Friday, June 1, 2012

Zara phir se Sochiye ... (Updated 19/01/2012)

Zara Sochiye

Note: Latests updates are on the top

Update: 19/01/2012:

جیو کا نعرہ: پاکستان کی بنیادوں پر حملہ - شاہنواز فاروقی



روس میں جب سوشلسٹ انقلاب آیا تو روس ایک دن میں سوشلسٹ ری پبلک بن گیا، حالانکہ روس صدیوں سے عیسائی بھی تھا اور بادشاہت کا تاج بھی اُس کے سر پر رکھا ہوا تھا۔ اہم بات یہ ہے کہ اس عظیم تغیر کے بارے میں روس میں کبھی سوال نہیں اٹھایا گیا کہ ہم کیا تھے اور کیا بن گئے؟ چین میں سوشلسٹ انقلاب آیا تو چین بھی اچانک مائو ازم کا علم بردار بن گیا، حالانکہ وہ تین چار ہزار سال تک تائومت اور کنفیوشس ازم کا پرچم اٹھائے کھڑا رہا تھا۔ چین کے اندر رونما ہونے والی اس غیر معمولی تبدیلی کے حوالے سے بھی چین میں سوال نہ اٹھایا گیا کہ ہم ایک مذہبی تہذیب سے اچانک بے خدا تہذیب میں کیسے تبدیل ہوگئے؟ 

بھارت مسلمانوں کی آمد سے پہلے ایک ہندو ریاست تھا، مگر 1947ء میں اسے آزادی ملی تو وہ اچانک ’’سیکولر‘‘ ہوگیا، لیکن اس عظیم قلبِ ماہیت کے بارے میں بھارت میں کبھی کوئی بحث نہ چھڑ سکی۔ تاہم پاکستان کا معاملہ عجیب ہے۔ یہاں آئے دن یہ بحث ہوتی رہتی ہے کہ پاکستان اسلام کے نام پر بنا تھا یا نہیں بنا تھا! حالانکہ اسلام اور اس کے تشخص پر اصرار نہ ہوتا تو پاکستان کی تخلیق تو دور کی بات ہے، اس کا مطالبہ بھی نہیں کیا جاسکتا تھا۔ لیکن پاکستان میں ایسے عناصر موجود ہیں جو برصغیر کی ملّتِ اسلامیہ کی پوری تاریخ کو جھٹلا دیتے ہیں۔ چنانچہ ہم نے دیکھا کہ جنرل ایوب اقتدار میں آئے تو انہوں نے ملک کو سیکولر بنانے کی کوشش کی۔ بھٹو صاحب آئے تو انہوں نے اسلامی سوشلزم ایجاد کرلیا۔

یادش بخیر، ایک بار پیرپگارا نے فرمایا تھا کہ ’پاکستان کا مطلب کیا… لاالہ الا اللہ‘ کا نعرہ جماعت اسلامی کی ایجاد ہے۔ جماعت اسلامی کے لیے اس سے بڑے اعزاز کی بات کوئی نہیں ہوسکتی کہ کوئی اسے پاکستان کی بنیادوں میں کلمہ طیبہ رکھنے کا ’’مجرم‘‘ گردانے۔ مگر تاریخی اعتبار سے یہ بات درست نہیں ہے۔ ’پاکستان کا مطلب کیا… لا الہ الا اللہ‘ کا نعرہ تحریک پاکستان کے زمانے کی یادگار ہے، اور اسے دو قومی نظریے کی فضا میں برصغیر کی ملت ِاسلامیہ کے اجتماعی شعور نے ایجاد کیا تھا۔ تجزیہ کیا جائے تو پیر پگارا کا تبصرہ پاکستان کی نظریاتی بنیاد پر حملہ ہے… مگر پاکستان کا ایک ٹیلی وژن چینل ’’جیو‘‘ اس سلسلے میں پیر پگارا سے ہزاروں میل آگے نکل گیا ہے۔

اس دعوے کا ثبوت یہ ہے کہ جیو نے ’پاکستان کا مطلب کیا… لا الہ الا اللہ‘ کی جگہ ’پاکستان کا مطلب کیا… پڑھنے لکھنے کے سوا‘ کا نعرہ ایجاد کرلیا ہے۔ پیر پگارا سمیت پاکستان کی نظریاتی بنیادوں پر حملہ کرنے والوں کی کمی نہیں، مگر ان لوگوں کا حملہ کبھی کبھی چھوٹی موٹی خبر یا مضمون کی صورت میں سامنے آتا ہے، لیکن جیو نے اپنے نعرے کو چوبیس گھنٹے کی نشریات کا مستقل حصہ بنالیا ہے۔ نتیجہ یہ کہ جیو کا ایک سطری نعرہ ’’لشکر‘‘ بن کر کھڑا ہوگیا ہے۔ ایسا لشکر جو چوبیس گھنٹے جاری رہنے والی جنگ چھیڑے ہوئے ہے۔ تجزیہ کیا جائے تو جیو کے نعرے کی تین ہولناکیاں ہیں:

