Unholy acts of the holy empire

It’s a country of holy cows – feed ‘em if you can’t beat ‘em

The disgraced peer (spiritual leader) of hundreds of thousands of disciples was trying very hard to prove his innocence in a small, cosy room at the first floor of FIA headquarters before us. Detention on charges of corruption in Hajj affairs had made him rebellious against his own government particularly the then Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, another fellow peer from his hometown, Multan.
We were allowed to have an exclusive meeting with the sacked Minister for Religious Affairs, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, at an FIA compound in 2011 on the intervention of his nephew – an old pal and classmate of my colleague Javed-ur-Rehman from an English daily. Kazmi was furious at Gilani’s son but lacked the courage to speak out against the powerful premier. He was convincing us that he was innocent and his property and local/foreign bank accounts were no proofs to prove that he had indulged in corruption. “Your income and tax returns do not justify your wealth and property … they (judges) inquire about the property and bank accounts I hold … definitely my declared sources of income and tax returns can’t justify them … but how can I tell them in an open court that this wealth has not been earned by businesses or hard work or doing any job … this was earned through gifts and donations (nazranay) from mureeds … name any peer of the country who declares the income earned from his mureeds in his tax returns … I find myself standing between the devil and the deep blue sea … if I open my heart on how I amassed this fortune I will face severe criticism from media and public and if I keep mum the courts of law will consider me guilty,” Kazmi was defending himself with these arguments.

They say wisdom cries out in the streets and no one regards it. It is a country of holy cows – feed ‘em if you can’t beat ‘em. People will continue worshiping these tin-gods, politicians will continue seeking their blessings to reach the power-houses and hungry peasants will never cease donating their hard-earned money to these heartless kings of (un)holy empire.

 
Now after four years, a special court has sentenced Kazmi to 16 years in prison. Along with Kazmi, former Director General Hajj, Rao Shakeel; former Additional Secretary Religious Affairs, Aftab Ahmed, have also been sentenced to 40 years and 16 years in prison respectively. FIA investigators claim that Kazmi’s total income was PKR 95,000 of which PKR 80,000 was his salary as the minister, and PKR 15,000 was what he was earning from his madrassa in Multan. The federal agency has questions about the 314 canals of land Kazmi owns and also regarding his foreign bank accounts.

And where the offence is, let the great axe fall. The bold verdict against corruption is beautiful, but there must exist some mechanisms for the accountability of guardians of holy empire: peers, sajjada nashins and gaddi nashins too. FIA should also come up with data on property and bank accounts of other peers too. People will forget Panama papers once these secrets treasures are exposed.

One peer from Rawalpindi recently spent millions and millions of rupees on the marriage function of his son setting aside the traditions of simplicity of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his companions. What to talk about thousands of fake peers and amils operating at every nook and corner of the country when the acts of such established ‘holy families’ are enough to shame a logical mind.

A few days back, in a violent standoff between the custodians of Hazrat Sultan Bahu shrine over a cheap patch of land located at the suburbs of Shorkot (Jhang district), three people were killed while dozens others sustained serious injuries. It was a big incident but under-reported. The armed men – better called mureeds or khalifas of Sahibzada Nazir Sultan MNA and Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan – stormed the mansion of Sahibzada Najeeb Sultan to take possession of a few shops and eventually the adventure ended in the killing of three poor peasants – also mureeds of the other peer. “… if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” This is what the Quran teaches Muslims. On the other hand are the unholy acts of these peers who have millions of followers across the world. The fortune they posses is more than enough to feed their seven coming generations but they forget the injunctions of Quran and teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) for such cheap worldly gains. Will they be the ones to teach this nation about spirituality and tawakkul?
The social media is abound with images, clips and other repulsive content on how these so-called spiritual leaders are befooling the masses at the name of religion, Islam and spirituality. One peer from Rawalpindi recently spent millions and millions of rupees on the marriage function of his son setting aside the traditions of simplicity of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his companions. What to talk about thousands of fake peers and amils operating at every nook and corner of the country when the acts of such established ‘holy families’ are enough to shame a logical mind.
They have conquered every power-centre for ages. Politicians either belong to these families or want their patronage to secure seats particularly in rural constituencies. Every Gaddi-Nasheen (custodian of a shrine) claims having a number of parliamentarians in his pocket as he thinks the seats have been secured with his blessings. In exchange they get more power to play more. A friend of mine, a former federal minister, once narrated a stunning story to me on how these peers exploit the needy politicians.

“I invited a peer from a particular Gaddi (spiritual seat of authority or influence) to my hometown during elections in a bid to muster support from his disciples. I won the support but lost an expensive car parked at my place as the eyes of the peer fell on it and on departure he asked me to hand him over the keys of the luxurious vehicle. Another time a peer deprived me of my expensive wrist-watch in exchange of election favour.”
Iqbal’s poem “Baghi Mureed” unveils the ugly face of this holy empire.

Hum ko to mayassar nahin mitti ka diya bhi – Ghar peer ka bijli ke charaghon se hai roshan

(Not a rushlight for us, — in our Master’s – Fine windows electric lights blaze)

Shehri ho, dahati ho, Musalman hai sada – Manind-e-butaan pujte hain Kaabe ke barhman

(Town or village, the Muslim’s a duffer – To his Brahmins like idols he prays)

Nazrana nahin, sood hai peeran-e-haram ka – Har kharqa-e-saaloos ke andar hai mahajan

(Not mere gifts — compound interest these saints want, In each hair‐shirt a usurer’s dressed)

Meeras mein ayi hai inhain masnad-e-irshad – Zaghon ke tasarruf mein auqabon ke nasheman!

(Who inherits his seat of authority – Like a crow in the eagle’s old nest)

They say wisdom cries out in the streets and no one regards it. It is a country of holy cows – feed ‘em if you can’t beat ‘em. People will continue worshiping these tin-gods, politicians will continue seeking their blessings to reach the power-houses and hungry peasants will never cease donating their hard-earned money to these heartless kings of (un)holy empire. I end this piece with an excerpt from Mother Goose fairy tales and rhymes: “For every ailment under the sun, There is a remedy, or there is none, If there be one, try to find it; If there be none, never mind it.”