MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

By: Muhammad Mahtab Bashir
Islamabad
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

Ours is certainly a confused society, we are neither an Islamic State nor enlightened moderate. This regime of General Musharraf failed miserably to cop fundamentalist as it fails to define who is extremist and who is not. On one day we doubt, whether action against brothel-house and its owner is legal or not in Islam, hugging publicly to a man (not husband) is lawful or not, players with long beard is the actual cause of our defeat in World-Cup Cricket 2007, burning the porn videos is an act of cruelty by the fanatics. On the very next day we considered our self as a staunch Muslim, shunning the very basics of Islam. To me this is the recipe for disaster; our rulers are engaged in making. We being a moderate state (as proclaimed by state) can exhibit our wrath if an extremist damages a holy place of worship from other religions but we shut our eyes when mosques and madaris are being razed by the hands of Muslim with the voice of our masters.

The two clerics and brothers. Maulana Abdul Rasheed Ghazi, the deputy khateeb of Lal Masjid and Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz, the director of Jamia Hafsa and Faridiya and the imam of Lal Masjid with students of seminary resolutely believes that loose ethics, brothels and waywardness in this society must be destroyed by vigor and a sin-free society must be established. The action and grit by these two backed up by hundred of students created ripples in the establishment in general and in the ranks of enlightened moderates in particular.

Islamabad, is morally and relatively a clean city with decent educated people everywhere, yet there is no doubt that there are hundred of prostitution houses smoothly running in the city, with call girls using cell-phones and pimps and mafia are actively engaged in ‘flesh business’. Establishment and law-enforcement agencies and institutions are blindfolded because they are patronizing this massive business. Many feels this is an act of sheer exaggeration but it is an aggregation within a limit.

Just take up the example of Madam Shamim Akhtar Naqvi, supposedly she was a destitute (when started) with no earning to survive hence stepped in this profession. Just asking a single question to her, is she still living hand to mouth that she can never imagine the idea of quitting this profession? Islam is a religion of clemency, it shows mercy to all sinners but THE WILL must be there. I don’t dare to blame only professional women in such degradation but men are equally responsible who force women in this filthy trade.

Many opine, the Jamia Hafsa have been constructed on illegal occupied land and requests made by concerned government departments to the interior ministry and local police to stop this construction were ignored. With confidence by the involvement of official institutions, the seminary students subsequently occupied the adjacent Children’s library in January this year. Again the government showed its (intentional) carelessness.

Subsequently, no action was taken against Ghazi Abdul Rasheed who was all behind the move to occupy government land illegitimately. It is heard that a police official who tried to arrest him was transferred. Religious Affairs minister, Ijaz-ul-Haq visited Lal Masjid and apologize for nuisance caused to the clerics.

A common perception indicates that the government and those running the seminary were enjoying close and cordial links between them. According to a report in a Sunday paper, “Government and its affiliated departments have tacitly been supporting this construction of Jamia Hafsa, illegal occupation of Children’s library and strengthening of Ghazi Adbur Rasheed and his self-militia”.

This report raised many a questions and a lot many understandings what is cooking. Firstly, it is supposed my many that this incident is too old but has been elevated though agencies themselves to divert the focus from Justice Iftikhar’s case. Secondly, from General’s point is to let Bush administration know, that the genie of extremism and fundamentalism is still not bottled and only he is the man who can do it, as he did after 9/11. Can this strategy work? Only time knows or the US then administration. Lastly, the government’s long standing links with religious parties who are still a part of the ruling party in one province indicate that behind this move, stands a mutual understanding.

Whatever the objectives behind this entire move, it appears to me that extremism has been nurtured by state agencies in Islamabad for hidden motives.

It is positive to note that the government has opted to pursue talks with Lal Masjid clerics. Though there are talks of a crackdown in the hub of Capital city, the government seems to be interested in resolving this issue through dialogues. Negotiation is the best way one can avoid the bloodshed. The whole tussle has an alarming trajectory in a couple of month. However, the administration of the Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid must show some flexibility. If they have a set of views on certain grounds, they should participate in positive political framework that the constitution stipulates. Arms vigilantism and using the other means of force is definitely not the way out to go about it. This issue must be resolved just in the same manner of mutual understanding as it was initiated.


The writer is a freelance columnist from Islamabad.
Published in The Frontier Post, 15 April, 2007 & in daily The Post, 15 April 2007.

MUHAMMAD MAHTAB BASHIR
House # 2026, Street # 32,
I-10/2, ISLAMABAD.
Cell: 0300 52 56 875
mailto:mahtabbashir@google.com

BE GOOD TO YOURSELF’

By: Muhammad Mahtab Bashir
Islamabad
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

With the catchphrase of Quaidian once- Quaidian forever, I feel nostalgic yet proud whenever I see sky blue buses running on the roads of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. As an ex-student of Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad, one of the top public institutions of higher education in the country with its qualified faculty members and researchers, it is not just reminiscence of spending time at the campus but getting a quality education to broadening my mental horizon through extensive knowledge imported by a team of professionals.

It is with heavy heart to read the lines of Khateeb Maulana of Lal Masjid interview, aired on 12th of April on FM Radio. Maulana quite drastically molded this place of excellence in education (QAU) into a filthy place of brothel. He further said,” Its (QAU) female professors and students roam in objectionable dresses. I think I will have to send my daughters of Jamia Hafsa to these immoral women. They will have to hide themselves in hijab otherwise they will be punished according to Islam….Sportswomen are spreading nudity. I warn the sportswomen of Islamabad to stop participating in sports or my daughters of Jamia Hafsa will punish them in public.” Female students also issued the threat of throwing acid on the uncovered faces of women, which later on negated by Maulana himself (due to unknown reasons).

I feel no respect to a person, who makes such remarks for character assassination of students and faculty members (all females) who come along across the country to fill their thirst with the liquor of knowledge or to export knowledge to younger generation. Does Islam encourage such words to make publicly when you do not have solid evidence? Is this “all respect” women has in Islam?

