No Place for a Reluctant Fundamentalist

Famous Pakistani novelist "Mohsin Hamid "has written an amazing novel 'Reluctant Fundamentalist". The novel revolves around the issue of religious/cultural fundamentalism, belonging to the soil, imperial exploitation, dreams of better life in US, and discovering your own identity in the midst of chaotic post 9/11 world. A film based on this novel was also released. What I like best in this movie is the love of fundamental religious principles and desire to progress at a same time. The protagonist has a modern mind with a love of fundamental principles of religion. He equally despises Western Governments and terrorist. He doesn't want to join forces with imperial west who is exploiting us. He realizes that western governments provide us jobs only to use us for their exploit. He also doesn't want to join terrorists in killing innocent Muslims and western people. His philosophy is pluralistic. He believes that it's wrong to divide people in two camps based on ideologies. People are beyond good and evil, they are complex.

    Truly the novelist has proposed a cure forperpetual violence in our society. But sorry to say that such novel ideas haveno place in Pakistan. We are a unique nation; we endlessly talk about theimportance of knowledge but never pursue the knowledge by reading books. Wetake degrees only for the degree sake. Even the superficial knowledge of anyfield is non-existent. Absence to knowledge has resulted in a culture ofignorance, emotionality and intolerance. You would never see a polite andreasonable argument (At least I haven't seen in my life). There are only heateddebates and fights. Only personalities are targeted instead of ideas. We talkendlessly of implementing religion in the society but forget to follow basictenets of religion. Take the example of cleanliness; we are ranked among thedirtiest countries in the world. The biggest irony is we happily kill in thename of religion but never study the religion. How many can claim that theyhave read the complete translation of Quran 

Pakistan is called the land of pure but you would not find anything pure in it. We pure people love to mix impurity in life saving drugs, water, food items, religion, spirituality, politics, teaching, friendship and even ideas. Yes two things you would find pure, that are shamelessness and hypocrisy. Very few nations can compete us in these fields. The level of hypocrisy is depicted in our treatment of women. We always brag that we give immense respect and rights to women but at the same time more than 1000 girls are killed annually, acid throwing on face, child marriages, mistreatment and harassment are common. We protest the persecution of Muslim minorities around the world, but do the same (persecution) with minorities in our country.

In our present state liberty, freedom, progress, tolerance, plurality, peace, justice, respect, honor, dignity, creativity, knowledge, advancement, gender equality, equal rights, democracy, science and technology have place in our country. These words are just good for books, religious sermons, and official speeches. Also we have no tolerance for people who want all these things in this country. Sorry to all progressive thinkers and writers, your ideas are not welcome here. There is no place for reluctant fundamentalist in this country.