Adil Najam
According to a Reuters report (CricInfo version here) Pakistan cricket players have “been advised to strike a balance between religion and cricket.” This according to Dr. Nasim Ashraf, the new Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The report goes on to say:
Since last year, the Pakistan team has made it a point to pray in public and hold religious gatherings in team hotels. Ashraf said in a television interview he did not believe there was any connection between Maulvism, ultra orthodox Muslims, and cricket. “There is no doubt their religious faith is a motivating factor in the team. It binds them together. But there should be balance between religion and cricket,” Ashraf said.
Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who converted to Islam from Christianity earlier this year and former leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed have been in the forefront of projecting a religious image of the team. Ashraf said he had no problems with the players saying their prayers regularly but he had told Inzamam that Islam does not allow the imposition of views on others.
“I have told him clearly that there should be no pressure on players who don’t pray regularly or any compulsion on them to do it under pressure,” he said. “I have told him there should be no perception among players that if they don’t pray they will not be in the team… He has assured me there is no pressure on anyone to do anything they don’t want to do. I have also told him players should get proper rest for their cricket,” Ashraf added.
The report does not come as a surprise (click on image to see story from Jang, 9 October), but it is still a bit of a shock.
I do not like the word ‘Maulvisim’. I do not know what it means, and whether that was the intent or not, it is likely to be seen as a slur and a coded attack. I worry greatly these days about an increasing tendency to use polarizing language, the use of which can only spell trouble in an already much-fractured society. I am hoping that it is a word coined by an over-eager Reuters reporter and not Dr. Nasim Ashraf.
I should add that I have known Doctor Sahib for some years. I know that personally he is a man of strong personal faith and religious conviction and for that reason alone I think he would be well suited to have discussions with the team on these issues in ways that others might not be able to. But such discussions are intensely personal and should remain private (but not secret). Please note that I am not calling for secrecy, but I do not think that Reuters wire services or television airwaves are the best medium for this conversation. I fear that in the glaring lights of the media circus , this important conversation will necessarily become polarized, simplistic, and accusatory and will degenerate towards crass finger-pointing, self-righteous chest-thumping, and loud but hollow sloganeering.
I should thank Adnan Siddiqi’s blog (here) for first alerting me to this brewing controversy. Since then I have tried to keep a tab on this issue. Today, Teeth Maestro also has a commentary on his blog (here). My own views on this stem from the very same logic that had influenced my views on the story about Habib Bank requiring employees to trim their beards which I had commented on in the very earliest weeks on this blog (here). The parallels between the two are strikingly similar, but so are the principles:
- First, no one has the right to restrict anyone’s else’s right to personal expressions of belief and faith, no matter what that belief or faith might be.
It would be wrong, therefore, if PCB, ICC, or anyone else were to restrict the expression of personal faith by any set of players. Whether it is saying one’s prayers in public and in jamaat or growing a beard, that is a matter of personal choice. One’s inclusion in the team should not be a matter of whether one has (or does not have) facial hair. It should depend solely and only on one’s cricketing abilities. Despite the headline statement, a careful reading of the news item above suggests that the PCB is acknowledging that faith is a key “motivating factor” for this team and is not asking anyone to either restrict their beliefs or the expression of those beliefs. If it were ever to do so, it would be a matter of grave and serious concern indeed.
- Second, and relatedly, no one has the right to impose their own religious beliefs on others through direct or indirect pressure.
It would be wrong, therefore, if senior players were somehow pressurizing or forcing teammates to adopt a particular behavior. To repeat what I have already said above: One’s inclusion in the team should not be a matter of whether one has (or does not have) facial hair. It should depend solely and only on one’s cricketing abilities. A careful reading of the news item above makes clear that Inzimam, at least, understands that there should be (and is) no such pressure. If any players were ever to feel pressurized by the religious beliefs of their team-mates or were made to feel that their continued inclusion in the team would depend on their praying habits (rather than their playing abilities), then - and only then - it would be a matter of grave and serious concern indeed.
My only hope right now is that the media circus - in Pakistan and abroad - will not sensationalize this important issue and force even greater fissures and polarizations than already exist. I fear that this hope will not be realized.
But let me also say that I have much greater confidence in Inzimam, his teammates and Dr. Nasim Ashraf and pray that they will resist the media’s provocations and will refuse to fall into petty bickering or sloganeering opportunities.
[quote post="376"]Pakistani people are looking for motivation in Islam for every activity of life. If Islam could help, they would have been perfect human being by now[/quote]
Ahsan maybe I was unable to comprehend then could you enlighten me that who’s being blamed here?
@Brownie: The problem with lefts is that they are no different than extreeme relgiious freaks like MMA etc who don’t miss any chance to offend opponent parties and if you say a word against them, they start calling you extreemist[in case of lefts] and ‘America ka Dost’[incase MMA people]. The good thing is that majority don’t give a damn to both cabals and sadist part is that same majority don’t raise a voice against them. Don’t you remember elementary math we used to study in schools?
Hence proved
L(eft).H.S=R(ight).H.S ;)
[quote post="376"]I take out my volume of Iqbal and open it at random (like a ‘faal’.[/quote]
is sadgi pey kon na mar jaye aay Khuda
kertey hein qatl, hath mein talwar bhi nahin
Brownie its not Mast’s fault that every random shair contains a keyword ‘MUllah’, don’t blame him ;)
As i said earlier tht many sects do appear Islamic for outisders while in reality they have nothing to do with religion. Their survival is based on getting ahserward of west and polluting the orignal teachings of a religion and this isssue is with big religion on face of earth.
