Deep in the heart of our Polity there lies a festering dichotomy that will eventually, if it is not treated appropriately, rend the body fabric of our society apart. We have failed to redefine our ethos in the face of 21
st Century challenges and imperatives and are struggling to hold our own against the onslaught of an alien culture that seeks to dominate, subvert and subsume in order to perpetuate a stranglehold upon the World. This blind obsession that drives most so called human civilizations is a remnant of “The Claw that lurks within the outstretched Human Hand.”
The alien claw is making full use of the factionalism that debars unity; the myopia that obscures clarity of vision and the selfsame claw within our hands that seeks the status of sole spokesman within our own culture.
It is extremely important to point out that arguments are presented in general terms in order to ensure brevity. There is no question of aimless generalizations and dealing in black and white. It is a well established fact that there are all manner of shades of gray and also that noble exceptions exist across the board. Good people of unquestionable humanity exist within all societies, races and cultures while sub human individuals are present as well. However, those who dominate a particular society and determine its direction and impact upon the rest of the world are responsible for the image of that society.
It is clear that Pakistan, since it occupies a Geo Strategic Location of immense importance, is the target of infiltration and subversion to further the vested interests of various countries and Multi National Corporates (MNCs). In order to come up with an adequate response we must seek out the high ground of excellence and then hold onto it with determination and present a unified front against naked aggression. Before we can do so we must uncover the fault lines wherein the struggle is taking place. The centrifugal forces of conservatism are eyeball to eyeball with the centripetal forces of liberalism and locked in a fight to the finish. This self same drama was enacted in Iran with the centrifugal forces gaining ascendancy at great cost. Where ever the extreme of one pole has arisen, the opposite, if not equal, pole has taken up cudgels to defend its “own”. Neo colonial, imperialist forces have sought to prop up their own perceived quislings and have been beaten back time and again with great human cost. Where does this leave those who hold the middle ground? Exposed to violence and deprivation they struggle to remain alive and bend and sway with every wind that blows.
Today the predatory vultures with pretensions to ‘civilization’ have aroused the alligator that was basking in the sun on the banks of the Indus River. The need of the hour is that the adherents of “Meezan” or Balance as shown to us by the incomparable Last Prophet of Allah (Upon whom be The Peace and Blessings of Allah) come up with a dynamic response and silence once and for all the forces of extremism, be they “Liberal” or “Conservative”!
We must realize that the struggle is basically economic, claims and counter claims notwithstanding! It is the pecuniary interest of the forces behind Multinationals that is clashing with the forces of the economic exploitation of Islam. There is no Holy Crusader versus Holy Jehadi; this is but a farce and window dressing to cover up the vested interests of both sides.
The crux of the matter is the fact that there are insufficient neural connections between what are termed as the phylogenetic epochs in human evolution. There are three divisions within the human brain: The Archipallium or Archi Cortex which is similar to the Reptilian Brain; the Paleopallium or Meso Cortex, which is similar to the Mammalian and finally the Neopallium or Neo Cortex that is the true repository of humanity. There is no parallel or similar material to the Neo cortex to be found within nature. The Meso cortex and the Neo cortex brains, both retain certain areas of authority, which sometimes come into conflict. This gives rise to the paranoid streak in human history and results in US aggression in Iraq for Resources; the subjugation of the Chechens as well as the Beslan Tragedy; the oppression of the Zionists and the terrorism of Usama Ben Laden. In other words inadequate hierarchic coordination between instinct and intelligence is the weak door through which the Jinn’s enter. The Holy Quran has re-established the Guidance of Allah, which has been forthcoming to every race and Nation through 1,25,000 Prophets, Messengers and Nabis. This is the Final Revelation and is recorded in the full blaze of modern history in order to preserve its pristine originality. Herein three different cases are presented with corresponding allegorical and literal associations.
Archi Cortex: Archipallium; Reptilian Simple Consciousness; Lower Self commanding to evil; Termed as Nafs-e-Ammara.
Meso Cortex: Paleopallium; Mammal Self Consciousness; Guilty Conscious Self; Termed as Naf-e-Lawamma.
Neo Cortex: Neopallium; Human Cosmic Consciousness; Contented Self; Termed as Naf-e-Mutmaeena.
It is within ourselves that we must search for our problems and it is within the Holy Quran that we must draw our inspiration and Guidance to overcome these problems. To hold Islam responsible for the excesses of its imperfect adherents and to seek justifications for the same in the very “Bayaan” that is drawing our attention to the Real Reality of our State as well as that of Nature and indeed all of Creation, is cussedness and usage at best and a deliberate attempt to draw away attention and cloak all sorts of misdeeds in the darkness of slander and is typically that of the first state of the second category, i.e. reptilian with lower mammalian infusion.
