My Son

My son who is 15 years old asked me a question in the car recently. He
asked whether Professor Yusuf Qaradawi met with our Religious Affairs
Minister when he was over here. I said he must have since he was to
receive the national Maal Hijrah award. My son asked whether Prof
Qaradawi brought up the fitnah II issue with the minister. Again, I
said he must have offered his advice and caution to the minister. My
son asked what did the minister say which I replied I could only guess
that he would say that he was personally not involved and it is a
pending court case so let the court decide, which maybe is so more or
less. My son argued that surely the minister is religiously
knowledgeable and should have done the right thing. I had to say that
knowledge is not everything especially if it is subdued by power and
dictated by interests. Sometimes my son goes on about the muftis, why
are they not doing this or that. My son has this fascination, respect
and high regard for religious teachers and scholars which he should
have and proudly so. But the realities are mighty challenging. We pray
that our son remains steadfast to the religion and maintains his
respect for knowledge and people of knowledge.

In 1999, a friend who is a senior architect somewhere in the north
asked one of the members of the state fatwa committee why they did not
make a stand in the first fitnah seeing that it was such a shameful and
malicious episode. The scholar replied that they were not fighters but
the one put in prison is the fighter. Possessing knowledge and to act
upon it is a major test for everyone and there is no exception.

So it came to pass that a group of religious teachers and upright
educators were intimidated by administrators for carrying on with
tadhkirah which were not in the regime's favour and flavour. Suddenly
these well meaning and knowledgeable people were given the test of
their lives by being made to be subject to reprimand, fear and
pressure. Now, everyone came to realise the true meaning of tadhkirah,
it is not something shallow nor empty , meant for a docile crowd. It is
something which has to face and come to terms with hostility. These
incidences shape the outlook and worldview of things, material hardship
and promotion chances are dangled as if the administrators know and
have power over other humans in being beneficent. How far it is from
the truth. Has corruption come this lowest level that good people are
being forced to succumb and surrender their will and suppress their
noble knowledge in the pursuit of people in power.

We hope that our sons and daughters do not have to come to this stage
where evil is upheld and truth is suppressed knowingly. If it comes to
this then we have condemned our own future generation.

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