[lg policy] Muslims and education

Tue May 3 13:49:47 UTC 2011

Abbas, Thanks for your comments. First, I like the term "Islamo-fascism", but I am not sure what the definition of it means exactly, i.e., is it people with extremist hatred towards Muslims and Islam, or is it Muslims who develop an extremist ideology? Nevetheless, in both cases it seems that Education in Pakistan is failing. Second, what do you think is the way out to this problem? Please let me know what you think.

I've asked for more information on the issue because as a Muslim I disagree (and at the same time feel disturbed) with the discourse used in the paragraphs below since it implies a generalisation on all Muslims in the world. The statements below about Muslims and education are far from being the truth, and history is there to prove that Muslims, as much as any other social beings from other faiths and ideologies, have also contributed to the development and progress of humanity in the world. This is not to deny that education is in its lowest standards in the Muslim world, but this is not because of Islam, rather there are different other factors such as illiteracy, poverty, political and economic instability and lack of tranparency and democracy. Unless, what the author meant by Muslims was solely related to Pakistan, then this I believe will be another debate. This is my stance.

Fouzi

--- On Tue, 3/5/11, Zaidi <manoo at brunet.bn> wrote:

From: Zaidi <manoo at brunet.bn>
Subject: RE: [lg policy] Muslims and education
To: "'Language Policy List'" <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Date: Tuesday, 3 May, 2011, 12:42

Fouzi 
The point about sharing this article was to try to tell that if you have the type of attitudes we have in Pakistan (in terms of education), you end up producing Islamofascists. I guess I need not tell anyone what is happening in Pakistan thanks to educational policies funded and supported by the CIA and Saudi Arabia . That now the United States will pose as a pious grandmother preaching blessings of democracy and hatred for the likes of Al Qaeda is another matter.
It may be the same case in some other Muslim countries here the US has been spreading the light of democracy such as Saudi Arabia.
Regards.
Abbas Zaidi

From: lgpolicy-list-bounces+manoo=brunet.bn at groups.sas.upenn.edu [mailto:lgpolicy-list-bounces+manoo=brunet.bn at groups.sas.upenn.edu] On Behalf Of Fouzi Bellalem
Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2011 11:05 PM
To: Language Policy List
Subject: Re: [lg policy] Muslims and education

Abbas, what was the point of this article? As I don't have a great background knowledge on Pakistan's education, can you please give me an idea on the nature of conflict taking place and why such a discourse is being used by the author and for which political interest? I let you know my views once I have a full picture.

Regards

Fouzi

--- On Thu, 28/4/11, Zaidi <manoo at brunet.bn> wrote:

From: Zaidi <manoo at brunet.bn>
Subject: [lg policy] Muslims and education
To: "'Language Policy List'" <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Date: Thursday, 28 April, 2011, 10:35

Excerpt:
"Muslims can't handle two things. They can't cope with the task of thinking
about a modern state and they swoon into all kinds of unrealistic trances
when it comes to thinking about education. It is because of the fixity of
their thinking and their erroneous imitative mindset that they cannot
imagine life as 'becoming' despite Allama Iqbal's insistence on it. Their
utopia lies in fixity and what they aspire to is utopian paralysis. It is
almost futile to ask Muslims to run a state intelligently or to educate
their masses. They will end up making the state inanely ideological in the
belief that purity is attained only through stringency of ritual. And they
will push education in the direction of the madrassa where the mind is
closed against doubt and questioning.

Our scientists are Muslims and act in line with our mindset, maybe to get
themselves validated, barring people like Hoodbhoy who wish obstinately to
remain outside the pale. Dr Attaur Rahman followed in the footsteps of the
doyen of all Pakistani scientists Sultan Bashiruddin - who wished to extract
electricity for the jinn - when he came on PTV to lecture on Islam. Needless
to say, he was out of his depth and false-sounding; it was simply not his
bailiwick. In the process, he subordinated himself to the authority of the
lowest cleric in Pakistan. Nuclear scientist Samar Mubarakmand has also
given proof of this fatal attraction by narrating his cooking pot 'miracle'
story after he had tested the nuclear device in the Chaghai Hills of
Balochistan in 1998."

I have attched the entire article with this email.
Regards.
Abbas Zaidi

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