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Searching foundations for future
By
Dr Tahir Hameed Tanoli
EVERY age has its
own challenges and difficulties. Nations face and counter-react to
challenges as per their capabilities and potentials. The theory of Challenge
and Response, irrespective of its authenticity, had been effective in its
results in the course of history. If a nation takes its challenges as acid
test and reacts similarly, it can cause the strengthening of its muscles and
revival. But inner weaknesses and lack of competency and potential causes
extinguishment of national and political existence and defaces its identity.
Muslim world is facing challenges of similar kind in this age.
It is, domestically, far behind in the area of intellectual and
technological skills from rest of the world and is also facing the crisis of
ideological and political survival as a sovereign polity at global level.
Today Muslim world is facing an intelligent and competent counterpart. It
can not be called foe because with its utmost skill it has adopted such a
façade that the word ‘foe’ is not applicable to it. The wise dialect of West
has molded the facts according to their intentions.
A vast treasury of terms and diplomatic idioms like unilateralism and
preemption etc is coined which makes it possible to conceal the facts.
Furthermore, the acceptance of these distorted facts becomes the symbol of
awareness and knowledge. In today’s world only that interpretation of facts
is acceptable which is in the favour of Western interests, while the
narration of anti-Western facts is a metaphor of intellectual dwarfness and
ignorance.
The most vivid example of US dual role is its efforts for the promotion of
democracy in the world. Democracy, as it is not a hidden fact, was first of
all introduced by Islam. Islam introduced democracy in its actual spirit
when the West was passing through dark ages. During the times of the Holy
Prophet (PBUH) and Khulafa-e-Rashideen democracy was being practiced in
Muslim world. Not men, but women also had right to participate in the
business of State. Women were members of Parliament. While the awareness of
democratic norms started in West in last decades of nineteenth century.
Susan B Anthony, champion of Women’s right in America, was arrested in 1872
for casting vote in presidential elections. It was in 1920 that after the
adoption of nineteenth amendment women were given the right to vote in
America, in France in 1944, in Australia in 1926 and in Britain in 1928.
Irrespective of this historical fact if the credit of democratic tradition
is given to West even then the situation is much terrifying. The Western
standards of democracy are multi-layered. Their criteria for democracy for
their own country and for rest of the world are not only different but
contradictory. Despite being torchbearer of democracy, America supports
democracy where her national interests are being served. The first priority
of America is her national, economic, political and strategic interest,
which governs the direction of its policy for democracy. That is why America
has been destabilizing democratic regimes in the past.
This attitude of America is causing rifts and conflicts at international
level. If the atrocities of Israel will be overlooked and the legitimate
rights of Palestinians will not be addressed, how will dispute be resolved
on equitable bases? It was the state policy of US that it will not support
non-democratic forces against democratic regimes but now this state
principle has been made subservient to the national interests. In a landmark
speech on May 9, 2003, at the University of South Carolina, President Bush
announced America’s firm commitment to democracy and freedom in the Middle
East as the key goal of America’s war on terror:
“We support the advance of freedom in the Middle East, because it is our
founding principle, and because it is in our national interest. The hateful
ideology of terrorism is shaped and nurtured and protected by oppressive
regimes. Free nations, in contrast, encourage creativity and tolerance and
enterprise. And in those free nations, the appeal of extremism withers away.
Free governments do not build Weapons of Mass Destruction for the purpose of
mass terror. Over time, the expansion of liberty throughout the world is the
best guarantee of security throughout the world. Freedom is the way to
peace.” This speech of President Bush shows that their policies are driven
by their partisan attitude.
The mistake of an individual is an individual mistake, but when the mistake
is committed by head of the family it provides justification for community
error. After cold war this attitude of unipolar empire of the world not only
catalyses the non-democratic and anti-humanitarian practices under the garb
of global interest but it is also causing the eradication of positive
traditions in the world. Today the criteria for the respect of humanity are
changed and the immediate victims are Muslim world.
Muslim world can’t get the attention of big powers on the violation of human
rights and essential liberties. Despite this entire gloomy situation, it is
improper to call this attitude of west antagonistic because it is not right
interpretation of facts. The only way out of this quagmire for Muslim world
is to accept this universal truth of history that in the war of truth and
power, power remains dominant until the truth is also powerful. Whereas
power has also been trying to masquerade as truth in past by exploiting
weaknesses of truth.
Today if we want to be at par with the world, we have to achieve same
strength level. The first step towards this direction is knowledge. Muslim
world is suffering form intellectual poverty. Imam Kaaba has asked Muslim
Ummah to formulate Islamic economic system in his Hajj sermon. It is a
matter of concern that we have not been successful in this task till now.
There are huge heaps of data on every issue but the solution of issues
depends on quality not quantity of the data which we lack and lack terribly.
After Iqbal, we have had no visionary approach which may be able to
introduce new avenues of intellectual thought leading to solution of
national issues. It is cry of the day that we must rearrange our political,
economic, social and scientific priorities at national level. We have to
identify the challenges we are facing in these areas and must concentrate
our energies in this direction. Current situation of Muslim world and
failure of Pak-India dialogue on Kashmir despite well wishes and CBMs of
Pakistan manifests that inferiors have no right to demand their right.
The Holy Qur’an tells us that a nation with a small number but high
intelligence and understanding level can dominate a nation twenty times
greater but inferior in intellectual strength (8:65). Current world scenario
confirms this Quranic principle. There is no example in history that a
nation, well equipped with real and practical wisdom, ever faced failure.●
© 2005 Dr Tahir Hameed
Tanoli |
