Need for re-think
Perhaps the less said about the Shirani-Ashrafi scuffle at the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) session the other day the better, but some issues need to be urgently addressed. For some time now Maulana Shirani’s suggestions and actions had made the Council the centre of needless controversy. Sadly, the government did not take note of this trend. And Maulana Ashrafi’s passions notwithstanding, his apprehensions about CII touching dangerous religious and sectarian fault-lines are shared by large segments of the society; just not yet , apparently, by the government. Regardless, the scholars should not have resorted to a fist-fight – embarrassing themselves, the Council, and the country.
The need for moderation in the national religious narrative cannot be stressed enough, especially at this particular point in our history. Had the government been alive to the need of this narrative – as part and parcel of the National Action Plan (NAP) – such incidents would not occur. It would require not just institutions like CII, but also scholars and curricula to abide by it. And no forum would be allowed to stoke fires of hatred. The war on terror was thrust upon us not by the bombs and bullets of the enemy, but principally by the brainwashing that preceded the fighting.
There is, obviously, a need for a re-shuffle at the CII. Surely the government can find scholars capable of enlightening us on the more tolerant aspects of religion, and areas where precedents can help improve governance. Such decisions will be crucial in this existential fight. Unless sanity is restored to a multitude of doctored minds, the war on terror will not end. Already the government is guilty of being behind the curve on this issue. The sooner it pulls its socks up the better, not just for the safety but also the image of the country.