(1) جیو کا نعرہ تاریخی جھوٹ اور پاکستان کی نظریاتی بنیاد پر کیا جانے والا سب سے بڑا ابلاغی حملہ ہے۔
(2) اس حملے کا ہدف کائنات کی سب سے بڑی صداقت یعنی لا الہ الا اللہ ہے۔
(3) جیو نے اپنے نعرے کے ذریعے پاکستان کے نظریاتی تشخص کے حوالے سے کلمہ طیبہ کا ’’متبادل‘‘ تخلیق کرنے کی جرأت کی ہے۔
جیو کے نعرے کا تاریخی اعتبار سے جھوٹا ہونا اس امر سے ثابت ہے کہ پاکستان کا خواب اقبال نے دیکھا، اور اقبال کی شاعری اسلام میں ڈوبی ہوئی ہے، اور اس سے اسلامی ریاست کے تصور کے سوا کچھ برآمد نہیں کیا جاسکتا۔ پاکستان کے قیام کی مذہبی بنیاد کا دوسرا بڑا حوالہ دو قومی نظریہ ہے۔ دو قومی نظریہ اسلام کے سوا کچھ نہیں ہے، اور اسلام کا خلاصہ لا الہ الا اللہ ہے۔ 

پاکستان کے قیام کی مذہبی بنیاد کا تیسرا بڑا حوالہ قائداعظم کی وہ سیکڑوں تقاریر اور انٹرویوز ہیں جن میں انہوں نے صاف طور پر کہا ہے کہ پاکستان کی بنیاد اسلام ہے۔

غور کیا جائے تو جیو نے کائنات کی سب سے بڑی صداقت لا الہ الا اللہ محمد الرسول اللہ پر حملہ کیا ہے۔ اس بات کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ اس کائنات کا خالق اللہ ہے اور اس کی موجودگی کی گواہی اپنی قدرو قیمت میں پوری کائنات سے بڑھ کر ہے، اور کوئی مسلمان یہ سوچ بھی نہیں سکتا کہ وہ لا الہ الا اللہ کا حریف بن کر کھڑا ہوسکتا ہے۔ اس بات کا دوسرا مفہوم یہ ہے کہ بالفرضِ محال اگر پاکستان کا مطلب لاالہ الا اللہ نہ ہوتا تو بھی ہر پاکستانی مسلمان کی خواہش اور کوشش یہ ہونی چاہیے تھی کہ وہ اپنے ملک کو لا الہ الا اللہ کی بنیاد فراہم کرے، کیونکہ اس بنیاد کے بغیر مسلمان کے لیے انفرادی اور اجتماعی زندگی اور کسی ریاست کا کوئی مطلب ہی نہیں ہے۔

جیو کے نعرے کی تیسری ہولناکی یہ ہے کہ جیو نے پہلی بار پاکستان کے نظریاتی تشخص کے حوالے سے لا الہ الا اللہ کا ’’متبادل‘‘ ایجاد کرنے کی جرأت کی ہے، اور یہ جرأت کرنے والے بھول گئے کہ وہ اس سلسلے میں خدا کے روبرو کیا جواب دیں گے؟

اس نعرے کے حوالے سے دو مزید باتیں اہمیت کی حامل ہیں۔ ایک یہ کہ یہ نعرہ ’’شعوری طور‘‘ پر ایجاد کیا گیا ہے۔ اس کی وجہ یہ ہے کہ ’پاکستان کا مطلب کیا… لا الہ الا اللہ‘ ایک تاریخی حقیقت ہے۔ یہ نعرہ 65 سال سے ہمارے قومی شعور کا حصہ ہے۔ یہ نعرہ بچے بچے کی زبان پر ہے۔ چنانچہ اس نعرے کو مسترد کرنے اور اس کا متبادل پیش کرنے کا کام ’’غلطی‘‘ سے ہو ہی نہیں سکتا۔ یہ کام کامل شعور بلکہ ’’منصوبہ بندی‘‘ کے ساتھ کیا گیا ہے۔ اس نعرے کے حوالے سے دوسری اہم بات یہ ہے کہ مسلم دنیا میں اس طرح کے کام نائن الیون کے بعد بیرونی طاقتوں کے اشارے پر شروع ہوئے ہیں۔

