Entire world seems to be travelling back in time. Yes. You heard it right, really we are doing that. According to Einstein, we need to travel faster than light to achieve that, but thanks to some “Glorious Bastards” we are managing it anyway. Yes, we are fast moving towards middle age again and the day won’t be far, when our future generations will be in stone age again and finally we will achieve to bring about yet another big bang and hmmm….what next?
I will just give examples.
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A Muslim organisation in India, issues a fatwah against “Vande Mataram” (Same patriotic song that has become A.R. Rehman’s signature tune for long) terming it anti islamic. And this all occurs on the same day of honourable attendance by Home Minister of “Secular” Republic of India.
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Somewhere in Indonesia, I read that they are about to bring out a law that will prevent women wearing tight clothes.
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A Saudi Man is convicted by a Saudi court for flaunting his sex life on a Lebanese Talk show.
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A Saudi woman who was the representative for the production house of same Lebanese show in Saudi Arabia is convicted for same offence i.e. Offending Islam. Later she is pardoned by Saudi King on mercy (Though, many smell international pressure here, since this case was highly publicised in Western world)
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A Pakistani Muslim girl, who has tattoed “Alham Dulillah” (Praise to God) on her back is spotted in one of Mumbai’s biggest mall by one Indian Muslim and he calls his mother, who then rallies some more women to the place and physically assaults and verbally abuses the girl in the mall itself for insulting Islam. When I ask how did it offend Islam to one of my educated Muslim colleague, I get an answer that tattoing on back is offensive. I somehow controlled my urge to ask about frontside. The girl quickly flies off to her native “Islamic” Republic of Pakistan from the “Secular” Republic of India.
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Some girls who are in a pub in southern India are attacked by a bunch of hooligans claiming to be a Hindu Right wing outfit. Their claim – the girls are offending Indian and Hindu culture by drinking with boys and wearing skimpy outfits.
Well I just realised that I am also spiraling down back into the time. This account may just feature India and the Middle east but actually there are a lot many Christian Conservatives too in Europe and Americas, whose tales do not get much publicity. They are called cults sometimes. But Europe and Americas have a far larger population who is progressive and thus these cults remain cults and fail to make it to mainstream.
That underlines the fact that if sanity has to prevail, insanity has to be outnumbered overwhelmingly. For that, mass education is a mandatory requirement. And to achieve that kind of mass education, we in India and such developing and regressive societies, need Educational Reforms. I understood what educational reforms can do when I read about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It was his achievements, alongwith some disturbing and disgusting news prompted me to write this post. If we really want to stop the journey back into time and we want to move forward. We have to follow the path shown by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. He partly succeded in his ventures only because of Educational Reforms. Whatever was left unachieved is being achieved slowly by Turkey. I am highly impressed by whatever meagre information I read about him and now I am waiting to get my hands on one of his authentic Biographies.
I only read in our textbooks that M.K. Gandhi supported Muslims on Khilafat (Caliphate) Andolan (Movement) to bring Muslims into mainstream Independence movements, but our textbooks don’t mention that the cause M.K. Gandhi fought against at nation’s expense was actually something to stop the contemporary Muslims from going back in time and put them on way to progress in Modern World. Further M.K. Gandhi’s steps didn’t only backfire but also lead to an unnecessary tagging of different Hindu and Muslim causes, which in turn lead to the problems that we historically are facing till date. The Caliphate (Khilafat) was abolished by Ataturk for the greater good of Muslims and the Modern post World War I world. And he proved it with his revolutionary reforms and guidance to take Turkey long way ahead of other Muslim Nations. And yes, importantly it is the only Muslim Majority nation to be Constitutionally Secular and actually practises it in Education and Law.
What a stark contrast between M.K. Gandhi and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. One more interesting fact. We, all know M.K. Gandhi is lovingly(!) called Rashtrapita (Father of the nation – though I am not sure) also Ataturk means Father of the Turks.
Tags: Ataturk, Educational Reforms
Very well written Bhise.
Great post. Foolish, politically narrow minded individuals continue to hold this world to ransom. Hope some of them do indeed read this post of yours and learn a lesson.