Solar Eclipse is No Cure for Jahalat

Posted on July 22, 2009
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Photo of the Day, Society
68 Comments
Total Views: 51912

Adil Najam

We have used the ‘Jahalat‘ caption before in headlines (here, here and here). It is time to do so again.

This picture is from PPI and the caption reads:

“A physically paralyzed girl lies half-buried in sand at the banks of river Indus. Local mythology suggests burying paralyzed children in sand and exposing them to solar eclipse helps overcome paralysis.”

Need one say more!

I guess even a solar eclipse is no cure for jahalat.

68 responses to “Solar Eclipse is No Cure for Jahalat”

  1. Daktar says:

    Thank you Expat. I am aware of this organization and have heard that they do good work. One of my former colleagues at AKU works with them too. I will be sure to provide them whatever information and other assistance that I could. I do think that maybe referring these people to such an organziation and assisting them in getting that help with resources is far more important and supportive than supporting their ignorant beliefs that will only make the so called ‘alim’ and ‘spiritual healer’ richer by playing with their hopes and desperation.

    By the way, thank you ATP for highligting this deep problem, which is made deeper by society’s support for this.

  2. Adam Insaan says:

    Aforetime I did write a shorter comment, I do have to add ;

    One of my professor`s in medical psychiatry told us students years ago ;
    “Don`t ever, ever take the last hope from a patient!”

    -and I have been brought up by this since, as a cathegorical imperative.

    As S

  3. ahsan says:

    @Adil Najam. I would say that a PhD, which you have, is no cure for Jahalat. There are so many unexplained phenomenon is nature , so much knowledge , of which we know only at an abstract level. Adil, can you show me any on-going research which proves that what these people are doing wont have any effect. PhDs of your kind, when study the indigenous tribes of amazon or africa, always come up with scientific reason for their primitive customs. Everyone gets fascinated with what the INdians and arabs do. But when it comes down to our own country, likes of you term it as jahalat.
    The effect of music on plants, and of colors on our moods. ..and hundreds of others such mysteries…are all recent scietific findings,,.. and yet ” Jahil” people have been practicing them for ages. Do some reading into occult sciences.
    A very disappointing post from a person who himself claims to be a reseacher. One should be very careful in giving hard statements ADIL. That is the first lesson in research.

  4. fomi says:

    hmm. The ratio of number of posts per number views is exceptionally high. Drew more readers to discussion than most posts. What does this tell about the post and the readers?

    My opinion is that label of jahil for this family is harsh. Jaahil label for siberian tiger importers will be more appropriate.

  5. Eidee Man says:

    @ATP administrators,

    the comments to this post make it quite clear that there are quite a few people who find the labeling of these people as “Jahil” to be at least unwarranted, if not offensive.

    I recommend that ATP make amends by writing a brand new “Jaahil” post, about the following story in Dawn:

    http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-l ibrary/dawn/news/sci-tech/12-vip+allowed+to+import +siberian+tigers+in+violation+of+ban–bi-06

    According to this story, Shahbaz Sharif’s son has been allowed to import a Siberian tiger (of all things!) in violation of the law.

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