{"id":66873,"date":"2024-03-03T08:22:06","date_gmt":"2024-03-03T08:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/ignorance-and-intolerance-is-a-deadly-mix-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2024-03-03T08:22:06","modified_gmt":"2024-03-03T08:22:06","slug":"ignorance-and-intolerance-is-a-deadly-mix-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/ignorance-and-intolerance-is-a-deadly-mix-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Ignorance and intolerance is a deadly mix | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\nPUBLISHED
\nMarch 03, 2024
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n


\nKARACHI:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Azeem Adil first came to Saudi Arabia, he hardly knew a word of Arabic. He thought he would learn the language in time. However, it was a bigger culture shock not just for him but for the locals he interacted with. The looks that he got from his employer were enough for him to realise that he had to overcome this language barrier more urgently, it reflected as a lack of education of his very religion Islam. \u201cMy boss was so confused when he knew I could read the Quran but I did not understand the meaning of Arabic. It took me a week to make him understand that this is common in the part of the world from where I come from,\u201d Adil shared.<\/p>\n

His lack of understanding of the Arabic language as a Muslim who reads the Quran was impacting his place in the job market.<\/p>\n

With time, Adil learned Arabic. Besides Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, most Muslim countries do not know Arabic as a language yet they read the holy book to understand it. Meanwhile, we don\u2019t even bother to read its Urdu or English translations, which we can do easily. \u201cI have seen that people have a misconception about Arabic, they think anything written in Arabic is sacred. But it is a language and people use it to communicate, write, and express themselves in normal life,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The recent case that happened in the market in Lahore\u2019s Icchra Bazaar has sparked a new debate in every household about our approach to the language of the Holy Quran and our lack of understanding of it. Like every other case that has Islam at its heart, people are divided and have several theories for how such cases are to be dealt with. Here we attempt to take a look at why such cases occur and why religious education and understanding of language is needed in the region, specifically Pakistan.<\/p>\n

Pakistan’s culture is greatly impacted by the combination of inadequate education and religious intolerance. In the recent past several cases have emerged where we have seen religious polarisation and the subsequent divisions along religious lines are frequently the results of religious intolerance. Be it the recent case in Icchra Bazaar or similarly a man gathering a mob to lynch a cola company truck because he thought the QR code of the cola bottle resembled the name of Allah and the Prophet (PBUH).<\/p>\n

We have seen harrowing incidents in the last some years, including that of a Sri Lankan man who was lynched by a furious mob in the name of blasphemy and Mashal Khan, a student, was killed by a frantic mob over blasphemy allegations. Many were arrested and sentenced to death in the latter case but the religious sentiment and polarisation doesn\u2019t stop here.<\/p>\n

This polarisation not only threatens social cohesiveness and stability by igniting disputes and sectarian violence but also puts lives in danger. \u201cHandling such cases and controlling the situation for the time being isn\u2019t the long-term solution,\u201d said social activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir. \u201cWe need to look deep into the equation of what was wrong in such scenarios that resulted in mobs and such conversations where a lady was questioned over a calligraphic piece of cloth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jibran was also of the view that changing the narrative and educating the masses will take generations because other than the prevalent mindset, political stakeholders, the state, and other factors do not focus on solutions. Instead they work on an ad-hoc basis to resolve such issues. As a result the victim is made to apologise for unintentionally causing offence to religious sentiments, which as was the case last week, wasn\u2019t even offensive to the religion.<\/p>\n

Lack of education spreads prejudice and intolerance by promoting ignorance and false views about many religious traditions. According to Jibran, this perspective of religion cannot be changed overnight, and neither was it built overnight. \u201cThere are only two major sources that uplift minds and bring exposure to critical thinking in a society,\u201d he said, \u201cand that are teachers from school level to higher level and the other is either an Imam or any religious scholar be it on a YouTube channel. The question then arises that are these two pillars providing the exposure that a mind needs to develop a sense of higher purpose in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pakistan is a multicultural nation with a diversity of races, languages, and customs. However, instead of being celebrated, this diversity can be stymied by a lack of education and religious prejudice. Culture and customs may be lost as a result of minorities feeling marginalised or under pressure to follow the narrative of the country\u2019s majority\u2019s religion. \u201cEvery time anything happens, it sparks a discussion in society. Similarly, the recent case must have also initiated many conversations inside every house. But with it what is needed is a sense of discourse on religion because the populous narrative is what has happened in the market because in general the society is passive and shows zero tolerance,\u201d Nasir explained, adding that making an example out of one case and punishing the culprit won\u2019t help much given the fact the society needs uplifting in terms of education and understanding the religion. Even in the conversations taking place in our homes, many of the voices have not read the translation of the Holy Quran themselves and, therefore, they would agree with the mob\u2019s mentality.<\/p>\n

