My Take On Pakistani Muslims

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 16 March 2024 The article on Pakistani Muslims has amused me no end. I've been to Pakistan a number of times and I've Pakistani Muslims friends living in the UK, US and all parts of the world. But I'm sad to state that even those Pakistani Muslims, living in the western world, drawing fat salaries as IT professionals and doing other high-profile jobs, have also retained their Pakistani mindset. Agreed, not all Pakistani Muslims behave like morons, most of them still behave in a weirdly enthusiastic manner when it comes to Islam and following its tenets. Did you know that the legendary Rafi's two immortal numbers aren't officially played on Radio Pakistan? Why? Because the songs have the 'banned' benediction Khuda Hafiz which has been replaced with the most atrocious 'Allah Hafiz.' Those songs are, "Iss Rang Badalti Duniya Mein Insaan Ki Neeyat Theek Nahin" (Film: Rajkumar, Lyricist: Hasrat Jaipuri, Music: Shankar-Jaikishan, singer: Rafi, 1964) and the second number is: Tum Jis Pe Nazar Dalo, Uss Dil Ka Khuda Hafiz (Film: Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke, Lyricist: Rajinder Krishna Duggal, Music: Ravi Shankar Sharma, Singer: Rafi, 1963). Khuda being a Persian word and used by Shia Muslims, Pakistanis replaced it with Allah Hafiz during Zia Ul-Haq's religiously suffocating regime when a female TV announcer used the bizarre term Allah Hafiz way back in 1984. That now even a majority of stupid Sunnis in India also say Allah Hafiz in lieu of Khuda Hafiz is a different story and I'll write about it in a separate piece. Coming back to the story of banning these innocuous songs in Pakistan, fortunately Khuda Hafiz stanza in the song "Iss Rang Badalti Duniya Mein" comes in the end: Main Kaise Khuda Hafiz Kah Doon, Mujh Ko Toh Kisi Ka Yaqeen Nahin/ Chhup Jaao Humari Aankhon Mein Bhagwan Ki Neeyat Theek Nahin. So, this song is occasionally played in Pakistan sans its last stanza! Otherwise also, the last stanza is blasphemous (!) according to Pakistani Muslims! Bhagwan Ki Neeyat Theek Nahin! Oh no! What a sacrilegious statement! Remove this objectionable Antara forthwith! But unfortunately, in the song, "Tum Jis Pe Nazar Daalo," Khuda Hafiz appears at the very beginning. So, ban it completely. This is how an average Pakistani behaves under the toxic influence of distorted Islam. The problem is that Indian Muslims have also begun to behave like their Pakistani counterparts. Lack of education and an overwhelming influence of all religious preachers have contributed to making Pakistanis a butt of ridicule even in Islamic countries. Muslims of Pakistan need to put more focus on developing scientific temperament by listening to the likes of Pervez Hoodbhoy, Pakistani nuclear scientist, author, media commentator and activist rather than follow the fatwas of its uneducated and imbecile preachers like Mufti Tariq Masood and Maulana Tariq Jamil (a controversial preacher from the Tablighi Jamaat) who've extremely popular channels on YouTube and are followed by scores of brainless subcontinental Muslims. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/pakistani-muslims-khuda-allah-hafiz/d/131929 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism