Waiting for Enlightenment

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....

Re: # 2

I understand your sentiment, but the destruction of the Pakistan Army Mafia will automatically and inevitably lead to the elimination of the Saudi version of Islam from Pakistan.

What good is Musharraf`s love of wine when Wahabbi-inspired crazies continue to terrorize South Asia (and the rest of the world), elections are rigged in favour of the semi-literate MMA, mediaeval institutions like the Federal Shariat Court and the Islamic Ideology Council continue to drag Pakistan even further back into the Dark Ages and the inhuman and barbaric Hadood Laws remain on the statue books.

In Musharraf`s Pakistan the rich and powerful drink wine in their air-conditioned lounges and then emerge to preach the virtues of Islam. If a poor man partakes of locally brewed liquor, he is charged under the Hadood Laws and whipped.

Re: # 8

``I understand your sentiment, but the destruction of the Pakistan Army Mafia will automatically and inevitably lead to the elimination of the Saudi version of Islam from Pakistan.``


How??? how can muslims rise against islam??? its not musharaf who is goading them to follow wahabism, infact these wahabi organizations were MUCH MUCH active during the times of benazir and nawaz sharif. the element within the isi that was responsible for the creation of the taliban is the element that hoodbhoy is warning against, how in the world will their take over ensure that wahabism is eliminated from pakistan??

this enlightened moderation is much better than the islamization route that all political parties are forced to take by their kin in the clergy. atleast he has the balls to uncover the head of pakistani newscasters :P its a huge improvement over zia`s ban on surkhi....

Re: # 9
The ISI is an Army institution manned by Army officers who report to the Army Chief. The ISI and the Army are the same thing. Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif had no control over either.

Pakistani Muslims will not rise against Islam any time soon, but if the pipeline of hate from Saudi Arabia, operated by the Army/ISI is destroyed, there is at least some hope that they might revert to the more tolerant Sufi version of the pre-Zia days.

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.