I am writing after quite a while. Sometimes I was busy, sometimes I was lazy, other times I was uninspired. However, recent events have shaken me awake from my slumber, and I think now is a good time to start writing again.
What recent events have shaken me so, you ask? None other than the mud-slinging main event which took place outside the Parliament of Pakistan. Such obscene language, graphic remarks and allegations; shocking indeed, but not surprising.
First of all, consider the fact that this took place outside the Parliament. The Parliament, the highest law-making institution in the country. Where, in theory, our elected representatives sit, debate, and make decisions for the benefit of the country. In practice, however, it seems all they do is debate on petty issues and threatening to withdraw support, walkout of important sessions, and basically demean the whole concept of good governance. Not to mention the fact that many of them are fake degree holders, liars, loan defaulters, and hoarders among other things.
Coming back to the particular event, it looked like a free-for-all brawl, the Royal Rumble of Pakistani Politics. Instead of talking about policies on a party, local, or national basis, these wonderful gentlemen started accusing each other's leaders on a personal level. Frankly, I don't care what a person's religion is, or what their bedroom habits are. What they do inside their homes is their personal business. All I want from my elected representatives is to do what we have elected them to do: Good Governance!
Airing each other's dirty laundry in public, in front of the international media, and making a mockery of each other is going to benefit no one. The biggest loser is not even going be them, but the whole nation. Pakistan is becoming a laughing stock in the international community because of the way these representatives behave. Don't we have enough troubles already with the crippling economy, sky-rocketing prices, scarcity of resources, unemployment, bombings, rapidly increasing crimes (robbery, kidnapping, rape), without adding more woes?
Instead of solving the scores of problems facing the country, these great statesmen are adding to it. Even if they hate each other's guts, can't they work together for the greater good? All I ask is this: tolerance. Pure and simple. Please just tolerate each other, be professional, put aside your personal differences and work together to help this long-suffering nation.
Even sworn enemies put side their differences for a while to combat a larger threat. All throughout history, people who don't like each other have come together for the greater good. Just look at European Union. These countries have fought so many wars with each other for centuries. They raided each other, destroyed libraries and razed cities to the ground; but look at them now. They have set aside their differences, and are working together for the benefit of each other.
Why can't we do the same? We talk about Muslim Unity, but change begins at home. We have to improve ourselves, and then, as the old adage goes "help thy neighbor". Step by step, the change spreads throughout society. The biggest thing to learn is tolerance. Just because someone doesn't agree with my point of view, doesn't mean I should attack them. We have to learn to work together. Tolerate each other's differences and move forward. Help the people, and usher in an era of peace and prosperity.
I know many people will read this and say "wishful thinking". It might be wishful thinking, a fool's dream, but unless and until we don't start thinking about it, it won't happen. Just strive for the greater good and tolerate each other. Start believing and miracles will happen, Inshallah.
Ma'sha'Allah. Aptly and perfectly depicted. Really very well written.
ReplyDeleteWhat to speak of a bunch of disarrayed, power-hungry people a.k.a politicians; directly receiving admonition from Washington and yearning for nothing else but self-glorification and dozen of more
bungalows in London. Hurling abuses without end at each other was one of their covert traits that they just couldn't help bringing out to the "awam" this time.
They hardly care about the sovereignty of the state while enforcing the pro-US policies; love to spend half of their lives behind the bars and rest in the parliament flaunting their power and making sure to return the invectives that they received earlier for themselves. Their habit of bestowing honor to those who deserve the least; their recklessness in allowing others to meddle with personal affairs of country; their indifference to the the drone attacks, killing as many poor civilians as they possibly can; raising taxes on IMF's instruction bothering least about the alarming increasing in the rate of suicide in the country. What to speak of them !!
Like every other Pakistani, I m also waiting for the incompetent Gillani-Zardari duo to be ousted asap but realistically that won't suffice unless this government is replaced by a successor who is selfless, bold (bold enough to say NO to the dictating nations)and of course tolerant.
Excellent work Ma'sha'Allah. An awesome read.
I have few questions though
1- Do faith and bedroom habits really play no part in establishing (and hence maintaining) a
system ??
2- What does it take to produce good governance?
3- What is the way to inculcate tolerance in politicians ??
@Bela: Thanks for the comments. Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. These so-called leaders care for nothing else except their own very high standards of comfort, and are willing to do anything to achieve that. They'll even sell the country if they have to, no questions asked.
Its true that nothing good will happen unless the new government has the guts and determination to not take dictation from foreign powers, and instead focus all their energy into improving the lot of the people, getting the country back on the right track, and keeping it there.
To answer your questions:
1) All faiths preach honesty & goodwill. If a person has any concept of right or wrong, and the consequences of their actions, they will do whats right for the people. So, yes, faith does play its role in building & maintaining a system. As far as bedroom habits are concerned, what I meant was, whatever a person's habits are, if they keep it at home, and it does not interfere with their work, then its of no concern to others. If I sleep late, and it affects my work, then that is a reason for concern. If I am still able to work without any dip in my performance, then it doesn't matter to my office.
2) A concern for the benefit and well-being of the people and the country. If I am in a position of authority, and I have no regard for the state of affairs, then I am a part of the problem. If I do care, then I'll strive to get the maximum for the country. That is good governance. To actually care enough to do something about it.
3) Now, this is the main issue. These politicians are more of a bunch of hooligans. If they were truly professional and ethical in their dealings, if they truly cared for the benefit of the people and country, they would tolerate each other. Even if they acted like civilized people, than that would be some progress. Basically the same thing I said above in answer # 2, i.e. concern for the benefit and well-being of the people and the country. Lets just hope & pray that it indeed does happen.
1) What I understand from your answer is; for a good governance(strictly speaking about the good governance) the "type" of faith doesn't matter but level of association/dissociation from that faith does matter. Agree !! As for bedroom habits, yes it MUST not matter to us what a politician is like at his home but the chances that your bedroom habits don't effect ur performance at work are slim. Biological science say that sleep deprivation effects one's cognitive abilities.Irony is that the bedroom habits are not confined to the bedroom. :(
ReplyDelete2) I endorse it completely.
3) To be honest, u can inculcate tolerance and instill moral values in your young ones but once they have grown up to be what they are(politicians or anything else) without these traits, there is no way to introduce those qualities now ( except for the fact that something divine descends upon their heart and knock some sense into them). The more u grow up, the harder your resolve becomes and the lesser u remain receptive for morality in general and tolerance in particular. You don't have the pragmatic approach and u can't analyze others perspective rationally. Anyway, this will initiate another debate.
This was just a view however I do pray for myself to turn out wrong and we really get to have ways to inculcate tolerance in politician and masses. Ameen
1) I said "if it doesn't affect my work". And thats a big IF. You are correct about the affect on cognitive abilities, but I was just giving an example. It all depends on how a person handles their personal and professional lives. Separate the two, and its cool; otherwise, we have a problem.
ReplyDelete2) Thanks!
3) True. The proper time to teach ethics and morality is at a young age, and the older we get, the harder it is to learn something. Sometimes a major event shakes people enough to move them into a new direction. It happens, but is rare.
What we actually need is a whole new crop of politicians who do away with the current mess and usher in a new era of doing politics. As I said, a fool's dream, but at least its something to strive towards. Rest is in HIS Hands. Ameen Summa Ameen.