Comments on: Muslimness – shifting boundaries

By: IMeMy

IMeMy — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:45:18 +0000

“Identity, in any case, is a messy affair: shifty, shifting and eventually, imagined.” in a nutshell….’identity’ is forever in an evolutionary state and defies definition. The muslim identity is going through an evolutionary spurt, and it’s rational voices such as yours that are giving it a direction by luring Muslims to stop and ponder, to look inward, to consider/adopt ‘ijtehad’ at a personal level; ultimately the identity will take on a new face, a post 9/11 face if one may call it that. However, even at that point it will still be evolving perhaps as a head start to accomodate a newer reality it may see coming on.
A great write up Raza!

By: Dastagir

Dastagir — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:49:51 +0000

The “spirit” of Islam has been hijacked. The shell remains as is. The ight is gone. How and why did this happen ? In my humble opinion, Mohammed means “Mohabbat”, and when Mohabbat was replaced by other considerations the decline started. Secondly the Islamic “Imperium” destroyed the message of islam.. which is pure milk for mankind. Today there are 53 muslim countries. 53 “zeroes”. Added together the end result would still be a “zero”. Synergy has become impossible. Nationalities and sub-nationalities raise their ugly heads. Islam came as a force against prejudices (Ta`assub)… Unfortunately Muslims got embroiled in Ta`assub… and then the decline started. It is at its lowest ebb today. Muslims today are only “consumers”, having mall-economy(ies). They are no producers of goods and services. Just consumers. Others produce., they use (or consume). Chinese clothes (cannot afford European brands); Japanese cars., cheap perfumes., a little stammering of English interspread with local language., a false sense of pride., a love-hate relationship with the west… Suerficialism, a completely fragmented social set up.. That is Muslim Society today. They hate the west, but love “cricket”. How i wish., muslims replaced their love for cricket with a love for “chemistry”. Muslims have gone in world-wide for home-building. Islam presents a radical world-view. Islam encourages Institution-Building (compared to home-building). But as i wrote… the heart is missing. The spirit is gone. The symbolic shell remains.. customs remain. I am sorry to say, but things dont look positive from any angle. One can take consolation in a line that “Mayoosi Kufr Hai”.. (Depression is Heresy.. so never give up). Hope for the best… cuz man lives on hope.

By: Umair Javed

Umair Javed — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:15:01 +0000

Quite simply one of the best pieces of writing on syncretic Islam that i’ve read in a very very long time. Sir, you’ve really given a brilliant account. It only makes me wonder why you’re wasting your energy in development as opposed to writing full time haha…