No Room for Half-Truths and Quasi-Morals

Qasim Mirza

Well done dear!

In fact the root cause of all our ills is the extremist sectarian Islam which has unfortunately been institutionalized by subverting our Constitution into a sectarian 'Takfiri Fatwa' (divisive edict). The earlier we realize this the better. Otherwise this divisive Mulla's 'Deen-e-Fassad' will ruin us. As a first step we should stop the use of Holy Loudspeaker in the mosques as it has been declared a 'Biddat' by 'Jayyad Ulema' and is a sort of 'sonic terrorism' as well.

Re: # 13

All I am suggesting is that each of us should do what we can to make things better, in spite of all the challenges and problems that exist in society.

While the problems faced by Pakistan are huge, I believe that a serious and organized initiative by a tiny percentage of Pakistan's large middle class of at least 40-50m people can begin to make a difference. Pakistanis owe it to themselves and their poor brethren to step up and take responsibility for improving the situation of the most vulnerable citizens of their country. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. But we must persevere by taking one step after another until we see results.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

#12 Posted by RiazHaq

I do have great respect for those who actually do something like the folks you mention, but about the rest of us the nattering nabobs I entirely disagree.

Go to any TV channel or news paper or for that matter any mosque none of the nattering nabobs there is doing anything other then lighting candles and not cursing darkness. The glazed looks or eyes full of sleep of audience as they hear the pesh imam before Jumma prayers are from listening to this sermonization. They lay on people all the things that they need to do, all what they need to be careful about, neighbors rights, children’s rights, parents rights, dos and donts that at some point the whole exercise becomes meaningless. They become absolutely convinced that there is no way that they could even do a fraction of what is being asked to do while maintaining their ability to put food on the table.

When this happens the only thing that is left behind is raw self interest, all sermons fall on the way side. This is what is happening to Pakistani society. You can rail about this either from the left, from the right, from religion or from America all you will get will be a bored look of apathy. But stand out there and distribute some roti at a tandoor and you will have a riot. So what is for armchair warriors like you or me to do?

I believe that a clear order of values has to be developed with a proper hierarchy. This way will eliminate values which are contradictory and are a cause of major confusion. Once people can buy into these values then they can see the virtue in it as it would be in accordance with their enlightened self interest.

Re: # 11: "But life is full of all the nasty things which Pandora’s box contained and the only thing that is there to help me pull through is HOPE. All I can do is recommend the formula that works for me i.e. a firm and abiding belief in the form of the GOOD (Al Mighty God) and hope that he will see me through whatever my trials and tribulations."

I agree, but I'd go a step further: Try and light a few candles within my own capacity along the way, or help someone who is lighting candles in Pakistan, to try and reduce the darkness. There are some decent, honest Pakistanis who are actually doing it. I have highlighted them on my personal blog under "Light a Candle, Don't Curse Darkness". These are the people that give me hope...not the Chowk's nattering nabobs of negativism, to borrow the phrase from a former American VP.

Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

#9 Posted by RiazHaq

I was curious enough to actually suffer through the whole 50 minutes of this lecture. Like you said the discussion regarding truth takes place from between 42 and 44 minutes and for another minute later on. What it talked about was that humankind can’t bear too much truth – people need allusions. Crucial balancing act is between honesty and self deception. Excessive honesty – too much sunshine leads to blindness. Truth is too painful to tolerate. I hope I did not miss anything but please feel free to correct me.

Now at least I know what you were referring to. But let us look at the actual subject of this lecture which was the value of living by your value. So I have to live by my value, which lets say I have chosen to be truth. But life is full of all the nasty things which Pandora’s box contained and the only thing that is there to help me pull through is HOPE. All I can do is recommend the formula that works for me i.e. a firm and abiding belief in the form of the GOOD (Al Mighty God) and hope that he will see me through whatever my trials and tribulations.

“We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us� --- Pogo the possum and Albert the alligator

Re: # 8

If you are seriously interested in understanding the philosophical underpinnings of balancing self-deception and excessive honesty, please listen to the following audio of discussion about Proust and Nietzsche by two philosophy professors at Stanford:

http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R905041000

The part I am referring to begins about 42 minutes into the discussion.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

#7 Posted by RiazHaq

“As great philosophers throughout history have said, there needs to be balance between excessive honesty and self-deception for a healthy society�


Please quote a few such philosophers because I didn’t realize that there was anything as ‘excessive honesty’. I am aware that Plato talks about this in the Republic that once you have the just society with the philosopher kings in charge then they should be allowed to create myths that promote good values and habits among the citizens.

