Is the "MUNAZRA" system providing the ground for a new sectarian war? Dr. Shahid Ihsan

Gathering two dozen of books in front of the camera, referring to the names of their writers, some of these "chanrees" or religious scholars are distorting the true image of Islam. These brawls and verbal quarrels on social media have let loose another kind of war on the innocent pukhtoons, a part of the hybrid war.

A few months ago, I happened to be in such a seminary in the town of Turangzai. In the guest room at night, another guest was staying with me for night. When asked he replied that he had come to request the care. taker of madrassa, hazrat Zubair (sheikh ul hadith and Quran) to attend their jalsa at Noshera , as they had formed an "organization" consisting of "Huffaz" only. During the night gup shup and morning breakfast, he was unable to satisfy my question about certain ayahs of the Quran.

I do believe that such persons were used as fodder during the "war on terror" in the form of TTP. The sheikh ul hadith a learned man who happens to be Ghani khan's kith and kin, however, didn't grant him time.

During General Muhammad Zia ul Haq's time, the war was fought on sectarian lines i. e shia sunni alone.

The much of the actors and the plot and incidents were orchestrated by the two "i's" intelligence agencies i. e RAW and Mossad. The incident of kocha Risaldar was the last act of terror, so far.

Now besides the Shia .sunni division(i had written a post about the issue at the beginning of the year), another kind of debate has started on social media.

The Sunnis doing munaziras" in various places. The debate is out of the reach of the common mind, firstly, their topics, and terminologies are incomprehensible & secondly these schools of thought represented by various Muftees and peers are so various that within the Sunni sect a lot of groups have emerged, arguing not from Quran or hadith(basic sources of Islamic jurisprudence ) but presenting books of their respective ideological writers to confuse the less learned or simple pukhtoon muslims. Their hot debates sometimes reach the point of name-calling and abusive derogation of the opponents.

Such is the defamation and deformation of the Shia sect living in different cities. Sometimes their imam bargahs (or imam barras, as we call them)are out of the reach of the police search. I have observed drug addicts and criminals taking refuge there, as once was the mazar e pur anwaar of Rehman baba, a bastion of hashish smokers.

Not only this but in Punjab where red lights areas exist, those areas are termed as belonging to the Shias, and the police officers can't tread there for the search of the foreign agents hiding for spreading terror.

The Sunni sect mostly claiming to belong to the J.U.I(F) do use the name of maulana Fazal and the historical jamiat e ulama e hind to display guns on members and avoid legal restraints. Such is one in Taimor gara who says that since old men cough a lot, they should be banned from praying in masjids. Also that his wife was more daolee (smart) when referring to the old female colleagues of a private school.

I earlier wrote of such a mufti sahib who was telling jokes about hostel girls in the khatm e saheeh Bukhari.

Yet another, known as tawajju , had applied the rule in his female madrassah that whosoever graduates from his seminary cant marry of their own will.

Mr. Fazal ur Rehman should feel the need that not only these few but almost all imams of Masajid need a livelihood to sustain themselves and their families. His opposition to the salary scheme of the PTI government was out of logic. What if an imam gets a reasonable pocket? money for rendering services to the Muslim community rather than going after alms, skhat, wazeefa, and zakat from masjid attendees. But we have seen in our country the bands of "red shirts" and "brown shirts" guarding routes of their respective leaders and throwing flowers on their land cruisers but What of them ... Or their children's sustenance ?? Oh thanks, the Benazir Income program... Long queues .. police baton charge.....!!!

About The Author: Dr. Shahid Ihsan is a published Poet, He wrote three  Poetry books (Two in Urdu and One in Pashto), and he works as an instructor, with the Department of Elementary Education Govt. of KP.