TechLahore

This is just a short post. Here I am again, at the Dubai airport waiting to board my flight to Lahore. A bearded and otherwise very holy looking gentleman who is of Pakistani descent (I can tell because I heard him talk) but wearing Arab dress, has decided that it is in everyone’s best interest to listen to Naats. And that too at the loudest possible volume. So taking on this crusade of the moment, the “Maulvi sahib” has decided that he will kick up his stereo full blast and make everyone sitting here at the gate listen to his choicest selection of naat sharif. Unfortunately, the guy who is singing them is out of key and quite bay-sura. And oh, by the way, this very same scoundrel person has also parked himself sideways so as to consume at least two seats. That not being enough, he has also chosen to take his shoes off, because, you know, his feet are just *that* pretty. Needless to say, I have moved far away from the offending odor.

This is a classic example of the kind of religosity that is fast spreading in Pakistan. An empty, hollow, pretend-godliness which is “proven” to the world at-large by sporting beards, wearing caps, performing repeat umrahs and hajjs, by wearing arab dress and pronouncing words in an effected way (Rum-a-daan… whatever happened to good old Ramzan?), purging Khuda Hafiz from the vocabulary, walking around with a tasbeeh and even sporting a mehraab. While certain people that fit the above mentioned criteria may indeed be very holy, good and kind, the ugly fact of the matter is that most are NOT. They are buying into this farcical religosity wholesale. They believe that by doing the above mentioned, they have bought themselves a ticket to paradise because in their minds, it is not their responsibility to man that is paramount, it is instead their responsibility to religion. (Please re-read the last sentence). And what these idiots do not know, or choose to ignore, is that there is no religion without responsibility to man.

It is like the trader at Brandreth road or Hall road who will quote every single person who walks in the door a different rate – not based on his costs or a uniform, fair procing policy – but instead based on how big of a ride he thinks he can take the customer for. Of course, since this cap-wearing, bearded shopkeeper has “Ya Allah, Ya Nabi” and the four “Quls” plastered all over his shop, he can’t possibly be “bad” or “wrong”. All his sins have been forgiven, because much of the Quran is pasted on his walls… Surely, that is enough?

I am fine with people wearing jeans, shorts, burqas, dresses, turbans or shalwaar kameez. I am fine with people’s *personal* preferences, whether it is to say all five prayers, just one or two, or none at all. But I am *NOT* fine with people imposing their choices on others. Like this loon here at the gate. While pretending to be holy, he is actually being a public nuisance. A menace for man. And a menace for man cannot possibly be appealing to God. At least not the way I understand Him.

Just something to think about.

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