kdsingh80 Posted September 7, 2010 Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/sep/07/slide-show-1-are-pakistans-youth-giving-up-islam.htm#contentTop A handful of Pakistani Muslim youths are beginning to question the existence of God and are in the process of giving up Islam to become atheists. Still a small number, the trend seems to be telling of the pressures that the image of militant Islam has had on them. A Facebook group has been floated for Pakistan's agnostics and atheists by Hazrat NaKhuda, a former Pakistani Muslim. Hazrat is a young computer programmer from Lahore. At last count, the group had over a 100 members. In a thread started on the discussion board on "How did you become an atheist", Hazrat writes, "I used to be a practicing Muslim. I used to live in Saudi Arabia. I have done two Hajs and countless Umrahs. I used to pray five times a day. When I turned 17-18, I realised that the only reason I was a Muslim was because my parents were Muslims". Text: PTI Photographs: Adrees Latif/Reuters Next Next A handful of Pakistani Muslim youths are beginning to question the existence of God and are in the process of giving up Islam to become atheists. Still a small number, the trend seems to be telling of the pressures that the image of militant Islam has had on them. A Facebook group has been floated for Pakistan's agnostics and atheists by Hazrat NaKhuda, a former Pakistani Muslim. Hazrat is a young computer programmer from Lahore. At last count, the group had over a 100 members. In a thread started on the discussion board on "How did you become an atheist", Hazrat writes, "I used to be a practicing Muslim. I used to live in Saudi Arabia. I have done two Hajs and countless Umrahs. I used to pray five times a day. When I turned 17-18, I realised that the only reason I was a Muslim was because my parents were Muslims". Text: PTI Photographs: Adrees Latif/Reuters Next Prev Next Ahmed Zaidi (name changed), another member, posted on the discussion board: "I am an agnostic simply because I see little or no evidence for the existence of God. Some time ago I decided that I'd never believe anything unless it has a firm basis in reason and as far as I know (and I admit I know very little and that there's much to be learnt), there's little or no evidence for the existence of God." The group, which is open strictly to members, has young Pakistani students studying in New York University to Oxford University to the prestigious Lahore University of Management Sciences as members. Saeed Ahmad (name changed), who used to be a "practicing Ahmedi Muslim", started questioning his beliefs at the age of 17. "I don't think there is any more detail to be added," he posted on the Facebook community for Pakistan's atheists and agnostics. Photographs: Tim Wimborne/Reuters Prev Next Prev Next Nawab Zia (name changed) wrote that the moot question is not "how did you become an atheist" but "how did you become a believer". He wrote, "I was a born atheist like every human being until my parents corrupted me with faith. Every child is born free and pure." Ali Rana (name changed), who loved Islamic preacher Zakir Nair and hated author Salman Rushdie, has had a change of heart too. He now thinks Nair is an 'idiot' and Rushdie a genius. There are other threads on how the members 'wasted' their years as theists. Photographs: Adrees Latif/Reuters Prev Next Prev More More serious issues, like whether there should a column marked 'no religion' while applying for passports, have also been discussed. "Last time I went to get my passport renewed, I found that there is no option called 'no religion'. Next time I go to make my passport I don't want to put in Islam as my religion," said one member. What connects members, who range from O-level students to computer professionals to architects, is their urgent need to question religion. "I vacillate between atheism and agnosticism. I'm currently an atheist but I feel like it is more reasonable for one to be agnostic. After all, there is no definitive way to disprove the existence of a God. I don't mean God in the religious sense because one can say with certainty that science has ruled that out, but a Cartesian God, the non-interventionist creator of the world," wrote a member. Photographs: Zahid Hussein /Reuters Prev More Ahmed Zaidi (name changed), another member, posted on the discussion board: "I am an agnostic simply because I see little or no evidence for the existence of God. Some time ago I decided that I'd never believe anything unless it has a firm basis in reason and as far as I know (and I admit I know very little and that there's much to be learnt), there's little or no evidence for the existence of God." The group, which is open strictly to members, has young Pakistani students studying in New York University to Oxford University to the prestigious Lahore University of Management Sciences as members. Saeed Ahmad (name changed), who used to be a "practicing Ahmedi Muslim", started questioning his beliefs at the age of 17. "I don't think there is any more detail to be added," he posted on the Facebook community for Pakistan's atheists and agnostics. Nawab Zia (name changed) wrote that the moot question is not "how did you become an atheist" but "how did you become a believer". He wrote, "I was a born atheist like every human being until my parents corrupted me with faith. Every child is born free and pure." Ali Rana (name changed), who loved Islamic preacher Zakir Nair and hated author Salman Rushdie, has had a change of heart too. He now thinks Nair is an 'idiot' and Rushdie a genius. There are other threads on how the members 'wasted' their years as theists. More serious issues, like whether there should a column marked 'no religion' while applying for passports, have also been discussed. "Last time I went to get my passport renewed, I found that there is no option called 'no religion'. Next time I go to make my passport I don't want to put in Islam as my religion," said one member. What connects members, who range from O-level students to computer professionals to architects, is their urgent need to question religion. "I vacillate between atheism and agnosticism. I'm currently an atheist but I feel like it is more reasonable for one to be agnostic. After all, there is no definitive way to disprove the existence of a God. I don't mean God in the religious sense because one can say with certainty that science has ruled that out, but a Cartesian God, the non-interventionist creator of the world," wrote a member. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinghMunda Posted December 22, 2010 Report Share Posted December 22, 2010 I think probably like most of the World youth in Pakistan are turning at least a bit away from religion, but I get the impression it is on the whole not changing as much as other countries, like richer Arabic countries. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithar Posted December 23, 2010 Report Share Posted December 23, 2010 they should become Sikhs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdsingh80 Posted December 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2010 they should become Sikhs. Not possible, I don't think Pakistani Govt or religious leaders will allow it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Sardar Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 slowly .. start going gurdwara 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSD1 Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 I'd rather have a Punjab full of 100 million atheists and agnostics than muslims. Funny thing is that some sikhs nowadays admit to being atheist yet are quite political about things like justice for 84. Is this just a small occurence or part of a larger trend among punjabis of various faiths? Who knows. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 (edited) I meet so many 'Sikh' atheist/agnostics these days it's off key. Plus they are weird, like don't believe in God but still meditate or love Sikh history?? Edited February 8, 2011 by dalsingh101 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSD1 Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 I meet so many 'Sikh' atheist/agnostics these days it's off key. Plus they are weird, like don't believe in God but still meditate or love Sikh history?? Well ethnically they are Punjabi and have a sikh heritage so I dont see it as being wrong. We try and be so inclusive of so many undesirable foreign influences yet we cant give our own people the live-and-let-live attitude we are so happy to apply to non-sikhs. As long as these 'weirdos' dont stand in the way of their children learning about sikhi and coming up with their own views on things then I dont see them as being that weird. Just human. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Fair point. At least they are proud of something and not outright coppay. Truth is that I think we are on the cusp of so much change in our society in the next 50/80 years that most of us wouldn't be able to imagine it if it we tried. We will have to accommodate a lot of things that we don't even register right now. There will be a struggle between traditional/conservatives and others, uncontrollable change will force this. Those of you in your early twenties or younger, you are going to see so much in your lifetime, things are likely to be very different towards the end of this existence of yours compared to now. What we really need is controlled/managed change and not the organic type that just happens - although maybe the latter is inevitable. I just hope the well meaning conservatives don't forget to adapt a little to meet the forthcoming changing circs. This doesn't mean compromising the faith, but no doubt you will have to contend with the strong voice and reasoning of those who will see things this way. Our community will contain a wide spectrum of people. Better to just accept that than fight it in my opinion. Our influence needs to grow. Hell we are already made up of a wide spectrum! People need to accept it and realise that this spectrum will probably only get more and more diverse in certain respects and seek ways to centralise or overlap core components of the identity across this range smartly for cohesion. Look at difference between Hazoori Singhs and Panjabi ones as a precursor. Now we will have little satellite communities all over the place. But modern tech allows for communication and sharing like never before which will influence things. Certainly interesting times.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSD1 Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Truth is that I think we are on the cusp of so much change in our society in the next 50/80 years that most of us wouldn't be able to imagine it if it we tried. We will have to accommodate a lot of things that we don't even register right now. Welcome to the world of sikhi as it falls prey to multiple strain pressure. Those of you in your early twenties or younger, you are going to see so much in your lifetime, things are likely to be very different towards the end of this existence of yours compared to now. It all depends on where we live. Sikh communities in Argentina and China will get assimilated as they are small and dont have any ways of reaching out to convert the locals. Those of us in europe will be subject to europe's fall back into a second dark age (where she belongs). Sikhs in north america will ebb and flow as north american power ebbs and flows. Sikhs in india will continue to be the butt of jokes and sidelined, as well as still believing in the old colonial dream of an angloworld where the streets are paved with gold. If anything, we will see a divergence amongst sikhs across the globe. Its just a question of where you want to be when this is all going on. Or where you want your kids to be raised. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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