Before I begin today, I want to wish everyone a very happy Eid Mubarak. May this Eid bring all the joys and happiness that you crave for, for yourself and your family and for all those who are desolate and destitute and pray every day for salvation and deliverance.
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| Zaid Hamid. (Photo: Dawn.com) |
But now back to business. A few days ago, an article that I posted titled “A response” which itself was a response, generated some heated comments. Just like I had predicted, people questioned my intentions and loyalties. There are those amongst us who want people to talk about the issues that they want. Once you oblige, they want you to pontificate on something else. It is a vicious circle and one of which I have grown very tired.
Some gentleman questioned whether I have an issue with Mr Zaid Hamid’s statement of Pakistan becoming Medina-e-Sani; whether I have an issue with Pakistan becoming Medina-e-Sani. I have an issue with both. Before the ghairat brigade jumps in and declares me ‘liable to be killed’, I would like to be given a fair chance of hearing.
The context of Zaid Hamid’s Medina-e-Sani is a dangerous one, and one that we should avoid at all costs. You see when you start drawing analogies from history to justify war and violence it defeats the whole purpose of using common sense. Mr Zaid Hamid says India is the infidel Mecca, Israel the Jewish Khyber, and Pakistan the Muslim state of Medina. Barring the illogical rational that Mr Zaid Hamid applies to this, is this even plausible?
Were Mr Hamid to say that he wants a Medina-e-Sani in which Muslims shall have peace, in which they will make peace, in which there will be equality and tolerance for all, then I will gladly join his merry band of followers. Until such time though, I am afraid I cannot reconcile myself to his ideology. I cannot preach violence against a neighbour because that is the “logical end”; neither can I condone those who support this ideology.
They talk about how Islam ordains that non-Muslims be treated justly and equally within our borders yet the sectarian divide grows ever wider in this fabled Medina-e-Sani. Our minorities fear for their lives day in and day out, and we think once we “conquer” India we will establish peace. That is my problem with Medina-e-Sani. If Allah has indeed chosen for us to be the saviours of the world, then we shall be the saviours. But until that time, it would be prudent and logical to set our house in order, root out the vices from our society that plague us, and become the role models that we exclaim the world so badly needs.
Drawing analogies from history distorts the present, and forces people to live in a parallel world which is devoid of reality. We have lost at least two wars to India, and pretending we’re superior to India when in fact we’re turning into the most degenerate society is not going to win us any wars. Like I said, unless we can be good pious Muslims first, and which I hope all of us can achieve, it is pointless to play the Muslim and Islam card.
I’m done talking about Zaid Hamid and his famous shenanigans for the time being. I can only hope and pray that the man will come around to teaching and preaching peace rather than violence, and will coerce people to learn the virtues of Islam rather than talk about decimating the infidels. As the glorious Quran says, truth will always triumph over falsehood because falsehood by its very nature is bound to perish.
So let’s eschew getting into wars without becoming the Muslims that Allah has asked us to be. Because those who claim to be good Muslims and yet do not follow the spirit of Islam are going to be run over; just like the Mughals were.
