Is Islam a patriarchical tradition (II): Exegesis or Eisegesis
by Aasem Bakhshi Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding. (Al Quran 39:18) Every interpreter comes to the text bearing those complex histories of effects we call tradition. There is no more a possibility of escape from tradition than there is a possibility of an escape from history or language. (David Tracy in Plurality and Ambiguity: Hermeneutics, Religion, Hope) Interpretation being a human enterprise primarily means that it would be essentially modulated by inherent subjectivities of the interpreters, about which they might not be fully aware of themselves. This is because we cannot claim objectivity beyond our personal and social construct of reality. This is exactly the kind of subjectivity which … Read entire article »
Is Islam a patriarchical tradition (I): Understanding the hermeneutical gap
By Aasem Bakhshi We have made it a Qur’an in Arabic, that ye may be able to understand. (Al Quran, 43:3) Nothing exists except through language. -Gadamer in Truth and Method Islamic tradition, in many ways, can be described as a tradition of literature and one way to legitimately analyze the above question is to ask whether the core Islamic texts, i.e., Quran and Hadith are necessarily patriarchical [1]. Although it is true that Quran was originally revealed in a primarily patriarchical society and, at least in Islamic tradition’s formative and post-formative periods, interpreted mostly by the subjects of patriarchies, its text equally allows more coherent, less subjective and unauthoritarian interpretations to contest the popular traditionalist (or orthodox) interpretations with a visible patriarchical bent [2]. A … Read entire article »
Hate speech against Ahmadis: An Appeal to Everyone
Meera Ghani I would like to bring everyone’s attention to a recent event that has gotten little or no coverage in Pakistan and the international media so far. A group called All-Pakistan Students Khatm-e-Nubuwat Federation is handing out vile, hate fuelled pamphlets calling for outright murder of the already persecuted Ahmadiya community in the city of Faisalabad. The pamphlet lists Ahmadi industrialists, doctors and prominent businesses calling “to shoot such people is an act of jihad and to kill such people is an act of sawab (blessing).” This is an obvious attempt to incite violence against a minority and cannot be ignored under the guise of freedom of speech. It targets individuals and should be seen as liable in the eyes of the law. Sadly, the Ahmadiya community was declared non-muslim … Read entire article »
Five Myths About Pakistan
We are cross posting this short but insightful post by Anatol Lieven where he discusses the five popular myths about Pakistan. In our view, these myths as much of a must-read for non-Pakistanis as they are for the Pakistani nation. (Editors, PTH) … Read entire article »
Filed under: Islam, Islamism, Pakistan, Religion, state, Taliban
State-Owned Religion Reduces Religious Observance – The Economics of Faith
By A A Khalid Modern economic theory has come to the consensus that private enterprise can best respond to the demands and preferences of the consumer. It is only when enterprise is divorced from absolute State control that firms and businesses can respond to public tastes, aspirations and desires. A centralised State controlled economy reduces enterprise, competition and breeds a bureaucratic apathy which gives rise to inefficiency and yes even a fall in living standards. The fact that the State controlled economy has failed in the modern world not only to guarantee efficiency but also to uphold the goals it upheld for itself such as equality and justice is testament to the fact that when governments are involved and when power is centralised the results are pitiful and ultimately spill over … Read entire article »
Terror’s Training Ground
By Ayesha Siddiqa A few years ago, I met some young boys from my village near Bahawalpur who were preparing to go on jihad. They smirked politely when I asked them to close their eyes and imagine their future. “We can tell you without closing our eyes that we don’t see anything.” It was not entirely surprising. South Punjab is a region mired in poverty and underdevelopment. There are few job prospects for the youth. While the government … Read entire article »
Filed under: Pakistan, Punjabi, Religion, Taliban, Terrorism
Secularisms and Islams
By AA Khalid Secularism As Saviour, Secularism As The Devil Absolutely yes; in the face of secularism, mundane morality, consumerism, crime, and hedonism, the three monotheistic faiths have great influence in relieving our moral dilemma.[i] Can any Muslim community afford to hesitate in participating in the establishment of a secular democratic system if it is unable to establish an Islamic democratic one? The answer is no. It is the religious duty of Muslims, as individuals and as communities, to contribute to the efforts to establish such a system[ii] The above illustrated quotes reflect the polarization in the Muslim discourses around the world about the topic of secularism. We have scholars and intellectuals decrying secularism as the root of atheism, moral decadence and spiritual crises, on the other hand we have thinkers … Read entire article »
French Veil Controversy: Muslim rethinking of Islam is overdue
French Veil Controversy: Muslim rethinking of Islam is overdue By K. Itarwala The Mullah and the torch-bearer Hail from the same stock; They give light to others, And themselves are in the dark. (Bulleh Shah, Sufi, revolutionary and poet) The shrill opposition of many ‘Muslims’ to the French ban on the face veil has only reinforced my conviction that a thorough reform, indeed nothing less than a complete paradigm shift, in the ways in which ‘Muslims’ understand Islam is more than overdue. My point is simple: ‘Muslims’, by and large, are guilty of equating their own historically-produced and conventionally-understood readings of Islam as equivalent to and wholly synonymous with Islam itself or the Divine Will per se. Since these understandings are humanly produced, and, hence, necessarily flawed and limited, to insist that these represent ‘true’ Islam … Read entire article »
