By Masroor ul Hassan

Religious extremism is not a modern phenomenon invented by the fundamentalist Muslims, as is being projected by the Jewish media amply supported by hard line Christians. Thanks to the West’s media power and well orchestrated propaganda campaign, almost every innocent western citizen is convinced that Islam, as a religion, preaches violence. Therefore, they perceive Muslims as violent people projecting Jihad as the only course of action to snatch their self perceived rights and alleviate their sufferings at the hand of wealthy nations.

A brief visit to past history may provide a better insight into the phenomenon of extremism as we know it today. 1492 AD was the year of two major events casting profound effect on history. One, Columbus discovered America and the other; Grenada fell to Christian Western Empires. The discovery of America and its consequential turning into a homogeneous nation destined to become the sole super power of the 20th Century is recent and common knowledge. Second major event of that fateful year, the fall of Grenada merits discussion since it was a forerunner of the decline of hitherto uninterrupted Muslim power.

European Christian states of fifteenth century were powerful. International opinion, if any, was the least of their concerns. Therefore, they did not have to feign magnanimity as the Western States have to do now. Ruthless persecution by ruling Christians was a prevalent phenomenon. Extremism of ‘Fundamental Christians’ was in full bloom.

Likewise, fundamentalism too is basically a Christian concept evolved in the beginning of 20Th Century by leading evangelical churchmen through wide circulation of a pamphlet entitled “The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth.”

The most unfortunate example of extremism and perfect lack of tolerance, following the Crusades and the re-conquest of Spain by the Christian Spaniards, was the introduction of Spanish Inquisition (1478-1834 AD) which was implemented with prior sanction of the Pope (Fatwa!! shall we call it?) to purify the people of Spain. Executions, torture and exceptionally long prison terms were handed down with impunity. Consequently Catholics inflicted comprehensive ethnic cleansing and drove out Jews, Protestants and other non-believers including Muslims, their previous masters. The Jews, mainly running the money and printing business in those areas, were discriminated against. They were thus forced to flee and migrate to Turkey. Christians not towing the religious lines of those at the helm were also not spared.

Today Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and some other Muslim states are getting branded as safe havens for religious extremists. The fact is that extremism and fundamentalism do abound within these states. Individual splinter groups are using terrorism to promote their agenda. International actors and institutions are also exploiting the situation to promote their goals. The unfortunately extreme position of Muslim clerics permeates among youth creating reactionary extremism though Islam seeks the middle course not extreme.

The Prophet Mohammad (SAW) cautioned “Beware of extremism in your religion”. Disregarding well sounded caution, Islam seems to have become a discourse of anger and the rhetoric of rage. We have lost our bearings since we have lost true spirit of theology. Madarasah students are programmed like robots to believe that they ARE good and anyone who opposes them is evil. Our fragmented communities, lack of justice and complete indifference of civil society provide much fuel to the fire of their incendiary flames.

French president Chirac suggested: “Terrorism is a feverish expression of suffering, frustration and injustice.” World community has to play its role in eradicating all sorts of international injustice in order to make our planet safer for next generations. But unfortunately, the actions by the West, especially of United States of America, add flames to the extremist philosophy being perpetrated by the so called Muslim scholars. While Western powers must review the tools and techniques implemented to fight international terrorism, Muslim Ummah also has to put its act together. A comprehensive strategy needs to be developed to address and eradicate existing extremist trends.

The governments and the “haves” are amply aware of this dismal situation. There are some poverty eradication efforts at governmental level, albeit half hearted. Some work is being done by certain NGOs like Edhi Foundation in Pakistan. However, the strategy of directly helping poverty ridden millions will not bring lasting relief at the societal level. The work, commendable as it is, is being done at the wrong end; the bottom end of a very wide base of a pyramid.

This strategy needs to undergo a paradigm change. The shift must aim at transformation of the mindset of civil society. The main focus of attention must shift to the affluent members of the society. The target population would have to be the “haves” instead of present deprived and unprivileged masses. Presently those affluent few are wondering as to why the poor don’t eat “cake” if bread was not available. They may feel morally compelled to get mobilized if they are made to realize that cakes are not easily available to the hungry poor. An institutionalized effort by the “haves”, in the form of NGOs, to enable hungry masses earn at least their bread if not cake would bring about amazing results.

An institutional effort by the civil society is the only means which could involve “haves” and mobilize them to systematically confront the issue of poverty eradication. Most developed societies have very effective institutional civil structures which support and guide masses to secure their rights as equal members of the society. No individual feels helpless since there is a forum one can approach in case subjected to injustice.

Think tanks and intellectuals of our civil society must move to form a forum which would actively pursue a strategy aimed at provision of justice to all and poverty alleviation. Such an apolitical forum will not suffer from political expediencies. It will have no political motives such as forming the government. With the efforts of such an active and influential forum the situation will improve at a dramatic pace. A top down social strategy by the civil society will supplement governmental intervention to shift the poverty line downwards. Affluent civil society members will be persuaded and encouraged to invest at domestic level instead of investing abroad. Government must devise and implement investment friendly regulations and root out corruption from its institutions.

Even a single percentage point reduction in poverty through such an institutional social effort by the civil society will have an exponential positive effect on the morale of the entire society. A self perpetuating cycle of progress, owing to the change of attitude of the rich, will eradicate poverty sooner than any one of us could imagine. The social gap between the rich and poor would start reducing as a result of the inevitable interaction required by the new strategy.

A motivated and self assured member of the society will be more productive. Natural by-product of relative affluence and consequent hope and satisfaction at the lower level would deliver a death blow to the efforts of those who are exploiting the poor masses by involving them in heinous crimes and atrocities. The BANE OF EXTREMISM and the scourges of petty and organized crime, drug addiction, child labor afflicting our society would start disappearing. This dream can be translated into reality only if the subject of our focus shifts from ensuring subsistence of the deprived multitudes below the line of poverty to involving the affluent members of society in Poverty Alleviation Movement (PAM).

Copyrights : Masroor ul Hassan