One can find exactly the same trends and negative impulses in most societies, cloaked in different languages, style and thrust. The desire to obtain and hold on to power for material gain is so strong within the male of the species that he is unable to keep a check upon this impulse. An Uncle of the Holy Prophet (SWAS) asked him for a share in power for himself and his progeny. The Holy Prophet is reported to have suggested a better alternate as an instant of control over self in order to achieve the goal and objective of humanity. He is also reported to have said that the desire for power will be the last evil prompting to leave the hearts of his followers.
According to the venerable authors of The Life and Works of Hazrat Amir Khusrau (RA): “It is nobler to live with the people and for the people, to remain pure and unsullied in an atmosphere corrupt with sin and strive to lead the erring souls to truth and virtue by the light of inner piety”. This presupposes a life of truth and virtue on the part of he who strives to lead. Fears of Militant Islam trying to take over the world are quite baseless. Have these militants produced any results on ground in their own Countries? They have succeeded in destroying two Muslim Countries (Afghanistan and Iraq) as well as placed under threat the very livelihood of millions of Muslims working and living in the West. Is this not too convenient? The Muslims of the World mostly inhabit or belong to the Middle and Near East as well as North Africa. The predominant culture is that of Turkey as the last Muslim rulers of the Muslim Lands. The high levels of Arabian and Persian Culture, as well as that of Central and South Asia, preclude any fear of being submerged. However, the very Universality of Islam is being obscured by most of us latter day Muslims. We are so calcified in our degeneracy that our World View is severely restricted to a Glorious Past. It is as if time has stopped for us. We are not aware of the fact that the very apparel that graces a vast majority of humanity is directly derived from the Turk Muslims who played a great role in spreading Islam. Those who went to colder climes in the West, be it Iran, present day Turkey or Europe developed the Pantaloon and Kamiz, today’s Pants and Shirt. Those who came to warmer climes in India developed baggy lower garments the Shalwar or Partook and Kamiz. The Talibaan of today reject pants and shirts without the awareness that it was developed by Muslims. Today original thought and discovery is far from us and imitative as well as hide bound thought is our lot on the National scale, with a very few exceptions. We have slipped into a whirlpool, going forever round and round a memory of a dream that was subverted to human greed from the very early period that followed only four rightly guided Caliphs (May Almighty Allah be Pleased with them). “Do not sell your Religion” is enjoined by the Almighty Allah. This command has been violated repeatedly for the sake of economic advancement. The current crisis of so called Militant Islam is merely the expression of a class that has been subjected to the most inhuman exploitation firstly by feudalism, then by corrupt politicians and finally by ‘strong man’ dictators. Being denied access to education and employment, they chose the path of serving Islam. In actual fact they were and are only serving themselves. In a religious system that was supposed to fuse the various individuals into a coherent whole, there entered a spokesman who tries to refill the vacant slot of Priest.
The mosque is an institution wherein the Faithful congregate for ritual prayers, en-masse, five times a day as a voluntary or supererogatory act of devotion as only the Friday, Eid and Funeral prayers are mandatory in congregation. In actual fact only the Muezzin (one who recites the azan, or call to prayers) and the Mutawalli (or caretaker) are allowed to be employed on monetary basis. Neither is allowed to reside within the Mosque. The Imam (Prayer Leader) is supposed to be the leader of the inhabitants of an area that uses that particular Mosque and be one of them. His qualifications and eligibility are clearly and elaborately enunciated by the Traditions (Ahadith) of the Holy Prophet (SWAS). What has happened, due to many reasons, is that a professional Imam has sprung up to establish Mosques on Alms, take up accommodation therein, accept pay in terms of cash and goods from the community and instruct them on Religious matters. These Imams are drawn from the poorest section of the populace as they consist mainly of those children whose parents could not afford to raise them. Rather than send them to earn their keep, as over ninety percent of the poor are forced to do, these children are sent to the Madrassah. Here they are provided free Board and Lodging, paid for mostly from alms from the pious either directly given to the madrassah or collected as alms by these self same students. This is a lucrative business that involves mere rote memorization and no physical labor. Moreover, there are rich recompenses in the shape of cash as well as sacrificial animals, food and clothing. More competitive individuals have added shops to these mosques and pursue activities such as car and property dealing. Many sites of mosques are encroachments on public property, built without permission of the owners. This is strictly against the injunctions of Islam, which includes restriction from tearing down, or using places of worship of other religions. The power of religion is so strong, especially in the guilty and corrupt officials that they are provided with full permission to do what they like. Long usage of Public Address systems and much practiced oratorical skills render them even more effective in meeting their targets. Use by Government Authorities to legitimize their own shenanigans, makes them ideal bedfellows. Funding from different Countries with agendas of their own as well as existence of many different and often clashing sects makes the party even merrier. To top it all they have taken to developing Pressure Groups to terrorize and blackmail simple citizens and corrupt officials alike. There is nothing more disgusting and ill mannered towards the Holy Prophet (SWAS) than the sound of 17 and even 21 (counted by myself) Loud speakers, blaring away with different sounds in crude caricature of the Blessed Bilal-e-Habshi’s (RA) call to prayers. Is there any sanction for these practices in the Holy Quran or Traditions of the Holy Prophet (SWAS)? Certainly not, in fact on the contrary there are ample directives to eschew these practices. When we ourselves are so ignorant as to the requirements of our own Religion, what Islam are we going to export to the West? When we are so indigent and poverty stricken that nearly fifty percent of our populace lives below the Poverty Line, how are we going to overpower the West? When we live in sordid conditions and have very little to add to the world’s beauty, how are we going to convince others of our worth?
How about the West, what have they done with the teachings and liberalizing influence of Islam in the shape of the Renaissance? Built up an exploitive economic order and mindlessly pursued the God of Mammon?
In order to bring some semblance of humanity and consequently progress, our society needs a number of badly needed interventions so as to bring us to par with the imperatives of the 3rd millennium:
· Immediate conversion of the Education Systems medium of instruction to National and Regional languages while retaining freedom of choice for parents to chose their child’s enrollment in schools that use English, Urdu or Regional Language Mediums.
· Clarity in regards to the present “Fundamentalist” versus “Liberal” Conflict.
· Structural Deep Democracy (SD2) for conflict free Governance.
· National and International Monetary Reform for a greener and more people centered Financial System.
· Sustainable development to address worsening poverty, over population and environmental degradation on the basis of Bioenvironmental Management.
· Localization for Globalization (Glocalization).
Medium of Instruction: Many countries of the World use their own National language as a medium of instruction and practically all of them are more advanced than Pakistan. It is the problem of those countries which were subjected to colonization by the British which are maintaining the English Language as a medium of instruction. This initially served to create an elite class which identified itself with and worked for the vested interests of the British. When the savages of Europe were exposed to the educated and civilized Muslim advance their exploiter class in the shape of the Priests who were in conflict with the Feudalist for dominance and power saw a way to further their own interests in maintaining a stranglehold upon society. With a great deal of effort and zeal they avidly translated Arabic works into Latin and adopted an advanced and enlightened World View. This great service on their part to their own society failed to maintain their position as it unleashed the Renaissance and brought liberation to the Western Mind. Our Priest Class, with no legal basis in Islam, opposed all forms of Western Thought in their own turn when our civilization had lost its way due to severe onslaughts of Bubonic Plague; Barbarism in the shape of Chengis Khan’s Mongols, British, French and Dutch Imperialists; Closure of the gates of “Ijtehaad”; and the inherent weakness of a ruler class that had usurped leadership of the Muslims from after the time of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs. Degradation of Muslim Society resulted in the creation of a “Wounded Civilization”. Even today we can recoup much lost ground by bringing home education to our masses in their own languages. After all what is the percentage of people within our population who require to know English. The very translation of advanced tracts of knowledge from various languages of the World into our National and Regional languages is an economy and gainful employment generating measure. We must develop translation software and thus be able to access the repositories of knowledge in various languages of the world. Access to knowledge banks in our own languages via the internet; e(lectronic) and m(obile) commerce and computer usage in vernacular languages will greatly benefit our economy. The Germans learn in German, The Japanese in Japanese; The French in French; The Chinese in Chinese and even the Turks in Turkish. It is only our burden that we think in Urdu or our Regional Languages and than translate laboriously into English and then pass exams and promptly loose our way. We have been cut off from the wealth of wisdom and enlightenment that lies in the Arabic, Persian and even Urdu literature as well as in Regional Languages and have been forced to learn a second degree language that has no proper or rational grammar and is inadequate to meet the growing wealth of knowledge in the 21st century and onwards. Just by reading Arabic and Persian we can enlighten ourselves and learn to be true human beings. Technical and scientific knowledge can be acquired in any language and is certainly not the sole proprietorship of English. The recent conversion to the entire Educational Systems into English Medium is Donor Driven and a conspiracy of Neocolonial Imperialism. Intellectual poverty directly results in economic poverty in a knowledge based economy that is prevalent in the 21st century world and will be the door to development in the centuries to come.
“Fundamentalist versus Liberal”: I strongly believe that the Islamic Resurgence is really a bugbear created by the West. For obvious reasons: firstly, mounting a challenge to the defunct Russian threat; secondly; to provide the West with an Evil Empire in order to perpetuate the Military Industrial stranglehold upon their economy. Once set in motion, the idea found fertile ground in the yearnings of Islamic scholars and youth, in search of an identity. Since the foundation of the movement was a falsehood, there has been much confusion regarding the thrust and direction that the movement has to take. Sometimes internal and often external threats and pressures have been addressed with mixed results. Thus far the forces at work have only managed to build up an image of revolutionary and fundamentalist, wild-eyed fanatics. Certain characteristics have stuck on to the image and have even been defended by the dupes. In the mean time a veritable orgy of destruction has been unleashed upon the Muslims from Bosnia to Chechnya in Europe and the continuing bloodbaths in Kashmir; Sudan; Eritrea; Philippines; Palestine; Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq. What is to be done about such a situation is a question that we should ask ourselves! Once we analyze our own attitudes and opinions we can safely formulate a plan to overcome the falsehood and chart a course that is more in consonance with our teachings. If we are successful in this endeavor, we can safely predict a certain victory, and that too moral in nature, as opposed to violent and physical. This is all the more necessary, as the present circumstances do not hold much hope for the future. Something drastic needs to be done, and that too at the earliest, in order to divert the waters of time from the flood channels of destruction to the Fertile Plains of progress and prosperity.