Dialogue: Ali Abbas Jalalpuri on Iqbal’s scholasticism
by Aasem Bakhshi Even though it can be entirely attributed to my shameful reluctance to read philosophy in Urdu, I am embarrassed to be introduced to Ali Abbas Jalalpuri’s work so late, especially his profound critique on Iqbal. Jalalpuri’s critique of Iqbal, besides being academically valuable in its own right, is also important as it can help us immensely to reclaim Iqbal from armchair ideologues and political islamists whose strictly authoritarian projections are a source of constant … Read entire article »
Filed under: Books, Philosophy, Religion, Reviews
Killing the Helpers: Reaction to Burning of Quran
Raza Habib Raja After months of uncertainty an irresponsible pastor did what he had long wanted to do: burn the Holy Quran in USA. About six months ago also, he had threatened to do the same but then had backed down after repeated pleas from the American President and various celebrities. In USA, the first amendment protects certain acts and since US constitution reigns supreme due to strict adherence to rule of law. At that time the maximum the US authorities could do was to try to convince the pastor of showing some sort of responsibility. And they tried their level best. However, after a hiatus of few months, Terry Jones and his small group of followers burnt the Quran. The act in my opinion reeks of religious bigotry and is thoroughly … Read entire article »
Abu Jehil’s Successors
By Amaar Ahmad Sectarian violence of recent times should spur us to evaluate the historical role of religious extremism in Muslim societies. It should come as no surprise that a class of religious demagogues have played God since the early days of Islam. This class is identifiable from its self-annihilating intolerance of dissent and desire for temporal domination. It is associated to a perverted mindset rather than to any specific sect. In its fanaticism it has opposed tooth and nail even the true followers of the Prophet (pbuh). It has spawned cults that can rightfully be called the successors of Abu Jehil. Why is there a pertinent analogy between Abu Jehil and our religious extremists today? Amr Ibn Hisham, a powerful and authoritarian Meccan chief, was known as Abu Hakim (Father of Wisdom) … Read entire article »
Filed under: Religion
Jinnah, Indian Constituent Assembly and Secular State
This text shows that Jinnah’s 11th August speech was quoted by Indian legislators as well when framing a secular constitution for India. http://www.indiankanoon.org/doc/1662687/ Therefore it is up to to us to create a secular State. It would no be wrong for me to quote Mr. Jinnah in this connection, whatever, he might have said before Partition. He said: My idea is to have a secular State here. Somebody asked : Religious or secular ? He said: Hindus and Muslim are alike to me. They must have equal opportunities. I am trying to make a common nation for both of us. Why should our Muslim friends who owe allegiance to Mr. Jinnah and whom they revere as I do, think differently in this matter ? I am not prepared to call a single individual … Read entire article »
Filed under: Religion, secularism
Nations within a Nation – The Search for a Pakistani Nation – 2
By Adnan Syed “Indeed, world is ruled by little else but ideas.” — John Maynard Keynes The Two Nation Theory and Inequality in the New State of Pakistan The two nation theory was primarily based on distinctive majority-two-nations within United India. The distinction was cultural as well as religious, where both of these characteristics freely overlapped each other. Given the dominance of religion within the edifice of the Muslim nation, it was inevitable that religion will form a large part in the new nation state that was carved due to the Muslim nation identity. And given a strong tradition of political Islam within the Muslim body, it was inevitable that the very political Islam will find its way through the vague contours of the shifting idea of an Indian Muslim nation … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Egalitarian Pakistan, History, Identity, Islam, Islamism, Pak Tea House, Pakistan, Religion, Rights, secular Pakistan, secularism
Nations within a Nation; The Search for a Pakistani Nation – 1
By Adnan Syed “Doubt is uncomfortable, certainty is ridiculous” (Voltaire) Nations within a Nation I write these lines in the year 2011. It is 63 years since my country gained independence. The idea of a separate homeland for Indian Muslims gained momentum during the momentous decade of 1940s. The idea of Pakistan proved so strong and infectious among the Muslim masses of then United India that within 7 years after a resolution was passed by Muslim League, Pakistan was born. From the very beginnings, this idea of Pakistan contained certain vagueness to it. Two Nation Theory stipulated that India primarily consisted of two major nations that were distinct from each other. The primary cause of this difference came from their religions. Nations were derived from their religious identity; even if cultural differences were distinct, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Egalitarian Pakistan, Identity, Islam, Jinnah, Pak Tea House, Religion, Rights, state
PTH biweekly Cartoon
Picture of the Week
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Sunrise at the Arabian Sea, Charna Island
24 Dec 2011
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