Dr. S. M. Koreshi Speaks out on Talibans and Islam.

Prophet Mohammad was meditating when Angel Gabriel came to him and said, "Iqra" meaning READ.

Surah Al-Alaq

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE DISPENSER OF GRACE

READ in the name of thy Sustainer, who has created –

created man out of a germ-cell!

Read - for thy Sustainer is the Most Bountiful One

who has taught [man] the use of the pen –

taught man what he did not know!

Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening

whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient:

for, behold, unto thy Sustainer all must return.

HAST THOU ever considered him who tries to prevent

a servant [of God] from praying?

Hast thou considered whether he is on the right way,

or is concerned with God-consciousness?

Hast thou considered whether he may [not] be giving the lie to the truth and turning his back [upon it]?

Does he, then, not know that God sees [all]?

Nay, if he desist not, We shall most surely drag him down upon his forehead –

the lying, rebellious forehead! –

and then let him summon [to his aid] the counsels of his own [spurious] wisdom,

[the while] We shall summon the forces of heavenly chastisement!

Nay, pay thou no heed to him, but prostrate thyself [before God] and draw close [unto Him]!
Al-Quran.


Dr.S.M.Koreshi is former diplomat of Pakistan, who is a columnist in an English Newspaper daily, Pakistan Observer. Below is his article "Please this is not Islam." which was published in the Pakistan Observer on 28th Jan, 2009.

Please this is not Islam.

When we the generation which made Pakistan, the students in their teens who formed the spear head of the Pakistan Movement, chanting on the roads, ley ke rahingey Pakistan, Bat ke rahey ga Hindustan, - take we will our Pakistan, make we will our Pakistan- we had unshakable confidence in ourselves, sure of the place we wanted to give to our dreamland in the world comity of nations, proud, strong, self reliant, hoping that Pakistan will write a new history of glory of Muslims. As Iqbal said when the soul of falcon is awaken in the youth, they see their destiny as high as sky. We did wonders in making a new state out of almost zero, the towns of Karachi, Lahore, Pindi were small, no roads, no industry, no electricity worth the name, only one university in Lahore, no schools, etc, no this, no that thing- go on counting of no this thing and no that thing. We made it a country, we wanted to be competitive with the Hindus, the West, the advanced countries of the world. We did well initially. We were then united. Now there are very few common values among all sections of society. There are no common leaders. Common man is leaderless, at national level. .

Now it seems we are a lost people, no pride in our selves, do not know where we are going, no goals, dithering away, not sure of our tomorrow subservient living on IMF and foreign charity . There is utter confusion. Nation is divided. There are two classes, the extremists and the pliant puppets of foreign powers. Disunited on the goals, what we are what we want to be. Look at the killing spree the destruction of our Northern areas, the devastation of Swat- Swat is burning, northern areas are burning, lost people burning the cradles of learning, all in the name of Islam. Is it Islam? Every teaching of Islam is being disrespected. Islam says if you kill one innocent it is like killing the whole humanity. I will only take the most important matter of national concern today ; the move to deny education, modern education as well as Pakistani studies - education, schools education of boys and girls which is at the alter of sacrifice, and strangely in the name of Islam. I hang my head in pain and in shame. I might explain that I have studied both Arabic language and Quran and Hadith from third class primary to undergraduate classes. I have some knowledge of the subject I am writing on and not a foreign oriented person in culture or knowledge It happens that I was educated in Islamic schools and institutions, learned Arabic language from third elementary class, it was compulsory with teaching of the Holy Quran and Hadith right from the third elementary in Jamia Millia Islamia . I went to Aligarh University, that citadel of Islamic modernism and custodian of Muslim values and culture. There teaching of Islamic fiqh , the book of Quduri, was compulsory and passing examination in Islamic subjects was essential for promotion to the next class. . They judged us leniently in fiqh because they merely wanted us to know what Islamic values and traditions were and not to let these subjects stand in our way for higher learning of science and arts, literature and medicine, etc. So when I say what is happening in Swat and Northern areas it is not Islam I have some idea of Islamic injunctions and ahadith sharif and the Holy Quran, and Islamic history, culture and traditions. In our part of the world female education was not unknown. My mother, who was a daughter of an orthodox father, a Sufi, went to St John’s Girls Student in Agra in the early twentieth century like my father went to Oxford and Lincoln’s Inn but knew Arabic and Persian like he knew English . Girls of my family were well educated, to be a B A in those days was nothing strange. My sister who died at 80 or so two years ago was an M A Economics and a student of Raana Liaquat Ali Khan who was professor of economics at Inder Prastha Girls College Delhi before marrying Liaquat- the first Prime minister. Girls of my family observed Islamic injunctions despite all this modern education.

Imagine, in Aligarh University the Ahadis, sayings of the Holy Prophet exhorting Muslims to seek knowledge were engraved on prominent places in the university “ Seek knowledge even if it be in China”, “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave” and “Acquiring knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim man and Muslim Woman” ( muslimin and Muslimatin) . Imagine what these ahadiths sharif told the Muslims. First acquiring knowledge was compulsory for both, man and woman, not optional, not that it is useful if Muslims men and women acquire knowledge but “farizatun” or no way you could ignore it. It need be reminded that the first Ayat of Quran, Al Alaq the very first word of the ayat revealed on the Holy Prophet SAWS begins with Divine Order “ Read” Iqra, In the name of Allah who created you from a blood clot, taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know. The Holy Quran says “ Nun, and by the pen, and what they writ” Learning is enjoined by the Holy Quran on all Muslims.

Go to China if necessary to seek knowledge or for learning. It meant wide scope on acquiring wisdom from where ever it could be gathered, no prohibition since you would reject your self if it is un-Islamic and accept if it is not in conflict with Islam. Obviously China in the days of Holy Prophet SAWS would be from Saudi Arabia. May be to travel to China from Saudi Arabia must have been as difficult as today from Earth to moon. Seek knowledge , seek from childhood to old age , no closing the doors of learning and compulsory both for men and women. In the days of the Holy Prophet, SAWS, prisoners of war in battles with Muslims, could earn their liberty just by teaching ten Muslim elementary reading and writing. This was the value the Holy Prophet SAWS gave to education for Muslims.. It was his program of adult education for illiterate Muslims. Nor in early Islamic days education was denied to women. It is said that there were very learned women in early days of Islam in Arabia itself like Rabia Basri and quite a few others among whose pupils had been well known Muslim male scholars. In early Abbasid Caliphs Baghdad became a center of knowledge and under a Translation Bureau set up in that city the old Greek books were translated by experts knowing Greek and Siryani through whom the Greek wisdom was transferred to Europe. There are case in later history when the Roman Emperors sent envoys to Baghdad and Istanbul to get a copy of those books.

The Renaissance in Europe started through these books . In twelfth century it is said that in Paris and Padua universities Arabic was the medium of instruction. One need not go to Andalusia or Islamic Spain to talk of the various disciplines of knowledge, medicine, surgery, astronomy mathematics which were acquired by the west from there. The glory of a people is not just in conquests and use of sword but knowledge as well.

Now, if the Taleban are destroying the schools and destroying Girls schools and closing the doors of knowledge on female students are they obeying the Holy Prophet SAWS or defying his teachings.? Can a Muslim reject what the holy Prophet commanded the Muslims to do, not as optional but as compulsory duty? What reply they would be able to give to the Holy Prophet on the Day of Judgment. why they closed the doors of knowledge on Muslim women.? I read that about 40,000 students have been deprived of education in Swat as their schools have been destroyed by the Taleban . If someone destroys the schools or the center of teaching and learning how would the young Muslims both male and female learn knowledge. If the places from where education is imparted are destroyed it seems it would be an impediment in education. The injunction of the Holy prophet to acquire knowledge will be frustrated. A Muslim should create circumstances in which the injunctions of the Holy Prophet SAWS can be acted upon. Not make it impossible to comply with the Holy injunctions. To destroy the schools would be contrary to the Holy Prophet’s ( SAWS) instructions. In fact it would be disregarding the Holy Prophet’s (SAWS) instructions. Would it not be doing exactly opposite to what the Holy Prophet SAWS asked the Ummah to do. If they destroy the places of learning then how education can be impart3ed to the male and female students? The Muslims will become backward and by getting advanced the other peoples would make Muslims their slaves. Do we want to make us subservient?

I am inclined to think that these are not true Taleban or are they foreign elements who have infiltrated among the genuine Taleban.? It is surprising that no one in the responsible positions in the Governmnet has at all spoken on this subject drawing attention to these holy injunctions. In speaking of the Holy Prophet’s injunctions the leaders and the media should quote exactly the words of the Hadith in Arabic so they carry weight with the Taleban quoting the sorces of these Hadith and other religious injunctions. Much of our common man does not read news papers and much less English newspapers. Perhaps private TV channels should start a program on this subject which would take the message to the Taleban and the common man in Swat and Northern Areas. This program should be repeated to reach wide circle. It is surprising that Sherry Rahman whose elders founded Sindh Madrasatul Islam Karachi , as I understand, where my father was educated upto High School, has not quoted a single Hadith in support of educating female even those few I have mentioned above. .

There are many learned persons, scholars like Ghamdi, Dr Zaman, Mahmoud Ghazi who can help in putting across the message of the Holy Prophet SAWS in regard to female education. It is an elementary principle that one speaks the same language with a person whom one wants to convince which he understands. With Taleban quoting the Holy Quran and Hadith and Islamic authorities is necessary when convincing them about a certain view point. But the persons should carry conviction with them because of their standing in Islamic traditions.