Confessions of a ‘cultural critic’ - Nadeem F. Paracha

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"What became to be known as Political Islam is a recent phenomenon. It’s a 20th Century construct that turned faith into a political ideology. Politics is amoral, faith is not. How can the two be mixed?... 

The Muslim Holy Book is a moral guide. It’s not a political manifesto. It gives one pointers and advice on how to live a righteous life, how to use the intellect (aqal) to progress as a human being, as well as a society, and to also appreciate the creations of the Almighty through gaining knowledge about these surroundings... 

The problem in Pakistan, ever since the Zia years, has been that anyone who does not wear his or her faith on their sleeve, or for that matter, across their faces and on their heads, is automatically judged as being irreligious...

The Almighty is a perfect entity who created a fluent universe because an evolving universe encourages humans to use their intellect and intuition to advance as both rational and spiritual beings. Muslims were once very good at doing this... 

To revive this tradition we need a scientific, intellectual, artistic and spiritual revolution. Not a political one. Politics is inherently amoral... 

Jinnah was a pragmatist, adjusting his words according to his immediate surroundings. Jinnah should be accepted as a pragmatist who, today, would have addressed issues like extremist violence and acts of bigotry not as an ideologue, but as a pragmatic statesman who would know that such issues were retarding the country’s economic, cultural and political evolution"

Separation of religion and state

I am a strong believer in transcendental truth of Islam, which in my opinion, encompasses a holistic world-view involving socio-political and moral philosophies. However, in its current state, which is a product of its genetic complexities as well as various martial-laws, political misuse of religion, and complete hijacking of religious discourse by the so-called religious clerisy, Pakistan cannot even move forward towards a transcendental religious ideal which allows men and women to cherish diversity and transform society towards some kind of a moral vision derived from Quran and Sunnah, rather than secular liberal values. 

I believe in the power of narrative and the liberty of each individual to extend his or her narrative into the society. I don't think such a liberty is possible unless we pragmatically move towards state's disengagement with religion, thereby disallowing religion to be misused for political concerns

(Aasem Bakshi)  

Political Islam: An evolutionary history - Nadeem F. Paracha

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It is a 20th century construct and its first prominent expression is believed to be Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, formed in 1927

The rightist side produced tendencies such as ‘Islamic Fundamentalism,’ ‘Islamism’ and ‘Neo-Fundamentalism,’ while the leftist sides came up with ‘Islamic Socialism,’ ‘Ba’ath Socialism’ and ‘Arab Nationalism’/‘Arab Socialism’. Balanced at the centre was Muslim Nationalism. 

Bankrolling of the anti-Soviet ‘Jihad’ in Afghanistan by the US, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in the 1980s, also became a catalyst that triggered the shifting of political and social influence in many Muslim countries from left-leaning Political Islam to its rightist expressions. 

The ‘political roots’ of this tendency, however, lie in the 12th century, when after three hundred years of open debate in the Islamic world between traditionalists and rationalists (Mu’tazilites), influential Muslim thinkers such as Imam Ghazali insisted that a perfect synthesis (between the two) had been reached and that Islam’s social and spiritual philosophy had achieved completion. 

Incensed by the gradual crumbling of the Mughal and Ottoman empires, a series of reformist movements emerged, advocating ‘a return to true Islam’ which was said to be free of innovation and corruption. 

Pioneering Islamism scholars such as Egypt’s Hasan al-Banna and Sayyid Qutb, and South Asia’s Abul Ala Maududi, began interpreting the Quran and other Islamic texts through the prism of modern political concepts and lingo. Qutb suggested that a jihad was required in Muslim countries to grab state power and rid the Muslims from the ‘modern forces of jahiliyya’ (that to him were secularism, Marxism, nationalism and ‘Western materialism’). 

Forces attached to Islamism tried to rebound after the Cold War through the democratic process but they have struggled to initiate effective political and economic reforms mainly due to the fact that they end up creating polarisation and administrational chaos by trying to address solutions to non-religious issues with certain ill-defined religion-orientated alternatives and manoeuvres. They were (on the one end) accused of being apologists of violent Neo-Fundamentalists and of being lukewarm towards 'islamising' the society on the other. 

