Quest for Truth: Intellect and Emotion

There is a very thin line that differentiates education and knowledge. A person can have educational qualification but might not have much knowledge or vice a versa. A person educated and having knowledge might still not know the truth. But as a general principal we can safely assume that education leads to knowledge which in turn leads us to truth.

Human personality has two aspects that are required to seek the truth: intellect and emotion. If we know how to synchronize these both aspects and have its correct sequential order, we can approach the truth. The correct sequence in which this should be followed is intellect followed by emotion. This will lead us to fully believe and act on the truth. If we are intellectually convinced about the correctness of certain view, then only we should employ our emotions to act on that to reach to the best of result. While on the other hand if we reverse the sequence we might not reach the truth, as we will tend to fall in a trap, thinking through our emotion which can be biased. It is rightly said, love (emotion) is blind. So when we are blind in first case how can we see the truth?

We have seen that it becomes really tough for us to get to the truth when we let emotion override our intellect. History has proven that when emotions are high, people can go to extend of killing other human in the name of religion, sects, racism, ideology or politics. When we do not have the quest to seek the truth, we see majority crushing minority on one hand and on the other hand minority taking to terrorism to take revenge. We have seen many leaders trying to charge its followers and build up rhetoric against community and country. When intellect takes back seat and emotion lead us we lose the power of judgement.

Another manifestation of not seeking truth is we see people making false claim to defend one’s own religious, ideology or sectarian view and negate the views of others which differ from them. We have seen people jumping to conclusion to make negative view about others without trying to listen and understand others. Truth about others can help us understand each other which lead to a pluralistic society. Truth about any issue or thing will help us to have clarity of thought to take action.

Truth cannot be achieved or reached until we keep aside our emotion and listen with open mind. By listening here it means, not just to hear but to follow what the person or the book is saying without being judgemental initially. We should approach as a listener with an empty mind. It is human nature, that if we believe in certain thing or blindly follow some ‘guru’ (scholar) we are emotionally biased in favour of the belief or the person and thus when a contrary view is opinioned, we stop listening. It becomes suicidal in seeking truth when we get emotionally charged in any intellectual exchange in case of diverse views. We can deprive ourselves of the knowledge of the right by getting emotional.

If we wear the glass of emotion, the view of truth will always be hazy and distorted. The truth is the foundation for betterment of life and without it the life cannot be beautiful and stable. People says that in matter of religion we should not use our intellect but I believe even in religion matter like worldly matter, we can easily be exploited by others and can be categorized as a criminal in the eyes of God, if we place our emotion before our intellect.

Intellect followed by emotion can act as a great motivator for us. When we are convinced about anything and our mind accepts it, we can put our heart and soul (emotion) into it to try and achieve it. Intellect without emotion may not let us to put in our best. Intellect helps us to believe while emotion helps us to take action. The quest of truth should always be within us till the day we die.

My experience with Qur'an till date

As the month of Ramdhan has arrived, we as a Muslim society are ready to utilize it best to become more spiritual and make use of the month to get most return out of it. One of the foremost though in any Muslim’s mind is to read the Qur’an atleast once apart from the mandatory fasting and get the most benefit out of this month.

So as the month approached I kept thinking what should be a better approach to the Qur’an! Why are there so many criticisms on it by some people who are not part of this religion? So to really understand the Qur’an, I decided, first I have to accept their critical view and under go a complete reorientation in my approach. I came out of the approach of “do not question your religion, just follow it else your faith will become weak” to “until you do not question you will never understand and if you do not understand, your faith will not be in right direction”.

I got many answers to my critical mind from the Qur’an itself. I stopped carrying my baggage of being born a Muslim but took a scholarly approach to understanding it. By carrying the baggage of being a born a Muslim, I mean I left my traditional approach which has the three Fs in it fiqa, fatwa and faith. This did open my eyes to what the Qur’an tells us about itself and how to approach it.

First of all the Qur’an does accept that there are many verses in the Book that have different meanings, some have clear cut fundamental meaning and the others symbolic (3:7). So it has advised us to read this with the best meaning and interpretation that our mind can best intercept (39:18; 7:145). We should accept the fact that exegeists of the Qur’an or people who try to comprehend it are human being, despite their best effort to be very fair, tend to get influenced by their environment in which they have been born and thus it is not possible for them to not bring those thoughts of their own that culture, surrounding, education to influence the translation and understanding. Thus the fundamental and the symbolical meaning differentiation do become tough, but then we have to get the best meaning for which we should not just stand back and be relaxed with one exegesis but be open to read and understand all and derive our own best meaning.

The best way to approach the Book and engage with it is by not just picking up a verse and concluding in pieces (15:89-93) but reading it intra-textually and holistically to grasp the full meaning as the whole of the Qur’an is from Allah (3:7). By intra-textually, I mean trying to look at all the verses in the Book that talks about the issue or related topics and by holistically, I mean to analyze each of the verses looking into the circumstances under which it was revealed and to whom it is being addressed. In age of our time we are lucky to have technology which can make these easily available on our figure tips.

