Half-Religious Half-Political Chauffeur Crushes All -by- Sarmad Shahbaz

By Sarmad Shahbaz

Join the Good and refrain from evil? Okay! It is highly respected. But, how can one be judged good or evil, in one’s entirety, as today’s political system works beyond good and evil? Not only politics but the global economic, culture, and social order do not work in the way as they did around one and a half-millennium ago. Politics, as general science, deals with the governance models, organization of a unit, and race of power superposition in a society. Contrary to it, a religion talks about the way of living, spirituality, and belief system of an individual, not of the whole community. Both, when woven together with knots that are untie-able, cause a disequilibrium ground.

History repeats itself but sometimes, or as various intellectuals including Yuval, Tariq, and Foucault picture, the dynamics during this repetition are counterbalanced by the status quo. This must not be confused that the process of repetition is in the favor of one or another. The cyclic process theory of Khaldun aligns a society in a procession that rises and falls are inevitable. In this procession, it is important to note the time extension of a particular rise and fall. This time-oriented rise or fall, basically, define the evolutionary time or a complete degeneration. The next para enclaves the situation well.

Let us briefly study one similar historic instance that changed a continent of more than 25 countries i.e., today’s Europe. During the Renaissance, Europe was progressed by the intellectually empowered artisans and commoners who separated the intermingled forces of religion and politics. No doubt, believing that these two are not related is naivety.

However, blindly believing that these two are one is worse than naivety. After the separation of both of these themes, Europe lifted her head so high that after more than six hundred years, there is no stoppage but multipliable evolution.

The rise is still going healthy and persistent. Indubitably, the all-time heroes or occasionally villains surnamed Luther and Calvin are praised and berated today but the fruit that their work ripe can be seen today with an unprejudiced and realistic lens. The enlightened era of Europe made it the most progressed, well-organized, and welfare-supporting continent in the world.

The numbness of this blind nation is highly metastasis

Converging to the topic, our not-so-solution-oriented Pakistani ruling government and masquerade opposition is doing the same thing but in conflicting ways. Thomas C. mentioned that history is a circular process. I firmly believe it is, even with feedback, but this feedback is ill-taken by the present state of affairs. Amr Bil Maroof is a great lesson that Allah SWT mentioned in verses.

Using it for an evil game of populous politics, as most of the politicians, religious symbols, and spiritualists believe in Pakistan, is not a good move. Running one’s political machinery in the name of religion is skeptical. It is hard to comprehend a political gathering based on a theological agenda with the rave of disco-jockey in his full strength. This comprehension is puzzling at its core because the theology of this particular religion is detestable towards music. Songs are not dear to ears.

Then how come this popular politics in the name of religion is widely appraised by the people of Pakistan. When all of these people are highly religious and do understand it, at least for self-interest. The simple answer is; that people want to believe what they see and hear but not what they experience. People cheer when the egocentric premier does not want to know about the rates of necessities but wants to make this country lighten up. Well, it is highly doubtable that Riyasat-e-Madina was based upon showing off power-populous while not caring about people living in the Arabian Peninsula.

The numbness of this blind nation is highly metastasis. This is true as when OIC came to Pakistan to ossify the Pan-Islamic motto, the Muslim ummah was divided whether to accept the harshly-motivated Palestinian subjugator or not. Some of these countries are building relations with Israel and some are still in the dilemma of whether to accept it. Enemy of my enemy is my friend. What will happen when all the enemies of my enemy will become my enemy’s friends. I will be isolated.

Make it sense. Meanwhile, the Pakistani nation was only happy to see the foreign policy is getting stronger not knowing the country is getting isolated from all across the world because of the populous narrative. Pakistani people hated Trump but today when Mr. Trump Khan is using the same tactics mixed with religious formulas, the people are joyous. So joyous that they have blocked the roads in the federal capital. Opposition is indifferent to this as well.

Hegel said that we learn from history that we do not learn from history. True that. The country that was made in the name of religion is getting exploited in the name of religion as well. Can you see the points of the second para making sense itself now? If not, you need to read history and its juxtaposed events in past and present. You will be able to predict the future.

The crux of this piece lies in the separation of popular politics and religion. Religion is a highly personal matter and one should not be judged on religious beliefs. Let’s not use religion as a tool to gather masses or muscle up one’s strength. Base it on intellectual, rational, and logical grounds. Similarly, if herds consider it a personal matter, then make sure that it is equally distributed.

Alongside, Pakistani political car is having a chauffeur that has put on the coat of religion for glittering his politics. In the end, when religion and politics travel in the same car, the rider believes nothing can stand in his way. Everyone, including you and I, get crushed. Ponder over and add some oil to the breaks.

About the Author,

The writer is Pakistan-based political commentator and social critic with keen interests in political-economic sphere, social order and philosophy.