I vehemently condemn the derogatory remarks of cleric of Lal Masjid, as this is not at all a way of preaching of religion. No one has the right to say whatever he intends to. I may be in favor of Jamia Hafsa administration in their stance on razing of Mosques and Madaris on different places but I must say them goodbye in digestion of this way of prevailing Islamic values.

We being a Muslim in general and being a fundamentalist in particular never realized what our actual Islamic duties are. From where our limits begin and at what destination it ends up? Quite often we heard and read in newspapers a man of religion involved in adultery with minors and that too in premises of holy place.

Islam is a religion of tranquility, serenity and clemency. It never supports a Muslim to throw acid to other fellow or to punish others publicly. Khateeb of Lal Masjid should depict the soft and enlightened values of Islam without tarnishing the real image of it. You may carry a horse near to a well with force, but you can never force him to take a drink. Showing strength generates strength in opposite. Just be calm, collected and flexible in preaching of Islamic teachings and if possible demonstrate practically to others what you do in rhetoric.

In our current social scenario, we are under constant threat of transformation from good to bad. This is because of the influence of western media, obviously altering our value system. We must put our acts together instead of criticizing immorally to each others. I have a simple dictum fits in such atmosphere, “Be good to yourself and you will find one rogue less on the face of this planet”.

The writer is a freelance columnist & a political analyst from Islamabad

MUHAMMAD MAHTAB BASHIR
House # 2026, Street # 32,
I-10/2, ISLAMABAD.
Cell: 0300 52 56 875
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

CONSERVE ENERGY ANYWAY

By: Muhammad Mahtab Bashir
Islamabad
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

Businessmen have had mixed reactions to the government’s decision to make markets shut down after sunset in a bid to reduce load shedding all over the country. Shopkeepers complained that they were being penalized. They also believed that the government had failed to control the vast theft of electricity. People shop after work. Customers start coming in after Maghrib. They cannot come in the afternoon because the weather is too hot. And when the weather is not a problem, the men of the house are too busy at work. Also, the women do not shop alone all the time. A majority of them wait for their husbands. So shutting shops after dusk is not feasible, in any case.

WAPDA has not been able to manage the demand that is mounting at an average rate of about 7 percent yearly, resorting to load shedding due to energy deficiency. The peak capacity shortage often reaches 30 percent of the fixed capacity, of which the energy shortage is estimated to be about 3 percent of WAPDA's total twelve-monthly generation.

The federal government’s energy preservation plan has been rejected by traders and shopkeepers throughout the country when many shopping arcades, markets and big shops remained open till late at night in all cities of the country and Lahore and Karachi in particular defying the government’s order to close by 8:00 pm. Wedding halls also remained open after 10:00 pm — the time for their closure according to the conservation plan. Traders had earlier claimed that if their shops were closed early, their business would go down as people preferred to do shopping at night to avoid the heat during the day. They had offered to extend the closure time to 9:30 pm.

The plan of early closure of markets has been devised to meet the shortage of electricity. Pakistan faces a shortage of 978 megawatts (MW) of electricity. This is estimated to increase to 1,500 MW in the next few weeks. The conservation plan is designed to save some 500 MW of electricity while the rest of the shortage will be met through load-shedding. Given the extent of the problem, the energy conservation plan seems to be the only option available at the moment. But to make it work, a considerable awareness campaign should have been launched by the electronic and print media to prepare people for it mentally. It has been estimated that 1,700 MW can be saved if the 17 million electricity consumers in the country switch off just one 100 watt bulb. It will remain difficult for the government, and the defiance of the ban has proved it, to implement the plan without first creating sufficient awareness about it. Once the plan is successfully implemented, people will adjust their daily routines according to the new timings of the markets. The shopkeepers also have the option of opening their shops a couple of hours earlier to make up for the economic loss.

On the other hand, multinational food chains had been ignored, along with a popular courier services, medical stores, paan kiosks, federal and provincial government offices and railway offices. The Shop Act was a worldwide phenomenon, which allows offices and shops to run under certain timings of the day. It was ironic that the act was not implemented here otherwise all markets would be closing by dusk. The act should be enforced throughout the year. The government's decision was completely inappropriate. The after-dark timings for shopkeepers are crucial, because business started after dusk.

The traders of Karachi are of their opinion that "The city of lights is being forced into darkness. Karachi seemed so lively and bright. And now the same Karachi is sinking into darkness. No one will appreciate Karachi for its night life ever again if this continues." 'Close off neon signs, not shops'. Shopkeepers demanded the government to implement a ban on all the illuminated billboards and neon signboards in the city instead of closing down the city's market by 8:00 p.m., if they are serious to solve the power crisis. Markets traders said they were ready to switch off 50 percent of the lights of their shops in order to save electricity but warned that they would resist any forced attempt to close down shops after dusk.

Shop keepers also said that they would have no qualms running their shop on a generator. “But why should we”? We pay all our bills. The government doesn’t go after the robbers, and they fail to notice the streetlights that are on in the daytime,” majority of them maintained. In my opinion this decision would not help because if shops are closed people would stay at home and use electricity anyway.

A lot of people criticize Government decision as people have all the rights to roam about freely. If there is a power shortage then the government should use the taxpayer’s money to install more grid stations. As it is, the government has stopped the Indian channels, which was a good source of entertainment. Now they are stopping them from shopping. The governor should rethink of another way to save electricity.”

Give me a rebate to decrease my power bill by 10% and I will think about it, but when I pay in full, and I do not get any rebates, only taxation on the tax itself (tax on tax) then I first have the right to complain if there is no electricity in my home at night and to top it up, if I have to run a generator on the fuel I buy myself to keep kids from crying through the night, then I think we have the right to complain if the government on its own decides to close the shops. Last year closing shops did not affect the load shedding at all, it just created more mess!

One idea of conserving energy is of offering prepaid electricity?
It can be a novel idea in our country but in developed countries it is ancient. Electricity meters are installed inside houses and key to be inserted into pre-paid electricity meters. If you run out of units, take the key to shop keepers and he will recharge it.

Here in Pakistan, most of the new malls are using power generators anyways. Old malls are converting to generators as well. It is not a bad idea at all for giving up the kingly lifestyles and start our days early, like it happens all over the world. In big cities like of Lahore and Karachi, most shopping malls aren't open until noon, seriously, we need to go back to basics- Early to bed and early to rise, that’s the common sense but our society needs an enforcement of these small little things, Can we change our life-style? Can Lahorites and Karachites go to bed early? Only individual who has a thinking brain can help conservation of electricity. It is all about responsibility, co-operation and selfless gains. If we are not thinking collectively with consensus and execute our policies, strategies and planning in better way, our efforts would go in smoke, otherwise.

Allow me to write concluding lines here, whether or not this policy implemented, it is a good idea, nonetheless. In fact it is a general strategy of developed nations to start day early and close it at 8 PM sharp (and they certainly do not face any electricity shortage). Majority of places abroad, it seems you are in ghost town as soon as dusk prevailed. I think it is a great idea and shop owners should follow it, they should stop waking up at 12 pm! Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. But what, if they occupy their shops at 8:00 am sharp and customers starts walking into their shops at evening time? The only question lingers on.


The author is a freelance writer and a political analyst residing in Islamabad.


MUHAMMAD MAHTAB BASHIR
House # 2026, Street # 32,
I-10/2, ISLAMABAD.
Cell: 0300 52 56 875
mahtabbashir@yahoo.com

MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR

Muhammad Mahtab Bashir
Islamabad
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

First it was US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Hussien Obama who threatened attacks on Pakistan’s Tribal Areas against alleged Al-Qaeda bases, which incensed the people of Pakistan. Now Republican presidential hopeful a Colorado Congressman, Tom Tancredo has come out with a bigger bomb shell that the best way he could think of to deter a terrorist nuclear attack on the US was to bomb Makkah and Madina, the Muslims holiest spiritual places, even more revered than the Vatican for Catholics. He said a terrorist attack on America was “imminent”. Both statements are not only irresponsible but provocative that exhibit their apparent ignorance about international politics and global diplomacy. Such narrow-minded demagoguery is no way befits presidential candidates neither helps in maintaining the peace in anywhere on this planet. Both statements made by presidents-to-be not only illustrate US policy of ruining the sovereignty of Muslim states as well as of Pakistan. This also helps ending the debate here that democrats are pro-government in Pakistan or republicans.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson has rightly disposed the threat of US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Hussien Obama that if he were to win the election he would order military strikes on terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan's territory unless President Musharraf took care of them, as views of "individual politician".

The opposition and treasury members in the National Assembly, infuriated by the impish statement of the US Republican presidential hopeful, staged here a strong protest with one voice and decided to hold debate in the House on Monday on the five-points including the country's foreign policy.

The Opposition and treasury benches in the National Assembly (NA) Friday (3rd Aug) staged a strong protest against Tancredo’s remarks and criticized the recent wave of criticism being leveled against Pakistan from several quarters in the US. It was a matter of “grave concern that US presidential candidates are using unethical and immoral tactics against Islam and Pakistan to win their election,” said Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afgan. Other top officials have also condemned these careless remarks. The US State Department denounced Tancredo’s suggestion, saying the idea is “absolutely crazy”. President Bush telephoned President Musharraf and assured him that the US fully respected Pakistan’s sovereignty. Obama’s rival for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton, said that Obama’s comments were careless and unpresidential.

One does not know where the Colorado Congressman got his information from, but no American intelligence agency has given an indication of a threat of this sort being “imminent”. And even in Britain, where the intelligence agencies periodically discover a terror plot involving, mostly, Britons of Pakistani origin, no one has come up with such a preposterous claim. When Muslim groups in America protested against the Tancredo balderdash, his campaign manager said that Congressman Tancredo stood by his statement. This is not the first time that Mr Tancredo has made such a threat. Two years back, in 2005 in a radio talk, he called for striking at the Islamic holy sites.

As a man, Tom has always been articulate in expressing his hatred of Islam and immigrants - no surprise there. In his arrogance, he chooses to disregard the existence of millions of law-abiding Muslim American citizens. What is surprising is that as an elected representative, someone who should be working towards collective safety, Tancredo chooses to throw more fuel on the fire with his hateful words. He is surely irresponsible with his congressional authority and is knowingly creating a more dangerous environment for all of the Muslims around the world. Tancredo should focus more on building bridges with the progressives in the Muslim world rather than burning the few bridges we have left.

These statements from the Presidential hopefuls have swelled the infuriation of the Pakistani nation as these are highly provocative and clouts of mental insolvency and totally devoid of ground realities. Makkah and Madina are the spiritual centers of over one billion Muslims while the people of Pakistan hold the two sites in high reverence and dearer than their lives.
Statements being made by people like Tom and Obama should be a source of serious concern for governments and people around the globe and particularly for the Muslim community as to what will happen if any of them is elected as President of the sole superpower. This world would be more dangerous place to live on for Muslims in particular.

The words by both senators undermine the war on terror, add to America’s enemies and vindicate the extremists’ hate philosophy that expose America as Islam’s enemy number one. The extremists in the Muslim world are guided by America’s support to Israel’s killing of the Palestinian people, its tacit approval of Israel’s usurpation of Jerusalem, its invasion of Iraq without a valid reason, and its occupation of that country resulting in the death of civilians whose number ranges between 200,000 and 600,000. Nearer home, thousands of civilians have been killed in Afghanistan as part of collateral damage and there is no sign yet that the Taliban are on the retreat.

The assertion of congressmen, Obama and Tom would have a serious repercussion in the Muslim world as it reflects the emerging mindset in Washington and is taken very seriously. It is high time that the OIC Countries should start serious thinking and devise a collective strategy to face the future confrontation.