Restrictions on freedom of expression are frequently the result of religious intolerance, especially when it comes to discussions or criticisms of religion. This inhibits creative expression and intellectual debate, which stifles innovation and creativity in culture. Without a free flow of ideas, society cannot advance and cultural development remains static. \u201cSociety needs a different perspective and openness to discussion on ideology. For example, when someone saw the lady wearing the shirt with Arabic script and called someone that the woman was wearing a shirt with Quranic verses, why did the other person on the call not say \u2018Wait, let me bring an Imam and let him read and tell us what is written [on the shirt]. Another scenario could have been the Imam comes and translates it for the people around the woman to explain that the word written on the shirt means \u2018Beautiful\u2019,\u201d Nasir elaborated how the situation could have been different if conversations change and education on religious matters is promoted.<\/p>\n

This incident, and those in the past, should be a lesson for us all. Was the apology made by the victim for wearing that shirt so important or was pleasing the egos of an intolerant society more important? \u201cThe apology is a prime example of what Palestinians say to Israelis, \u2018Those who have taken our eyes call us blind now.\u2019 Why the state had to represent the mob, in this case, is questionable, and why the case wasn\u2019t dealt with the help of our law and constitution,\u201d Nasir questioned, adding that what the ASP did was a commendable effort to engage the mob and ensure the victim\u2019s safety. However, in the aftermath it was the authorities\u2019 responsibility to tackle and spread the right information to society rather than making the victim apologise.<\/p>\n

Religious prejudice in educational institutions can encourage narrow-mindedness and impede the growth of critical thinking. Students who are not exposed to a variety of viewpoints become less able to recognise cultural distinctions and develop a homogenised view of society. Furthermore, religious minorities are denied equal opportunities for academic and personal growth in schools due to discrimination against them.<\/p>\n

The Pakistan Ulema Council has been very vocal about such incidents and always ready to discourage lack of education in religious matters. Similarly, Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, while talking to The Express Tribune, condemned the act and said that the incident has no justification at all. \u201cAcross the Arab countries, and in the Muslim world,\u201d Maulana said, \u201cpeople do wear dresses with calligraphy but in Pakistan, the issue was mere illiteracy of the said language which is alarming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maulana Ashrafi added that various platforms have been very vocal on the issue and they keep trying time and again to address the elephant in the room.<\/p>\n

To tackle these obstacles, extensive initiatives are needed to support religious tolerance, enhance the availability and caliber of education, and protect fundamental liberties. This entails changing academic programs to encourage diversity and critical thinking, encouraging communication and understanding between different religious groups, and guaranteeing that every citizen, regardless of religion, has equal rights and opportunities. \u201cThe major conflict here is the understanding of the language that hardly anyone has in this country. Even then, no one has the right to decide what another person wears,\u201d Maulana Ashrafi explained adding that nobody can stop a woman from wearing what she is wearing and that specific dress had nothing questionable about it.<\/p>\n

Criticising the idea of the system and its ways to resolve such cases, the Maulana denounced making the victim apologise and said that making her apologise was wrong on many counts. \u201cPunjab police should take action on such people who made her confess and must make a case against them under the anti-terrorism act. All in all, they should say sorry to the lady and not vice versa,\u201d he said firmly, \u201cShariat does not allow you to do this to a woman: four men harassing a woman, and forcing her to tell which caste and creed she belongs to and make her fearful of the system,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a language<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pakistan can cultivate a more dynamic and inclusive cultural landscape that promotes social harmony and progress by combating religious intolerance and making educational investments. However, given the fact the Holy Quran is the most sacred book in the religion and the irony that the majority of the population in this country can only read it as a sacred book but are unable to understand it completely is baffling.<\/p>\n

Six years ago, Sundas Khan moved to Qatar because her husband worked there. Just one week in, she had a reality check. \u201cThe first time I went to a mosque, praying behind an Imam was so new to me because in Pakistan we hardly have any mosques that cater to women worshippers,\u201d she said. Being born and brought up in Pakistan, she never had the kind of exposure her two children are getting in a Muslim country where Arabic is the first language. \u201cOne day I was sitting in the mosque when a local came and tried to have a conversation with me. Within two minutes she realised I couldn\u2019t understand Arabic, so she started talking to me in English,\u201d Khan narrated, adding that what the women asked her was \u201cquite embarrassing for me\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe asked me how do you people understand what Allah has said in the Quran when you don\u2019t understand it? Her question was followed by how does a whole population just read it without trying to understand it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Simple questions of logic but for Khan they were profound. \u201cBeing a Muslim, I didn\u2019t know what was written in the Quran because the idea of the sacred book was enough to just read and place it at a high place in the house,\u201d Khan said.<\/p>\n

It’s not just expats living in countries that have Arabic as the first language but students in Pakistan too struggle in this regard. \u201cNot every school offers this opportunity but in my school, we had Arabic language as a subject similar to schools in Sindh having Sindhi as a subject,\u201d said Iqra Saleem. \u201cUnfortunately, it was not given much importance as there is no board paper for Arabic but we did study the language for four years in school.\u201d She added that it might have been the effort of the school owner who was quite a religious person. Such efforts to understand our religion need to be doubled with greater urgency in order to reap their rewards for the whole society.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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