Waiting for Enlightenment

Dear Dr. Nice list. What is new? It is obvious that the so called civil society has failed. The question is why? Do some sociological analysis for finding the root causes. Then we can have a discussion.

If unscrupulous elements are getting loose, then it shows nothing but the impotence of the society and the nation.

Two decades ago the fully veiled student was a rarity on Pakistani university and college campuses. Now she outnumbers her sisters who still dare show their faces.


Manto...WWJD? What would Jinnah do?

The good doctor is too kind.

In general, the inherent insidiousness of religion and in particular the backwardness of ``practiced`` Islam cannot be overlooked and remotely overcome. There is no enlightened moderation possible in these circumstances. Until there is something to replace ``Islam`` and its myths, we are all doomed.

The thinking few need to manufacture a positive substitute to feed the masses - else, Pakistan will become Afghanistan in a decade. Musharraf and the PM are clearly not the thinking few. However well intentioned they may be, the challenge confronting them is a mass of people that are constantly fed on a steady diet of Islamic rhetoric from mosques and madrasahs. Eliminate them first.

Parvez

Thank you dear Hoodbhoy for ringing the alarm. We are all seeing the pendulum the way it is moving back but keep our heads buried in the sands of our moderation and enlightenment like an ostrich, as neither we know what to do nor have the courage to stand up to this onslaught of Talibanism except writing some good articles denouncing it. In fact General Musharraf`s `Enlightened Moderation` is providing only a camouflage to the Taliban who are thriving under cover of anti-Americanism. You cannot imagine the depths to which this `Hijabizm` among women is affecting and even disrupting our social life when in joint families house-wives begin to observe purdah even from their brothers-in-law. And Mullah-gardi is adopting new tactics to brow beat people to come to their mosques. Off and on they visit houses of the people accompanied by a size able group of their followers and pressurize them to come to their particular mosques.

this was an eyeopener.... islam does pose a grave danger....

jamesmaxwell: i would have a wine sipping musharaf than a quran reading molwi. you are welcoming people who would make sure that the subcontinent becomes a nuclear wasteland...... be careful in what u wish for, it might come true....

Anything that leads to the (self) destruction of the mafia called Pakistan Army should be welcomed, even if it is an uprising by religious-minded junior officers.