Deconstructing Zaid Hamid part 8

(also published at Viewpointonline.net)

Deconstructing Zaid Hamid

Myths gradually have lost their appeal in those societies where intellectuals produced new ideas, thoughts, and concepts to guide people. Myths flourish in those societies which are stagnant and rely on the out dated ideas

Dr Mubarak Ali

Zaid Hamid is a TV-phenomenon popularized by his programmes like Brass Tacksand Iqbal ka Pakistan. Fourteen episodes of Iqbal ka Pakistan have been examined by this author in last six issues. Episodes 15 and 16 of Iqbal ka Pakistan, are reviewed below.

Episode 15

Ali azmat started the show by declaring that people have started seeing through the facades of democracy and freedom. He also stated that Zaid Hamid is now a popular icon of youth culture.

Zaid Hamid:- All the wars in human history have been fought for the sake of Dignity(Ghairat).

Comment:- This is a controversial statement by Zaid Hamid because If I believe his earlier sayings, All the modern wars were orchestrated by Zionist bankers. Which version should I believe.? Enough has been written about Ghairat brigade earlier.

Zaid Hamid:- Secularism(concept of separation of Church and State) started in the last 150 years.

Comment:-The concept that church should not interfere with the matters of state was the guiding principle during the Renaissance era(14^th-17^th Century). For it to be 150 years old, we'll have to be living in 1950.

Zaid Hamid:- Freedom is defined as rejection of all man-made laws/systems and acceptance of a God-made system.

Comment:- This statement by Mr Zaid Hamid reminds me of the words of Syed Qutb, the ideological father of Al Qaeda. In his book Milestones, he divides the world into two camps, Islam and jahiliyya, the period of ignorance and barbarity that existed before the divine message of the Prophet Mohammed. Qutb uses the term to encompass all of modern life: manners, morals, art, literature, law, even much of what passed as Islamic culture. He was opposed not to modern technology but to the worship of science, which he believed had alienated humanity from natural harmony with creation. Only a complete rejection of rationalism and Western values offered the slim hope of the redemption of Islam. This was the choice: pure, primitive Islam or the doom of mankind.

Zaid Hamid:- Nobody gives up on his life due to money.

Comment:- I would like to inform Mr Zaid Hamid that the word “Mercenary” in English language people who fight because of many. Such people are willing to even die for sake of money. Even in our own country,families of suicide bombers have been given money after their “missions” by their handlers.  

Zaid Hamid:- Suicide bombers are just anarchists

Comment:- In episode 4 of the same program, he implied that suicide bombers are doing what they do because west is trying to impose democracy on them. He does not seem to understand the ideology of takfir (rejection) that is the basis of such acts.

Zaid Hamid:- The most effective weapon in the hands of kufr is capacity to spread disinformation.

Comment:- From the evidence that we have, you are using the same “weapon” as kafirs are. Its like the pot calling the kettle black.Why don’t you give any references about your “knowledge”.?

Episode 16

Zaid Hamid:- Akbar started Deen e Ilahi which served to undermine whole muslim empire. It combined aspects of Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity.

Comment:- Dr Mubarak Ali-eminent historian-wrote in his book 'Tareekh ki daryaft' that the word 'Deen e elahi'  was never used by Akbar or his minister Abul Fazal(in the book Aiyeen e Akbari, the official history written in Akbar's time). They have called it Aiyeen e rahnmoni. He also noted that it was at most a cult, not a religion and it was not forcibly imposed upon anyone.  

Zaid Hamid:- We are muslims today because of efforts of Mujaddad Alaf Sani(Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi).

Comment:- According to Dr Mubarak Ali, the myth of Mujaddad Alaf Sani(that he was a great person and that he fought single handedly against the fitna that Akbar started) was propogated by Maulana Manazir Ahsan Gailani and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and that of Akbar being Anti-Islam by Abdul Qadir Badayuni in his book 'Muntakhib al Tawarikh'. There were other ulema as well at that time who did not approve of Akbar’s efforts to bring peace among various religions and sects. To be honest, these statements sound EXACTLY like those present in our textbooks. For a program that aims to bring about a revolution and spread awareness, such poor knowledge of history is not acceptable.

Zaid Hamid:- The1948 Kashmir war was thrust upon us.

Comment:- From the documents that are available from that era, there is no evidence that the 1948 war was thrust upon us. It was started by Pakistan, not India. Tribal militias were organized and duped in the name of Jihad to attack Kashmir. Nobody thrust it upon Pakistani authorities to start the war. Indian forces were not there, no attacking force was present there. Maharaja of Kashmir’s few troops defended the onsluaght but they were not the instigators of the conflict.