Eid reflections: searching for Salah-ad-din
So for Eid we had some friends and family over. The topics of discussion inevitably shifted to Saddam Hussein's execution and, the perennial favourite, The State of Pakistan Today and What Can Be Done To Remedy It.
There was a great deal of pessimism even from individuals who are usually more optimistic vis-a-vis Pakistan and its inhabitants. But last night, for some reason, the discussion was much more sober and pessimistic in tone. The discussion drifted towards how almost every transaction in Pakistan is tainted with hues of corruption and bribery. Ordinary transactions, ordinary places to visit, it almost seemed as though every encounter with another Pakistani would result in your losing some money to corrupt officials demanding bribes and whatnot.
It reminded me of other previous discussions i have had with Muslims of other nationalities who complain of similar issues. The core thread running throughout most of these discussions is that of a sense of lost 'Muslim-ness', a sense that Muslims themselves have corrupted their faith. A sense of futility, a belief that Muslims are today's downtrodden, they are the underdogs. If they are not the underdogs, then they are (portrayed as) the tyrants. Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Indonesia, Somalia, Thailand, Russia. If you listen to the news, or pick virtually any large region of the world, you can practically pinpoint an area where, if we are not the victims then we are surely the oppressors.
Volunteering at a Christian homeless shelter this past week, i was moved to learn that one of the homeless clients there is a Muslim.
"You should make dawah to him," one of the sisters said to one of the brothers.
Later, i thought to myself: he is not the one who needs dawah. We are the ones who need dawah because there is surely, surely, something wrong with us if a Muslim brother is accessing the services of a Christian homeless shelther. Where were the Muslim food banks, the Muslim groups organizing soup kitchens for the homeless? We dropped the ball on that. It's not him who needed the dawah. It's us.
There was a great deal of pessimism even from individuals who are usually more optimistic vis-a-vis Pakistan and its inhabitants. But last night, for some reason, the discussion was much more sober and pessimistic in tone. The discussion drifted towards how almost every transaction in Pakistan is tainted with hues of corruption and bribery. Ordinary transactions, ordinary places to visit, it almost seemed as though every encounter with another Pakistani would result in your losing some money to corrupt officials demanding bribes and whatnot.
It reminded me of other previous discussions i have had with Muslims of other nationalities who complain of similar issues. The core thread running throughout most of these discussions is that of a sense of lost 'Muslim-ness', a sense that Muslims themselves have corrupted their faith. A sense of futility, a belief that Muslims are today's downtrodden, they are the underdogs. If they are not the underdogs, then they are (portrayed as) the tyrants. Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Indonesia, Somalia, Thailand, Russia. If you listen to the news, or pick virtually any large region of the world, you can practically pinpoint an area where, if we are not the victims then we are surely the oppressors.
Volunteering at a Christian homeless shelter this past week, i was moved to learn that one of the homeless clients there is a Muslim.
"You should make dawah to him," one of the sisters said to one of the brothers.
Later, i thought to myself: he is not the one who needs dawah. We are the ones who need dawah because there is surely, surely, something wrong with us if a Muslim brother is accessing the services of a Christian homeless shelther. Where were the Muslim food banks, the Muslim groups organizing soup kitchens for the homeless? We dropped the ball on that. It's not him who needed the dawah. It's us.
posted by rolihlahla at 6:07:00 p.m.
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