کہا جاسکتا ہے کہ جیو نے ’پڑھنے لکھنے کے سوا پاکستان کا مطلب کیا‘ کا نعرہ ایجاد کرکے دراصل ملک میں علم کو فروغ دینے کی کوشش کی ہے۔ لیکن پاکستان میں علم اور تعلیم کے فروغ کے لیے ایک ہزار اشتہاری نعرے تخلیق کیے جاسکتے ہیں۔ ’پاکستان کا مطلب کیا… لا الہ الا اللہ‘ ایک ایسا نعرہ ہے جس پر ہماری تاریخ نے ’’پیٹنٹ‘‘ کی مہر لگائی ہوئی ہے، چنانچہ جیو نے اس کا ’’متبادل‘‘ تخلیق کرکے علم کے فروغ کی نہیں، لاالہ الا اللہ کے متبادل کے فروغ کی کوشش کی ہے۔ لیکن بقول شاعر
نورِ خدا ہے کفر کی حرکت پہ خندہ زن
پھونکوں سے یہ چراغ بجھایا نہ جائے گ



Update 13/01/2012: 
Orya Maqbool Jan explains how western or secular concept of Ilm differs with that of ours, and proposes an alternative structure to promote it among the masses. To read this latest article visit the link mentioned below:
bashaoorpakistan.com/.../orya-maqbool-jan/.../

Update 03/12/2012:
After massive response on social media to counter the normative premise of USAID funded (who else would be funding it?) zara sochiye campaign of GEO TV, and a bombardment of questions raised on Malala incident (which is no doubt unfortunate if true), the frequency of campaign has reduced noticeably. GEO TV is rethinking its strategy perhaps to use social more effectively. The FB page of this campaign is also not generating much interaction relative to the number of people who have liked this page. See it for yourself, https://www.facebook.com/zarasochiye; generally pages of a similar nature of content and audience are suppose to generate an interaction many times more, for example, check out this page for an example https://www.facebook.com/Umeedpkhttps://www.facebook.com/JewTVXposed, or this one https://www.facebook.com/mediawatch.pk. Note: please compare old with old posts and newer with newer posts.

Update 06/10/2012: Check out this video and read the article below it ... remember half truth is more dangerous then a complete lie



click the below link to read the article ...
http://oryamaqbooljan.com/......jan

Orya sb has referred to various European historians who acknowledged the high caliber of educated mass of people living under Mughal era. The literacy rate has been more then 90% during that time. A question might be asked that why subcontinent didn't have any high profile institutions during that time like the ones build in Europe and America? The answer lies in the unique model of education of Muslims. In Muslim societies teacher hold the central position, not the building or infrastructure where he teaches. When we look back we see lots of big names who with their disciples use to taught the public in various disciplines ... the highest form of education was religious education and scholars or ulema-e-kiram use to provide this education free of cost. In fact all kind of education has been free of cost in entire Islamic history. This has never been the case in Europe particularly after the industrial revolution, as education also transformed into an industry, you had to be rich to afford to get admission in any high profile institution as otherwise you couldn't afford the fees simply. Islamic civilization's free model of education provided equal opportunity to all males and females, of all economic classes as it was free. The salaries of teachers and other expenses, if any, were financed by the institution of waqf (endowment fund) model.

Islam provides an ideal image of a personality in the form of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, the secular and modern west doesn't have such an ideal. The teachers in Islamic history were those who were closest in all ways with this ideal image, and it was a religious duty for them (sunnah) to educate the public, with reward due in hereafter. Since west doesn't had any such personalities, therefore there they preferred to erect an entity in the form of an institution where subject need to disappear, unlike in Islamic civilization. In Islamic history teacher was important, his relationship with the student mattered, his character act as a role model for him to follow, a mentor to be consulted in time of need, this was replaced with an institution in the west.

