Being a Muslim - desi style

A few years ago, there was a panel discussion on one of the Indian TV channels about the challenges of the modern Indian-Muslim. Unsurprisingly, Bollywood stars and TV-evangelists formed the panel. Who needs average people to discuss the problems of commoners when you can have Shahrukh Khan blitzing the screen? What was surprising however, was the absence of any cricketers from the panel; but I digress.

I found the discussion very interesting. In a nutshell: the practicing Muslim is having a hard time settling into secular India. He can be roughly divided into two categories. One who is holding the hard-line and orthodox religious interpretations very common to this region and thereby alienating himself amongst his fellow countrymen. The other, who in his eagerness to assimilate into the secular/liberal social surroundings is alienating himself amongst his fellow Indian-Muslims. Both situations creating strife and conflict which have often reached nationwide vandalism and bloodshed. According to the mentioned discussion the lack or complete absence of the moderate, practicing Muslim society is widening the gap between practicing Indian-Muslims and the rest of the country. Funnily enough, any suggestions of intolerance of the non-Muslim majority were quickly brushed aside.

The Indian-Muslim can learn from his Pakistani brothers about this. Pakistan being a Muslim majority country does not have India’s problems so a straightforward comparison might seem a bit inane. However, the way the Pakistani society developed a moderate, socially acceptable version of Islamic practice can be a fine example for the Indian-Muslims. It is understandably difficult to envisage Pakistan as an example of a moderate religious society so soon after the murder of Governor Taseer. It is easy to ignore the moderate Muslim that makes up most of this country’s population. He does not vote, his opinions being moderate are not interesting enough to justify attention.

The moderate Pakistani Muslim, and it will not be wrong to say that the moderate Sunni-Muslim has diluted his religion; not just the ideology but also the practice. Instead of five prayers a day he only prays once a week on Friday. He fasts with great fervor and displays piety during the Holy month of Ramadan. He indulges in music and cinema but does not drink alcohol or eat pork. He feels no obligation to grow a beard or wear his trousers above his ankles. The women may or may not cover their heads, doing so more out of traditional conformity than religious obligation. The moderate Pakistan-Muslim has confined religion to select occasions and situations. He believes it to be a private matter and does not apply it to all forms of his life, as is expected from a believer of almost any organized religion. Religious devotion for the average Pakistani is aimed more towards the annual Urs or mela than a greater Islam VS the-rest-of-the-world agenda that is touted by the extreme right; a trend that is changing drastically.

In Pakistan today the identity of the moderate Muslim is under threat. There is a clear sense of confusion as the voices (and actions) of the extremist, fundamentalist right and the liberal, secular left are getting louder and louder. In addition to his constant battle against poverty and declining living standards, he is now being forced to relinquish his conflict-free beliefs and to jump on one bandwagon or the other; a situation being made worse by the tactless handling of the so-called secular democratic government.