“Why Religion” is the first problem that we must address. I feel that most of our so-called Religious Leaders have totally missed the point of “Why Religion” and are merely using Religion as a tool to achieve certain aims. These aims are dressed in the costumes of Religion but are, in fact, disguises to cloak the frame of self-aggrandizement and lust for power. Ever-new forces seek to find a foothold in the corridors of power and are constantly in search of ideas to hide behind. Islamic resurgence is no exception. The Jamaat-e-Islami's of various Countries are the best example of a band of such opportunists. It will be a sad day if these fascist forces are allowed to succeed in establishing their versions of the Truth! Extremism; intolerance; exclusivist and rigid central control are the guiding factors of these movements. How is it possible that such an identity be reconciled with the Teachings of a Benevolent and Caring “Rabb Ul-Alameen” (Creator/ Cherisher/ Sustainer of the Universe) as taught by His Holy Prophet, Upon whom be the Peace and Blessings of Allah, “Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen” (Mercy/ Blessings of and for the Universe). Nay, we must seek an entirely different pedestal to stand upon!
”We need to serve a King who never may be driven from His throne.
To rest within a place which we may ever feel to be our own.
A bird we need to be, to fly, to reach the very rim of things.
To drink that cordial whose joy we never may disown.
We need to be a diving bird, to plunge into the waters' flow.
We need a gemstone to recover such as jewelers cannot know.
To enter in a garden, there to dwell in contentment's shade.
To pass the summer as a rose - a rose whose petals never fade.
Mankind must lover be, must ever search to find the true Beloved.
Must burn within the flame of Love - nor burn in any other flame.'
A poem by the 13th century Turkish poet and lover of Allah, Hazrat Yunus Emre (RA):
I believe that any system that successfully provides this vital link that remains for humanity will never perish. Secondly, there are many Quranic Sura's that were revealed to meet specific needs such as challenges from without. These Sura’s are to be taken in the light of what they are addressing. The general principle Sura’s are to be taken as such.
People who interpret Islam without taking into consideration the COMPLETE Faith will always fall into the misconceptions that the West is fighting with.
Take slavery for example. Islam is accused of allowing slavery. This is absolutely incorrect. An evolutionary approach is taken to redress this great wrong that was and is prevailing in society.
Firstly the provision of immediate relief in the form of strict instructions for the treatment of slaves as members of the family. Then the gradual weaning away of a society and economy that is completely dependent upon slavery. This is done by freeing of slaves to get religious good conduct status. If the Quranic injunctions regarding this subject are taken in the complete sense along with injunctions regarding human behavior, there remains no slavery after a reasonable time. Slaves in Islam rose to rule their respective Nations. This is very true for the Turk Sultanate in Delhi and elsewhere.
On the contrary advocates of human rights and emancipation hold on to the moral high ground of sermonizing and criticizing. In actual fact they continue this practice economic slavery and exploit millions without batting their eyelids.
This is one of many reasons why Islam will not perish. It is injustice and exploitation that has to be fought and not beliefs.
Why have we not read the Quranic Injunction that strictly requires that there is no Force in Religion? What about the Quranic Sura that states "To you Your Religion and to me My Religion?
Parallels abound and can be drawn and inferred from a number of Religions and Ethical Philosophies. How strange it seems to be that the Ancients are reputed to have possessed the “Mysteries” whereas we have abandoned the inner path for the more worldly and lucrative path of materialism.
It might not be amiss to repeat a Homily from the World Famous Sufi Sage Maulana Rumi Upon whom be the Mercy of Allah. A number of fellow travelers from different nationalities arrived at a Caravan Sarai; the leader of the party asked them what they would like to eat? Each traveler responded with a different demand in their respective tongues. Highly perplexed the leader sought advice from a local Sufi. The Sufi took their money and purchased a quantity of a single item and accompanied the leader back to the waiting travelers. The leader was apprehensive about the wisdom of this act but held his peace. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw his companions welcoming the Sufi with audible appreciation. It transpired that each traveler had asked for grapes but used their own language to express their desire. Thus each asked for the same thing but seemed to be opposed to the others. Perhaps we too can benefit from this Homily and learn greater understanding of our different civilizations; creeds; faiths; races; culture and traditions.