Dear Ahsan
[quote post="376"]If by MIT you mean something other than Massachussettes Insitute of Technolog[/quote]
MIT or XYZ instituite, it doesn’t matter here. I already highlited the words which was answer of your own statment. There was no rocket science theory in my last statment. you made a statment.
[quote post="376"]It is only possible if the whole group is composed of stupid students[/quote]
and i FULLY agree with you. Its not a hypothetical that a group of a certain school doesn’t do good in school life and then in career and if some outsider observe those group then if 1)he’s an ignorant, he would blame to MIT 2)have brain then he would just blame that group that they didn;t do well.
Muslims are backward due to their own mistakes it’s not Islam’s fault. Try to make a study of Islamic history then you would learn how was Islam and muslims in past and now.
@Adil Najam: Why my post is being censored? or do you allow posts only which permit offending of mullahs?
Mr. brownie (or is it Ms. Brownie?):
First, let me reproduce the litany of your accusations:
[quote]
“Before blaming others first look at your own self.” [/quote]
[quote]
“Don’t think you are someone special and above faults.” [/quote]
[quote]
“And please refrain from having a holier than thou attitude.”[/quote]
[quote] “What a hypocritical attitude you have?� [/quote]
[quote]
“What a load of junk are you talking about?” [/quote]
My o my! I me speechless!
Let me share a little secret with you, Brownie. Whenever I find myself speechless I take out my volume of Iqbal and open it at random (like a ‘faal’. I am sure you know what that is) and try to find an answer. Usually I do. Today when I opened Iqbal to search for answers it opened automatically to the following lines, which I thought appropriately answer your concerns:
Faqeeh-e-shehr ki tahqeer! Kia majaal meri
Magar yeh baat keh maiN dhoondta hooN dil ki kushaad
Kiye haiN faash ramooz-e-qalandari maiN nay
Keh fiqr-e-madrassa-o-khanqaah ho azaad
Here is a rough translation:
How dare I argue with and insult a mulla?
I only look for an open mind
I tried to explain some of the mysteries of faith
Only to free the mind enslaved by the mullas and madrassas
Enjoy!
MQ
Since some of you asked about the ads. I am also quite intrigued by the ads that appear here. We do NOT get to chooss the particular ads (although we can choose to exclude particular ones). The dynamic ads are generated automatically by Google, based on the content on the site (the static ones are placed by us); and of course the ads available to Google that relate to the keywords that their search engine picks up from the content on the site.
If you want to change the ads, then change the conversation ;-) [Now, now, please don't try anything nasty here.]
[quote comment="5317"]I was hoping that this will produce a good, animated and thought-provoking discussion but it’s a shame that it soon degenerated into a
“tu tu, maiN maiN” match.
[quote]
Before blaming others first look at your own self.
Dont think you are someone special and above faults.
And please refrain from having a holier than thou attitude.
[quote]
There are four questions that immediately came to my mind when I read the post:
1. Is cricket Islamic? It might sound a silly question but the reason I ask is that,…
[/quote]
The only reason that your have further spoilt this discussion is because you want to disintergate the discussion about non issues.
We were never ever discussing this point in this discussion.
What were your motives exactly about bringing this point here?
What a hypocritical attitute you have, first blaming others for spoiling the discussion……while you yourself are to blame.
[quote]…But the irony is that many of those who are for the ‘namaz ba-jamaat’ in the cricket ground will not allow the same freedom to non-Muslim players,
[/quote]
Kindly substantiate with proof, if you want an intellectual discussion. Otherwise eat your words. And again dont put things in others mouth just to self-project yourself.
[quote]
In fact, some “non-Muslims” might even be arrested for doing just that under the state laws.
[/quote]
What a load of junk are you talking about?
When Muhammad Yousuf was a cristian he used to do the cross?
I ask you:
Was Muhammad Yousuf put into Jail?
Was he ever ever arrested?
For how many days was he arrested for?
Which jail was he put into?
Again, when you cannot substantiate your points with proof, it means that you are not for intellecual discussion. And it implies you want jahil discussion.
[quote]
3. Another question is, is it appropriate to pray surrounded by the noise and din of human and vehicular traffic on a sports field in use, on a sidewalk,or in an aisle at an air terminal, with curious onlookers watching and waiting for the ritual to finish.
[/quote]
It is prefectly appropriate for those that who do it.
At one point you are for freedom of religoin, expression, and at the other you mischeviously put some questions that aim to do the exact opposite.
[quote]
Personally, I believe prayer and worship is one of those activities that is best performed in the privacy of a room or a designated place of worship in a non-intrusive manner.
[/quote]
You are welcome to do the same for yourself, but kindly dont impose on others.
[quote comment="5531"][quote post="376"]It is only possible if the whole group is composed of stupid students.[/quote]
Dear Ahsan!
You answered yourself and before replying me back, do give a second thought why i made BOLD the particular words.[/quote]
Dear Adnan Siddiqi,
If you write “i” in place of “I” with an especial meaning for yourself, this meaning is not conveyed to me. If by MIT you mean something other than Massachussettes Insitute of Technology, it is upto you to make it clear what do you mean. This use of small and capitol letters as your Personal Code may help your private agents but fail to convey your real message to me.
I am always willing to discuss with you if you give yourself the trouble to write without your personal code or abbreviation. If you do, please give the full expression of the abbreviation (or code) at least once in the text. Thanks.
Ahsan