Zeeshan Shahid Khan |
“Be not so blinded by patriotism, that you can’t face reality.” ~ Malcolm X
‘In a nation state, whosoever doesn’t agree with the government is a shade of Terrorist. Whomsoever is successfully brainwashed through one-sided media, threatened to comply, paid or bribed, becomes a patriot.
People stand for their governments thinking that they are standing for their country, without a sense of whom their leaders have mortgaged them to.
People are what makes a country. But in this quack democracy, governments seldom represent the people. Democracy, therefore, re a scam. Yet, the so-called elected are accepted as the chosen leaders. Their decisions are the decisions of the people. This is a democracy.
People stand for their governments thinking that they are standing for their country, without a sense of whom their leaders have mortgaged them to.
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More so, songs with pumping beats and flags unfurling, or a sad tune with teary kids, and no one questions the legitimacy of their wars. Keeping their eyes wide shut to what led them here or the direction in which they are being led to. After all, soldiers are mere gun-fodder. Also now, so is the common man.
‘Today is a new day’, they convince the sheeple each time, with a self assuring fake smile while choosing new masters. While the walls of the castle are still corroded with corruption and greed, what is to keep this cycle from repeating itself?
Yesterday’s gunpoint diplomacy by the allies is shown as a political need. Allies waving a gun, soon become masters. The core reasons for own mardana kamzori (weakness) are never spoken of. Hush!
‘Today is a new day’, they convince the sheeple each time, with a self-assuring fake smile while choosing new masters. While the walls of the castle are still corroded with corruption and greed, what is to keep this cycle from repeating itself?
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Its difficult enough to convince a simpleton patriot, near damn impossible to convince a mental slave whose salary depends on him not being convinced. There is no cure for self-imposed ignorance or slavery.
Didn’t the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) say that he who raises slogans for nationalism has reverted into jahalia? Did he not show that all Muslims are one body, one nation – without divisions or borders. Wasn’t this clearly exhibited even by his four rightly guided followers in leadership? Isn’t that where strenght lies? Isn’t that our only survival? Are we blind to history?
A new God is hence chosen. Nationalism – ‘the new unified religion’ with the popular leader as the Pope-King. All laws at his mercy. All men his servants. Each country echoing with songs of independence, security, self-worth and self-reliance. Hollow slogans raised by merchants, mimicked by the intellectually in-apt, repeated by the common parrots. Psychological conditioning at its best. Its reality hounds only a few, while the majority repeat the songs with hypnotic fervor even upon their dried throats and thirsty livers.
So many of us have chosen false Gods of our own free will. We chose new ones, every day.
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Didn’t the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) say that he who raises slogans for nationalism has reverted into jahalia? Did he not show that all Muslims are one body, one nation – without divisions or borders. Wasn’t this clearly exhibited even by his four rightly guided followers in leadership? Isn’t that where strength lies? Isn’t that our only survival? Are we blind to history?
“Hush Khan!…
they will brand you,
as an Ikhwan.”
That even rhymes, unlike our twisted logic for remaining divided into so-called “independent” Muslim nation states. Remind me once again. “Whom are we independent of?
” Ah… I must be drunk! Come Allama Iqbal dear, let’s drink to that! And while we raise our glasses in the flickering candle light, let’s remind them, “United we stand, divided we fall.
Or else, chose a new God!”
‘Have I accepted their new God yet, or will they come knocking at my door tonight?’ Such are the thoughts that come and haunt me, while I lay awake in the long summer nights.”
Zeeshan Shahid Khan has been affiliated with numerous National and International security organizations over the past 20 years. He holds three Masters Degrees and an MS/MPhil in various disciplines including Arts and Sciences of Warfare and Global Business Management from Australia. Apart from being certified as a Nuclear Security Professional from WINS Academy at Vienna, he has also pursued formal education in Uloom ud Deen from International Islamic University with a special interest in Islamic History of Warfare. He has worked as Director of South Asian Strategic Stability Institute University in recent years and continues to write on issues of National and International security and strategy. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Global Village Space’s editorial policy.