Nobody in the Bush administration or outside seems prepared to take into account the fact that 800 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in the fight against the terrorists, in addition to hundreds of civilian casualties in a series of suicide bombings by religious fanatics. Instead, while some grudging praise is doled out, what Islamabad gets mostly is an order to “do more”. This speaks of the general Musharruf’s regime failure: it has been fighting terror since 9/11 with all the power at its command, suffering casualties and facing intense domestic criticism from both right and left. Yet it has failed to convince America that it is doing all it could possibly do to root out terrorism. Perhaps it’s a time for a change of regime?

The problem in Pakistan is that all foreign policy issues are hostage to US policies. While it is true that the make-up of a regime determines its world view and shapes its foreign policy outlook, there are broad contours of that policy on which there must be a national consensus. Yet in Pakistan, the opposition plays politics with even sensitive issues like nuclear policy or the ongoing alliance with the US. While the government itself has failed to carry the opposition along, the opposition has not come up to the broad approach expected of it in the realm of foreign policy. What is in the state’s interest cannot be sacrificed at the altar of partisan politics. But one thing is for certain, Washington never accepted the foreign policies of Pakistan and keeps on overruling it. Though the US state department has already come out and condemned the statement, calling it “reprehensible” and “absolutely crazy”, it needs to be understood that Tancredo represents the views of many ordinary Americans, who perhaps out of ignorance or hate, or a mixture of both, have such strong views against another religion.

The US and especially US politicians are no way near to discriminate the difference that “War on terror” is against terrorists not against any sole religion. Why then Islam is being targeted? If a Christian, Hindu or Jewish terrorist group hits the US, would the US launch a crusade against Christianity, Hinduism or Judaism? If not, then why single out Islam? Muslims will inevitably perceive these statements as anti-Islam and there is a great chance that now, more than ever, al Qaeda and other Muslim terrorist organizations will hit the US. Majority of Muslims may sabotage the peace around the globe not at all because they are radical force but in reaction of these assertions.

The author is a freelance columnist and political analyst from Islamabad
Published in daily The Post, Weekly Independent, August 13-19, 2007

MUHAMMAD MAHTAB BASHIR
House # 2026, Street # 32,
I-10/2, ISLAMABAD.
Cell: 0300 52 56 875
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

The role of religious schools in education system of Pakistan’s development

By: Muhammad Mahtab Bashir
Islamabad
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

The Education Sector Reform plan presented by the government In January 2002 aimed at modernising the education system. A major objective was to develop a more secular system in order to offset mounting international scrutiny and pressure to curb religious extremism in the wake of 9/11. But as in the past there has been poor follow-through.

Madrassa is an Arabic word colloquially means school. In its secondary meaning, a madrassa is an educational institution offering instruction in Islamic subjects including, but not limited to, the Quran, the sayings (hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad, jurisprudence (fiqh), and law. Historically, madrasas were distinguished as institutions of higher studies and existed in contrast to more elementary schools called kuttab that taught only the Quran. In other words, madrassa is a primary, secondary or advanced levels school that promotes an Islamic-based curriculum also refers to Islamic religious school.

Although some madrasas teach secular subjects, in general madrasas offer a religious based curriculum, focusing on the Quran and Islamic texts. Beyond instruction in basic religious tenets, some argue that a small group of radicalized madrasas, specifically located near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, promote a militant form of Islam and teach their Muslim students to fight non-believers and stand against what they see as the moral depravity of the West. Other observers suggest that these schools are wholly unconcerned with religious scholarship and focused solely on teaching violence.

Education in Pakistan has preformed abysmally ever since the country’s inception, further deteriorating after Pakistani dictator General Muhammad Zia-ul-Huq’s implementation of programs which emphasized Islam over secular instruction in the early 1980’s. From 1947, the year of Pakistan’s independence, to 2003 the percent of the literate population grew by only 19% (16% to 35%). India by comparison increased its literacy rate in the same period of time by 47% (18% to 65%). These numbers help explain the current disparity in the prosperity levels of a escalating India and stagnant Pakistan. The Minister for Religious Affairs, Ejaz ul-Haq, son of the late former President Zia ul-Haq, is responsible for implementing madrassa reform. It was Zia ul-Haq's Islamization policies in the 1980s that resulted in an expansion of the madrassa network to support the Afghanistan jihad against the Soviets and that incorporated militant interpretations of Islam into the public school curriculum. Minister Ejaz ul-Haq has so far been reluctant to confront the prominent religious parties that have ties to foreign-funded madrassas and are resisting government reform.

A strong and effective madrassa education system in Pakistan will help to ensure that the country steers toward a path of stability, moderation, and prosperity in the years to come, and should therefore be a top priority for Washington in its relations with Islamabad. Lack of adequate education opportunities in Pakistan has contributed to the development of extremist ideologies that have fueled terrorism and sectarian tensions as well as stifled economic growth. Fostering development and reform of the public education system will not only contribute to Pakistani economic prosperity and social tolerance, it will help improve the image of the United States by demonstrating American interest in the human development of average Pakistani citizens.

The role of the madrassa in Pakistan and its contribution to Islamic militancy has been the subject of intense debate in U.S. academic and policy circles. Observers have been unable to agree on the actual numbers of madrassas and madrassa students in Pakistan, and some studies reveal that the international media has exaggerated these figures during the last few years. A World Bank study from 2005, for example, says Pakistani madrassas account for less than 1 percent of total academic enrollment in the country. In April 2002, Dr. Mahmood Ahmed Ghazi, the former Pakistani Minister of Religious Affairs, put the number of madrassas at about 10,000, with 1.7 million students.