Unlike Islamic Fundamentalism, Neo-Fundamentalism (Islamism’s less intellectually inclined (and more brutal) cousin) looks to impose laws, morality and piety by force and through armed struggle (and through the creation of an ‘Islamic Emirate’). Apart from the Taleban, Roy also describes outfits such as Al Qaeda and various modern militant and sectarian groups that emerged in its wake as Neo-Fundamentalist (including the recent emergence of the Islamic State (ISIS). It is also devoid of the rich intellectual tradition associated with Islamism, settling instead for radical polemical literature that advocates violent action and an extremely narrow and polemical worldview. 

Islamic Socialism – an ideology that attempted to equate Quranic concepts of equality and charity with modern Socialist economics and (consequently) trigger a cultural, intellectual and political renaissance in the Muslim world – was adopted as ‘Arab Socialism’ and Ba’ath Socialism in Iraq, Syria and Egypt; where nationalist Muslim leaders fused Islamic notions of parity and justice with socialism and Arab nationalism. 

Though known for its usage of Islamic symbolism, Islamic Socialism was anti-clerical, socially liberal and mostly sympathetic towards communist powers – Soviet Union and China. Iranian thinker and activist Ali Shariati expressed revolutionary Islam through Marxist symbolism. He was assassinated in 1975 by the agents of the Shah of Iran.\ 

Islamic Socialism was vehemently attacked and criticised by conservative Muslim monarchies, as well as by those forces associated with Islamism. They accused Islamic Socialism of being a concoction constructed by ‘atheist powers’ (Soviet Union and China), and (according to Maududi) was the ‘Trojan horse used by anti-Islam forces and ideas to enter Muslim societies and politics.’ 

Many democratic political parties of the left and of the right and also authoritarian regimes in the Muslim world can be termed as having liberal views about Islam’s political role. These parties and regimes are highly suspicious of the clergy and repulsed by the political ambitions of Islamism and Neo-Fundamentalism. They encourage ijtihad in matters such as the understanding of the Quran and Shariah, and emphasise that Islam is best served through religious institutions instead of through the state and the government. They also believe faith to be a strictly private matter that should not be soiled by the amorality of politics.

The Waiting Room

He had hidden his face partly with the cashmere muffler but those salt and pepper hair and inquisitive eyes were enough to give up his identity. It took only a single glance by the incoming stranger to recognize him. There was plenty of room in the waiting area but the stranger took a seat on his right side making it possible to observe him directly. The stranger shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he vexed to initiate a conversation.

It is a queer feeling watching someone in person whom you have seen all your life on television. What made the entire situation even more interesting was the premises; the stranger never expected to find someone of this person’s caliber to be sitting comfortably in a place like that without a hint of the usual security which accompanies such people. The stranger even hesitated to take out his cellphone from the inner pocket that it might be considered a suspicious move and some undercover agent might pounce on him from somewhere.

The television at the far end of the corner was turned on. The picture tube was probably malfunctioning as the corners of the screen were hazed with green color. A famous political talk show was airing; how apposite! It was not very uncommon for this person to be a part of this show every other day. On that particular day, another member of his massive political campaign was a part of the expert panel on the show.

After a while he casually glanced at the stranger. It was exactly what the stranger was waiting for; he stood up and extended his hand.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Sir”

The person nodded appreciatively; shook hands and then again focused his gaze on the television.

Bummer!

He needed to initiate a conversation; feeling drawn into the power vortex.  

While keeping his eyes on the television, the stranger remarked; “A poor Christian girl would be bullied for her alleged blasphemy but an imported cleric would be hailed as a messiah even after irrevocable proof of him issuing certain tickets.”

The trump card was played. After all they were sitting in a waiting area and as is the case with these waiting areas; sooner or later one of them had to leave.

Now the stranger had this person’s attention and the conversation began. He had hit the right spot as after that there was no stopping the other person. They had a healthy discussion on the political scenario and it left the stranger kind of perplexed. He never expected such a person to be so normal.

‘Baba’, a girl with disheveled hair and slightly stoned eyes called the person sitting in front of the stranger.  The former stood up immediately. It was time to leave. The stranger intentionally ignored the father and daughter. His instincts told him that this must be something sacred as it portrayed the sheer human side of this larger than life person.

They shook hands and parted while the stranger kept sitting there waiting for his turn. He felt sorry but at the same time he feared the initial pull he felt towards this person. It kind of dawned upon him as to why it becomes so difficult for political workers to disagree or even criticize their own political movement. The aura of power can neutralize rationality as one feels the urge to bask under the warmth of privilege.