The Sanctity
of the Official Umra
By Siddique Malik
President
www.spreadfreedom.com
US
“No Sau Chooai Kha Kai
Bily Haj Ko Chaley.”
The above title is an Urdu aphorism that highlights
the hypocrisy behind an act. It translates into
something like this: “After devouring nine
hundred mice, the cat embarked on the journey
towards the pilgrimage”.
It is shocking to discover that Pakistan’s
recent three prime ministers spent a total of
43 million rupees of taxpayer’s money in
performing Umra along with an entourage of family
members and friends. Abuse of power and misuse
of public funds are known general characteristics
of Pakistan’s ruling establishments. What
flabbergasts me is their assumption that not only
they can hide their misdeeds from the people of
Pakistan (which they almost always are able to
do), they can also hide these from Allah.
What is the point in going to Umra when the money
used in getting to Mecca is not one’s own
and has been grabbed unethically, unfairly and
perhaps illegally? With such money, one can build
opulent mansions, purchase land, import luxurious
cars and then show off these ill-gotten items
and feel a sense of perverted pride. But when
one is dealing directly with Allah who always
knows the inside story, why even try a dirty trick?
Do these people think that they can issue a fabricated
press statement and Allah will be OK with their
treachery?
Where are the society’s self-declared custodians
of morality who have taken it upon themselves
to ensure that no woman’s scarf slips from
her head, no one can play music or dance to a
tune? What do they think of some people using
others’ money to go to Mecca? Is this not
an act of blasphemy?
I am further disappointed at the fact that an
executive of the Citibank who came to Pakistan
with great fanfare to supposedly rewire Pakistan’s
administrative psyche is involved in this immoral
(to say the least) act, too. I seriously doubt
that he behaved like this at the Citibank, because
the Citibank’s auditors would have caught
it. Why could he not better manage his impulses
in Pakistan? Talk about getting two birds with
one stone; he got three. He has brought bad name
to Pakistan, America and the Citibank.
It is truly saddening that it almost always happens
that the moment one enters the halls of power
in Pakistan, he/she starts to believe that the
norms of decency and ethics, and the requirements
of the law and the Constitution do not apply to
him/her. Pakistan desperately needs to improve
its apparatus of accountability and its ability
to apply the concept of administrative checks
and balances. Otherwise, even angels will turn
into demons.
Meanwhile, it will be most appropriate if the
prime minister resigns (he can take his brilliant
ideas back to the Citibank), reimburses the treasury
and asks his predecessors to do the same. Also,
it should be thoroughly investigated if any laws
were broken. If so, then the proper punitive mechanisms
should be invoked.
Once, a train, on its routine run through the
British countryside, hit a cow. The British minister
of transportation of the time, promptly resigned.
What we have now is an act of smearing the concept
of Umrah through a wanton act of abuse of power.
Surely, this should be a serious matter in an
‘Islamic Republic’.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
