Comments on: My faith, my conundrum http://mumbaiinsomniac.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/my-faith-my-conundrum/ A Mumbai state of mind Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:18:19 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Nazim http://mumbaiinsomniac.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/my-faith-my-conundrum/#comment-43 Nazim Wed, 21 May 2008 12:40:39 +0000 http://mumbaiinsomniac.wordpress.com/?p=22#comment-43 Ashraf, A very well-worded and insightful observation. “He felt that the crisis that has befallen the community should make it introspect whether many of its problems are self-created, by way of a skewed perspective, and also that there is a need for a new Muslim leadership.” My two bits, not very informed though, I can claim them to be: One reason for the problem is definitely skewed thinking. Now how this skewed thinking came about to be needs to be introspected more on. Is it that Muslims were always traditional, conservative, “irrational”? Or are we just looking at the micro-picture. Is it that the years of — I don’t know conscious or unconscious — sidelining from the societal mainstream inculcated those attributes? There should definitely be a connection between the two. How else can you explain the fledgling, well-educated, even powerful, Muslim community come down on its knees, in just about a span of over 100 years from what it used to be in the 1900s. And the leadership issue: I think that is again a result of the earlier problem — just one of the by-products of the state the community is in. So unless there's a good leadership that works hard to stem the rot, there won't be any improvement. And there won't be any improvement because the community -- in its current state -- cannot produce a good leadership. A vicious cycle, I feel. Would love to see your thoughts on this. Nazim Ashraf,
A very well-worded and insightful observation.
“He felt that the crisis that has befallen the community should make it introspect whether many of its problems are self-created, by way of a skewed perspective, and also that there is a need for a new Muslim leadership.”
My two bits, not very informed though, I can claim them to be:
One reason for the problem is definitely skewed thinking. Now how this skewed thinking came about to be needs to be introspected more on. Is it that Muslims were always traditional, conservative, “irrational”? Or are we just looking at the micro-picture. Is it that the years of — I don’t know conscious or unconscious — sidelining from the societal mainstream inculcated those attributes? There should definitely be a connection between the two. How else can you explain the fledgling, well-educated, even powerful, Muslim community come down on its knees, in just about a span of over 100 years from what it used to be in the 1900s.
And the leadership issue: I think that is again a result of the earlier problem — just one of the by-products of the state the community is in. So unless there’s a good leadership that works hard to stem the rot, there won’t be any improvement. And there won’t be any improvement because the community — in its current state — cannot produce a good leadership. A vicious cycle, I feel.
Would love to see your thoughts on this.
Nazim

]]> By: Arpana http://mumbaiinsomniac.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/my-faith-my-conundrum/#comment-41 Arpana Sat, 17 May 2008 11:02:31 +0000 http://mumbaiinsomniac.wordpress.com/?p=22#comment-41 Ashraf, one of the things that I have always respected you for is the way you do not wear your religion on your sleeve and yet I have always felt your love and pride for your religion. However, I think what i admire the most in you is the faith you have in your beliefs and the ability to say it as it needs to be said. I could not agree with you more on this post....religion (all faiths) to my mind has existed to better one's life....to help imbibe qualities that furthers man's journey on earth in a manner that adds more meaning to as an individual, leading to a meaningful society. Sadly, today's religion has been kidnapped by politics at large and the meaning of "meaningful" is lost! Ashraf, one of the things that I have always respected you for is the way you do not wear your religion on your sleeve and yet I have always felt your love and pride for your religion. However, I think what i admire the most in you is the faith you have in your beliefs and the ability to say it as it needs to be said.

I could not agree with you more on this post….religion (all faiths) to my mind has existed to better one’s life….to help imbibe qualities that furthers man’s journey on earth in a manner that adds more meaning to as an individual, leading to a meaningful society. Sadly, today’s religion has been kidnapped by politics at large and the meaning of “meaningful” is lost!

]]> By: Anindita http://mumbaiinsomniac.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/my-faith-my-conundrum/#comment-37 Anindita Fri, 16 May 2008 12:51:24 +0000 http://mumbaiinsomniac.wordpress.com/?p=22#comment-37 A thoughtful post...wish more people in all religious communities understood this. A thoughtful post…wish more people in all religious communities understood this.

]]> By: shashi http://mumbaiinsomniac.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/my-faith-my-conundrum/#comment-36 shashi Fri, 16 May 2008 10:58:42 +0000 http://mumbaiinsomniac.wordpress.com/?p=22#comment-36 Ashraf, couldn't agree with you more. Your plea applies to all fundamentalists of course. To rewind to an earlier post of yours, I cringe too, when I see pix of Muslims celebrating Diwali (more of those than Hindus celebrating Eid). Guess it's worse for Muslims though. So all the more reason why they -- and all of us -- should all be worrying more about starving children, dying farmers and women who don't have access to bathrooms (I'm serious). Somebody ban religion! Shashi Ashraf, couldn’t agree with you more. Your plea applies to all fundamentalists of course. To rewind to an earlier post of yours, I cringe too, when I see pix of Muslims celebrating Diwali (more of those than Hindus celebrating Eid). Guess it’s worse for Muslims though. So all the more reason why they — and all of us — should all be worrying more about starving children, dying farmers and women who don’t have access to bathrooms (I’m serious).
Somebody ban religion!

Shashi

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