I was engrossed in the gradual death of Islamic culture and country’s tradition, by a highly fashionable style of an Afghan girl wearing Chinese sunglasses, mini-skirt dress, tight cowboys and high-heeled sandals. Many thoughts were flashing my mind and I sighed deeply murmuring with myself that it is the birth of democracy which leads to the death of our pure Islamic cultures targeting the younger generations of our country. The growth of democracy and flood of European cultures will, certainly, result in the slaughter of our customs and gradual bleeding of our religious beliefs. In addition, following the wrong path of democracy will debilitate our moral values and enervate the socio-moral milieu of the country.
Abraham Lincoln introduced democracy rightly saying, “Democracy is government of the people, for the people, by the people.” According to this definition, which is widely accepted, democracy does not mean to choose the updated fashion of the time giving up our origin or identity. An Islamic philosopher and thinker, Allama Mutahhari, says that we should improve with the world’s improvement, however, fight against the world’s moral corruption. He adds that improvement is the need of time when it is naked of nakedness and jeopardy of slaughtering religious beliefs. Of course, it is very naïve of us to risk our modesty for modernity or moral values for immoral ones. Mohandas Gandhi, the former leader of India, says, “The truest test of civilization, culture, and dignity is character, not clothing.”
It is believed that a high mentality bespeaks of high humanity and character. Younger generations are the mind of a community, therefore, they will have to develop mentally and also lead the society towards the same desired pinnacle of progress. I agree on the sociological idea which says that the chic and modish fashion and clothing of a society displays a deep and serious deprivation of the people in that society, and I add that this is an epidemic disease which will bleed the former wound rather than curing it and it is not a solution at all. So, again I emphasize on mental development and believe that an updated style and clothing with an outdated frame of mind is highly ridiculous.
Some may think that religious beliefs are not the need of the present time and they were good for traditional people in a close society. In other words, they may think that the frame of their minds are updated whereas religious beliefs are outdated and these two are in direct opposition like parallel lines which will never join each other. However, I think it is the very need of the present society and time for being setback ahead of moral corruptions and social disorders. Many religious beliefs, especially Islamic laws, are based on moral standard and they are unchangeable facts the same as nature’s law. For example, when thousands of years ago, people were saying that two plus two equals four still this rule is ruling and we believe and say the same however modern we are. Same is the case with our religious beliefs. When our religion stated that honesty, morality, high social and moral norms are the need of a society, still we strongly believe them otherwise we will face many challenges and disorder in our social and individual life.
It is a matter of great concern for me when democracy gives birth differently in our community. The great reason behind this issue is that democracy is being fed by the poisonous food of either ignorant mentality or biased-political minds. Sometimes, I think that democracy may be the illegitimate son of modernity, but soon I come to know that there is nothing wrong with democracy or modernity but it is all our mistakes originating in misunderstanding and misusing.
A well-known Islamic poet, Hafiz Shirazi, says, “Have a mercy on you by eschewing the bullet of mine.” This poem, as if addressing the current society of us saying that have mercy on you by shunning the bullet of moral corruption under the name of democracy, freedom, modernity…. So, let’s eschew from self-hurting incidents by indiscriminate following of every voice or embracing of every fashion.
Though I believe that practicing the very pure religious beliefs is not possible in any communities, but nonetheless the secularity of our people and marginalizing religion from social life is not justifiable. I emphasize again that it is not right to believe that democracy and religion are the historical enemy of each other and one is supposed to give up one of them for saving the other. In other words, they may think that it is a ground for competition of democracy and religion and one of them must swallow and digest another. Those who attach more significance to democracy will think that religion will not survive the flooding storm of democracy and may drown in it. Anyhow, the cruel slaughter of moral values in the presence of democracy is a big crime.
Pointing a condemning finger to Taliban for the misuse of religion is a blunder when we misuse it in another way. Of course they abuse religion radically while we abuse it democratically. They are indulged in violence and bloodshed, whereas, we are indulged in practicing wrong democracy. Therefore, we are also either to be condemned or choose our religious path correctly.
Mohandas Gandhi says, “Democracy is an impossible thing until the power is shared by all, but let not democracy degenerate into monocracy.” It is the same thing that we are experiencing bitterly in the country. Democracy has degenerated into monocracy and the characters of people have metamorphosed greatly. To be more exact, even though, elections are being conducted in our country, still Afghanistan is introduced one of the most corrupt countries. Official corruptions put democracy under question in our country and it is a major challenge to be dealt with by Afghan authorities – as soon as possible. By mentioning this, I mean that democracy is being abused on one way or another or through one group or another.