How the traditional model of Islamic history couldn't catch up with the western model is another question worth probing. The answer lies in how colonial powers got hold of Islamic civilization. and once they did what they did with the traditional education model of Islamic civilization? It is not incorrect that political power of Islamic world had lost its power due to internal corruption, and they were brought down with the help of traitors who sided with the colonial powers. Furthermore economic warfare was used to take hold of Muslim resources etc ... watch this documentary for details http://www.youtube.com/.../

Another intellectual dishonesty of this clip is that it tells an incorrect cause about the rise and fall of a civilization. This clip suggest that civilizations rise when to adhere to scientific development and fall when they leave it. Nothing can be further from the truth. Edward Gibbon, Arnold Toyn B, Ibn-e-Khuldoon, all has mentioned entirely different reason for the fall and rise of civilization. Even if we look at Islamic history, the army of Chengez Khan destroyed Islamic world when it was leading the world in science and crafts ... the Chengez Khan's army which was nomadic, illiterate, utterly savage in character, took over Muslim world with an ease. When Islam was on the rise with an unimaginable pace during the era of Hazrat Umar r.a. what scientific discoveries Muslims were making? The point is not to undermine the importance of science, technology etc, but to correct the expectation one should attach with it. It is primarily adherence to some core values, beliefs, norms, traditions, ideals, which constructs and strengthen the fabric of a civilization .... same is the case with modern western civilization as it adheres to liberal, secular values, and ideals which shaped during European enlightenment movement, which utterly contradicts with what Islam idealizes.

And the last but not the least, the worst of all distortions: 'Parhne likhne ke siwa; Pakistan ka matlab hi kiya', ask anyone who was alive at the time of partition that what was the slogan of Pakistan; there are hundreds of statement of Quaid-e-Azam which proves that the foundation of Pakistan was not secular in nature, but it was primarily a nation for Muslim which was being created so that Islam could be practiced, check the following links for details: http://nazariapak.info/...WAAN.pdfhttp://nazariapak.info/...QAKIA.pdfhttp://nazariapak.info/...DQNMBH.pdf

Often a quote of Quaid is presented in which he seems to suggest that all religions will have freedom to practice themselves, well thats exactly the spirit of Islam in which all religions have complete freedom. In this regards ... also see Dr. Israr's lecture search on youtube "Allama Iqbal, Quaid-e-Azam aur Pakistan by Dr Israr AHMED Part 1", it has more then 20 parts. Watch it before making up your mind.

Why this dishonesty? why this private TV channel running this campaign while distorting the concept of Ilm in Islam? why showing a biased one sided picture of history? why attempting to alter the ideological foundation of Pakistan? who is paying for this campaign, where the funds are coming from? what is in it for GEO? ... Zara Sochiye


Update 10/8/2012: The recent twist in the campaign confirmed my concerned raised above, after creating a religious context of the message, now Zara Sochiye campaign has begin to emphasize MBA as a savior of the society, without realizing that philosophical foundation of curriculum of an MBA program with its neo-liberal inclination is in total contradiction to the teachings of Islam. Just to give some examples Interest / Riba is taught to MBAs in finance and economics courses as if it is a fairly legitimate concept. furthermore the management text books are advocating the rise of post industrial societies (which worships materialism) as a natural evolution of human development and considers it advancement and propagation as natural and justified. Marketing courses legitimize pleasure maximizing consumerism (something which goes against the very idea of simplicity and modesty as advocated by Islam) and the subject Consumer Behavior defines such an approach as a natural requirement of a modern man.

Please note that this post is not intended to issue a Fatwa against MBA program, rather it is meant to highlight the contradiction and hypocrisy of GEO TV campaign, which promotes a secular version of education with in a religious packaging.

Zara Sochiye … Age barhna he to Alif, Be par yaqeen rakhna hai … se pehle ye bhi sochiye ke age kis taraf barhna hai aur kis ke hath se lekhe gae alif, be par yaqeen rakhna hai

Update 01/06/20112: On Junaid Jamshed's advocating importance of Ilm from an Islamic context 
(1) Junaid Jamshed is not an Islamic Scholar (2) the meaning of 'Ilm' whose importance is emphasized in Quran and Hadith is a set of knowledge which helps a person recognize and connect with Allah s.w.t, differentiate b/w halal and haraam, right and wrong, etc as defined in Islamic epistemology (final revelation) … but is this the meaning which is given by GEO TV? rather the context is telling the viewers that the meaning of education is the same secular education (read indoctrination) which is been given in conventional schools preferably the Cambridge one ... why this hypocrisy? What GEO TV will get out of this misrepresentation of a the message of Quran and Sunnah?

