A Letter to Pakistani Muslims | Ali Kazmi

Had Zia (and even Bhutto) not corrupted Islam, Pakistan wouldn't be in the mess it's in today. Things can get better, but for them to get better, you need to realize that Islam belongs in the home, heart and Mosque and not in politics. 

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By Ali Kazmi | March 16, 2011

How do you feel about the exoneration of Raymond Davis? You would be justified in being outraged because the man's a murderer. Secularists like myself have been trying to sell secularism to you by showing you that mixing religion with politics has been disastrous to Ahmedi Muslims and Christians, but you've not been won over. I don't think it's because you don't care about Christians and Ahmedi Muslims - I'd like to believe you're not that callous - but because you think religion and politics haven't been mixed the right way. You probably think that Islam and politics can mix and though I vehemently disagree with you, I'm not going to argue with you on that. I'm going to take a different tact.


The State decided to exonerate Raymond Davis because America pressured it to do so, but notice that he wasn't exonerated on the basis of secular law. He wasn't exonerated on the basis of Pakistan being a signatory of some treaty that forbids it from prosecuting foreigners; Davis was exonerated because the State decided he could pay qisas (Islamic blood money). Do you think the State could have defended its decision to exonerate Davis on the basis of secular law? No, of course not, the State knew you wouldn't buy it, but the State hoped to placate you with religion. The way I see it, Islam is no longer what the Quran says it is. Islam is what the corrupt religious elite pressures the State to say it is.

How many of you have read the Quran in a language you understand? I'm certain almost none of you have. You've done the intellectually lazy thing and let the religious elite decide for you what Islam is and this has proven to be very bad not just for the people of Pakistan, but also for Islam. So if you want that Islam shouldn't be used as a tool for keeping you quiet and stupid, do whatever you can to make Pakistan a secular state. Islam cannot remain pristine and unadulterated if it's allowed to mix with politics because the State will always pervert it for its own purpose.

Until incorruptible men and women come into power, Islam will always be in danger of becoming totally corrupted by the State. The kind of Islam that was prevalant in Pakistan before Zia ul Haq is not the same Islam that is prevalant today. Zia knew he had to use religion to stay in power and in using religion for political purposes, he completely changed it. Had Zia (and even Bhutto) not corrupted Islam, Pakistan wouldn't be in the mess it's in today. Things can get better, but for them to get better, you need to realize that Islam belongs in the home, heart and Mosque and not in politics. You need to realize that a true Muslim doesn't need to live in a Muslim utopia to follow the teachings of the Quran. Please see that a true Muslim would be able to adhere to the teachings of the Quran even in a city where a lot of things that are contrary to the teachings of Islam go on.


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