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We need scholars, not dollars
By Daanish Izhar
I know people who in 1947, abandoned their family, property, and relations and embraced anonymity, isolation and poverty. They showed not an iota of hesitation in forsaking everything they had grown to understand as life itself. Back then, they were charged 17 year-olds who believed that Pakistan is their promised land. And they were not deluded by passion. They were promised a home, a life of respect and honour and a bright future. They were assured that they would be able to practice Islam free from bias or any hostility, and that Pakistan would guard them against all affronts and comfort me in need. They all believe that they were misled.
Today the bodies of their innocent grandchildren and 45,000 others like them are mere figures representing casualties of direct terrorist attacks. Thier shia friends, their families and relatives have been systematically assassinated in every province they sought shelter in. Instead of security, peace and tolerance they have been shoved into violence, aggression and slaughter. 32 percent of the national population today, are illiterate. They don’t attend schools, or learn of the history, culture and values of our religion. Most of them are deceived towards drug abuse, prostitution and slavery. Their ignorance has been inherited and consumes the generation of today. 60 percent of the national population, struggles to survive on less than 2 dollars every day. And instead of aiding them, all successive governments have snatched their loaf of bread with animalistic greed. Today, the 7th most corrupt country in the world, suffocate its lineage with its vicious extortion, and bribery. Yet they, along with 187 million people survive every day, willing and actually trading their dignity and integrity for food, clothing and shelter. Their resolve is unwavering and their hearts are bright with hope. They yearn for that leadership that would free them from the shackles of their miserable existence. Their deliverance shall come.
The myriad of problems that infect and consume Pakistan can only be remedied through a comprehensive reappraisal of who we are, the values we embody, and what we seek to become. This exercise was successfully executed by Dr. Allama Muhamamd Iqbal and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who, through their scholarship appreciated and communicated the perils of degrading dependency and demeaning coexistence. They crystallized and instilled a sense of identity in the people around them, Who began to understand who they were and identify those innumerable steps necessary to honour their rich heritage. It was this vision that instilled a deep appreciation of and a commitment to change ourselves, our lives and world, regardless of the cost. Pakistan is in need of this cataclysmic change and scholarship will aid its realization.
With a reappraisal of our national identity and a renewed commitment to our goals, we can embark on the journey to realize them. Scholars like Muhammad Younas can reform our existing economic framework. They can give birth to an egalitarian system of distribution and ensure every Pakistani lives a life of dignity and respect. Where begging is a long forgotten phenomenon and brotherly love and unity is the governing ethos. The scholarship of the Quran can provide keen guidance in informing our moral compass and directing us towards a value system that is progressive and self-sustaining.
Moreover, scholars like Dr. Abdul Salaam can reinvigorate our drive for progress and inspire us to strive for and achieve success in multiple disciplines.
We have already witnessed that there is no end to the satiation of the greed and gluttony of our unwavering leaders. It is only through knowledge, awareness and consciousness of our present reality and the vision of our future that we can reconstruct ourselves as the great nation our ancestors were promised.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk