A guest speaker in the Mid Career Management Course calimed that the only solution to the problems of Pakistan is the implementation of Shariah. A participant to the course asked the guest speaker which Shariah as the sectarian divide has delved deep into our society. The participant further stated that if you want to undo Pakistan without an effort it would be through announcement of implementation of Shariah in Pakistan and the sectarian violence would erupt at once as every sect would ask for its own version of Shariah.
Islam has stated that the ummah is one body but the mullahs on the contrary are looking for reasons to divide it instead of uniting them on the mutually agreed principles. Those playing religious card for political gains have never been heard talking about religion throughout their political careers. The students at the madrassa are taught religion without teaching them the methodology of its application in the current circumstances. They have specialization in religious books without the common sense to correlate them with the contemporary world and its issues. Followers of different sects when asked about the fundamental principles of their sects were found unaware. Resultantly a society is being created where you have reasons to declare someone ‘Kaafir’ rather than declaring him Muslim. The followers of this system discard everything which is beyond their comprehension.
The government schools, on other side of the divide, are on the agenda of building a nation which would blindly follow the already set patterns of the society and its institutions. The most common tool used for the purpose is cramming the syllabus and the subsequent pattern of examination justifying the methodology. The graduates from this system of education have weak comprehension and the art of reasoning. They find it difficult to write or appreciate disagreement. Almost all the institutions of the state are filled with graduates from this educational set up.
The English medium schools in the country, meant for educating the elite class, are developing the comprehension and analytical thinking of its students. Their syllabus includes western literature and history. The students in this system are very good writers, readers, reviewers. However, they are not taught much about religion, Muslim history or Pakistani society. Resultantly, the students educated from this system mostly find themselves misfit in the country and migrate abroad.
The above examples are vivid examples of the contribution of our educational system in national disharmony, intolerance and resultant deteriorated law and order as simultaneously three societies are being created by the state itself within the state. We are muslims and Pakistanis by birth but the question is whether we are muslims and Pakistanis from the heart. If we are; then why we are declaring people ‘kaafir’ on slight disagreements when there is agreement on the major issues. If we are true muslims then why we deny inheritance rights to our sisters. Why we do not ask the mullahs to educate the society by sharing their views on the contemporary issues/ problems in the Pakistani society in the sermons instead of becoming a political force to secure the fort of Islamabad instead of Islam. When would we start to learn that friendship with the ignorant is as foolish as arguing with the drunkard. We as a nation have to learn the method of disagreement. We as a nation have to learn the method of peaceful coexistence as taught by Islam. Somebody told me that the educated amongst you is the one who can calmly hear and appreciate an adverse opinion.
Today when the national unity has already been plundered by the politicians by playing the linguistic and regional cards; a sane voice has to be risen from somewhere to tell the nation that the creation of the state of Pakistan was not by accident. It became a reality due to the infinite sacrifices of our forefathers and the blessings of Allah. The whole world knows that Pakistan is a forte of Islam which can be weakened through development of regional and linguistic politics on one hand and; through fanning the flames of sectarianism on the other hand.
The claimants of the Riasat e Madina have to take concrete steps towards devising a uniform educational setup by adopting syllabus from the three systems. Its end should be creating a tolerant Muslim society and Pakistanis who would be ready to play their due role in the development of Pakistan as envisioned by the Quaid e Azam.
The writer is a senior Journalist He can be reached at pmpk55@hotmail.com Mobile No, +60109301521