This is with reference to the article “Chasing a mirage” by Nawar Fakhry Ezzi (Feb. 6). After going through the article, I was left with no choice but to endorse the writer’s views. However, the mention of the term secularism and its literal definition needs debate. Overall the views expressed in the article are politically correct. It is true that a literal approach to faith is dangerous to an individual and society at large. Sometimes I feel that people are not at all aware of the true teachings of Islam. When we say that Muslims have abandoned teachings of Islam, people take offense to such statements. Once again it is the literal approach that bars them from understanding the meanings of this statement.
How many of us study Qur’an? We do recite the holy book very often, it is also a blessing, but reading it like a parrot and pondering over the message of God are two different things. As a matter of fact, the result of both the approaches are different. I would like to clarify here that I do not wish to say that one should not recite the Qur’an. Studying the Holy Book is important but at the same time it is imperative that we understand the meanings of the Qur’anic verses. The reason behind the rise of fanaticism or radicalism is that people just blindly follow demagogues who quote verses from the Qur’an out of context to further their vested interests. As for the writer’s fascination — I am unable to come up with another word — with secularism; I think she does not know the true meanings of this concept. Ironically, the writer herself has fallen victim to the approach she is critical of. Secularism is a concept that appears attractive only when we see its meaning in a dictionary. I advise the writer to study the concept carefully. I am not at all criticizing her. These young writers, with this fresh approach, are asset to the Muslim world and they must be aware of all the ideologies. Secularism is a concept that ultimately leads to humanism, which is exactly opposite to the concept of the world as presented by Islam.
Shahbaz Bhatti
Jeddah
Literal approach to faith
