APPENDIX

The series of articles which now follows, all quoted from The Pakistan Times, Lahore, adequately represent the prevailing views of our so-called “intelligentsia” of the attitude Muslims should take regarding modern civilization.

In Search of an Ideology by Dr. S. M. Abdullah (Oct. 27, 1962).

A research institute has been formed by the Central Government to re-study Islamic literature with the object of constructing an exact view of Islam… for the sake of adjusting Islamic teachings to the dictates of modern times. The step is timely because Pakistan is destined to play an important role in the new world, politically as well as culturally, being the only country which stands committed to the preservation and promotion of certain religious values which can help humanity achieve its goals of glory and salvation.

The objectives laid down for the above mentioned Research Institute are decidingly noble and one feels that the Institute will be called upon to answer several questions of prime importance before it could chalk out any solid program of achieving its aims and objects. One big question is:

What would be the criteria of determining what is sound and what is unsound in the vast literature produced during the last thirteen centuries of Islam? There is still another question: What are the principles of judging which parts of the modern civilization are acceptable or unacceptable to us as Muslims? These questions presented no difficulty to our forefathers who could unhesitatingly declare: “The Book of God and the practice of the Holy Prophet are sufficient for us.” But the present generation demands a definite answer to all these questions.

144 One important question in this connection might be: What are the dictates of modern times which Islam is to satisfy and what are the special features of (the modern way of) life with which Islam should be harmonized?

The dictates of modern times (above all) …. mean (the) cultivation of a scientific attitude towards life. … Without using cumbersome terminology, I would prefer to be simple and say that a scientific view of life would be positive in nature, constructive in composition, and fruitful in the end. Again, it depends on observation, analysis and experiment and does not rely on mere speculation and intellectual enjoyment.

Reason is the starting point of It is utilitarian in essence. science, but it does not depend upon Reason alone: experiment is necessary for grasping the Reality.

The scientific view insists on material considerations alone and refuses to look beyond the world of matter. Such an attitude does not entertain moral and spiritual values, although it is not necessarily immoral; at the most it is amoral. The present life, according to (the scientific) view, is the only life and there is nothing after this. Nature has no ethic and does not recognize good from bad; it has its own laws.

Man, whether created by God or by dead matter, has to create conditions by himself conducive to health and happiness without the intervention of any superior power ….

Baring …. (its) …. denial of God and the Revelation …. the remainder (of this philosophy) may be (profitably) adopted with slight modifications because the attitude of Islam towards worldly life is positive and practical…. It may be added that Islam is more interested in scientific truth than in the philosophic. . . . . Perhaps this is the reason why Muslims have favored the Aristotelian position more than the Platonic version of truth although a balance was maintained by the mystic thinkers who favored Platonism in most things ….

The culture of a nation is a sociological process born out of its social, political, economic and ideological experiences. The Western culture has its own social, 145 historical, geographical and climatic background. Hence it has its own peculiarities …. The underlying ideas of European culture are … utility, practicality, efficiency, … artistic urge, quest for happiness and freedom from anything or everything which stands in the way of happiness.

Some important features of the European culture are the result of technological progress. The crave for freshness, novelty and originality is also molding the European modes of life …. The everchanging temper of the society in European cities may be attributed to literary or philosophical revolts coming in the wake of frequent political upheavals.

All these factors have joined in building the edifice of what is called the “European culture” ….

European modes are not all bad: some of them are excellent. We have learned much from the Europeans who have also reminded us of some of our own forgotten principles of life.

The organizational capacity, discipline, punctuality, regularity, … Love of practicality, humanism, … proper interest in the present (worldly) life … and quest for truth are some of the most important (Western) ideals which must be respected and assimilated because these are in complete consonance with the spirit of Islam …. From the point of view of adjustment and seen from the angle of our particular ideology, there is no harm in adopting foreign ways of life that add to our comfort, our efficiency and fulness of life. Nobody should and can object to the variety of dresses and the various forms of permitted (Western) drinks and dishes, and if anybody does, it may be considered the outcome of his unbalanced temper or defective education …. All these things are sentimental …. and have no sanction of religion behind them so far as Islam is concerned … .