Structural Deep Democracy (SD2): Those who claim that Islam has not enunciated a clear method of Governance are sadly lacking in insight and knowledge. Vested interests soon usurped power and cast the true methodology of Governance into obscurity. Islam promotes participatory and egalitarian systems of Governance by consensus as opposed to exclusivist, highly competitive oligarchies (rule of the rich) disguised as democracies or representative Governance. Those who uphold Western Democracy as an ideal are perhaps not aware of the fact that they promote the rule of the largest minority instead of the majority. For example in a population of one hundred (or any number) if they are five candidates and forty percent abstain from voting. If twenty five percent vote for one, fifteen percent for another and the rest (twenty percent) are divided between the remaining three candidates. The person who garners twenty five percent of the votes is deemed to be successful. Is this not unfair to the remaining seventy five percent? This system soon degenerates into voter buying, conflicts and rivalries and promotion of divide and rule policies on the part of external and internal vested interests. Technocratic responsibilities are undertaken by those who are unqualified for these positions and the question arises as to why they vie for election and the holding of power. Can we divorce human psychology from practical matters? As referred to before those who are under the sway of the lower or animal self commanding to evil, the Nafs-e-Ammara, are usually at the forefront in seeking election and dominance in direct opposition to Islamic injunctions. For those who object to this statement by citing the example of so called “Religious Parties” in the fracas that is called Politics, are easily answered by the words “Beware Lest The Nafs assume the garb of Piety”. This situation is the worst condition that a person can fall into, in other words that of being wrong and yet convinced of being right and that too with Divine Sanction. As an alternate, a system that uncovers the Centrality or Nexus of Trust within Society is called for. This fairly or unfairly competitive atmosphere that prevails within society has to be eradicated if we are to exist as a society. The questionable intents of those who pitch themselves into the Political arena; the vast expenses incurred upon elections; voter buying; coercion; subversion by local and foreign intelligence agencies; the ill will generated by competition and the requirement to recoup expenses incurred by those who win, show ample need for reform. Page Rank Algorithm is one such method for uncovering centrality. This algorithm is used to rank web sites. As a graphic illustration in the society of one hundred voters cited above with the same turn out, each voter is required to select a minimum of five individuals. At the end of the exercise the results go through various software of statistical and social network analysis. A graphic illustration of selection and grouping is made. The person who received the most votes and also the trends of voting as well as interconnectedness of each voter is graphically displayed as an interlocking grid or network. The center most five individuals in the network are selected to form an executive committee to run the affairs of the community. They are free to form sub committees of those qualified for various activities pertinent to that society (agriculture, trade etc.). Accountability is inbuilt into the system as a repeat of the exercise immediately reveals whether the committee members have lost the position of trust due to any reason or retained it by excelling. This method relieves society from division and promotes cohesion. Here consensus and taking society along is rewarded and the opposite is soon exposed and disposed.
Monetary Reform: The capacity to harness the power of money to serve the public good as well as ensure economic justice and the realities of the Information World is conspicuously lacking. I am paraphrasing from “Monetary Reform – Making it Happen”! By James Robertson and John Bunzl. To quote directly: “”Dematerialized non-cash money (i.e. electronic, bank created money held in bank accounts and transmitted between them by modern information and telecommunication technology) is now overwhelmingly important. About 97% of this country’s (UK) money supply is created in that form by commercial banks, and only 3% as banknotes and coins issued by the Bank of England and the Royal Mint. The commercial banks create the non-cash money out of thin air, calling it credit and writing it into their customers’ current accounts as profit-making loans. That gives them 20 Billion Pounds a year in interest, while the taxpayer gets less than 3 Billion Pounds a year from the issue of banknotes and coins. Stopping commercial banks creating non-cash money, and transferring to the central bank responsibility for creating it and issuing it debt free to the government to spend into circulation will result in extra public revenue of about 45 Billion Pounds a year”. This is a completely Islamic Ideal as it is proposed to issue electronic money debt free for sustainable development.
The above extract goes on to illustrate the impact as follows:
1. Taxation and Government debt can be reduced, or public spending can be increased, by up to 45 billion Pounds a year (UK).
2. The value of a common resource – the national money supply – will become a source of public revenue rather than private profit. That will remove an economic injustice.
3. Withdrawing the present hidden subsidy to the banks will result in a freer market for money and finance, and a more competitive banking industry.
4. A debt-free money supply will help to reduce present levels of public and private debt, which are partly caused by the fact that nearly all the money we use has been created as debt.
5. The economy will become more stable. Banks inevitably want to lend and their customers want to borrow more at the peaks of the business cycle and less in the troughs. So when the amount of money in circulation depends on how much the banks are lending, the peaks and troughs – the booms and busts – are automatically amplified.
6. The central bank will be better able to control inflation if it itself decides and directly creates the quantity of new money the economy needs. It now tries to control inflation indirectly, by raising interest rates (i.e. the price at which people borrow from banks). But raising costs in that way actually helps to cause inflation. That partly explains why inflation has been allowed to rise steadily every year – by 2.5% in the UK – in order to avoid deflating the economy.
