Adamant
Gold Member
Offline
Australian Politics
Posts: 1892
Brisbane
|
Spiegel: So there’s no turning back to God or stricter interpretation of religion?
Hoodbhoy: Yes there is. We are experiencing a huge cultural revolution in the Islamic world, not just in Pakistan, but in more or less every Islamic country. Pakistan is changing, Afghanistan has radicalized, Iran, Iraq, many countries in Africa and the Arabian world, Egypt, Algeria, now Mali. Sooner or later in Syria only veiled women will be seen. But let’s look at the Islamic communities in Europe or the USA — they are infected with the same virus.
Spiegel: You view Muslim societies as having collectively failed. What do you mean by that?
Hoodbhoy: There are around 1.5 billion Muslims in the entire world — but they cannot point to a substantial achievement in any field. Not in politics, not socially, not in the sciences or art or literature. The only thing they do with great devotion is fast and pray. But there are no efforts to improve conditions of life in Islamic societies. Unconsciously, people naturally feel this is a collective failure.
Spiegel: In spite of this, now we must deal with radicals. What is your opinion about talking with the Taliban?
Hoodbhoy: Those who are not ready to talk, but stick to violence, must be eliminated. Let’s look at the Taliban in Pakistan: they have two demands, namely that Pakistan cuts its links with the USA, and that sharia be introduced as the only one applicable law. They want no streets, no schools, and no work. They know no compromises. Of course that one cannot talk with them. We saw this in 2009 in the valley of Swat: the more concessions the Pakistani government made, the more they moved forward. One must tell them clearly: we negotiate with you only if you put down your guns. And because they will not do this, we must fight them. If one talks with the Taliban, this must happen only from a position of strength.
http://gatesofvienna.net/2013/01/deep-down-muslims-feel-that-they-have-failed/
|