A Movement in Religious Nationalism: Jami’at-ul-Ulama-i-Hind

Re: Vertex #118,

I thought Akbar, while no saint certainly, was better than the norm as far as exploiting the peasantry, etc, was concerned. Or am I just indulging in wishful thinking because I thought his Deen-e-Ilahi was a good idea for the time?

Army or Mafia?
Those who know something of the political history of Pakistan must have gathered a sense of the situation marked by the Pakistan Army evolving into a political party that has the characteristics of a Mafia. It has become a Mafia that now holds a huge financial and real estate empire in Pakistan and has inseparable political stakes in this country.

From the first martial law (1958) until that of General Musharraf in 1999, the Army has been working on the following three-pronged strategy: (i) It has strengthened its political wings; (ii) it has eliminated the civilian political forces as a threat to its political entity; (iii) it has developed its economic empire and as a regional Mafia ready to play as an agent of the world players.

To get to the stage where it stands today, the Pakistan Army has been gobbling up strategic national resources in the shape of resource allocation (budget) while it has been taking away large chunks of the foreign loans to strengthen its own financial empire. It also used this money to develop its strategic defense assets like modern paraphernalia and technology.

Most of the debt now Pakistan is burdened with, thus owes its use to the Pakistan Army as we see little in the public interest institutions which have rather eroded to the extent over the past about three decades that now they are practically non-existent (schools, hospitals, farm-to-market roads etc).

Army’s political strength has seen only two major threats while evolving into what it appears today: the Bhutto phenomenon and the Nawaz Sharif episode. The Bhutto phenomenon has survived the scheming and devastating attacks on the PPP leadership over the past 20 years. And now this legacy too stands amply weakened but still exists as the only potential threat to the Army’s political power that protects its economic empire and vice versa.

But the most crucial is the Army’s organizational strength, on the basis of which it attacks the Bhutto phenomenon, which poses the danger of existence to its politico-economic might. On the basis of this strength, it became the strongest political force in this country with its enrolled and retired officers, induction of army officers in civilian bureaucracy, payroll politicians and the sizeable chunk of population attached to its financial/real estate empire.

Pakistan Army, now having practically personified Pakistan, is not only incapable of allowing any kind of democracy, but has developed its vital economic interest in a Mafia rule that would be endangered by even a weak manifestation of democratic rule. The readers are here referred to the Nawaz Sharif phenomenon wherein the former premier kicked out one chief of he army staff and was attempting to sack another when the army regrouped against him.

The most painful aspect of this phenomenon is the use of national resources and foreign loans in a way that national development priorities have not been pursued over the past three decades, and only the development of the financial empire of the Pakistan Army became focus of all resource allocation. This has left in dire want the public and national interest institution building, upon which the economy and the social sector thrive. Resultantly, the national economy and social sector have been pushed into prehistoric stages while the empire of a ruling elite of the Army has prospered at their cost. That is a Mafia character and by playing the role of the guardian of national interest, a Mafia can lead a nation only into dangerous situations.

One great danger now facing Pakistan is that its more than 50 percent people are living below the poverty line, and they might even face starvation in the next 10 years. Shall the Pakistanis who have developed a sense of the impending danger only pray for a turnaround, or become part of a struggle to achieve one?

http://www.satribune.com/archives/dec30_jan05_03/opinion_zaheer.htm

#127 by gujjubania on November 16, 2003 9:25pm PT


gujjubhai calm down yaar.i also gujju.so happy to meet gujju at chowk.but i think you dont understand gandhiji.you should done some research on him.he is man beyond the boundary.he inspired lot of ppl of world.yes nehru deserv what you say.he was the guy who live in his dreamland and not capacity of even run the small city

ballukhan #131 ``Army or Mafia``

An apt comparison. Perhaps ranks could be changed, so General becomes Godfather, Brigadier becomes Don, and Sipahi becomes Hit Man.

#128 Mantolives

I wouldn`t waste any cycles on this gujjubania character. He is one of these ``modern`` indians who wants india to progress, get rid off Nehruvian socailism, attract investment BUT also insists that he has the right to belittle and ridicule our muslim (and perhaps other) minorities.

