No hope, no future
The developed countries invest heavily in the education and training of their youth. In our country the leaders never tire of talking about our young generation as our biggest asset, but that is talk only. They make false statements and give false hopes to the youths and to their parents. We indeed have a valuable asset in the high percentage of young people, but instead of being a blessing, it has become a curse, thanks to the incompetence of the high-ups. Due to lack of sufficient educational facilities and the high rate of unemployment, many of our young people go astray and end up in criminal and/or terrorist activities.
The majority of our population is poor. Members of the labour class cannot afford to send their children to school, so the children end up doing menial labour. Often this leads to drug addiction, thievery and other crimes. Of the poor who do manage to give their children higher education, their children, more often than not, become competent professionals. Many children with poor backgrounds go to religious schools because that is all their parents can afford. Instead of being taught religion and life skills, they are mostly turned into fundamentalists and fanatics. Some are known to have become suicide bombers.
Children from the middle class usually excel in education but fall victim to the discrimination and corrupt practices rampant in the country. Children from the rich class manage to receive education at foreign universities and become politicians or our future rulers. They have not come into contact with the life and sufferings of the ordinary people and are often arrogant and not very competent.
Our leaders, both religious and secular, educationists and poets, all talk of the advantages of education, but unfortunately dont practice what they preach. After the liberation struggle of 1857, intelligent and conscious people like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan tried to improve the lot of the Muslims and established the Aligarh Muslim University, which laid the foundation for Pakistan. Maulana Hali tried his best to awaken the conscience of the Muslims. Even though Hali was a strong supporter of education, he did not feel that it was just to be used as a means of employment. Halis sensitive nature also caused him to notice the pitiful condition of the nations youth and their becoming vagabonds, and he was afraid of Allahs curse on the nation.
Our rulers know quite well that our future depends on the education and training of our youth, but their involvement is no more than lip service. Our youth are provided with neither proper educational facilities nor proper professional guidance. The net result is a whole young generation devoid of direction and falling prey to undesirable activities. One must admit that, under the circumstances thus created, the high percentage of young people becomes a curse rather than a blessing for the nation.
In Delhi, Hazrat Ji, the founder of the Tableeghi Jamaat, started preaching to the Mewatis, a poor working class. They made the excuse that since they were poor and had to work hard for a living, they had no time to listen to preaching. Hazrat Ji then started paying them for the time they spent attending sermons. Within a short span of time, a large number of people came to listen to his lectures, became good Muslims and stopped accepting money for attendance. The Tableeeghi Jamaat was not interested in politics, blackmail and collecting hides and skins by force. Its only interest lay in guiding the uneducated and ignorant and turning them into good citizens. Its approach was very cordial and polite. Every year the Tableeghi Jamaat gathered together and volunteered to go out and perform this noble deed. No organisation or outside source funded it.
Bhopal was a small Muslim state in central India. It was an exemplary welfare state. Education was free. Books were provided and children of the not-so-well-off were given monthly stipends. Boys and girls had equal opportunities for education. Due to good governance and policies, neither parents nor children had worries about their future. If India were still undivided, Bhopal would most likely have remained a heaven on earth for its inhabitants.
The above illustrates clearly that it is a good, responsible governments duty to take care of the needs of the people. It should ensure law and order, education, medical care, employment, availability of edibles, prevention of corruption and provision of quick affordable justice. We have examples in Japan, China and Malaysia where all policies are aimed at good governance and the welfare of the people.
Now, look at our rulers, their policies and their characteristics. It makes one want to hang ones head in shame. Corruption, nepotism, unemployment, load shedding and hoarding exist because of the incompetence and often dubious characters of our leaders. The latest in the long list is that of the fake degrees, making us yet again the laughingstock of the whole world. Not so long ago we saw how teachers and parents openly helped students in solving papers in examination centres. That was bad enough, but the current degrees scandal is abhorrent and disgusting. Who could have ever imagined that our leaders could stoop so low? Even worse is the fact that these fraudsters are being openly supported by party leaders. Not for nothing has Allah made known: When We decide to destroy a nation, We command the affluent (intoxicated with power and wealth) among them, whereupon they commit sins in it, then the decree of chastisement becomes due against them and thereafter we destroy it utterly. (17:16.) For the wrongdoers (liars, hypocrites, fraudsters), Allah has the following warning: Do not think (or be under the illusion) that Allah is heedless of the evil deeds in which evildoers are engaged. He is merely granting them respite until a Day when their eyes shall continue to stare in horror. (14:42.)