While most madrassas in Pakistan are not churning out terrorist foot soldiers, there are a handful of religious seminaries that promote anti-West, pan-Islamic, and violent ideologies. Many of the older madrassas have well-established reputations for producing serious Islamic thinkers, while others provide welfare services to the poor through free religious education, lodging, and food. A madrassa student learns how to read, memorize, and recite the Quran, and those with advanced theological training become Ulema (religious scholars). Each of the different schools of Islamic thought in Pakistan, including the Sunni Deobandis, Barelvis, Ahle-Hadith (Salafi), and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) as well as the Shiia, runs its own seminaries.

From a counter terrorism perspective, U.S. policymakers should focus their attention on the handful of madrassas in Pakistan that have well-established links to terrorism. These madrassas are likely well known to the Pakistani authorities and increasingly to U.S. intelligence and policy officials, and deserve special focus in our counterterrorism policies. The Darul Uloom Haqqania located near Peshawar in the Northwest Frontier Province, for example, served as training ground for Taliban leaders and a recruiting center for Pakistani militants fighting in Kashmir.
The Musharraf government promulgated the "Paklistan Madrassa Education Board Ordinance 2001" to establish three model madrassa institutions in Karachi, Sukkur, and Islamabad that would include English, math, computer science, economics, political science, law, and Pakistan studies in their curricula. Through the "Voluntary Registration and Regulation Ordinance 2002," the government promised funding to madrassas that formally registered with the government. In a more controversial step, the Pakistani government demanded that madrassas expel all foreign students by December 31, 2005. Islamist groups vehemently resisted the government's efforts, however, and authorities backed down and made public statements indicating that they would not use force or shut down noncompliant madrassas to enforce the directives.
The U.S. should refrain from getting involved in Pakistan’s broader madrassa reform efforts and accept that many of the traditional madrassas serve a useful purpose in educating Islamic intellectuals and providing shelter and food for impoverished youth. While a few Pakistani madrassas represent an international terrorist threat and deserve American scrutiny and condemnation, most madrassas should be left alone.

To conclude, U.S. efforts to encourage education reform and development in Pakistan should be consistent, sustained, and multi-pronged. Ensuring transparency and efficiency in the education bureaucracy is equally important to encouraging local community involvement and accountability in the day-to-day functioning of individual schools, especially in poor, rural areas. The development of a strong and effective education system in Pakistan is central to promoting moderation, tolerance, and economic development. Convincing the Pakistani government to take firm action against the handful of madrassas supporting violent extremism also is necessary, not only for the future stability of Pakistan, but also to prevent future international terrorism.

Pakistan hosting over 10,000 madrasas, Pakistan’s religious and public educational infrastructure are of ongoing concern in the United States. In an economy that is marked by extreme poverty and underdevelopment, costs associated with Pakistan’s cash-strapped public education system have led many Pakistanis to turn to madrasas for free education room, and board. Links between Pakistani madrasas and the ousted Afghan Taliban regime, as well as alleged connections between some madrasas and Al Qaeda, have led some observers consider the reform of Pakistan’s madrasa system as an important component of combating anti-U.S. terrorism and in helping to stabilize the recently-formed Afghan government.

A report says that one of the four suicide bombers that carried out the July 2005 terrorist attacks on the London transportation system had spent time at a Pakistani madrasa with alleged links to extremists. In response, Pakistani authorities renewed plans to require all madrasas to register with the government and provide an account of their financing sources. The government had previously offered incentives to madrasas that agreed to comply with registration procedures, including better training, salaries, and supplies. Madrasa leaders reportedly agreed to the registration and financial accounting requirements in September 2005, but succeeded in preserving an anonymity provision for their donors. As of January 2006, approximately 7,000 of Pakistan’s estimated 13,000 madrasas had registered with authorities. In a more controversial step, the Pakistani government also demanded that madrasas expel all of their foreign students by December 31, 2005. Of an estimated 1,700 foreign madrasa students, 1,000 had reportedly left Pakistan by January 1, 2006. Some nationalist and Islamist groups have vehemently resisted the government’s efforts, and authorities have made public statements indicating that they do not plan to use force or shut down noncompliant madrasas in order to enforce the directives. The Brussels-based group in a report on Pakistan’s education sector points out that the public, government-run schools, which educate the vast majority of children poorly rather than the madrasas or the elite private schools are most in need of significant reforms and an increase in resources to reverse the influence of jihadi groups, reduce risks of internal conflict and diminish the widening fissures in Pakistani society. Both the government and donors urgently need to need give this greater priority, it recommends. “The state is falling significantly short of its constitutional obligation to provide universal primary education. And while the demand for education remains high, poorer families will only send their children to a school system that is relevant to their everyday lives and economic necessities. The failure of the public school system to deliver such education is contributing to the madrasa boom as it is to school dropout rates, child labour, delinquency and crime. In the absence of state support, powerful Islamist groups are undermining the reform initiatives of civil society to create a sustainable, equitable and modernised public education system that educates girls as well as boys. Despite its stated commitments, the Musharraf government appears unwilling to confront a religious lobby that is determined to prevent public education from adopting a more secular outlook. Public school students are confined to an outdated syllabus and are unable to compete in an increasingly competitive job market against the products of elite privates schools that teach in English, follow a different curriculum and have a fee structure that is unaffordable to most families.”The public school system’s deteriorating infrastructure, falling educational standards and distorted educational content impact mostly, if not entirely, on Pakistan’s poor, thus widening linguistic, social and economic divisions between the privileged and underprivileged and increasing ethnic and religious alienation that has led to violent protests. Far from curtailing extremism, the public school system risks provoking an upsurge of violence if its problems are not quickly and comprehensively addressed.” The government should coordinate the madrasa curriculum with the public school curriculum until the Curriculum Wing completes a comprehensive review and reform of the national syllabus.For months, Pakistani President Musharraf has been locked in a fierce political struggle with leaders of Pakistan’s religious schools, or madrasas. Represented by the powerful political organization Wifaqul-Madaris, the madrasa leaders have promised to ignore or resist Musharraf’s recent efforts aimed at expelling foreign students from the nation’s thousands of religious schools.

This battle is far from an inconsequential political struggle in some far off land. Critical to America’s long-term efforts in combating Islamic extremism will be our ability to promote gradual reform in Muslim countries that maintain friendly relationships with the United States. In assisting states such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan in developing democratic and prosperous societies, obstacles will inevitably arise. Nowhere is the extent of this challenge more evident than in Pakistan, thanks in large part to their counterproductive education system Currently, one to two million children are educated in the more than 10,000 madrasas operating in Pakistan. Reports have indicated that about 10% of these religious schools have links to Islamic militants. Thus, 100,000 - 200,000 students are currently educated in madrasas with ties to militant groups, making Pakistan a virtual factory for producing Islamic extremists.

Unfortunately, as bad as the madrasa situation is, it is not the only educational problem in Pakistan, the public school system has also suffered due to a strong influence of extremist ideals. Fundamentalists, through the Islamic Ideology Council, have wielded considerable influence over Pakistani education, especially in the selection of textbooks. To offer a sample of the general persuasions of the Islamic Ideology Council, one must look no further than the Pakistani daily, Islamabad Khabrain. Its pages celebrated that; “The Islamic Ideology Council has said that the imposition of a ban on jihadi activities is synonymous to preventing the Muslims from performing a religious obligation.” Thus, it is no surprise that students are taught disdain for the West, the importance of jihad, and the ideal of resurrecting the Caliphate.

By adopting and redefining a moderate curriculum unanimously, in madaris of Pakistan, the image of so called terrorist curriculum and radical ideology under the roofs of these madaris can justifiably be averted, so that the a clear and vivid picture can be portrayed not only inside Pakistan but across the world. And in such ways madaris education system can also boost the literacy rate of the country.

Published in daily THE POST.

MUHAMMAD MAHTAB BASHIR
House # 2026, Street # 32,
I-10/2, ISLAMABAD.
Cell: 0300 52 56 875
mahtabbashir@yahoo.com

DEFINE LAWS, PLEASE!

Muhammad Mahtab Bashir
Islamabad
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

The issue here is not of feminism or lesbianism but the issue is can our close society has such laws to cop with unprecedented situation that is turning into a new direction with every passing moment.

Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif of the Lahore High Court (LHC) sentenced Shumail Raj and Shahzina Tariq to three years of rigorous imprisonment in jails at Lahore and Faisalabad respectively and Rs 10,000 fine for each. He said failure of fine payment would add a month to imprisonment. The couple was jailed because they had lied about Shumail’s sex, who pretended like a male. The lovers, also cousins were sentenced to put behind the bars because of same-sex marriage and perjury which is against the injunctions of Islam and unlawful but no case could be instituted under Section 377 PPC, the commission of unnatural offense. On the other hand, couple proclaimed they love each other and only death could make them apart. It was also disclosed that Shehzina’s father wanted to sell her off into marriage to a man much older than her and that Shumail (Nazia) married her (Shehzina) in order to save her from this fate.

It was not the very first case in the history of Pakistan but in sub-continent. Shumail Raj ‘the husband’, 31 and Shehzina Tariq, the wife, 24, were truly, madly deeply in love with each other, when they fled from Faisalabad to Lahore after resistance shown from girl’s father. The couple just after made their entrance in the city of Lahore captured by Lahore Police and case was sent to Lahore high court for further proceeding.

During proceeding of the case Shumail (she turned he), who was wearing jeans and shirt admitted that he was a girl. His wife Shehzina also confessed that she knew that her spouse was a girl, when she was asked by the court. Then why Shumail told a lie to the court earlier? Shumail replied that she had made wrong statement as some of her intimate friends were present under the same roof. The judge also made query why she had removed her breasts and uterus? She did not reply to this.

During judicial proceeding the judge asked Dr Asif, who had been summoned by the court as Shumail had stated on last hearing that he (Asif) had removed her breasts, to explain as to under what law he operated upon Shumail. But surprisingly, Dr Asif categorically denied the charge, saying Shumail did come to his clinic complaining pain in the chest. “When I asked her certain questions she revealed that she might be feeling pain as she got removed her breasts about 10 years ago from a doctor whose name she did not reveal and left his clinic in anger. And now she came up with an allegation against him.” Shumail however, insisted that Dr Asif removed her breasts. As the court found it difficult to reach a conclusion, it ordered SHO Jhang bazaar Khalid Maqbool to register a case against all those who took part in removing the female characteristic of Shumail. Doctor Abdul Hafeez Kardar, who allegedly operated upon Shumail Raj to remove uterus told court that Raj could still conceive a baby. Doctor further told that he helped Raj remove her uterus from a gynecologist in Faisalabad about her menstrual cycle excessive bleeding, but that doesn’t mean she is he (male) now. The court remarked: No professional ethics, code of conduct or laws of land allow a doctor to remove characteristics of a person.

Additional advocate general Khawar Mehmood Khatana vehemently opposed the argument of giving pardon to this couple by saying that punishment under all offences should be handed down with the intention to reform the society. Crimes could not be controlled if the offenders are not punished. He maintained that it was an unprecedented case and boldness of both of them required deterrent punishment to set an example for the rest of society. The brief fact of the case was that Shumail Raj (Nazia) and Shehzina Tariq were cousins. They contracted ‘marriage’ nine months ago on September 09, 2006. However, father of Shehzina, Tariq Hussain registered a case of kidnapping against unknown persons.

As the matter turned controversial, Shumail was subjected to medical examination that revealed that she was born as a girl and continued to be a woman. Later, they deliberately avoided appearance before the court as they were making an attempt to flee the country. The court issued their arrest warrants. Meanwhile, on the application of Shehzina’s father their names were put on exit control list. Finally they were arrested and the court sent them to separate jails, Shumail to Kot Lakhpath jail at Lahore and Shehzina to female ward of Faisalabad district jail, where they would now be imprisoned.

Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif said he had awarded a “lenient” sentence, because the couple had apologized. The maximum sentence for telling a lie before the court is seven years under section 193 of Pakistan Penal Code.

Talking to media men outside the Lahore High Court building after the court had sentenced them, Shumail Raj , the ‘husband’ said that they would also appeal to President Musharraf to help them out of such ‘inhuman’ injunctions. Raj hoped that President Musharraf would provide them some relief. Replying to a question that how would they spent a long period of three years in jail, Shumail said that they would withstand all odds. “We love each other and only death can make us apart,” she maintained. However, she said that the jail authorities were not treating them well even they were not allowed to meet their families. “Other inmates in jail used obnoxious language and continuously gazed and stared at me,” Shumail protested.

In my views, the court ignored the fact that it is not only biology, but psychology that defines a human being. As per medical ethics, sex relocation therapy is not a crime and is practiced the world over. The court ruled that ‘same-sex marriage’ was un-Islamic. It would be in order to bring to light some important facts relevant to this case.It is well-known scientific fact that a certain percentage of children is born with indistinct sex. On reaching puberty, they start developing characteristics of the opposite sex due to hormonal deviations. Like in the present case, Shumail grew a beard at the age of 15, and decided to go for a mastectomy and later a hysterectomy. Shumail however had not yet undergone reconstruction surgery. Research shows that nearly 40 percent of untreated transsexuals are either institutionalized or die prematurely. However, if properly treated, they can become fully functional members of society.

Another weird decision made by the judge was, to issue show-cause notice to Dr Abdul Hafeez Kardar, who had allegedly performed surgery on Shumail Raj, that under what law he was authorized to perform an operation of the nature. I argue if Raj was not feeling comfortable under female characteristics, is it any harm to make his life comfortable? It also needs a serious thinking especially for the days to come.

Pakistan is a ridiculously closed society, but sometimes one is in shock at the misinformation and prejudice even among more broad-minded circles. This case is the first of its kind in Pakistan, but our neighbouring Muslim country, Iran, is no stranger to transgenderism or to sex-change surgeries. We have a healthy precedent in the example of Iran. Ayatollah Khomeini first issued a fatwa declaring it not only Islamic but advisable to undergo sex reassignment therapy, so that a transsexual does not live the life of an unacceptable person. Iran has not only passed legislation based on social and scientific evidence to make sex change legal, such individuals are financially assisted by the state to have surgery for the purpose. Iran has gone so far as to achieve scholarship in social and legal issues arising from such sex-change. I suggest that the people and the government of Pakistan must learn from the experiences in Iran and do not repeat the same inhuman and unscientific patterns of injustice and prejudice that are pervasive in a world that insists on staying to ridiculous caricatures of what it means to be a ‘real man’ or a ‘real woman’.

The courts and the government should recognize this phenomenon and take affirmative action to accommodate such individuals in society rather than shunning them in ignorance. It is the first ever time this issue has attained fame at the national level. We as a society need to rethink our attitudes. Not only should legislation be passed in this regard, the government should make arrangements to rehabilitate transsexual communities. The case of Shehzina Tariq and Shumail Raj should be reconsidered in the light of above facts as it invites civil society in particular to play its pivotal role in such regard.

Last but certainly not the least, the court should also have given due consideration to the circumstances in which the couple contracted ‘marriage’ nine months ago on September 09, 2006. In their statement, they said that Shehzina’s father wanted to sell her off into marriage to a man much older than her and that Shumail married her in order to save her from this destiny. It was in order that the court should have ordered an investigation into this allegation and, if found true, awarded punishment to the father of Shehzina, and if not, couple will have to carry on their life within a cell for three years or they may be relieved earlier.

Published in The POST, weekly Independent & Weekly BLITZ international

MUHAMMAD MAHTAB BASHIR
House # 2026, Street # 32,
I-10/2, ISLAMABAD.
Cell: 0300 52 56 875
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

WHERE IS INTERFAITH HARMONY?

By: Muhammad Mahtab Bashir
Islamabad
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

Giving a knighthood title to someone who is the most detested figure in the Islamic community is surely an act of blatant offense exposed by the British government against Muslim world with hampering interfaith understanding. This act shows that insulting Islamic sacred values is not accidental, it is planned, organised, guided and supported by some Western countries.

Britain is a country which proscribes mosques from using loud speakers to announce call for prayer (Azaan) and yet its own churches ring loud bells every Saturday and Sunday. Britain is a nation which does not believe in moral values, religion or faith and yet poses before the world as the strictest of law enforcement society. Britain is a society which encourages gay rights, abortion, live-in without marriage and yet spares no one who evades taxes. Britain is a society which openly condemns terrorism and yet acts as the right hand for all actions leading to mass massacre and terrorism in the Muslim world. Britain is a country which does not spare traffic offences and yet gives shelter to terrorists under political asylum from across the world. Britain needs no democracy as it has the highest level of hypocrisy in every aspect of its social life. Last but surely not least, Britain is a country which speaks of no ill-feelings to the Muslim world and yet slaps hard at the entire Muslim faith by knighting infamous characters like Salman Rushdie.

Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie, 60, one of the almost 950 people to appear on the Queen’s 81st Birthday Honors list, was knighted. On Valentine’s Day in 1989 the spiritual figurehead of the Iranian revolution pronounced on Teheran radio that: “The author of The Satanic Verses(1988), which is against Islam, the Prophet, the Qura’n, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death.” Since then, Salman Rushdie lived as a virtual prisoner, changing addresses constantly, and protected around the clock by British security at an estimated cost of £10 million.

Salam Rushdie’s fourth book - The Satanic Verses in 1988, described an enormous battle between good and evil and combines fantasy, philosophy and travesty. It was immediately condemned by the Islamic world because of its perceived blasphemous representation of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Born in Bombay now Mumbai on 19th June, 1947, Rushdie has accumulated for himself a fair number of distinctions over the years; among them the Booker of Bookers prize for Midnight’s Children in 1981, the Whitbread novel award (twice), the James Tait Black memorial prize, and a fatwa from the Ayatollah Khomeini calling for his immediate assassination. And latest distinction for the author was a knighthood, recognising the services to literature. "I am thrilled and humbled to receive this great honour, and I am very grateful that my work has been recognised in this way," the newly-minted Sir Salman said in a statement.

The question of profanity in The Satanic Verses, Salman’s 1988 tale of a prophet deluded by the devil, remains an ultra-sensitive issue in much of the Muslim world and the author’s inclusion in the Queen’s Birthday Honours has inflamed anti-British response.
Britain's decision to award Salman Rushdie a Knighthood set off a storm of protest in the Islamic world today, with a Pakistani government minister giving warning that it could provide justification for suicide bomb attacks.

Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett defended the award of a knighthood to Sir Salman Rushdie, but said she was "sorry" if the move had offended some Muslims. A diplomatic row has broken out over comments by a Pakistani minister that Salman Rushdie’s knighthood could justify suicide bombings. The minister, son of Zia ul-Haq, the military dictator who died in a plane crash in 1988, later withdrew his statement in parliament, and then told the AFP news agency that he meant to say that knighting Rushdie would foster extremism. "If somebody has to attack by strapping bombs to his body to protect the honour of the Prophet then it is justified," Mr ul-Haq told the National Assembly. "If someone blows himself up he will consider himself justified. How can we fight terrorism when those who commit blasphemy are rewarded by the West?" he questioned? He said Pakistan should split diplomatic ties with Britain if it did not withdraw the award, adding:"We demand an apology by the British government. Their action has hurt the sentiments of 1.5 billion Muslims."If Muslims do not unite, the situation will get worse and Salman Rushdie may get a seat in the British parliament." Ejaz-ul-Haq maintained.

Pakistan's lower house of parliament passed a resolution proposed by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afgan Khan Niazi, who branded Sir Salman Rushdie a "blasphemer." He said the honor had hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world. "This is an occasion for the (world's) 1.5 billion Muslims to look at the seriousness of this decision," Mohammed Ijaz ul-Haq, religious affairs minister, later said in parliament. Robert Brinkley, Britain's high commissioner to Pakistan, defended the decision to honor Rushdie for his contributions to literature. Rushdie is one of the most prominent novelists of the late 20th century whose 13 books have won numerous awards, including the Booker Prize for "Midnight's Children" in 1981.

"It is simply untrue to suggest that this in anyway is an insult to Islam or the Prophet Muhammed, and we have enormous respect for Islam as a religion and for its intellectual and cultural achievements," Brinkley said. Asked if he was concerned it could provoke unrest in Pakistan, Brinkley said, "We will just have to see where it goes from here. There's certainly no reason for that."

Jonathan Heawood, director of the English branch of Pen, said: "We have argued for a long time that Salman Rushdie should be recognized by the government as a giant of world literature. The decision to award the knighthood was entirely in the hands of the honours committee and the government. "We don't regret it. We will continue to support Salman Rushdie as we support over 1,000 writers around the world who have been persecuted as a result of their writing." The axis of evil, comprising the USA, UK and Israel has left no stone unturned to damage and destroy the already weak Muslim Ummah and the Islamic world. The axis of evil has begun a War on Terror to overshadow the spirit of Jihad. While every terrorism is condemned by the people of faith and the non-believers alike, yet the actions by the axis of evil are no short of a terrorism at mass scale, which can only be responded by a similar action of coherent and strategic warfare utilizing the combined resources (financial, military, infrastructure and intelligence) against the axis of evil by the entire Muslim World, today.

The axis of evil and their peripherals in likes of Rushdie have forgotten that ‘IF YOU HAVE FAITH YOU DO NOT FEAR’. While the feelings of the nations belonging to the axis of evil will not be damaged if someone humiliated their religious prophets, however it is time for the Muslim World to see the reaction of the axis of evil, if some one tried to humiliate the Queen or the US President and then the humiliater gets the highest medal of honor from all countries of the Muslim World.

There's very slim chances that British Government can annul the knighthood award, it would make them look weak and not possible either to make requests to a stubborn nation to retract this title from a blasphemer. It would be appropriate for Rushdie to make the decision not to accept this award, is the only way out to pacify this highly inflammable issue. He does, however, have time to reconsider since he is unlikely to be formally presented with the award by the Queen until the end of the year. No date has been set for the investiture. Two ceremonies are due to take place next month but they are likely to be for those who were named in the New Year's honours list. Rushdie could become Sir Salman in the next batch of investitures between coming October and December or early next year.

Awarding knighthood to Rushdie amounts to a blatant anti-Muslim bias, and Muslims all over the world condemn this move. This knighthood is just another example of just ousted PM Tony Blair and his government’s attempts to secularise Muslims and reward apostates. Rushdie is a disgusted figure across the Muslim world because of his insults to Islam and honoring him to insult the religious values of Muslims, will have ramifications here and across the globe. There is obviously a real danger that the knighthood controversy could ignite religious-incited violence. Other Muslim countries may also seethe in the flames of religious passion. What the UK has done is just an act of irresponsibility right at the crucial time.

Why Muslim concerns are consistently ignored by the West is point to contemplate. Why have the Muslims, especially those living in the West, not been able to counterfeit interfaith and intercultural dialogue to define the parameters of the Western belief of freedom of expression? Last but not least, will OIC member countries and Muslim all over the world alter their approach to avert further humiliation? This is an eye-opener for Muslims to make west realize that we are just as hyper-sensitive as Jews and Christians are when someone offend their religious characters/ incidents. If Rushdie’s knighthood honor is a product of his literary work, then where is interfaith harmony?

MUHAMMAD MAHTAB BASHIR
House # 2026, Street # 32,
I-10/2, ISLAMABAD.
Cell: 0300 52 56 875

Published in The Weekly Independent
mahtabbashir@gmail.com