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Trouble in the Mosque
by Aijazz Ahmed
“ISLAMABAD - He is in his 64th year, an age when a man should be extra
careful about exposing himself to extremes of temperature. But Yaqoob's
soul is not at rest, and every morning he sets off for the neighborhood
mosque at four in the morning in the sub-zero temperatures of Pakistan's
winter for the first of five daily visits.
"I clean and sweep the mosque as it is the house of the lord
[God]," says Yaqoob, eyes beaming behind what should be a white
beard, but is dyed coal black. "I can secure a place in heaven and
in the hearts of men in this way."
Yaqoob personifies a dying breed in the country. He is a volunteer
servant at the mosque, but many others like him have given up such work
as a result of the fundamental changes in the role of mosques in Muslim
society brought about by commercial, communal and sectarian mullahs
injecting violence and intolerance into the country's social structure.
Wonder, glory and sanctity are traditionally associated with the mosque.
For a Muslim, building a mosque is a lifetime priority to book a berth
in heaven. But, since the late 1980s, in tandem with mosques losing
their role as teaching facilities for society, mosque-building has
become a lucrative business for many a mullah and land-grabber with a
commercial, rather than a spiritual bent. Mosques can attract a lot of
money through donations, made every week by pious Muslims in the name of
Allah, and from funding by mentors and foreign donors. ...
Maulvies (Muslims religious leaders) started building wanted or
unwanted mosques at a rapid pace. Even Islamabad was their target. Every
patch of green belt or empty place was captured by the maulvies
to build a mosque, as it was a good way get some financial benefits,
better their social status and live in Islamabad at the cost of the
others. And worse, many spread ignorance and religious intolerance. The
government does not support this practice, but it cannot clamp down too
hard as they are a potential law and order threat. Many mosques receive
substantial donations from philanthropists keen to appease their inner
soul and conscience, when in fact such donations are tax deductible.
Dr Manzoor Ahmed, a scholar, psychologist and researcher on religious
issues laments that religious parties began the trend of using mosques
only for their political gains. "The practice should be stopped and
the glory of the mosque should be restored if we want to remain on the
international scene as a moderate, literate and sane nation."
Iftikhar Arif, a renowned poet and researcher, agrees. "The mosque
should be a religious and community center and not a center for
increasing religious intolerance and sectarianism. Unfortunately, people
controlling the mosques are injecting violence in the people, and this
is the reason for a rapid decline of praying. People are becoming
oblivious to religion and society."
Another concurring voice comes from Talat Masood, a writer, analyst and
anthropologist. "Intolerance in our society is at an increase and
that is the reason why we are far behind other nations. The mosque
should be taken as an institution, not as a tool for self gain."
But Aftab Ahmed, a human rights activists who works on bonded labor,
differs somewhat. "Maulvies in the majority of mosques are
innocent. They are illiterate, not fully trained to meet day-to-day
religious requirements and to match modern-day challenges. They have
been misused by the politically motivated religious parties and the
political mullahs aligned with the right-wing agencies since the days of
the Afghan jihad. In a situation like this, how can they activate
mosques as community centers?" asks Ahmed.
Although registered mosques are under the strict control of the
government, and an ordinance prohibits them from being used for
anti-government or anti-US speeches, and the majority observes this ban,
the situation is such that mosques continue to be used as political and
sectarian pulpits. This is especially so in private mosques in the
politically vibrant parts of Punjab and Sindh, and especially in North
West Frontier Province and Balochistan, where the mosques are largely
under the influence of the more radical and militant Islamist groups.
Further, mosques cannot be closed down, as this is against the religion,
although imams can be transferred or arrested for violations.
As long as one particular sect cannot even enter into the mosque of
another sect, the mosque cannot play a useful role in society. This is
the tragedy that has befallen Pakistan.”
Aijazz Ahmed, Trouble in the Mosque
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