Life was so simple when wars were fought with bravery and
chivalry; when the enemy was across the border. There was a time when the brunt
of the battle was taken by armies facing each other, not by children in schools
or playing in parks accompanied by their mothers.
Those fighting prided
themselves on giving their enemies an equal chance to defend themselves.
Shooting someone in the back was an act of cowardice. There was a code of
honour, which protected children and unarmed people because it was considered
disgraceful to harm them.
But the war game has
changed. The enemy is within now. The white and black have merged into grey. It
is a war of ideologies, fought in the minds. The enemy can be anyone; it is
difficult to decipher who is in which camp. The conventional code of conduct in
war is misplaced and conventional weapons are inadequate. We are pitted against
those who do not play by the rules. For them, striking where it hurts most is
important – code of honour be damned.
There was a time when
being religious made a person magnanimous, kind and humane; when religion
broadened the mind, instead of making people blood thirsty and intolerant.
Those who were well-versed in religion had the grace and patience to listen to
differing points of view. They won people over with sound arguments, instead of
acting as judge, jury and executioner, killing those who dared to disagree.
It was not a very
distant past when everyone gave alms with open hearts for religious reasons.
Now, people are wary, wondering if their donations will be used to harbour or
train potential suicide bombers. There was a time when the soft-spoken clergy
commanded respect and admiration instead of fear; when religion was not used as
a garb for the lust for power. The clergy have become rigid, their sermons
increasingly harsh and intolerant. Can they command respect when they spring
into action against domestic violence bills or in support of child marriages,
but remain silent when children get blown up?
Where has the era gone,
when Christians, Parsees, Sikhs and Hindus coexisted peacefully as equal
citizens in this land, contributing positively to our nation? They lent essence
to life and justified the white in our flag. Of course, the Shias and Sunnis
argued heatedly about their viewpoints, but they did not silence each other
with guns.
People lived in their
own spheres when religion was not predominant. Faith was an inner glow, not to
be thrust down the other’s throat. People believed all religions were like
rivulets, basically flowing down to the same ocean. Everyone had the right to
choose which river to float in. They could consider their river better, but not
force others to join in. Religion was like a halo, making people tolerant and
not heartless barbarians.
It is unclear when and
how things changed so drastically for the worse. How has so much intolerance,
hatred and violence crept into our lives? The transformation was swift and we
remained silent and helpless spectators. Silence and inaction appears harmless
but causes the worst damage over time. Brushing problems under the carpet,
hoping that they will disappear and not upholding what is right create worse
complications.
Christians have been
killed in churches, Parsees have quietly left the country, the Ahmadis’ houses
have been burnt, Hazaras have been killed, innocent people have been blown up,
hospitals and funerals have been targeted and people have been lynched by mobs.
All in the name of religion.
And our silence has been
deafening.
When justice is not
dispensed indiscriminately and quickly, the repercussions are far-reaching. The
war of ideology can only won when people are not judgmental, with pre-conceived
views. Perhaps we have lost our will to listen. Perhaps we have become so rigid
in our self-righteousness that we cannot tolerate anyone who does not agree
with us. Perhaps we are terrified to stand up and defend what is right because
we fear dangerous repercussions.
And perhaps we are not
wrong.
But does closing our
eyes solve our problems? Does it make our children safe when they venture out
for ice cream?
The dreaded Third World
War is upon us. The war of ideology is enveloping the world. Conventional
forces can delay it, but cannot eradicate it. Each person needs to stand by
what is right, to overcome their fear and speak their mind.
We need to protect
innocent victims, regardless of their religion. We need to isolate those
fanning the flames of hatred.
Our people have turned
into mindless robots, following any Pied Piper’s frenzied speeches. Have they
lost their power of reasoning, or do they lack anything substantial to do?
Differing points of view
should be expressed in a civilised manner. Resorting to violence and destroying
public and private property is counterproductive. The moral high ground can
only be achieved with intelligent reasoning, not pressure tactics.
Intelligent reasoning
needs to be cultivated by our scholars, politicians, clergy and media. It needs
to be imbibed in our students and our people. The first step is to be a good
listener, because people are entitled to their views.
Email:
nigiaziz7@hotmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment