Saadia's Column

Morality...? or Simply Cowardice? (May 2003)

"Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual" - Nietzsche, The Gay Science

Morality in the Muslim world (and I can speak especially for Pakistan) is often based heavily on societal approval or disapproval. The lines have become blurry between what the Quran ordains, and what people proclaim as moral, just because it fits into their brand of morality, based on tradition or self interest.

The problem with this is that morality must come from within, not without. People have to put convention aside, and follow principles they actually believe in - as opposed to blindly conforming, for fear of raising eyebrows.

It’s odd how morality is determined by what other people make us do. In certain countries, they’ve decided it’s moral for women to wear the veil, and not to drive cars. In others, they’ve decided killing for honour is the religious thing to do. In other societies, moral fortitude depends upon female genital mutilation. They're all determined to uphold morality, their favorite brands of morality dammit, and there’s not a darned thing anyone can do about it.

Less dictatorial types are content with merely glowering from their moral high ground, and pointing the accusing finger at errant souls, whose heinous crimes include keeping dogs or paintings in their houses, having friends belonging to the opposite sex, cart wheeling in the front yard, baring a limb, sporting long hair (for men), sporting short hair (for women) to name but a few. The point however, is that the sin committed, however grave or trivial, isn't really their business. There’s an alarming tendency to peer over the wall at the neighbours, whereas it would be a lot more worthwhile to be looking inward instead.

This happens all over the world, but society certainly acts as more of a watchdog in Muslim communities. Growing up, my parents inevitably used the "what will people say?" argument for stopping me from doing stuff which they did not consider wrong per se. Since an early age I had a dim notion that other people had nothing better to do than watch my every move. I think my parents exaggerated the whole thing, but I’ve learned that to a large extent it’s true. And that's a problem.

I’m aware that you have to pick your battles, and that staying out late with my friends, or going off on a trip on my own is hardly a worthwhile cause for a revolution. At the same time, I’m a great believer in living life according to one’s own standards and moral principles and not the standards of a narrow-minded and interfering group of unknowns.

My rejoinder to my parents was that conforming is the same as condoning. I thought it was a pretty neat line, but they never seemed impressed. They said I would understand when I was grown up. I’m grown up now, and I do understand, but I still don’t agree.

As long as my actions don't violate the teachings of Islam as I understand them, I don't see why others should direct my life. In Islam, there is no middle-man. We are answerable to God alone. These so called religious types who act as God's right-hand men have no real authority to tell other people how to live their lives.

Of course establishing moral standards is the cornerstone for every religion, and I believe that observing them is important. But people who have somehow convinced themselves that they are qualified to interpret and pronounce judgements on others, are simply arrogant, and a weakening force to religion.

Today many young liberals around the world are not afraid to break convention. But there are still a lot of people who are terrified of being ostracised for the smallest faux-pas. Things have become so mixed up that the line between moral deviation and social deviation has become very blurred. Often, societal approval is equal to being a good person. My cook back home in Islamabad borrowed ridiculous amounts of money from all and sundry, just so that his wedding feast would be sufficiently lavish to satisfy everyone in his village. Another hired help was terrified every time people from his village came to visit, because he’d have to feed and host them until whenever they chose to leave - days, weeks, possibly months later. Anything to avoid violating the unwritten law of hospitality which would invoke the disapproval of his bradari (kinsfolk) - and brand him as morally inferior.

The Muslim world has to realize that morality is not about appearances. In fact, if we are performing actions simply to appease or impress others, the actions have little merit according to the true spirit of Islam. We are acting to please people rather than please God. To allow people to act in the true spirit of Islam it is important that people live and let live. And stop pointing fingers. It’s rude.

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