Ah yes, this one is going to get really acrimonius given what just happened in Norway. \u00a0But Abdul has raised some questions of ‘awareness’ and prejudice. \u00a0I hope for an informative healthy debate here without people hurling abuse at each other :<\/p>\n
“Problems cannot be solved on the same level of awareness which created them \u2013 Einstein<\/p>\n
A friend sent this quote to me, when I first read it; I could not understand it. I kept pondering my brains out for days but nothing came to me \u2013 Last night while watching a debate on European Muslims, it struck me and I would like to believe that I know what Einstein meant now.<\/p>\n
Here is how it happened\u2026
\nI came across a debate on youtube titled \u201cEurope is failing its Muslims\u201d organized by BBC between two very famous scholars \u2013 Tariq Ramadan and Douglas Murray \u2013 I was hoping to get some valuable insight \u2013 but I was very much disappointed. The debate had ended before it even started.<\/p>\n
Muslim Scholar Tariq Ramadan (Born & Raised in Sweden) is asked to step on podium to highlight his agenda \u2013 He makes introductory remarks, points out the problems Muslims are facing in West and concludes \u201cEurope has failed its Muslims\u201d.<\/p>\n
Now, The British Scholar, Douglas Murray steps on podium talks about the violence and terrorism imposed on west by Islam, and ends his conversation by saying \u201cEurope has not failed its Muslims, Its Muslims who has failed Europe\u201d<\/p>\n
This is when it struck me\u2026 I did more research found a few more relevant debates. But the results were same \u2013 HUGE DISSAPOINTMENT.<\/p>\n
After listening to a few more scholars on various other topics \u2013 I came to realize that most of them have gained wisdom through their knowledge, which gives them slightly different and broader understanding of the worldly issues than an ordinary man (Someone with no or lesser knowledge). They have the knowledge, they have the wisdom, they even have broader understanding of the issues and problems, BUT what almost all of them are missing is HIGHER LEVEL OF AWARENESS. Intellectually they are slightly at the higher end of the pyramid (due to their knowledge). But when it comes to dealing with personal prejudices they are at the same level as any other human being, which is at the bottom ends of the pyramid. (People like Buddha, Einstein, Gandhi, Tao and Lao are an exception)<\/p>\n
Now coming back to debate \u201cEurope is failing its Muslims \u201cboth the scholars were very sharp and well informed. They had raised some really good questions too. But sadly, they both had one-sided view, their research and view point were partial and biased. They were victim of their own prejudices, so were the audience. Which did not help anyone, instead had drawn more lines.<\/p>\n
Only if they had higher level of awareness, they would have been able to understand each other. Only then, instead of quoting \u201cMuslims have failed Europe\u201d or \u201cEurope has failed its Muslims. They would have concluded; \u201cWe have failed each other\u201d and that would have been an interesting debate.<\/p>\n
Their knowledge and partial wisdom did entertained audience. It also won them appreciation and applauses\u2026 but the missing element of AWARENESS, higher, than at which the whole problem was created, failed to engage audience in a meaningful and constructive debate.<\/p>\n
We live in a society that is too complex and too dependent on knowledge to guarantee us a social acceptance. Sadly, Knowledge can be perceived in either ways, each of us can create our own version of reality depending on what we want to believe, or how big one\u2019s ego is.<\/p>\n
Same thing is happening in our part of the world. When it comes to problems between Pakistan & India, Hiduisam & Islam, our partial and biased understanding mixed with personal prejudices blind folds our intelligence, which keeps the light of awareness from reaching us<\/p>\n
Gandhi Jee once said; if you want to change the world Change yourself first (Be the change you want to see in the world)\u2026 what did he meant by it? What change he had suggested? How does he want us to change?\u2026. Could it be a change of perception?<\/p>\n
Abdul Munim
\nA 29 years old Pakistani by birth, Muslim by religion, Chinese by profession (Studied & working in China)\u2026 And a proud Indian by ethnicity.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ah yes, this one is going to get really acrimonius given what just happened in Norway. \u00a0But Abdul has raised some questions of ‘awareness’ and prejudice. \u00a0I hope for an informative healthy debate here without people hurling abuse at each other : “Problems cannot be solved on the same level of awareness which created them […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n