am I right?

I wonder, at times, if the way I think, my beliefs (question mark!) my attitude, my take on life (do I have one???) the manner in which I carry myself (yup, the whole heavy lot) is it, is all of "that" any good? Am I "right" about anything in life? Right of course can be from many points of view - right as in religion, right as per social norms, right as in it applies to the standard acts of a woman, right as in morality so on and so forth.

At this juncture - for some odd reason I want to put myself in the dock and sift what I am and what matters to me, from all what is, just a shell....do other people see things the same way I do, is there any convergence? So, do let me know if you think I'm right in thinking:


Am I right? In believing that the most horrendous act of man in hundreds of years was extermination of Jews in the 20th century. Almost 6 million Jews were massacred in a planned and regulated fashion, one of the most organized example of 'racial cleansing.' Every time I read a book about the holocaust or think of it I shudder at the inhumanity of man to man, how can a coterie of nations single out one race, which was living amongst them, perhaps not entirely integrated yet living in peace for a long time. There were murmurs of animosity towards Jews and their financial and business successes, but what changed fundamentally under Hitler in the early 40's that took the form of total extermination of JEWS. Today, its against the law in Germany to deny the holocaust as lot of Jew-haters do to this day, but what evil lurked in men of that time that they turned against their friends, their neighbours, their colleagues? How could humans be treated worse than cattle, transported in cattle trains over freezing terrain with barely standing space - gas chambers, mass graves, executions all by supposedly civilized people? And the modern world watched -mute, silent! and it is these wonderful harbingers of Freedom that we today look upto and want to be a part of through a Passport? shame on us.



Am I right? In believing the nuclear arsenal that we all are so proud of is more of a liability than an asset, one that would sink us like a huge rock and the sooner we get rid of it the better we are? For what in the 21st century, with the lessons of, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, behind us we still think seriously that a time will come when we can use them to our advantage? Just think about it? how gullible and naive this sounds? this assumption, this false sense of security, this utter lie that we so blatantly choose to believe in. Are there people out there who think the way I do and consider this national obsession with nukes a certain death knoll?



Am I right? In believing that all religions ought to be respected and honoured. No matter how absurd and illogical the beliefs of other people, we must believe in their right to believe them and also must guard that right. Who are we to "declare" publicly that certain sects are un-Islamic and therefore heretical and hence deserving of an inquisition-like query and punishment. Who exactly do we think we are? the keepers of all faiths? How arrogant and un-Islamic is it to make hoarse speeches about what Christians and Jews believe in without ever thinking that to them their religion is scared just as ours is to us. We ought to let people be, the minorities have to have complete freedom of their beliefs and practice of their religion and the state must never govern anything in the sacred dealings between man and GOD.


Am I right? In believing and saying that the Hudood Ordinance is a complete sham a total infringement on the rights of women, that statue is lop-sided, partisan and completely off the actual meanings and message of the Quran, perhaps we have lost the spirit of the laws, and somehow in the warped male interpretations over hundreds of years have turned laws supposed to protect women into tools of persecuting them in the name of that very religion.



Am I right? In thinking that the schisms and sects in Islam are so not necessary, so superfluous and inhibiting to a great extent. The Shias and Sunnis have arguments on history and not on what Islam requires us to do, So? where are the fundamental differences that we must insist in displaying at every other juncture. Then, the sad part is we don't stop at that, amongst the Sunnis there are several sub-divisions so we have Barelvi and Deobandi and Wahabi and I lose count. You would not find a barelvi caught dead in a Deobandi masjid and vice versa? WHY? I didn't somehow remember from my lessons of Islamiat that differences in mosques and other small things mar the relations of Islam's first followers - their belief system was fresh, hardly archaic and very potent - something we are losing today. Shia's and Sunnis with their different roza timings! do you really think GOD, that omnipotent and omniscient being would care about a few minutes? Somehow, I doubt it very much.



Am I right? In thinking that people who abuse and look down on non-Muslims as kafirs as sure incumbents of hell, have a pretty good chance of landing down there themselves, for GOD detests arrogance and presumptuousness. Who are we to use "Hindu" as a pejorative term? as was recently done by a government official on TV. A great wasy of exposing to the world at large our bigotry and ignorance. Since when have Christians, Hindus, Parsis, and Jews become targets of the State of Pakistan and its very uneducated and uncultured people. There are people in this day and age who would not have food cooked by a Hindu or a Christian! Oh, how tedious we are, how very provincial. There are educated people who sit there and argue about the stupidity of Hindus in worshipping IDOLS - the deal is I think that we must respect religions even if we clearly don't understand what they are all about. For kind general information the Idols aren't Gods in and of themselves, they are representations! and therfore aren't supposed to "do" anything!


Am I right? In thinking that we as a nation, as a society are regressing into some kind of a bigoted ignorant and dogmatic stage of being which is inflexible and totally at odds with reality. That, instead of understanding the world in the light of what's happening we are holing up, folding in on ourselves, wrapping ourselves in fundamentalism and dogma pitching against other nations.


Am I right? In acknowledging publicly the hard fact of - Ismalis being cajoled by the state of Pakistan and treated like a favourite child while Ahmedis being persecuted, declared Kafirs and literally thrown out or forced into hiding. And the difference in the treatment meted out to both communities is simple - and is spelled M-o-n-e-y! When the head of the Aga Khan community comes down from Paris to address his community he is treated as guest of state, his followers are admired for their vigilance they display in helping their own community, their projects are lauded like the Aga Khan University, they are allowed to have their Jammat Khanas where they want them and are allowed to practice their faith in complete freedom. The Ahemdis are a poor sect and therefore harassed and heckled to the last post. Their places of worship are bombed and the police and rescue parties take their own sweet time to respond, they must declare their non-Islamic religion when applying for a passport or any job in the government.


Am I right? In believing the blasphemy laws as totally un-Islamic in spirit. When every Muslim child knows that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forgave all his enemies and enemies of Islam at the victory of Mecca, then who are we to punish people for their beliefs or non-beliefs. I am not purporting abuse of Islam in any which way, all I am saying that till there are people and individuals there will be difference of opinions and ideas and putting up laws that could easily be abused as they are in Pakistan is lamentable. Most of the people languishing in jails on charges of blasphemy have been framed or otherwise targeted for this law is harsh.


Am I right? In looking around us and coming up with the conclusion that we are HYPOCRITES of the highest order. That we pretend and wear masks of all kinds to be what we are not. We are uncomfortable in our skin and try to live the way others would ascribe to us rather than how we think and believe is right. We follow dictums set by a superficial society and then become its prisoners doing things we are 'expected' and 'ought' to be doing rather than what we feel is right and should be done.


Am I right? In writing all what I have written?