When did Freethought Cease in the Muslim World?

Zahraj

I am dragging the discussion. The fact of the matter is that I am not convinced at all with Mr. Gill`s case that free-thought has ceased in Muslim world. To my repeated requests and analysis of his thesis from every possible angle he has not provided one single evidence to support his thesis. I am disappointed.

[#22 by Urstruly
* * *
Jung is Jew]

Jung was not a Jew.

#49 by Romair

[I am a scientist by education, a technologist by profession, and a Muslim by religion.]

If I`m not wrong, the minimum qualification for entry into the PAF is a 12th pass. The genius that Romair is, he was already a scientist when he was barely in his teens and joined the PAF. No wonder, Pakistan developed the JF-17 fighter jet in a remarkably short period, when India has struggled with the LCA for almost 2 decades now.

[What should be debated is why certain Muslims have been able to comfortably coexist with their Islam and science, in their personal lives.]

Which of course, means `How Romair the great is able to balance all these often conflicting aspects of life and yet live in complete harmony with them`.

Wonderful article Mr. Gill, but what can be done with people like Romair at 49 who have compartmentalized their thinking like a hero in a Paistani film who in justifying his profession as a theif side by side with obsevance of islamic rituals, says,``Namaz is my `Farz` and thiefery my profession`. Science can never be compatible with religion unless you place them in separate compartments like Paki hero. More later on.

ZahraJ:
That doesn`t mean that I`ll not post whatever I feel on interacts as well ( freethinking! remember?)

Let us do our freethinking independantly, but stay together:

``Aaa undaleeb mil kay kraiN aah-O-zaariaaN
too haaey guul pukaar, meiN chillaaooN hai dil``

Khudaa Haafiz to all. ( from this board only).

echoboom #134
Thanks !
ana#135
Thanks, but dunno if you would call it reading. I get badly stuck on words not in common Hindi/Hindustani usage and it is a relief when someone gives nice explanations and ends my misery :).

#133: You only needed to accept that you were out of points and were dragging the topic to think of something unique. Simple :)

Echo: I am glad you liked the ``ilog`` feature on Chowk. I hope you start utilizing it on a regular basis (*~*) :)

sadna #132

you`re welcome. by the way, i had no idea that you could read urdu. :) i am impressed! :) i still struggle with it myself.

aarifaana: of contemplative-cognizance.

root: Ain.Ray.Fay.--other words: Urf ( known as, alias), maa`roof (well-known), Aarif (cognizant) Ta`areef ( proper definition, due-praise) etc etc.

---

Now who would argue and question Individual and Independant reasoning. Mr. Gill, I hope, understands that my view is not freethought-less either.

ZahraJ is doing her freethinking bit as well and guiding me to appropriate locations where I could freethink better.

zahraj

why don`t you educate me bainiac?

ana #127 echoboom #128 #129
Thanks for the explanations. No wonder I couldn`t find it in the dictionary :). I perhaps get the rest, even kham-o-peych and najoomi, hehe, except the last word arifaana? (knowing?).

Perhaps by `freethinking` author of article meant not so much ` lone rangerism/estrangement` but simply `individual reasoning`.

Urstruly (#130): I think you are writing under the influence of something real potent. Since you are out of reasonable arguments therefore you are taking refuge behind some half-cooked ideas. Please revisit your thoughts. Thanks.

Echo (various):
As I said earlier, you needed an ezine to share your knowledge on Iqbaliyaat. Well, good for you! I think people like you do not have the tolerance to appreciate and respect a different point of view. Just knowing Iqbaliyaat is NOT equivalent to envisioning everything about life. That`s ridiculous. Freethinker has every right to present his perspectives that may be completely different from yours or may have some similarity to someone else`s views. Please do not be rude. Ok! My indifference towards Imam Ghazali and others has nothing to do with showing disrespect towards them. I am simply not interested. I never had the interest. Hope that clarifies. Thank You.

Note: Did you check out the ``ilog`` functionality on Chowk ? If NOT then please DO :)

If West is so ``open`` to freethought then why they have persecuted each and every free-thinker during his life time - the list starts from socrates to Russel and Jean paul Sarter. Everybody gets wise after the fact however.

To me the free-thought ceased to exist in West after Russel and Jean paul. Who are their freethinkers now? Timothy Leary? Larry Flint? VS Naipaul? Chomsky? I think the age of freethought has come and gone

Thanks ana.

Hawadas: plural of Haadsah: from root H`D`S : meaning any occurence where no intent or volition was involved.

Any (sudden) accident, incident, occurence, event, happening;etc, by chance or inadvertantly & not by ones choice or design . for example; a sneeze or having taken a wrong turn etc.

Hawadas: incidents, events, happenings, occurences etc etc.

The hour-glass, as water-clock here . Hence Surahi. And in the next line this is called the prayer-bead ( tasbeeh) of Day/Night. Black and white beads.

Keep asking. I enjoy explaining, because I learn in the process as well.