dosre ki beti, you show and you prove that the Musharraf’s “sab se pehle Pakistan” was a success! I’m not saying that I’m not a Patriot or that I don’t love Pakistan, it’s just that if it wasn’t for Islam, there wouldn’t have been a Pakistan.

Pakistan was not made to divide Muslims, but it was made to protect them, to safeguard their rights but somehow the purpose seem to have lost! We fail to realize that we are first and foremost Muslims. When people starting converting to Islam more than 1430 years ago, the Kuffar of Makkah used to say that what kind of religion is this which has put enmity between blood ties and the reply to that is in Quran that Allah has developed love between them (the Muslims) which is far greater and far stronger than that of the blood ties! The Muslim brotherhood didn’t rely on the blood ties or worldly advantages, the brotherhood and the love between them was based on their love for Allah.  They were tied together because they loved Allah and they were Muslims. When we embrace Islam, or when one comes under the fold of Islam, he/she automatically becomes a part of the Muslim community in all parts of the world. That is the beauty of it!

So when we are Muslims first, the Sania Mirza issue shouldn’t be shown like this. The media is responsible for creating such a hype about it and that maybe because the agenda on which the media conglomerates wants the real issues to subside in front of such mundane ones. Always remember, “Nothing is what it seems” specially on television. This so-called free media (I’m calling it a so-called free media because the strings are held somewhere and I know it’s not as free as they project it to be) has undermined the value of Dr. Afia’s case soo much so that the people of Pakistan don’t even know what is happening except for a few! And if this is “awareness” that they are spreading, I wonder what’s the opposite of it!

Anyway, the only thing that I want to highlight here is think of being Muslims first! These national identities were gievn to us by Allah Ta’ala so that we could recognize one another. Not because we can divide and fight. Learn from Ansars from the occasion when they gave half of EVERYTHING to their brothers from Makkah! This is our tradition. Sania Mirza married Shoaib Malik, fine, it’s a marriage! Let it go! There are far more important issues at hand that should be looked into. There are far more difficult times ahead of us, which should be thought about! How to get out of the crises that we are facing as Muslims, as Pakistanis, inside our country and outside in the international community! Look beyond the mere walls of your houses. We are Muslims, and all Muslims all over the world are tied together. Look Muslims everywhere are suffering, and we as their brothers, what can we do??? Think outside the box! Think!

We are Muslims first! Can’t we make a small contribution to the Muslim world even if it is by praying for our Muslim brothers who are in pain! We are Muslims, we are tied together for our love for Allah and His Messenger(pbuh), so stop prioritizing your national identity! We are Muslims First!

Defence Day!

Everyone around Pakistan have been celebrating Defence Day! Friends posting messages on Facebook, and sending smses that we fought like lions and tigers and won the war with a few tanks and fewer fighter jets! True! No one can deny the bravery and the imaan of those soldiers in those days. Today, I don’t know.

The recent reports of blackwater army driving through Iraq and is reported to have been involved in smuggling of weapons, child abuse and all sorts of crimes and since the “underground terrorist US army” is not over the ground, so the crimes go unregistered, unpunished! Not only that now the Blackwater army has deeply set it’s foot inside the boundaries of our own dear homeland for “security reasons”. There are reports in the newspapers that these terrorist army men assault local people in Peshawar and there is NO ONE there who can actually stop them. They move around in their big Chevy cars without number plates. Here’s one of the reports.  If you google it, a number of links would appear… go check for yourselves! I’m serious this is DISTURBING!

Mussolini’s secret police, Hitler (the abominable, the tyrant, the most racist dictator) had a secret police. So, what’s the difference between Hitler or Bush or Obama or Zardari. Don’t they seem like synonyms?! hai na? What say you?! OMG! No, they have been elected and have something to do with democracy! DEMOCRACY! MY FOOT! ( Oh Shoot! I’m losing my temper). What Democracy? The common people of Pakistan don’t know about these things, would they agree to it. No they don’t. But then we have a right to vote, we have a right to change things, but democracy is an illusion far  greater than dictatorship. Atleast one knows that dictatorship is dictatorship. Democracy is actually hypocrisy at it’s best. Anyway, Is no one concerned?! These people have western interests, some reports even call them “crusaders”. They roam around, holding guns, are not accountable for anything, any crime, any lawlessness. They are here for “security” reasons which US doesn’t want to disclose!

So are we going to sit down and watch it from the illusion of safety that we enjoy, but we don’t actually have?! Peshawar… then Islamabad, and who knows they probably are working in Karachi, Lahore and other parts of our country. Are we a country on the edge of ruin… Allah na kare. But the situation is worst than Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. They atleast know their enemies. We, on the other hand, know less and the very fact that the democracy is doing it’s “duty” is highly disturbing. To what limit would they take us? And today if we don’t want to come out of this illusion, I don’t think we have a right to call ourselves educated. The degrees we have now, we should burn them if we believe that whatever that is happening in Swat and the drone missiles won’t visit our homes. Because all of it is happening in our homes!

I’m just too disturbed right now! May Allah show us things as they are in themselves. Ameen. And save Pakistan from these anarchists that are roaming around and killing innocent people. Ameen. And may Allah save Pakistan from going towards these ruins. Ameen. It’s high time mothers of this nation wake up and do the duties that the mothers of the Muslim Ummah are assigned with. May Allah give us mothers like the mother of Mahmud Ghaznavi, Salahuddin Ayyubi. Ameen.