5 comments:

  1. g u r right ,,,
    now such kind of media tell us what is ILM????
    Zara nahi bus Sochetay he jaye,,,,

    ReplyDelete
  2. There is one more thing to be noticed and that is their continuous emphasis on people spending their lives in doing jobs in a continuous manner till one becomes the best servant of corporate. Instead of emphasizing and telling the society about the importance of entrepreneurship they are instilling the "Consumer producer" oriented employment within the minds of viewers by showing its deceptive shiny visuals. The other thing to be noticed is their disguised message of "mental depression" in the society that according to them prevails and which is what they are trying to impose in the minds of viewers. Almost in every short clip it is shown that a particular individual is alone and to become happy the only solution is to study in a specified way so as to become a successful employee(slave). Their whole campaign is based on the promotion of slavery and making it look as if it is what a person is born for so as to tell viewers that a corporate slavery is worth doing struggle for. This whole campaign seems like is being promoted to oppress the voices that are rising against the Consumer Producer system.

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  3. Thought provoking article,

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  4. In order to understand programs like Zara Sochiye (ZS), these need to to be viewed in the correct context that is War on Terror/ Islam. The War in Afghnistan is the hard (stick) part of the bigger War on Terror/Islam, while programs like ZS are the soft (carrot) part.

    In order to see the intellectual and planning activity that goes behind preparing and fighting such a war, it is important to make the effort to find the relavent policy literature. One such writing is a RAND CORP (an American Think-Tank) paper, whose link is given below.

    http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2007/RAND_MG574.pdf


    If you turn to page 143 of this paper you find policy advise / action plan to proceed further . Excerpts from the same are copied below. The authors advise that programs must be funded/supported which have the following objectives:

    -----------------------------------------
    Democratic Education:- particularly programs that use Islamic traditions for authoritative teachings that support democratic and pluralistic values.

    Media:- Support for moderate media is critical to combating media domination by anti-democratic and conservative Muslim elements.

    Gender equality:- The issue of women’s rights is a major battleground in the war of ideas within Islam, and women’s rights advocates operate in very adverse environments. Promotion of gender equality is a critical component of any project to empower moderate Muslims.

    Policy advocacy:- Islamists have political agendas, and moderates need to engage in policy advocacy as well. Advocacy activities are important in order to shape the political and legal environment in the Muslim world.

    ----------------------------------

    Due to its length the article had to be divided into two parts. The second part immediatly follows this one

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is the second part of the article.
    =============================================

    It is interesting to correlate what is happening in Pakistan with the above policy advice/action-plan.

    1. ZS type program conform to the advice pertaining to DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION have begun. The reference to Junaid Jamshed in the blog is very apt as he is a media figure turned tableeghi. With his limited understanding he has unwittingly become a tool in the hands of the ZS 'reformers'. With money absolutely not a problem, ZS is likely to entice more of such maulanas into the same trap.

    2. 'Support' for media in the shape of funding for re-telecasting VOA specially prepared programs has been put into operation. It should be recalled that the VOA telecasts started from GeoTV and now continue on ExpressTV. Sania Mirza has been hired to run the VOA programs as Pakistani viewers are used to seeing her on GeoTV as a newscaster. The content is clearly designed to win the hearts of Pakistanis with shots of Masjids, Pakistani enterpreneurs and so forth.

    3. The Malala fiasco has given an excellent opening to ZS to not only push for female education but also gradually gravitate towards western style 'GENDER EQUALITY' advocacy through prgrams on GeoTV but also on the Internet. This would again be very much in line with the policy advice given in the RAND paper referred above.

    However, as most of us know, advocating western style gender equality is a dangerously slippery slope in Pakistan. Therefore the GeoTV owners/management will have to think twice before making an attempt to ascend this slope. My reasons for saying this are as follows:

    a. All this 'soft' war effort is being financed through the Kerry-Lugar funding. If the US manages to extract itself relatively cleanly from Afghanistan in 2014, then the Kerry-Lugar funding is likely to continue for sometime. Thus ZS type programs are likely to remain funded.

    b. In case case the extraction is messy (like Vietnam) then there is every likelyhood that Kerry-Lugar funding would be jeopardized.

    GeoTV owners/management must weigh both alternatives. GeoTV is already taking flak from the citizens (consumers) for their role in the Malala episode and by extension; in their taking sides in the War on Terror/Islam. As I have argued above, pushing/advocating western style gender equality programs is dangerous territory in Pakistan. Not only will it invite the criticism of the conservative portion of the society but more lethally the wrath of the Maulanas. Although it is highly probable that gender equality advocacy is likely to be a part of their contract to secure Kerry-Lugar funding; GeoTV would need to make a difficult assessment to enter this dangerous area. If I was managing GeoTV affairs I would err on the side of avoiding this messy arena.

    Overall Pakistanis are likely to see an increase in frequency and visibility of ZS type programs on the media as D-Day approaches in Afghanistan. One can only pray that Allah insulates us from the mess these will create within our society, particularly in the younger generation.

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