Daily Times: VIEW : The real fundamentalist: a true liberal — Mohammad Ahmad
The real fundamentalist would know that there is neither any compulsion in religion nor does the religion bar anyone from accepting, rejecting or leaving it
In a society strangled by fear, the reasonable are mostly afraid. The situation in Pakistan is no different. People who have knowledge and who should essentially be not just unbiased but vocal in protecting the rights of the vulnerable remain mostly silent. If ever they speak they do so in meek voices and never themselves bring up a subject not liked by the crowd for fear of being labelled a liberal. With the radical succeeding in branding liberal a stigma, the mind that is liberated of bias and prejudice and is receptive to any positive change remains intimidated by fear and cannot contribute positively. It is, therefore, not very surprising that the position of a fundamentalist who has to be a liberal by essence has been wrongly assumed by the clerics led by their militant stalwarts whose actions are far removed from the fundamentals of the religion they profess.
A liberal is someone who while holding a view allows freedom of expression to others; is open to new ideas, champions the rights of women, labour and parallel faiths and is not bound by the dictates of society in matters that he considers to be wrongly dealt. Now compare the guidelines given hereafter that any fundamentalist will find in the Holy Book. The Quran says:
Let there be no compulsion in religion. (2:256)
To you be your way to me mine. (106: 9)
Let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject. (18:29)
And if thy Lord had pleased, all those who are in the earth would have believed, all of them. Wilt thou then force men till they are believers? (10:99)