Religion: In the shadow of the mosque

The Economist

Religion is becoming less tolerant, and more central to Pakistan

 

Visibly more pious

THE CLEAN-SHAVEN, middle-aged academic in Lahore is under fire from his wife and his bushy-bearded 20-year-old son, a student. Last year he completed the haj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim is expected to make at least once. Now, after a lifetime of weekly attendance at the mosque, on Fridays, he is told by his family that he should make the half-hour trip there to say his prayers five times a day. “Pakistan”, he says, “has become very religious-minded and anti-West.”

History lessons from Karbala

By Hassan Abbas

The idea of defiance against tyranny and oppression owes a great deal to Hussain ibne Ali, the hero of the battle of Karbala in 680 AD. With just 72 valiant followers and family members, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad faced the military might of the Muslim empire ruled then by a despot, Yazid bin Mu‘awiya. Hussain refused to sanctify Yazid’s reign through baya’a (allegiance) and consequently, he and his small contingent were martyred in the most brutal of fashions. The accompanying women and children were imprisoned for months in the dark alleys of Damascus.

The women of Karbala

TRADITIONAL Muslim set-ups place many restrictions on women. They cannot even venture out of their homes; most are required to restrict themselves to performing household chores only. Few Muslim women take up public roles; fewer still participate in outdoor events.

Hussain- The Light against Tyranny of Mind

By Shaista Kazmi & Azhar Aslam

Al Hussain o Minni Wa Ana Minal Hussain

“Hussain is from me and I am from Hussain” [26] Al-Tirmidhi, II, 306.

This Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (saw), which is agreed by Sunni and Shia traditions, is etched in the memories of thousands of minds. The prophet said that Hussain was from him that is quite understandable as Hussain (AS) was his grandchild. But why did the Prophet say ‘I am from Hussain (AS)’?

Qadri gets death sentence in Salman Taseer’s murder

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) awarded death penalty to Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri on Saturday, DawnNews reported.

Mr Taseer was assassinated by his security guard and personnel of Punjab Elite Force, Mumtaz Qadri, on January 4, 2011 at Kohsar Market in Islamabad.

“The court has awarded my client with death. The court announced the death sentence for him,” Shujaur Rehman, one of Qadri’s lawyers, told AFP by telephone.

Judge Pervez Ali Shah announced the verdict at the court behind closed doors in the high-security Adiyala prison in Rawalpindi, the lawyer said.

Dozens of people rallied outside the prison where the verdict was announced, chanting slogans in support of Qadri, an AFP photographer said.

Qadri had earlier confessed in court that he had killed Punjab governor Salman Taseer for his ‘blasphemous’ statements.

 

 

“The court has awarded my client with death. The court announced the death sentence for him,” Shujaur Rehman, one of Qadri\’s lawyers, told AFP by telephone.

via Qadri gets death sentence in Salman Taseer’s murder.

The Prophet as a social activist

By Nilofar Ahmed | From the Newspaper

SOCIAL activism by citizens is often looked upon as a modern-day phenomenon. What is not commonly known is that the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) started his social activism in his youth, much before his declaration of prophethood.

Understanding Ramadan Fasting In Allah’s Paradigm

By Awaam

At another place we have argued that establishing Allah’s discourse in Islam is the first and the most fundamental requirement for Islamic renaissance. This was the dominant and main discourse, in fact perhaps the only discourse that defined and governed Prophet’s life and time there in.

The dream

By Awaam

Pakistan’s first problem is that of identity. We have a firm belief that every successive generation has to redefine its identity and let it evolve with both, time and space. Evolution means that central core features of the past are preserved and new features are added in the new space and time. These new features and values in their own time will become both permanent and critical to the core identity or give way to the new ones. This is, and always have been the way of history.

Who speaks for women?

by Ahmad Ali Khalid on August 6th, 2011

Be not content with stories of those who went before you. Go forth and create your own story. —Rumi

It’s difficult to have a sensible discussion about gender in Pakistan. We become too apologetic and run to the latest tapes by preachers and televangelists seeking cheap assurances. Let us be blunt, Islam or no Islam – Pakistan has a problem when it comes to women – this is the reality on the ground, and so questions have to be asked.

PROBLEMS OF PLURALISM

Asghar Ali Engineer

(Islam and Modern Age, August 2011)

 

When Islam emerged on the scene in early seventh century, Arabs were divided among different tribes but nevertheless spoke one language Arabic and more or less followed one religion (though had different traditions) i.e. worshipping different idols placed inside Ka’ba and some idols which were outside Mecca. Thus we cannot call that society a pluralist society. Of course there were Jews in Madina and Christians in some parts of Arabian Peninsula. So in that way it was a multi-religious society to an extent as Christians and Jews were in small minorities.

ISLAMIC FEMINISM

Asghar Ali Engineer

 

Often people object to the term ‘feminism’ as being a western terminology. One Maulana, when invited to speak in a workshop of this title refused to come as feminism is un-Islamic. Is the use of this terminology objectionable from Islamic viewpoint? Not at all. In fact Islam is the first religion which systematically empowered women when women was considered as totally subservient to man. There was no concept of her being an independent entity and enjoying equal right with dignity.

Talking to the Taliban

By Rasul Bakhsh Rais

Published: June 26, 2011

The writer is professor of political science at LUMS rasul.rais@tribune.com.pk

When, how and on what terms will the Afghan war end? If we go by the political rhetoric of the warring sides, the Taliban and the United States and its Nato allies, there will be no solution until each side achieves its central objectives. The problem is that both sides in any conflict cannot achieve their objectives until they reach some middle ground by recognising that the other side has some legitimate concerns, interests and can be acknowledged as a party with whom some political business can be done.