Changing the World

By Prof. Dr. Asad Zaman 

For too long, we have been content to accept foreign analyses of our problems, instead of doing our own thinking. The Eurocentric worldview defines deviation from European norms as a problem, and advances towards European ideals as progress. On this view, we must liberalize, modernize, industrialize, and acquire good governance and democracy. To accomplish this, we need to promote the English language as a medium for instruction in Science and Technology, as well as modern culture. We need to educate our superstitious, ignorant and backwards people, make Pakistan safe, attractive and profitable for Western investors, etc. In short, we must do everything that competent administrators working on behalf of the British Raj would do.

Thinking of problems of Pakistan in our own terms, instead of thinking about how to get Pakistan to resemble England or USA, leads to dramatically different views about development. How can we improve the quality of lives of the people of Pakistan, the majority of whom are poor, illiterate, and live in rural areas or urban slums? This question is not even on the agenda of planners. After the failure of the development policies in the Washington Consensus, new revised and sophisticated versions of these policies make no mention of these people and are not informed by their problems. Close analysis of recommended policies reveals that their principal concern is to enable multinationals to be able to operate securely, enforce contracts, and repatriate profits.

Solutions to our problems lie in re-acquiring self-esteem and dignity shattered by colonial traditions. The vast majority of Pakistanis are warm, hospitable, generous and charitable people of integrity and honor, trusting and trustworthy. This is a treasure beyond price in today’s worlds. Our natural resources lie not in the coal mines of Thar, but in our Pakistani youth, which is capable of doing whatever we ask them to do. The challenge facing us as a society is to inspire them with worthwhile and ambitious goals and provide them with the means to facilitate the achievement of these goals.  

The Quran (53:39) states that Man can have nothing but what he strives for. Today, we have set very low goals for our selves: leading comfortable personal lives, without caring for others. As a professor, I teach my students to lead lives of service – sacrifice personal comforts to bring comfort to others. The economics textbooks are wrong: man is fundamentally generous. The most luxurious meal at the finest restaurant cannot match the satisfaction derived from feeding the hungry. Doing relief work in North Africa, even the atheistic philosopher Sartre was moved to say that his philosophical works had no weight in comparison to the cry of a hungry baby. 

The recent headlines about suicide/murder of a family due to poverty attracted the attention and concern of many. However, nearly all solutions proposed involved the government, or international agencies – in short everybody except for ME doing something about it. The simple Islamic solution to this problem is for everyone to take responsibility for forty house to the left and right. In a community where 80 neighbors are concerned for your welfare, cases of this kind will be rare to non-existent. We must revive the bonds of community eroded by modern views, where everyone cares only for himself.            

Revolution begins at home. The key is to become agents of change. Instead of waiting for the world to become a better place, act to bring this about. Instead of talking about how bad things are, talk about how you and I can change things for the better. Instead of being spectators, become participants in the process of change. Given the abject poverty that exists in Pakistan, every reader of this column can easily change ten lives dramatically. Do it. 

Credit: Mushtaq Ahmed