The developed countries invest heavily in the education and training of their youth. In our country the leaders never tire of talking about our young generation as our biggest asset, but that is talk only. They make false statements and give false hopes to the youths and to their parents. We indeed have a valuable asset in the high percentage of young people, but instead of being a blessing, it has become a curse, thanks to the incompetence of the high-ups. Due to lack of sufficient educational facilities and the high rate of unemployment, many of our young people go astray and end up in criminal and/or terrorist activities.
The majority of our population is poor. Members of the labour class cannot afford to send their children to school, so the children end up doing menial labour. Often this leads to drug addiction, thievery and other crimes. Of the poor who do manage to give their children higher education, their children, more often than not, become competent professionals. Many children with poor backgrounds go to religious schools because that is all their parents can afford. Instead of being taught religion and life skills, they are mostly turned into fundamentalists and fanatics. Some are known to have become suicide bombers.
Children from the middle class usually excel in education but fall victim to the discrimination and corrupt practices rampant in the country. Children from the rich class manage to receive education at foreign universities and become politicians or our future rulers. They have not come into contact with the life and sufferings of the ordinary people and are often arrogant and not very competent.
Our leaders, both religious and secular, educationists and poets, all talk of the advantages of education, but unfortunately dont practice what they preach. After the liberation struggle of 1857, intelligent and conscious people like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan tried to improve the lot of the Muslims and established the Aligarh Muslim University, which laid the foundation for Pakistan. Maulana Hali tried his best to awaken the conscience of the Muslims. Even though Hali was a strong supporter of education, he did not feel that it was just to be used as a means of employment. Halis sensitive nature also caused him to notice the pitiful condition of the nations youth and their becoming vagabonds, and he was afraid of Allahs curse on the nation.
Our rulers know quite well that our future depends on the education and training of our youth, but their involvement is no more than lip service. Our youth are provided with neither proper educational facilities nor proper professional guidance. The net result is a whole young generation devoid of direction and falling prey to undesirable activities. One must admit that, under the circumstances thus created, the high percentage of young people becomes a curse rather than a blessing for the nation.
In Delhi, Hazrat Ji, the founder of the Tableeghi Jamaat, started preaching to the Mewatis, a poor working class. They made the excuse that since they were poor and had to work hard for a living, they had no time to listen to preaching. Hazrat Ji then started paying them for the time they spent attending sermons. Within a short span of time, a large number of people came to listen to his lectures, became good Muslims and stopped accepting money for attendance. The Tableeeghi Jamaat was not interested in politics, blackmail and collecting hides and skins by force. Its only interest lay in guiding the uneducated and ignorant and turning them into good citizens. Its approach was very cordial and polite. Every year the Tableeghi Jamaat gathered together and volunteered to go out and perform this noble deed. No organisation or outside source funded it.
Bhopal was a small Muslim state in central India. It was an exemplary welfare state. Education was free. Books were provided and children of the not-so-well-off were given monthly stipends. Boys and girls had equal opportunities for education. Due to good governance and policies, neither parents nor children had worries about their future. If India were still undivided, Bhopal would most likely have remained a heaven on earth for its inhabitants.
The above illustrates clearly that it is a good, responsible governments duty to take care of the needs of the people. It should ensure law and order, education, medical care, employment, availability of edibles, prevention of corruption and provision of quick affordable justice. We have examples in Japan, China and Malaysia where all policies are aimed at good governance and the welfare of the people.
Now, look at our rulers, their policies and their characteristics. It makes one want to hang ones head in shame. Corruption, nepotism, unemployment, load shedding and hoarding exist because of the incompetence and often dubious characters of our leaders. The latest in the long list is that of the fake degrees, making us yet again the laughingstock of the whole world. Not so long ago we saw how teachers and parents openly helped students in solving papers in examination centres. That was bad enough, but the current degrees scandal is abhorrent and disgusting. Who could have ever imagined that our leaders could stoop so low? Even worse is the fact that these fraudsters are being openly supported by party leaders. Not for nothing has Allah made known: When We decide to destroy a nation, We command the affluent (intoxicated with power and wealth) among them, whereupon they commit sins in it, then the decree of chastisement becomes due against them and thereafter we destroy it utterly. (17:16.) For the wrongdoers (liars, hypocrites, fraudsters), Allah has the following warning: Do not think (or be under the illusion) that Allah is heedless of the evil deeds in which evildoers are engaged. He is merely granting them respite until a Day when their eyes shall continue to stare in horror. (14:42.)
