Comments on: Religious Extremism in Our Midst: A Battle for Pakistan’s Soul? http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/religious-extremism-in-our-midst-battle-for-pakistan-soul-athar-osama/ An Investigation into the Life and Times of a Nation Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:05:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Anwar http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/religious-extremism-in-our-midst-battle-for-pakistan-soul-athar-osama/#comment-2056 Anwar Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:18:03 +0000 http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/religious-extremism-in-our-midst-battle-for-pakistan-soul-athar-osama/#comment-2056 Whatever perturbations Pakistan experienced during the early years after the partition are no match for what is going on presently. I also think that the current affairs are primarily due to dependence of our military on Arab money and idealogical tug of war that started after successful Islamic revolution in Iran. We are subservient to the House of Saud and Uncle Sam at the same time. It is unlikely Pakistan will ever be a sovereign state as it is located in the region of interest of super powers... It is a catch 22 - if we tilt more towards Saudis, we will have to import the Wahabi mind set i.e. extremism in all forms, and if we tilt towards US, we will have to tolerate social upheaval, if we shun both we will go bankrupt followed by more instability and political upheaval. The middle ground that Musharaf (and a large number of elite) is following i.e. pleasing both constituencies, has resulted in extremism on both sides i.e. liberals and the fundamentalists. What will be the fate of this highly polarized country with increasing slum population and poverty? Well, let us not extrapolate to the eventual conclusion! Whatever perturbations Pakistan experienced during the early years after the partition are no match for what is going on presently. I also think that the current affairs are primarily due to dependence of our military on Arab money and idealogical tug of war that started after successful Islamic revolution in Iran.
We are subservient to the House of Saud and Uncle Sam at the same time. It is unlikely Pakistan will ever be a sovereign state as it is located in the region of interest of super powers…
It is a catch 22 - if we tilt more towards Saudis, we will have to import the Wahabi mind set i.e. extremism in all forms, and if we tilt towards US, we will have to tolerate social upheaval, if we shun both we will go bankrupt followed by more instability and political upheaval. The middle ground that Musharaf (and a large number of elite) is following i.e. pleasing both constituencies, has resulted in extremism on both sides i.e. liberals and the fundamentalists.
What will be the fate of this highly polarized country with increasing slum population and poverty? Well, let us not extrapolate to the eventual conclusion!

]]> By: Waheed http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/religious-extremism-in-our-midst-battle-for-pakistan-soul-athar-osama/#comment-2007 Waheed Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:23:15 +0000 http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/religious-extremism-in-our-midst-battle-for-pakistan-soul-athar-osama/#comment-2007 Munir Report http://www.mediafire.com/?2lbjlhmslbj (33MB) Munir Report

http://www.mediafire.com/?2lbjlhmslbj (33MB)

]]> By: Ahmed Akhtar http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/religious-extremism-in-our-midst-battle-for-pakistan-soul-athar-osama/#comment-1841 Ahmed Akhtar Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:39:02 +0000 http://www.understandingpakistan.com/index.php/religious-extremism-in-our-midst-battle-for-pakistan-soul-athar-osama/#comment-1841 Salam, To all my country men and women...the crisis that our nation faces today is refelective of a number of issues which failed to be resolved in the past 60 years. 1. Our nations identity and political Ideology 2. The Neo-colonialist in our political elite 3. Provincial automony and ethnic Segregation 4. Lack of economic and social justice 5. The idea of Pakistan - "A failed concept" 1. Our Nations Identity and its Political Ideology So what are we? an Islamic State or a Muslim State.... our official name in the United Nations is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan... for the past 60 years we have gone back and forth trying to figure who the hell we are and where are we going!....the political forces in our country have played a tug of war between secularism and theocracy...add to that the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, the Afghan civil War, and the rise of the Taliban. What you have is a receipe for disaster... Therefore what we are witnessing today is our nations (both military and political policies gone wrong) end game. But let me give you a third dimension or political ideology (which is not a quick fix but a path towards reconciliation and healing).....This third political ideology...unlike Secularism and Theocracy...believes in the "Great Integration of God and State"...(unlike the West which follows the "Great Separation" via Secularism). Islamic Democracy is where every human life, female and male, Muslim and non-Muslim, rich or poor, from Northern or Southern Pakistan has exactly the same fundamental value. Where the laws of God (Shariah) and civil laws co-exists to provide the rights and freedoms to its citizens whether they be Muslim or non-Muslim who belive in the intrinsic value of peace, justice, and prosperity of our country. Furthermore Islamic Democracy is the foundation and path to enlightenment; a political, social, and economic ideology. The five pillars or institutions which will serve and uphold Islamic Democratic principles are the (1) Democratically elected Government, (2) Military establishment, (3) Judiciary, (4) Economic establishment, and (5) Religious establishment. Such a development will mobilize the Muslim citizens of our great nation to establish a modern Islamic state that re-constructs Muslim identity and consolidates Islamic power. Lastly Islamic Democracy allows the Muslim citizens of our nation to openly debate the finished products of early Islamic and medieval thinking and ways of living. It permits and in fact exhorts the present-day Muslims of our great nation to modernize themselves (in agreement with the Quran, teachings of the Prophet, and Islamic law) and thereby create “Islamic Modernity” within our society. More to come later....... Salam, Ahmed Akhtar (Progressive Muslim Party) Salam,

To all my country men and women…the crisis that our nation faces today is refelective of a number of issues which failed to be resolved in the past 60 years.

1. Our nations identity and political Ideology
2. The Neo-colonialist in our political elite
3. Provincial automony and ethnic Segregation
4. Lack of economic and social justice
5. The idea of Pakistan - “A failed concept”

1. Our Nations Identity and its Political Ideology

So what are we? an Islamic State or a Muslim State…. our official name in the United Nations is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan… for the past 60 years we have gone back and forth trying to figure who the hell we are and where are we going!….the political forces in our country have played a tug of war between secularism and theocracy…add to that the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, the Afghan civil War, and the rise of the Taliban. What you have is a receipe for disaster… Therefore what we are witnessing today is our nations (both military and political policies gone wrong) end game.

But let me give you a third dimension or political ideology (which is not a quick fix but a path towards reconciliation and healing)…..This third political ideology…unlike Secularism and Theocracy…believes in the “Great Integration of God and State”…(unlike the West which follows the “Great Separation” via Secularism).

Islamic Democracy is where every human life, female and male, Muslim and non-Muslim, rich or poor, from Northern or Southern Pakistan has exactly the same fundamental value. Where the laws of God (Shariah) and civil laws co-exists to provide the rights and freedoms to its citizens whether they be Muslim or non-Muslim who belive in the intrinsic value of peace, justice, and prosperity of our country.

Furthermore Islamic Democracy is the foundation and path to enlightenment; a political, social, and economic ideology. The five pillars or institutions which will serve and uphold Islamic Democratic principles are the (1) Democratically elected Government, (2) Military establishment, (3) Judiciary, (4) Economic establishment, and (5) Religious establishment. Such a development will mobilize the Muslim citizens of our great nation to establish a modern Islamic state that re-constructs Muslim identity and consolidates Islamic power.

Lastly Islamic Democracy allows the Muslim citizens of our nation to openly debate the finished products of early Islamic and medieval thinking and ways of living. It permits and in fact exhorts the present-day Muslims of our great nation to modernize themselves (in agreement with the Quran, teachings of the Prophet, and Islamic law) and thereby create “Islamic Modernity” within our society.

More to come later…….

Salam,

Ahmed Akhtar (Progressive Muslim Party)

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