He lacks the common-sense to understand that if you belittle your neighbor and ridicule him, your neighbor will then use the smallest of pretexts to fight with you and ``get back at you``. And then no investor will want to come to your neighborhood.....

p-mishra,

Well put.

On another note... why does there seem to be a consensus that India will only move forward by shunning Nehruvian socialism... don`t you agree that nehruvian socialism had a lot to do with creating that base from which India has taken off?

-YLH

#134 Manto

There is a difference between the state providing infra-structure and the permit raj of the 60`s and 70`s. What Nehru had to do in the 50`s was one thing.

But by the mid-60`s a lot of basic infra-structure was in place. Yet things didnt change. I still recall a major shoe manufacturer in Calcutta telling me that he would have to go to Delhi to ``negotiate`` his shoe quota in the 70s. In other words, he would have pay some official to allow him to make so-many-shoes !!! Otherwise, if he made too many he was breaking the law. It was lunacy of the highest order.

#116 by Naqshbandi on November 16, 2003 10:37am PT

typical of fanatic TNT and the PURISTS in the Pure land of faithfuls.
Akbar was the moghul ruler most revered by the hindus- and his popularity was hated by the mullahs because he used to listen to the hindus and tried to break the monopoly of the mullahs like naqshbandi on matters of faith.
The heroes of Pakistani muslim remain the jehadis like Mahmud Ghaznavi but most of the Indian muslims look towards the sufi peers because it was the sufi peers who brought the maximum of hindus into the muslim faith through their exemplary faith. The sword of ghazanavis only brought disgruntled people who converted only to save their lives.


````......They are certainly my heroes and also Allama Iqbal`s heroes as he has praised them in his poetry and his books......Only so Kemalists, atheists, agnostics, modernists, and other such folk will not consider these above 3 names as heroes for the Muslims. Akbar is and was hated by all traditional Muslims of Indo-Pak. In fact I am sure a vast majority of Muslims in India and Pakistan will hate him to this day...........``

Infact Aurengzeb is considered to be a fanatic who did little in the advancement of the good of the poor except for what his mullahs advised him to.

``....... real Islam in Hindustan would have been swallowed up by Hinduism under the guise of Unity...and Pakistan would never have come into being...``

He is right, the REAL Islam that has been monopolized by TNTs like him would never have been seen in the Purest land on this earth....

Sick!!!!

Ref pmishra2 #135

[There is a difference between the state providing infra-structure and the permit raj of the 60`s and 70`s. What Nehru had to do in the 50`s was one thing.

But by the mid-60`s a lot of basic infra-structure was in place. Yet things didnt change. I still recall a major shoe manufacturer in Calcutta telling me that he would have to go to Delhi to ``negotiate`` his shoe quota in the 70s. In other words, he would have pay some official to allow him to make so-many-shoes !!! Otherwise, if he made too many he was breaking the law. It was lunacy of the highest order.]

The lunacy persists.

I was in a meeting between a VP-Asia of Airfone and a director of RPG Cellular in -- get this -- 2001. (Airfone was an early investor in RPG Cellular and hence the meeting). The RPG guy was bemoaning the fact that when RPG asked for an increase in the number of cell phones, the Central Government granted an increase of 10,000 phones. The size of a cellular exchange is 20,000 lines; RPG ordered a 10,000 line exchange from Nokia; it being a special order wasn`t available for 6 months and cost the same as the standard 20,000 line exchange. This is the kind of madness that was imposed on Indian industries by Congress and its central planning.

Similarly, Hindustan Earthmovers (a Birla company) was licensed to produce 320 pieces of equipment a year -- of 47 different kinds of bulldozers, ditchdiggers, etc.! Caterpillar licensed them the technology and production processes. The company sold all its earthmovers in September of every year as the various PWDs and Border Roads Organization took delivery before they lost the fiscal year`s funding. So, the company manufactured the equipment throughout the year, stored them till September, wasting money on inventory carrying costs. As to 47 different types, Caterpillar was absolutely amazed what the idiots in India were doing. Today, Caterpillar has bought out Hindustan Earthmovers and is the owner of the company. So much for developing Indian technology. By the way, Birla got the land free from the government for the factory on the basis they were bringing in a new factory -- Caterpillar paid zilch to either the Government or Birla for the land!