7. Environmental stress will be reduced. When, as now, almost all the money we use is debt, people have to produce and sell more things in order to service and repay debt than they would if money were put into circulation debt-free.
The “Earth Emergency Call To Action” initiated by the Schumacher Society, the Sustainable Society, Positive News, the Gaia Foundation and the Right Livelihood Foundation as a Civil-Society statement was a call to the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development to:
1. Replace Polluting Energy Systems in industry, agriculture, transport and the built environment with renewable energy technology.
2. Co-operate globally to revive local democracies and local economies – with emphasis on local production for local consumption and less long distance transport of goods.
3. Make sustainable agriculture the global norm – securing food supplies with minimal environmental impacts.
4. Create a participative earth democracy – fundamentally reforming global governance for the benefit of people and nature, so that international decision making is open and accountable within the framework of a strengthened and democratized United Nations.
5. Initiate a progressive shift of funds from military spending towards environmental security – providing adequate water, nutrition, healthcare, shelter and sustainable livelihoods for all.
6. Shift taxation from labor to the use of resources and pollution and waste – promoting conservation and clean production, and enhancing social welfare and jobs.
7. Reform worldwide monetary and financial systems to protect and enhance the well being of human communities and the natural environment on which they depend.
Many intellectuals elucidate the last point as they have clearly shown how the dollar hegemony is harming the entire world. “For example, one report calculates that every US citizen owes the rest of the world $7,333, while every citizen of developing countries owe it only $500. But while developing country economies must pay debt service repayments totaling more than $300 billion a year, the US must only pay $20 billion a year to service an almost equivalent amount of debt. Americans have been engaged in a consumer binge, which has led to the largest current account deficit in history, a staggering $445 billion or 4% of US GDP. This deficit has been increasing by 50% a year in recent years, and economists predict it will rise to $800 billion by 2007. Given this daily deficit of up to $2 billion, plus capital outflow of $2 billion, the US in effect has to borrow $4 billion from the pool of world savings every day. More disturbingly, it is being financed by the poor through capital flight from poor countries and the forced holding of high levels of dollar reserves. To build up reserves, poor countries have to borrow hard currency from the US at interest rates as high as 18%; and lend it back to the US in the form of Treasury Bonds at 3% interest”. (Romily Greenhill and Ann Pettifor, The United States as a HIPC (heavily indebted prosperous country) – how the poor are financing the rich, New Economics Foundation, London, 2002; www.neweconomies.org. Thus the claims of progress by holding an increasing amount of Foreign Exchange Reserves is a hoax upon our citizens and actually only in the interest of the US. This has been forced upon us by increasing indebtedness despite full knowledge of the fact that World Bank and IMF loans were subject to blatant corruption by Pakistani Political as well as Military and Civilian Bureaucracy. This was a deliberate policy in order to perpetuate a stranglehold upon our economy and political order due to indebtedness. “Another report finds that “ever since 1971, when US President Richard Nixon took the dollar off the gold standard, the dollar has been a global monetary instrument that the United States, and only the United States, can produce by fiat ….World trade is now a game in which the US produces dollars and the rest of the world produce things that dollars can buy. The world’s interlinked economies compete in exports to capture needed dollars to service dollar-denominated foreign debts and to accumulate dollar reserves”. (Henry C.K. Liu, US Dollar Hegemony Has Got To Go, Asia Times Online Co Ltd. 2002).
A third example: “At the root of this new form of imperialism is the exploitation of governments by a single government, that of the United States via the central banks and multilateral control institutions of intergovernmental capital….What has turned the older form of imperialism into a super imperialism is that, whereas prior to 1960s the US government dominated international organization by virtue of its pre-eminent creditor status, since that time it has done so by virtue of its debtor position”. (Michael Hudson, Super Imperialism: The Origin and Fundamentals of World Domination, Pluto Press, 2003, pp23-24).
“Finally the researchers of Richard Douthwaite and the Irish NGO Feasta (Richard Douthwaite, Defence and the Dollar, 2002 and Feasta, Climate and Currency: Proposals for Global Monetary Reform, 2002, prepared for the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development) confirm that the total annual subsidy (or ‘tribute’) received by the US from the rest of the World as a result of dollar seigniorage is at least $400 billion a year. This is roughly comparable to the annual US balance of payments deficit. It also explains how the US has been able to maintain its extraordinary scale of annual military expenditure compared with all other countries. The huge dollar seigniorage subsidy has even been justified by some US commentators as a payment by the rest of the world to the US as the ‘policeman’ on whom the world relies to keep order! However, as Douthwaite notes, ‘’given the policeman’s record of destabilizing or overthrowing governments with which he has had ideological differences and the fact that he would continue to put his ‘particularistic national interests’ ahead of those of the rest of the world, I doubt if many countries would be entirely happy with the arrangement”.
Thus it is pretty obvious, despite propaganda, that it is the US, which is practicing Financial Terrorism. The cover up is Islamic Terrorism in order to promote its Resource Grabbing to fuel an already highly exploitive situation. This does not promote hate against the US, there are many red blooded US citizens who would be outraged if they knew what the game is.