This is an analysis of the conditions of modern life and in such conditions, efforts to adjust things in Pakistan are urgently needed. The atmosphere around us should be examined critically and a pattern of life not hostile to our tradition must be evolved through balanced evaluation on national and ideological lines …. We cannot cut ourselves off from the dictates of modern life, but equally we cannot afford to sever our ties with our tradition and history. … In short, competent scholars are required to reinterpret Islam in the context of modern life …. and “in this respect we have got the good example of Iqbal whose slogan was: ‘back to Islam, back to the Holy Quran’, and yet he never ignored the principles of modern life. Modern life is to be analyzed before we accept it with all its implications ….

Educational Reforms: Their Philosophy and Salient Features, by A. H. Kadar, (Dec. 1962)

…. It is impossible to exaggerate the historical importance of the United Nations Development Decade. For the first time in human history the nations of the world have established as their common purpose a sustained and combined effort to create conditions of economic prosperity that will ultimately lead to the elimination of poverty throughout the world. The aspirations of the developing countries to provide their people with a decent standard of living are a striking new feature of the modern world. Equally dramatic is the solidarity of nations that makes possible a great co-operative effort in this field. If the objectives laid down by the General Assembly in its Resolution on the Development Decade are achieved, the standard of living of the underdeveloped countries should be doubled in the next [^20] or [^30] years and a foundation laid for further self-sustained economic growth.

The philosophy behind the declaration of the United Nations Development Decade … . (is) …. that there can be no peace in the world when there are a few affluent nations and the majority of them are poor. There can be no meeting ground between nations at two different stages of development.

Recognizing that there is a gap between the resources of different countries and that this gap is primarily due to the scientific and technological attainments of the developed countries, the need for transmitting these 147 skills to developing nations as speedily as possible has been recognized. The scientific and technological skills which transformed Western civilization were acquired over a period of nearly a hundred years. The newly emerged countries have not only to acquire these skills but also to keep pace with the rapid advances that are being made in the fields of science and technology.

This yawning gap has to be filled as quickly as possible.

Technical training, like the economic progress which it helps to promote, has no value except as a necessary instrument for the material liberation of man. In modern industrial society there is an essential need for a sufficiency of trained men and women not only in industry, but also in commerce, administration, and the professions.

A first-class training in applied science and technology is at the very least likely to make one more aware of the virtues of precision and accuracy and to strengthen one’s respect for objective truth …. There seems to be little doubt that progress in technical education is closely bound up with progress in general education at primary and secondary school levels. It is the experience in almost all the advanced countries that those who have received the best general education in accordance with their abilities and aptitudes make the most rapid and satisfactory progress when they move on to a technical course. With this brief introduction to the role of education as a primary factor in the development of social and economic resources of a country, we can now move on to deal with the salient features of the educational reforms. The publication in 1959 of The Report of the Commission on National Education represented a water-shed in the development of education. To bring out the full significance of the wind of change in education in Pakistan, I should like to quote the following passage from the resolution of the Government of Pakistan [^0] n the Reforms Recommended by the Commission on National Education: “On the broad policy reform recommended by the Commission, the 158 Government specifically recorded its endorsement of the following:

“Education should be viewed as a productive activity and as an investment in human resources essential for the development of a progressive and prosperous welfare state. Compulsory primary education and vigorous efforts in adult education are essential for the creation of a literate nation, an alert citizenry, the proper function of political democracy and the ability of a nation to comprehend and apply technical knowledge.

Secondary education is the source of the main body of the educated community. It is in the universities that the leaders of engineering, agriculture, the business community and government services receive their education. Particular emphasis is to be laid on the necessity of making adequate provision for the training of scientific and technical personnel at all levels.”