The babus of various ministries won`t let Arun Shourie get away with privatizing or disinvestment. Even if Arun Shourie succeeds, they will not repeal the earlier license-quota raj because that is where the power is.

Ballu,

actually I love the Sufis...belong to a Sufi order myself alhamdulillah....and both Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi and Shah Wali Allah (may Allah be pleased with them both) were Sufis--and accepted as such by all Sufis--of the first rank.

Shows how much you know about Islam...or about India actually...

**
Mahmud conquered lands but the hearts were conquered by the pirs indeed like Khawaja Muinnudin Chishti of Ajmer Sharif who converted 9 lacs of Hindus to Islam! Both are needed and complimentary. Even Mahmud of Ghazna had Sufi pirs of the Naqshbandi order in his entourage to pray for him. Might have been Hazrat Khawaja Abul Hassan al Kharqani quds sirruhu but not sure who finally prayed for victory for the Sultan and whose prayer was granted. Many of the Sufis themselves took part in jihad.

**
So my advice to you is read books by non-hindutvas first before talking to me about Islam/Sufism or anything.

Naqshbandi

Thanks for the information on Sufis.

#139 by AnOrdinaryHindu on November 18, 2003 9:33pm PT
Please do not get impressed by Naqshabandis reading of the sufi history- the fact is that there were OFFICIAL sufi impersonators attached with all the regimes in the moghul days- there were also numerous others who preferred to practice solitude away from the power brokers - while others talked about Khalwat dar anjuman and mixed with the power brokers gleefully. So forget about what he has to say- listen to others as well.
You must go through the information provided on sufism on this site:--
http://www.uga.edu/islam/Sufism.html

#138 by Naqshbandi on November 18, 2003 3:57pm PT


From what I can gather is that your arrogance about sufism shows your ignorance about sufism- which is about simplicity par-excellence.
I have seen enough of sufi impersonants to see that you may have memorized all the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi and Shah Wali Allah, but you have NO ``understanding`` of sufism.
(I have been initiated into the clan of Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan (may Allah be pleased upon him))
So I would also not prefer to discuss the subject sufism with you at the this juncture of your life>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dear Ballu Khan,

Generally agree with your sentiments... however... the fact remains that Sufies in large number sided with the league at partition .... and the allies of the Congress were clearly the followers of Aurangzeb.... so this constant attempt to always straitjacket pakistan into this bigoted version of Islam is not right.

Here is what Maulana Madni, the great champion of `composite nationalism ` and ally of the Congress had to say about Aurangzeb:

``If Dara (Shikoh) had triumphed, Muslims would have stayed in India but not Islam. Since Aurangzeb triumphed, both Muslims and Islam were here to stay`` (Muslim Politics in India - Hamid Dalwai, 1969, page 71). ``According to Maulana, the faith Dara followed was not genuine Islam because Dara wanted to tolerate Hindus. He did not insist on the rule of the Shariat. From the above views of Maulana it should be clear what kind of Islam a majority of ``Nationalist Muslims` subscribed to and what in the final analysis, their great goals were`` (ibid). For Madani ``all non-Muslims are the enemies of Islam and Muslims`` ( Muslim Nationhood in India - Safia Amir, 2000, page 179). ``

So you see it is not always helpful to compartmentalize according to your own preferences... that is historical and intellectual dishonesty.

-YLH

Sufism is essentially a Path to reach a gnosis of Allah following the teachings of Prophet Muhammad al Mustafa sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam based on the Shariat. Every single Sufi has defined it and practised it as such.

As for Inayat Khan--I have heard of him and do not know enough about him so I will not say anything in case he was one of Allah`s walis. Allahu alam. But I will say this: no real Sufi Shaykh I know or know of has ever mentioned him to me at all either in a positive or negative sense. He only seems to be popular amongst a certain group of people--mostly non- Muslims who have a desire for a new age spirituality.

#143 by Naqshbandi on November 22, 2003 11:19am PT
The ``Real`` Sufi Impersonants were the followers of Satan with an eye towards the temporal power- those who ``played`` in the courts of moguls.