“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and souls of its people… a culture of the mind must be subservient to the heart. No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.” Mohandas Gandhi.
The culture and folklore of a nation, which contain religious values and social norms, reflect the glories and heroism of a nation. Moreover, one respects his/her culture deeply and struggles to maintain for the centuries. Whoever abandons their cultural values and norms, they are mostly condemned by the people.
It is rightly said by Nathaniel Branden, “In any culture, sub-culture or family in which belief is valued above thought and self-surrender is valued about self-expression, and conformity is valued above integrity, those who preserve their self-esteem are likely to be heroic exceptions.”
In addition, Frank Lloyd Wright says, “Noble life demands a noble architecture for noble uses of noble men. Lack of culture means what it has always meant: ignoble civilization and therefore imminent downfall.
Our culture is supposed to be based on Islamic beliefs and religious values. According to religion, the world is divided into the sacred and the profane. Religion orders a one to respect the sacred issues and eschew the profane. In addition, our cultural setup, which based on our traditions, determines our behavioral pattern and both are a part of our actions. Therefore, the major function of cultural setup is to guide and control one’s behavioral mindset. Hence, the question is why people act against their own beliefs and deviate from the right path. In other words, one understands the difference between the sacred and the profane, but s/he intentionally moves towards a violation of religious laws. Why are religious rules and limitations broken by the followers? I believe that there are three reasons behind. First, one may be forced by a set of intolerable sufferings and difficulties to ignore one’s religious beliefs. Dire poverty, insecurity, physical torture, fears of losing someone, etc. are some contributing factors. Second, one can easily get involved in illegal acts just for the heck of it. We know that, it is human nature for people to succumb to selfishness and to fall into temptations. Third, it is because of one’s dogmatism and misunderstanding religious laws the same as religious extremists.
It is beyond doubt that our country is moving towards cultural changes, one may ask, what is the role of our religion here? I believe that our religion has been marginalized and plays no role in the changes. Moreover, it is thought that our religion plays a negative role, since many cultural and social changes are in contradiction with the moral standards of our country. The attitudes of our citizens when faced with issues concerning morality are not governable by religious values.
It stands to reason that adopting the cultural values and norms of others and turning away from one’s own culture is a great traumatic event. Unfortunately, adopting different types of culture is very common in our society. People, especially our younger generation are adopting modern ways, which are new cultural elements in our country. This is the trend of the day. Our people are embracing banal cultural values regardless of the negative impact on Afghan society.
Media also play negative role in acculturation and change of culture. It is destructive to the minds of our people especially our youths and children. Currently, many televisions and radios broadcast foreign films and music which are in direct opposition to our religious laws and cultural values. Such changes are very subtle.
In addition, modernization also swallows the norms and values of our society gradually. Of course, conservatism is mostly vulnerable to the bombardment of modern cultures. Furthermore, no societies will survive the effect of modernization, for it is the need of them. Even high religious sensitivities cannot stop the movement of this process. The most conservative people are forced unintentionally to join the caravan of modernization. For example, religious extremists who deny any changes and follow their stereotypical ideas are using modern technologies without any hesitations.
In my point of view, this secular movement is not within the religious realm. If people walk out of the frame of religious laws, surely crime and corruption will increase across the country. It is painful to see that the role of religion is diminishing day by day in our individual and collective life. The more our people discard religious laws, the more they approach a moral decline. So, we should revive the religious instructions and guidance in our society by practicing them. If this trend continues, the country will be morally doomed.
The sub-culture of violence is another challenge which puts its negative psychological impacts in the minds of our people and makes on understand religion in negative way. for instance, the merciless killings of innocent people including women and children without rhyme or reason and the abusive manners of terrorists makes on easily fed-up with religion and its ideology. To avoid, rhetoric, religious misinterpretations and the malpractices of the religious extremists are the major factors which spread hatred amongst the people and disgust them about a particular religion.
It is time to revive our religious values and moral standards by a sound understanding of Islam. We have to abolish both radical attitudes and Western modernity which are in contrast to our religious beliefs. Moreover, our culture and tradition will have to be based on our religious and moral values. Let us learn and practice our religious belief in its true way and form a social fabric conducive to the realm of religion and morality. Otherwise, if we continue in the same way, the holiness of religious rules and the value of moral standards will be violated without feeling a tinge of guilt. We have to revive the holiness of religious beliefs and the significance of social and cultural norms.