This exploitation has no origin in the Holy Bible, just as Terrorism has no origin in the Holy Quran. When people knowingly or unknowingly participate in debate regarding ‘Islamic terrorism’ they are actually playing the game for US neo colonial imperialism supported by neo conservative chicken hawks.
Sura 86: Tariq or The Night-Visitant:
Through the darkest night comes the penetrating light
Of a glorious star. Such is the power Of Revelation: it protects and guides the erring
For what is man? But a creature of flesh and bones! But Allah by His Power does raise Man’s state to a Life Beyond! – when lo! All things hidden will be made plain.
Man’s help will then be but the Word Of Allah, which none can thwart. So wait
With gentle patience – for His Decision.
Verses 11:17
Bismillah Hir Rehman Nir Raheem.
By the Firmament.1
Which returns (in its rounds),
And by the Earth;
Which opens out2 (From the gushing of springs, or the sprouting of vegetation).
Behold! This is the Word,
That distinguishes (Good From Evil):3
It is not a thing for amusement.
As for them4, they are but plotting a scheme,
And I am planning a scheme,5
Therefore grant a delay
To the unbelievers:
Give respite to them
Gently (for a while).6
1: The firmament above is always the same, and yet it performs its diurnal round, smoothly and punctually. So does Allah Revelation show forth the Truth, which like a circle is ever true to its center, - which is ever the same, though it revolves through the changing circumstances of our present life.
2: The earth seems hard, but springs can gush forth and vegetables sprout through it and make it green and soft. So is Truth: hard perhaps to mortals but through the fertilizing agency of Revelation, it allows our inner personality to sprout and blossom forth.
3: Revelation – Allah’s Truth – can pierce through the hardest crusts, and ever lead us back to the center and goal of our spiritual life: for it separates Good from Evil definitely. It is not mere play or amusement, any more than the sky or the earth is. It helps us to the highest issues of our life.
4: Though Allah in His Mercy has provided a piercing light to penetrate our spiritual darkness, and made our beings responsive to the growth of spiritual understanding, just as the hard earth is responsive to the sprouting of a seed or the gushing of a stream, yet there are evil unregenerate men (and women) who plot and scheme against the beneficent purpose of Allah. But their plots will be of no avail, and Allah’s purpose will prevail. It happened so with the Quraish who wanted to thwart the growth of Islam. It will be so in all ages.
5: “Mahara” is applied both to plotting with an evil purpose and planning with a good purpose. Cf. iii 54, and note, “And (the Unbelievers) plotted and planned and Allah too planned, and the best of Planners is Allah.
6: Gentle forbearance with Evil shows our trust in Allah and Allah’s plan: for it can never be frustrated. This does not mean that we should assist or compromise with Evil, or fail to put it down where we have the power. It means patience and humility when we have no visible power to prevent Evil.
Other verses regarding how a Believer must behave, when taken into consideration with similar verses as quoted and the overall thrust of Allah to humanize us and Guide us to a path of rectitude, mean that for Fair Ends we must follow Fair means. If we do not do so then there would be no difference between the Unbelievers and us.
Sustainable Development: For a starting point, I suggest that the very essence of the Muslim is that he or she links their efforts to attaining certain specific goals in real terms. To secure the rights of all downtrodden and deprived humans and set them firmly on the path of progress and prosperity is, to my mind, the ideal framework that we need consider. The very concept of Muslim society is undeniably egalitarian. Within our own societies we find huddled masses of poor and exploited humanity. Yet we loudly trumpet about Universal Ideals? The very fact is incompatible with our pedestal and needs to be corrected. For this very purpose we need a Sustainable Development Program that involves better employment through better means of production that are environmentally safe. This is linked with primary and vocational education and emergency medical care. This package is designed around existing practices and past experiences. It is tailored to meet the demands of a new and hungry market, with a new and hungry entrepreneur at its helm. It freely borrows fro the Late Akhter Hameed Khan’s “Thana Training and Development Centers (TTDCs); His Orangi Pilot Project; The Faisalabad and Sialkot Models with improvements; The Chinese Economic Miracle; Malaysia’s Approach to Development and countless Best Practice Examples from the every day world. I strongly feel that this model is bound to meet with success and form the foundation of a truly emancipating and progressive movement. This could then be used as a springboard and sounding board to coordinate and fine-tune a real Resurgence and Cultural Renewal. This would be ideally suited to the requirements of the time and place and would be absolutely free of any dogmatic chains to hold back the march of progress. The very fact that innumerable agencies of the West are purportedly engaged in similar efforts is a strong point that needs to be used to the best. Nowhere are the goals and methods incompatible with their thoughts. It is required that we participate in these programs and tailor them to our goals and ambitions. Once we attain a certain standard, we would find that we are well coordinated with Universal thinking and activity. This worldwide movement will certainly bear the fruit of better understanding and closer ties. This will result in humanizing society and would preclude most forms of struggle and strife. Is this not our own aim? Let us go in one leap over the years of degradation and stagnation and take Humanity along with us to that peak of endeavor that we could have attained if we had continued to progress as a Civilization. Internecine internal conflicts, our own personal failings and short comings and a blind struggle for power have served to brink us to the brink of a precipice. The extraneous influences that affected our course may have been necessary to channelise our efforts to the right direction. Time and again we have strayed from the laid down path and were severely checked as we rushed pell-mell towards self-destruction. We have yet to learn the correct lessons from these debacles and take the correct path in deference with the laid down laws of the Almighty Allah.
