In my last two posts on Islamabad (here and here) I talked about the woods and the forest trails that I love so much and take to them whenever I can.
In those woods, at the foot of the Margallas, until a few years ago, there was a very large and very old tree — some believed it to be hundreds of years old. Its gnarled branches sprawled over a very large area around the tree. Next to the tree was a small concrete kiosk with a concrete bench.
It was a pipal tree (botanical name: ficus religiosa). Pakistani residents of Islamabad were mostly unaware of the presence of this tree and those who knew about it were generally indifferent to it. But the tree attracted many expatriate residents, mostly from South East or East Asian diplomatic missions based in Islamabad. They would come, sit on the bench and contemplate and admire the tree.
It was said to be a bodhi tree.
What is a bodhi tree and how it came to be in Islamabad?
As many of us would remember from our history books, that is, if one graduated from high school before the 70s (for afterwards they stopped teaching history of pre-Muslim era of the subcontinent in schools), prince Siddhartha Gautuma meditated under an old pipal tree in a village named Gaya near Patna, Bihar some 2500 years ago. Ultimately he achieved nirvana or was ‘awakened.’
Consequently the tree under which he sat was named Bodhi, meaning “awakening.” Sidhartha Gautuma became Buddha (the awakened) and the village where all this happened came to be known as Bodh Gaya, which name it still carries, and the Bhodi tree that grows there today is believed to be a direct offspring of the original Bhodi tree. In the centuries after the Buddha, the Bodhi tree became a symbol of the Buddha’s presence and an object of devotion for Buddhists.
A little more history before I get to the pipal tree in the woods of Islamabad.
King Ashoka (died 232 BC), the third Maurian king, converted to Buddhism and became a great advocate of the religion and actively propagated Buddhism throughout his empire. The Mauran Empire included, other than the present Northern India, the Gandhara region, which included the area around present day Islamabad, the Peshawar valley and parts of Afghanistan and Iran. Taxila (then Taxshashila), Peshawar (then Parshpura) and Charsaddah (then Pushklavati) were important cities of Gandhara. It was at this time that Taxila reached the peak of its development and became the center of Buddhism. Chandra Gupta Mauria and Asoka spent time at Taxila and so did their famous political adviser, Chanakya, who taught at Taxila.
King Asoka’s daughter, Sanghamitra, who became a Buddhist nun, is said to have taken a cutting of the Bohdi tree from Bhod Gaya to Sri Lanka and planted it at Anaradapura, the ancient capital of the island, where it still grows. Many temples throughout the Buddhist world have bodhi trees growing in them, which are or are believed to be offspring of the one from Anaradapura.Now, back to Islamabad.The very old pipal tree that grew in the woods of Islamabad was also believed to be an offspring of the Bodhi tree in Gaya, possibly planted centuries ago by a devotee alongside a temple that might have existed then. Taxila, as you would know, is only a few miles from Islamabad as the crow flies and is full of Buddhist monuments - stupas, statues and remains of monasteries.
In the 1980s Ziaul Haq ruled Pakistan. In his zeal to “Islamize” the country he encouraged and helped build madrassas all over the country, mostly with Saudi money. One such madrassa was built in the woods of Islamabad, not too far from the bodhi tree. Over the years the madrassa expanded, as most madrassas do, violating the building codes and encroaching upon state land, to become one of the largest madrassas in Islamabad. Today it occupies 5-6 acres of prime real estate in Islamabad and has a sprawling building complex and a very large playing field - larger than any school or college in Islamabad might have.
The madrassa houses a couple of thousand students ranging in age from 6 to 26 or even older. One sees them during breaks in their classes when they swarm into their playground and, as if the playground were not large enough, overrun the nearby children’s park, driving the children and women out. It is quite annoying for the residents - and a bizarre sight - to see young bearded men swinging and sliding like crazy on the swings and slides meant for young children of the residential area. Other contributions of these madrassa students to the community are: defaced street signs and walls with posters soliciting sacrificial animal skins, and vandalized letterboxes.
Fortunately, because of its very large girth, the bodhi tree did not burn down completely even though it was badly damaged. It still stood with half of its branches still intact. The city administration tried to preserve what was left of the tree. They even posted guards at the site for sometime after the incident to protect the tree from any further attacks. When I saw it last, a few years ago, it was still green and seemed as if it was struggling to recover from the wounds inflicted on it.
Last week, having returned to Islamabad after two years, I decided to look up the tree, as if you would look up an old friend, and see how it was doing. I was shocked to see that there was no tree there!
Only a few logs of the decapitated tree were lying around like dead bodies. The concrete kiosk next to it was partially demolished, the bench was gone, and the remaining walls covered with graffiti. Through the woods I could also see the madrassa — some construction work going on it. Still expanding, I guess.
From what you have written in last message and earlier ones about Abraham, I am assuming you believe that destroying Bamyan and later Taxila statues is a good thing and that use of pictures…
Yes, all of these are unislamic as per Quran and Sunnah. I clearmy categorized “Picture of Living Things”. You got the clear answer now which I had given several times in my post? As far as videos, I am not sure about them as they are not being resketched. Only some concerned person could shed more light on that.
Asking me to respond yes or no, I wonder why do you force me to answer while you are not able to give answer to me. Let me ask you directly, Are you a secular and consider God’s order less important than orders/laws made by man? Don’t expect to entertain your answers further unless you reveal your faith.
Thanks
Mr. Siddiqui, I am sorry if I have offended you, dod not mean to.
I went and read the comments again. Must be my lack of under-standing but I did not find where you clearly said (a) whether bamyan stuatues destruction was a goo or bad thing and (b) my earlier question on use of pictures and videos of this website, is that un-islamic too.
I know your precious time will be used but maybe you can give a yes or no on this. It will hoepfuly not use too much time.
From what you have written in last message and earlier ones about Abraham, I am assuming you believe that destroying Bamyan and later Taxila statues is a good thing and that use of pictures and videos of living people on thsi website is unislamic?
Am I right (it really is a Yes or No question).
I ask because we Muslims have to learn from each other to learn how to lead the correct Islamic life and I woudl like to learn your views.
YLH,
Just basic books are missing in ur collection,
1) Quran-e-Majeed
2) Seerat of PBUH
3) Uswa-e-Rasool PBUH
These books are always the beaconlight for Sirat-e-mustaqeem
A quote from the above comments:
“What Taliban did was introduced thousands of years go back by Abraham [AS]. I am interested to know that resident pseudo intellectual and enlightened class have enough courage to declare Abraham[AS] a terrorist and illiterate Madrassah guy publicly?”
I don’t know how Abraham got dragged into this discussion, and I am not sure what Abraham did 5000 years ago or why he did it. But, today, any one who destroys the symbols of another faith out of sheer hatred is a bigot and a vandal, if not a terrorist.
There was a time when “First Steps in History of Pakistan” sanctioned and duly published by Military Academy Kakul for the Army run schools had the following Chapter list:
Rama: the dutiful son, Buddha: the enlightened one, Asoka, Alexandar the Great who conquered the world, Kanishka, before going to the Muslim period with Muhammad bin Qasim.
While I strongly dislike Gandhi… I still marvell at the last three chapters of the said textbook …
Iqbal: who dreamt the dream of Pakistan
Gandhi: the man of non-violence
Quaid-e-Azam Jinnah: who got us Pakistan.
History and heritage are exactly that. In my upper cabinet I have the following items:
1. A portrait of Jinnah and a few books on him.
2. Two statues of Siddharta that I acquired from Taxila,
3. A Jai-namaz
4. History of the Arabs by PK Hitti
5. Best of Isaac Asimov
While this was unintentional- it defines my heritage as a Pakistani and a human being.
-YLH
I guess, then, that *you* would consider this website a great act
Uzma, I am not your god, am I? everything I mentioned was crystal clear and there is nothing written between lines. I clearly mentioned my position about taxilla and bamyan,why can’t you get it?
What I see that for you God’s order comes 2nd or nth and other matters come first. This is a secular thinking in which God is not mattered most. did i figure out right? as a Muslim I believe nothing matters more than What God said and then His Prophet[saw]. There is also a famous hadith that one can’t be momin unless The prophet[saw] doesn’t become more dearer than our parents,siblings and others. For me parents come first in world than anyone else and as a Muslim, I prefer God,His prophet[saw] over parents. I don’t expect similar attitude from followers of other religion, being a Muslim we believe in that no matter whether we like something or not. ABraham[saw] got ready to sacrifice his son Ishmael[saw] not because he “LIKED” but He got ready because He was ordered by His God. Here it didn’t matter what Abraham wish or not. Slaves have no choice infront of masters and as a muslim I believe we are slaves of God and we can’t overrule His orders.
sister, if you would have spent times reading Quran and Hadiths more than asking me then you could have better understanding.. Read Quran with translation,it’s a wonderful exercise and clarify lots of things.
This is a beautiful post. Informative and highlighting a serious challenge for our society. We have to keep speaking out against such actions despite the intimidated and the pressure tactics of the morality police. Things are really bad for all of us in Islamabad as the Taliban-style conditions worsen and violence and intimidation with sticks and stones and more is threatening the life and liberty of us here. But we cannot give in to this pressure.
Tids bids from another blog:
“ ملک میں دوطرؠکے رجØÂÂانبڑھ رھے ÛÂ?یںÛâ€? ایک ÙˆÛÂ? لوگ جنÛÂ?یں بکری Ú©Û’ تھنوں پر کپڑا باندھÙà ¢â‚¬Â Û’ پر بھی طالباÙà ¢â‚¬Â ائزشننظر آجاتی ÛÂ?Û’ اور دوسرے ÙˆÛÂ? جوشیر Ú©Û’ ننگا گھومنے پر ÙÂ?ØÂÂاشی قرار دے دیتے ÛÂ?یں “