Education to be productive must be of the right type. Our education so far has been unduly bookish, theoretical and not directly relevant to the needs of the nation. The reforms attempted to remedy this defect are:

At the primary stage children should deal not only with reading, writing and arithmetic but also do some work with their hands, acquire basic skills and be encouraged to take an intelligent interest in their surroundings.

At the secondary level stage, drastic reorganization is essential.

The curriculum now has a core of compulsory subjects in which science, mathematics and practical skills play an important part. In addition to the compulsory subjects, there is a provision for a series of options, particularly in the fields of industrial arts, agriculture, home economics and commercial skills.

This curriculum would enable successful diversion of students to vocational and commercial education at the appropriate stages . . . .

The pursuit of quality in our educational system has also dominated the thinking of the Commission. With the advent of freedom, Pakistan is now thrown into competition 149 with the rest of the world. The United Kingdom, United States and Soviet Union have, because of their eminence in the field of education, science and technology, built up high standards of living for their people. If we are to live in dignity, we must also acquire a comparable efficiency in education, science and technology . . . . One of the most important impacts of the Report has been its influence on the Second Five Year Plan. In particular its major contribution lies in the formulation by the Planning Commission of two important generalizations, namely; . . . that no illiterate country has ever achieved significant economic development and secondly, that an educated community with highly trained leadership does not remain economically backward . . . . The Commission has laid down that the end products of our educational system should be comparable to the best products of the British, American and Russian systems. The target is very high but in this age of ruthless competition, we cannot prescribe a lower criterion of excellence.

Our Language Problem needs a Radical Outlook, by Mohammad Afzal Hussain, Revolution Day Supplement, October 27, 1964

Revolutions, although they start as sudden changes in governments, usually lead to radical changes in several directions and not unusually attitudes of the people alter . . . On this Revolution Day let us take stock of what revolutions we have been able to bring about.

How far has our mental attitude changed?

Do we face facts of life discarding restraints imposed by tradition?

Are we slaves of outdated loyalties or do we study our problems with a fresh mind? . . .

Let us examine our language problem with a revolutionary objective outlook . . . The acutest problem which faces Pakistan is the removal of illiteracy. Over 85% of the population are absolutely illiterate and of the remainder, a large proportion is at best semi-literate . . . There is the urgent necessity of experimentation in Pakistan and with our limited resources of teachers and money for adult education, we 160 should try and find quick methods of fighting illiteracy among those who are beyond the school-going age.

Suggestions have been made time and time again that the Roman script … be adopted for the Pakistani languages … We have very close associations with Turkey and the great leader, Ataturk, had introduced the Roman script and used to go about with blackboards and chalk and explain the system to the people.

It is claimed that Turkey has successfully fought the curse of illiteracy through this system … We may also study the position in Indonesia and Malaysia, the two Muslim countries who have adopted Roman script … We in Pakistan and lovers of Urdu in India are seriously concerned about the future of this language in that country. If Roman script is adopted for Urdu, this language cannot die. The English language will live in India for a long time, if not for ever, and any language which has a similar script will persist. If we have the wisdom to see into the future, we should not hesitate to adopt Roman script for all Pakistani languages. This will be the best way to bring the languages of the East and West Pakistan closer together and a new Pakistani language may evolve through this common garb. This needs a revolutionary outlook.

Having discussed the problem of general literacy, and the place of Urdu as a working common medium, the next stage is to be considered.

This is the stage of higher education-university education-in humanities, sciences and technology. We must remember that it is not the mere numbers of graduates that matter, but excellence of the production which the developing nation needs … For some ¹ years we have not contributed in any significant degree to the world’s original thought in humanities, science or technology. We have been left very behind in the race of intellectual progress. We have to struggle very hard to make up the ground lost and keep apace with the rapid march forward in every field that is taking place. The 161 speed of fresh achievements is so fast that it has been stated with much justification that the amount of new knowledge which man has acquired during the last fifty years is more than what man had accumulated during the previous 5,000 years. Just think of one new discovery-atomic energy. What fresh avenues the splitting of the smallest particle of matter opens for human progress!