But a society that has broken down, where the populous has lost its trust in all its institutions, where there is no rule of law, in such a circumstance there is no option but to be brutally honest and once and for all examine all the underpinnings of the society so that it can be cured of its ills. It’s like going to the doctor; by not revealing all your symptoms, bad habits etc.etc. all you are doing is not allowing him to diagnose your ailment correctly with the result that you will remain sick longer and suffer more.

Our nation as well as society has abstained from critical examination in every field because we have subscribed to the ‘virtue’ which says ‘upnon ki burrayee pay purda dalo aur achhaye ko ujagar karo’ (of your own hide their flaws while propagating their virtues) . With the corresponding vice of ‘dusron ki achhaye ko ignore kuro aur burayee ko uchallo’ (find flaws in your enemies while you ignore their virtues). With the result that a parent or buzurg cannot be criticized, you cannot criticize Quaid i Azam and forget about the religious establishment. But on the other hand Amrika ya Ungraiz can never do anything right nothing but fahaashi and burri tehzeeb. Forget about Hindus entirely they are weak, money grabbing idol worshippers.

Now as we approach a moment when the nation may not remain a nation, when there may not even be a cup let alone half or full. Isn’t it high time that we have a brutally honest debate? More interestingly is that when the Soviet Union was about to disintegrate should they have tried to salvage their system, they had been propping it up for decades but shouldn’t they have said “Communism just doesn’t work� we have been on the wrong track all this time but no more. Before we are entirely forced by circumstance or before we don’t even have a country don’t you think that we shout it out as to what exactly ails us. It seems to me despite the unending talk on Pakistani TV and exhortations in the print media, they are entirely oblivious to the elephant in the room.

Re: # 6 Correction:

It seems to me that every nation, as every forum, needs a few Cassandras to force people to see and acknowledge their problems and bad news. Unfortunately, however, Chowk seems to be populated almost entirely of Cassandras...maybe it's part of the editorial policy here.

As great philosophers throughout history have said, there needs to be balance between excessive honesty and self-deception for a healthy society. The cup is almost never completely empty, nor is it ever full. We, as those who care for our country of origin, need to find a way to see the glass half full, then strive to fill the rest of it as best as we can.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Qasim,
It seems to me that every nation, as every forum, needs a few Cassabdras to force people to see and acknowledge the problems and bad news. Unfortunately, however, Chowk seems to be populated almost entirely of Cassandras...maybe it's part of the editorial policy here.

As great philosopher throughout history have said, there needs to be balance between excessive honesty and self-deception for a healthy society. The cup is almost never completely empty, nor is it ever full. We, as those who care for the country of origin, need to find a way to see the glass full, then strive to fill the rest of it as best as we can.

Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

“We need to swallow the bitter pill lest we too simply become the victims of our own delusion. It is about time that we realize that this battle has no room for half-truths and quasi-morals.�

Very well put! But do you think that the nation is ready to have an unfettered debate other then on Chowk? Do you think that Ghamdi, Israr ul Haq or Zakir Naik are ready to come down into the gulee where they submit themselves to the gali galoch and truly convince the public of the veracity of their tableegh. I think not? Their defenders instead will be ready to chop off heads of those who engage in shaan mein gushtakhi. I am afraid we are doomed to an essential phase of head chopping before people get exhausted enough to actually start debating.

Re: # 3

Sunil, what is really shocking, is the most this flogging of a woman/girl, in some vagueol place, has become a flash point for the flogging of all decent males. This is a pattern, and that is all that I thought I should point out, to rational-thinking people.

parthab,you have crossed the limit of non-sense

err ... now u r not judging the rest of us by your own misconceived notions just like the Taliban do, r u?

The trick that they usually employ is this one.

The women's groups come up with a load of hocus-pocus that makes men out to be better treated than women, or that they are far more abusive than is currently recognised. They base these lies on virtually anything that they can get their hands on.

Air will do.

Their feminist cronies in the media wet themselves with delight and publish the falsehoods with large headlines accompanied by exaggerated tales of female misery and woe.

The public is outraged. The politicians are blackmailed (literally) into supporting their malicious causes both vocally and with funding. If they refuse, they are publicly and vociferously castigated as being closet supporters of violence against women and child abuse etc.

In the meantime, the men's groups have no funding to test or to counteract the 'research' and they do not have very much access to willing accomplices in the mainstream media. So there is no protest, and no public outrage at the feminist lies.

http://www.angryharry.com/eswerewomenoppressedinthewest.htm

A few years later, with any luck, someone, somewhere, manages to prove that the feminist groups were lying all along, but it hardly gets a mention in the media. Besides which, it's too late. The damage has been done. The female population has been enraged successfully against men for a few years over the matter (and over all the other slanders against men that are running concurrently) the laws have quickly been changed to disadvantage men, and the feminists just keep coming up with other lies to replace them.