Here are a few things we can learn from the story of Rashid Minhas but unfortunately we never asked these questions: - This highest military award was granted to him for defying his own superior. Taking our lesson from it, how should we, as a nation, act if a military general or a civilian ruler tries to hijack the country for landing it in the lap of some foreign power?
- What is the meaning of unity (oneness)? Is Rashid a military hero only, or can he also be a role model for civilians? Can his action be converted into metaphor guiding us to deeper layers of reality in other areas of life?
- If there can be no patriotism without self-respect, broad-mindedness and resilience then what should we do for inculcating these values in ourselves?
However, we cannot become wiser and will only turn into hypocrites if we dabble with these questions without agreeing to the basic minimum first: national pride is a non-negotiable.
How might your country resist the West's attempts to "hijack" your lands in subtle and obvious ways? What if - in the future - Pakistan trusted Pakistan's own inherently powerful principles?
ReplyDeleteHow might a strong (not necessarily violent) resistance refuse the push of "empire" in unexpected ways - as only wisdom can choreograph - returning good for evil as all the true prophets have taught and thereby winning the praise of both God and human-kind?
How can you refuse to "sell" the nation's soul to any other nation - rejecting the West's lowest common denominators - which poison everything and everyone they claim to protect - rampant with often indiscriminate killing, displacement, deceit, torture & the archaic patterns of divide and conquer?
You do have one resource no other nation can ever buy with bombs - nor steal - from your dear Pakistan: your spiritual founding. Our US founding was not so.
What other nation can claim a founding visionary who spoke of the future oneness of humanity and offered principles to make you a leader of the world? What little I understand so far of these principles excite me with alternatives to doing anything the American way.
I think a hero is not only a hero in a particular field,no doubt he might have enjoying certain level of heroic qualities in the field made for him but The hero Is First of All a "civilian hero".
ReplyDeleteI think our Literature can make us inculcate these values into ourselves. As we can see, Rashid was also inspired by Iqbal, that is why he was able to demonstrate these values.
ReplyDeleteRashid is off course a civil hero. This is perhaps becuase when he is tought in our schools, he becomes our hero. His acts affect ours, and maybe we learn lessons from him during our childhood. He may have done something military, but he comes with values which are non-military and need to be explored.
Unity and oneness of purpose and objectivity is essential and quibbling about this is resulting in disintegration and weakening of national fabric. Dabbing the core questions and shunning of fundamental issues is pushing us to the wall, but, at the same time providing us an opportunity for rising from ashes and standing tall in the face of adversity.
ReplyDeleteConnie, ReeBz, Rehan and Wasim, thank you very much for the comments. I am amazed to see that the story of Rashid Minhas is bringing out so many thoughts which are pertinent to the situation today.
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