Comments on 'Lambs to the Slaughter': On Alif, Bay, Pay Education

Comments/response by Hassan Habib to the previous post: 'Lambs to the Slaughter': Reflections on Geo Network's New Educational Campaign.

1

First of all, bravos on this try of presenting the truth. It denounces wickedness behind this despicable slogan of GEO. The thing that I found in the piece of writing was that it presupposes that the reader knows about the deep routes of concepts of Tawheed.

The world-view of Islam is in total opposition of what we believe today. For example, the industrial revolution, the revolution itself identifies the height of ignorance of humans. Why? Because it provided the seed of materialistic endeavor and attitude towards life, it replaces everything with regards to morality on the sentiment of material and material alone.

The modern theories of quality and obsession of companies to achieve it is just a futile endeavor from Islamic perspective. Islam views the world as a temporary abode while the real wealth and real life is the life of hereafter. It focuses on the principles of purifying one’s self from this worldly glitter. While, the whole idea of education today is revolving around this idea, that, we have to satisfy the ‘customer’. Customer’s needs are not the ones that are necessary for its survival rather these are the voluptuous desires that the companies have to ‘satisfy’. The engineers, scientists and managers work to ‘make a winning team’ that fulfils this task of providing the ‘best quality’ with ‘agility’.

The concepts of Total Quality Management, Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Just in Time have evolved into the defining techniques of development today and are being taught with awe in Pakistani institutions. If you go through these in detail you would know that the basic idea is to increase profits and make more customers by attending to their needs. There is no morality and no values that these people follow.

Jack Welch in his book ‘winnings’, describes the idea of values that the leaders should define and the employees should follow. The values are the ones that have ‘competitive advantage’ and are aural for the company itself.

Today all the specializations and modern subjects are catering the needs of these business giant companies that are just robbing people off by selling them things they don’t really need.

When I reflect on this I am left unanswered about how things will change or how can people realize that instead of selling these luxury items to elite, these should be rather sent to areas where still people remain without food for days.

With these words we conclude that the education is nothing but a way for the rich to continue to increase their wealth while their counterparts continue to suffer.

2

What should replace this idea of education? What should be the foundations of building up the moralities of men? How knowledge should be used to create harmony among people? What is the concept of wealth? How this challenge of defining Islamic education be met? What has the researches in modern technologies given humanity? What do we have to do while standing on the brink of this destruction? What does Islam say about this? I think that the utopian debate of Socrates must follow these questions and answers should be sought.

It should be noted that the development that has happened in some of the Islamic countries in the past few decades have followed the same pattern that is being followed by the West. Entrepreneurship and elevation of industrial sector has been the foundations for the development of Turkey and Indonesia.

The subjects that really add to our good character are the ones that we stop studying after our matriculation. Like history, Geography, Social Science and Islamiat. These subjects are always given the second priority while the ones that add nothing to our character are given the first priority. There are no regular subjects that teach us Quran or Hadith. The history being taught to children is itself modified and does not align with the true ideals of Islam.

All the education that follows after our college supports the idea of materialism and inculcates an egoistic approach towards life. That destroys the moralities of humans. Whether it is commerce or management, engineering or life sciences all are void of any sensuality and spirituality.

What is the need then?

First is the idea of realizing that we are the servants of Allah and we cannot spend lives according to our own wishes. Based on this fact we have to rethink our priorities.

Secondly we should recognize what are the major problems being faced by humanity today. How can we practically free people from modern idols of Nationalism and materialism? It is that dawah that prophet S.A.W did and freed people from idols and made them the servants of Allah.

Thirdly we must provide the solutions to these problems that can really solve these problems. We should analyze how different professions interlink with our Islamic needs. (By Islamic I mean the ones that are a necessity and not a luxury). Then we would have to separate the ones which are contributing up to a critical amount to the Islamic ideals and we have to finish those that are opposing those ideals in totality.

Fourthly we must practice and promulgate the true Islamic character. For this the thinking, dedication and sincerity has to be induced in people that makes them to work so hard that they not only become good managers or doctors or engineers but they become a true Muslim. It is also necessary then to abolish those technologies or inventions that directly act in corrupting the character.

Extensive debate and discussion with authentic resources is needed to elaborate further all these needs.

There are many people who can really add to these struggles but they are trapped in the vicious circles of life. There is this need of freeing them from these circles so that they can contribute their part.

Media is using tools that quickly adhere to the brains of people, while it is needed to present people with truth with more passion and enthuse. We are still not doing enough I think so as to reverberate in the minds and hearts of people for that we need a strong synchronization and unity.

These are just the thoughts of an ignorant mind that were reflected on the article you wrote. These are just words while action is rather much needed. I would like to hear from you further on refuting the idea of GEO and presenting the truth. It is very much needed that we debate on practical models of change so that we can meet the aspired end.