It is envisaged to build up Community Based activities as a Small-Scale Enterprise. Master Trainers should be provided with Training Centers at their villages for further training of the poor. It is intended to provide Micro Credit facilities for equipment and raw materials in order to facilitate Sustainable Development as well as Poverty Alleviation and ensure Participatory Self-Reliance.
The difference lies in the provision of Marketing Support, many Welfare Organizations run training facilities which churn out semi skilled individuals who promptly fail to market their as yet sub standard production. The first faltering steps brook no failure and demand support in order to ensure sustainability. Just as the infant struggles to stand upon its own so too the nascent entrepreneur is buffeted by inequitable “market” forces with no level playing field in sight.
This model is present in different forms in different spheres of life. The tobacco and sugar cane industries have long supported growers in order to enable them to provide quality raw materials. The informal and unorganized private, cottage level producers of Sialkot; Gujranwala and Faisalabad Districts of Punjab Province of Pakistan have developed a system of piece production by womenfolk in their own homes for central purchase and export. The workers are highly exploited and work under the worst conditions to subsidize production and transfer huge cost and sales differentials to unscrupulous middlemen. In this society even the ‘normal’ farmer is deprived of his due share by middlemen without investment who make at least as much if not more than the field worker who has invested financially as well as physically.
Thus this intervention is called for to provide relief to all including refugees, internally displaced persons, the poverty stricken as well as the situationally maladjusted agents for positive change.
“Clustering is generally defined as a process of firms and other actors co-locating within a concentrated geographical area, cooperating around a certain functional niche, and establishing close linkages and working alliances to improve their collective competitiveness,”
“The importance of intensively interacting, geographically co-located activities, was recognized by geographers already in the 18th century but has been highlighted in analytical and normative economic literature since the last two decades. Policymakers have gradually tried to put it to practical use, and many public measures are now adopted or refined with reference to the cluster concept.”
Clusters seem to be able to generate sets of benefits that help firms and regions to innovate and enhance competitiveness. At least three categories of common, partly inter-related benefits have been identified:
1. Enhanced Productivity
· Sharpened competition
· Enhanced specialization
· More knowledgeable customers
· Enhanced availability of specialized factor inputs
· Easier attraction and recruitment of a skilled labor force
2. Improved Business Formation
· Deepening of seed and venture capital activities, resulting in greater competencies for handling risk in the formation of new ventures and cultivation of high-growth firms
· Personal knowledge replaces product references
· Virtual circles of new firm creation / spin-off activities /joint ventures
· Effectiveness in mobilizing venture capital and human resources
3. Improved Possibilities for Innovation
· Enhanced communication and display of opportunities for innovation
· Shortened start-up times of networks around new products and processes
· Early identification of technology trends
· Novel combinations of competencies
I call the overall, integrated process “Conglomoculture” and suggest that it serves to provide the poor and disadvantaged many of the advantages of the large corporate and yet avoids the pitfalls of bureaucratic and ironbound chains upon productivity.
Glocalization: The concept of “Globalization” and “The New World Order” is a hoax that is being played upon the people of under developed and developing countries of the world. This is merely being done in order to further exploit and subjugate the third world at the expense of the US. The EU soon learnt to protect itself by banding together. The Far East is upholding a brave font while Indonesia and Malaysia are struggling to hold their own. The Near and Middle East and Central Asia are open hunting grounds whereas China has exhibited a phenomenal resilience by using the Imperialists own weapons to defeat them economically and thus escape their clutches. This augers ill for the near future as a fight to the finish is expected between the US and China once the US has succeeded in digesting the mostly Muslim countries that are prey to its predatory activities.
Western style Capitalism can be likened to a dog chasing and devouring its own tail. It needs must maintain expansion in order to sustain itself. A Pyramid can rise only in relation to its base, the larger the base the higher the pinnacle. Globalization is just another word for this phenomenon. A just and equitable order calls for increasing independence regionally as well as locally with integration on a global scale for free interchange of ideas and translocation of skills as well as skilled labor. Local production with minimal long range transport of goods due to division between producer and consumer societies is called for. We must seek out the cutting edge of Nano Technology and ICTs; Food synthesis; Energy Cells and Intensive Horticulture will serve to make this possible.
Sardar Taimur Hyat-Khan
Chisti Qadri