Carried away by emotions of the love of “mother tongue”—an unscientific attitude—there is a rush to adopt Urdu as the medium of instruction up to the highest stage of education. In a world moving so fast, is it wise to be slow because our mother tongue has fallen behind? For higher thought we must employ a world language.

As an independent country we have to establish world-wide contacts and take part in the deliberations of international bodies. We have the advantage that English is such a language. As members of the Commonwealth we have the advantage of a common language of the Commonwealth. We have the advantage that this is the language of the USA, a progressive country. What is the language we employ in conference with our close friends, Iran and Turkey? In our language policy we must not be retarded by tradition. We must have revolutionary ideas. The imaginary picture of “our culture” is painted to decoy our intellect. No one knows what culture is. The present-day world is shrinking because of faster and faster means of communication. Culture is becoming international. The dress as well as food are becoming international. Means of transport are similar all over the world. “Teddyism” has become international. A culture that ignores these world influences cannot persist. The Governor of West Pakistan has appointed a Committee of eighteen headed by Mr. Justice S. A. Rahman as regards the introduction of the Naskh Arabic script. The Committee consists of eminent scholars, journalists, and educationalists. Let us hope that this Committee will adopt 162 a revolutionary outlook … so that we steer a course which leads to progress forward and does not lead us backwards. In Search of a Dynamic Womanhood (June 28, 1964)

When President Ayub, while recently inaugurating the Muslim League’s Women’s Sub-Committee, urged the women to “create a dynamic society,” he was giving recognition to the fact that woman’s influence on society can be most far-reaching. The late Pundit Nehru, speaking on community development, said: “In order to awaken the people, it is the woman who has to be awakened. Once she is on the move, the household moves, the village moves, the community moves.”

Leaders in Asian and African countries realize that woman can be the greatest force in society, for ultimately the political and economic situation touches her in her role of citizen-rearing. Governments in undeveloped countries are promoting organized efforts to reach the women through education, health and other community services. Voluntary organizations reinforce Government efforts. But the problems are so great that the vast majority still live remote from change and modernization.

It is the older women, the custodians of tradition, whose cooperation must be tactfully sought before a new era is ushered in. They may not practise the changed way of life themselves but they need not frown upon it. Who has not heard many a sweet old grandmother talk of bygone days when children were—oh, so obedient and never came to dinner without a “toppi.” But for all that, she will not disinherit her gum-chewing, jeans-wearing and rock and rolling progeny. Pakistan’s women present a diverse picture of backwardness, conservatism and penury side by side by emancipation, achievement and wealth. Women live all their lives shut up in mud hovels never going beyond the surrounding fields. Fifteen miles from Lahore they have never visited it. They speak of the city as though it were 153 some far-away metropolis.

On the other hand, women have proved their mettle in many professional fields and have represented the country abroad in sport and at international moots. The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women has been chaired by a Pakistani delegate. “Stunning,” “cute,” “ball of fire,” are some of the epithets Pakistani women have earned from admiring Westerners. “Are all the women from Pakistan so beautiful?” wailed one fat and dumpy Italian woman delegate at a conference in Copenhagen.

Education, the key to a social awakening, is still denied to millions. Without the stimulus of knowledge, Pakistani women will never play their part in development. Our women may yet be a far cry from the women of today’s China who are equals with the men and because of identical dress, it is even said you cannot tell the difference; from the Soviet Union where women can be road-drillers and astronauts and the United States of America where the consumer market is woman-dominated. But these countries all had to evolve through problems and inhibitions before giving the women their present achievement. Given the requisite opportunities, nothing need prevent Pakistan’s daughters from coming into their own.