According to Bible, Genesis;1:26-30, God created man in ‘His own image’, with general dominion of human over creatures and resources on the earth, sea and air so as to subdue them. ‘His own image’ is a parable of man to be like his Creator, a rational spirit, exercising dominion over other creatures, because of shadow of some of His attributes. Thus man as God’s representative is clothed with authority and rule as visible head and monarch of the world. Man is not ‘image of God’ in literal sense but allegorically because it is written: “I am God, and there is none like me.”(Isaiah;46:9), None like to Him (Exodus;9:14; Deutronomy;33:26; 2Samuel;7:22; Isaiah;46:5,9), Infinite (Psalms;147:5; Beyond human comprehension (Psalms;139:6), Invisible (Job;23:8-9).
“The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”(Psalms;145:9)
“He makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew;5:45).
Qur’an says:
In the moral and spiritual sense, Khilafat as applicable to the humanity means that all human beings are ‘Khalifah of Allah’ or ‘representatives’ (successor) of Allah on earth:“Behold, Thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a ‘representatives’ [Khalifah] on earth…”(Qur’an;2:30).
“Do you not see that Allah has subjected to your (use) all things In the heavens and on earth, and has made His bounties flow to you In exceeding measure, (Both) seen and unseen? Yet there are among men those who dispute about Allah, without knowledge and without guidance, and without a Book to enlighten them! (Qur’an;31:20).
Caliphate: Redundant or Relevant?
Many people think that in modern era there is no room for a primitive concept like Khilafat, while others think that it is the only solution to the problems faced by Muslims. These two are extreme positions. The nostalgia of Caliphate lingers on the collective memory of Muslims as a symbol of unity in the glorious past. The urge for revival of splendor and dignity has turned some to make efforts for revival of the Caliphate, as a quick fix to the complex problems of lost identify and grandeur. This has alarmed the oppressive corrupt Muslim regimes as well as the neocolonial powers. While the viability of establishment of system of Caliphate in some form is yet a distant dream, there is a need to look in to this concept in political, economic, geographical, historic and religious perspective. This paper briefly discusses the religiopolitical aspects of concept of Khilafat with in historic milieu. To read more please click:
http://faithforum.wordpress.com/islam-2/caliphate/ ,
http://endeavour-peace.page.tl/Caliphate.htm
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AXA4nhhOoqagZDk0d3BwZl8zNGgzcTM1Y2c&hl=en
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Our Heads Hang in Shame:
Shame on sham democracy and shameless politics. It is generally said and believed that politicians in Pakistan don’t learn from their past mistakes. It is argued that they are never shy to touch new lows. Regrettably this time a prime minister held in higher esteem than the president has stooped low.
His appearance in Muzaffargarh by-polls’ public meeting on Tuesday to campaign for the ruling Pakistan People’s Party’s candidate Jamshed Dasti was simply shocking and mournful. How could one with even a slightest of moral standing, dare to do what Gilani did so glaringly?
The Makhdoom of Multan had the cheek to ask the people of Muzaffargarh to vote for Jamshed Dasti, who only recently had to resign from the membership of the National Assembly for holding a fake degree. Gilani is reported to have dubbed Dasti as the real leader of the poor.
Simply disgusting. Our prime minister says that the man, who was caught red-handed cheating the voters of his constituency; defrauded the whole system and deceived even his own party by getting elected as MNA in the 2008 elections on the basis of a fake degree, is a real leader.
Dasti had opted to resign when his fake degree was uncovered before the apex court of the country. It should have been a matter of shame for the party and the regime but initially the man was appointed by the prime minister as his adviser but then President and co-chairperson of the PPP Asif Ali Zardari decided to field him as the PPP candidate from the same constituency that he had to resign from because of his own fraud.
Many people say that what good one should expect from the government when those having extremely tainted reputation are ruling the roost. But still this is simply obnoxious that a condemned man is rewarded within days although the present ruling lot has done it time and again.
To count a few, we know how extraordinarily the convicted corrupt Ahmad Riaz Sheikh was treated by the Presidency and Gilani government; Babar Awan was given all important law ministry soon after he was accused of taking a bribe from Haris Steel in Bank of Punjab fraud case, and also made incharge minister of NAB that was investigating the case.
After similar allegations were levelled by one of his client, then Attorney General Sardar Latif Khosa was removed but immediately made adviser to the PM on IT. Dasti’s case is classic like Ahmad Riaz Sheikh as the two pleaded guilty before the apex court whereas the outcome of the allegations levelled against Awan and Khosa is still awaited.
But still they were rewarded as if crime, corruption and fraud are qualifications and the values needed for promotions in of our politics. No matter how much value the present ruling lot gives to such ‘values’ but these so-called champions of democracy have emerged as the real destroyers of democracy. At times, it is felt as if they are deliberately trying to give democracy the bad name like never before.
The prime minister’s support for the fake degree holder came after the LHC election tribunal had already disqualified yet another PPP candidate Nazir Jut for similar reasons. The three-member Election Tribunal, comprising of Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Muhammad Anwaarul Haq, noted in the judgment: “He (Mr Jut) managed to make his way into the most sacred of houses i.e., National Assembly of this country by defrauding the public, riding high on his fake and bogus degrees, impersonating and deceiving all around him including his own constituency and then when the matter came before the apex court he thought it fit not to contest and to tender his resignation so that he could salvage his reputation. Today he is again trying to repeat the same, with no sense of remorse,” read the Tribunal’s order.
In the present situation, full of disappointment and despair, the judiciary and the media are the two sources of some hope for the people but both are being maligned by the government by its covert and overt media managers and media cells.
Our ‘great democrats’ are in no mood to correct themselves. They seem to be enjoying repeating their past mistakes and believe in repeating them with greater vigour. They insult the intelligence of every sane person. They say democracy is the best revenge. Perhaps they are taking revenge from democracy and punishing the people voting for them. Their acts have let our heads down in shame.
[By Ansar Abbasi, The News, Thursday, May 13, 2010]
[Courtesy, The News: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=238910]
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