Qur’an says that it is clear and consistent does not mean that our own understanding of it can be also very clear when we do not keep the broad perspective in mind. The Book does point towards this by showing us the historical evidence by relating to the people of Moses who quoted things out of context from their Book which gave a shift to the meaning from their rightful place (5:13; 4:46). These are the historical incidents given in the Qur’an to make us aware, that people of the books before us did make these mistakes. There are many verses in the Qur’an that warns us against such influences (2:78-79) to start looking for the meaning and verse which suits us our own thinking and desire instead of understanding the whole of Qur’an.

If we want we can write a book defending slavery by quoting selected verse here and there instead of reading all the verses on it with direct and symbolic meaning. But if we analyze the verses looking at the context and time frame when they were revealed and other verse about just system, we can conclude that Qur’an was encouraging not slavery but its phasing out. Similarly we can refute the claim made by many about promoting polygamy, illicit sex (even the concubines) and use of terrorism in the name of Islam.

So this Ramdhan let us try to not only read the Qur’an but to understand it. Let us engage ourselves with the Qur’an!

Our Debunked Strategy as a Muslim

“Indeed the worst of the beasts in the eyes of God are those deaf and dumb people who don’t use their intellect.” [Qur’an 8:22]

When God wants to denounce a community, the first and foremost thing that He does is to take away the power to think rightly. This is what that seems to be happening to Muslim community as a whole.

We spend a lot of time accusing the external factors for all the mishap that is begetting us. Most of our brothers and sisters spend their considerable time accusing the US, Israel, India and the west as a whole for all our misfortune. Albeit there might be a bit of truth in the global conspiracy against Muslims and Islam as a whole, but then all the blames cannot be passed on to them. We are equally or rather more to be blamed for the dire situation that we have landed ourselves into.

We should all look within for the cause of the misfortune that is befalling this community instead of getting into the blame game. Our community leaders and intellectuals should take this issue head on. We cannot sit back as mere spectator and let our youth waste their energy, which is counter productive for the following reasons;

• Blaming the west for all our suffering is creating a false impression that nothing is seriously wrong with us. The outcome of this is that we as a community are not doing enough to reform morally, spiritually as well as materially, ourselves.
• The people whom we blame will never listen to us as they gain politically and economically from the unrest in the Muslim world. So what is the use of wasting our time and resources?
• Strong criticism of the west by us is creating a big divide between the Muslim world and the Western world, which is hampering the exchange of ideas and discussion with them. Branding anyone as kafir is futile for we can never approach them again with the message of Islam. Had the Prophet followed this strategy of branding all kafir, he would never have got Hamza or Umar into the fold of Islam. We are loosing potential Marmaduk Pickthall, Ingrid Matson, Allama Iqbal (his grandfather was a Hindu pundit) in field of scholars, Malcom X in the field of leaders, Muhmmad Ali, Abdul Karim Jabbar in field of Sports, A R Rahman, Yusuf Islam in the field of Music to name a few and the list goes on.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_notable_converts_to_Islam)

• This negative emotional charged rhetoric against the external forces has led many to take up arms without following the moral principle of picking up weapons, thus killing thousands on innocents, in turn tarnishing the image of Islam as a natural peaceful religion, which has high value and moral at its base.
• We are helping in creating an impression that the supper power states of this day are controlling the world, rather than God. What if these misfortunes facing the Muslims are a punishment onto us by God for deviating from the principle of value and morality?

Let us introspect and see where we all stand today (this is general though but there are exceptions);

• Do we not blame most of the Muslim nations or rather the rulers to be corrupt? If we look at our own society do we see the following issues of cheating, not fulfilling commitments, not valuing merits are rampant among us which shows us the hypocrisy of us Muslims in general?
• Aren’t we ignorant in claiming that despite the above hypocrisies the non-Muslims will be doomed while we will succeed in the hereafter just because we call ourselves Muslims?
• Why do we not want to be friends with non-Muslims, calling them ‘kafirs’? Are we trying to bring them closure to us and see how good Muslims are and what is the teaching of Islam or are we forcing them never to come and listen to us?
• What makes us believe that God will judge us for being distinct from them by our outward appearance, dress sense and ritualism rather than their intentions and deeds?

The following verses of the Qur’an might throw some light on our state. We just need to replace the ‘Children of Israel’ with ‘Muslims’.

“And We gave (Clear) Warning to the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice would they do mischief on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance (and twice would they be punished)!

When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants given to terrible warfare: They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.

Then did We grant you the Return as against them: We gave you increase in resources and sons, and made you the more numerous in man-power.

If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves; if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves. So when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces, and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.

It may be that your Lord may (yet) show Mercy unto you; but if ye revert (to your sins), We shall revert (to Our punishments): And we have made Hell a prison for those who reject (all Faith).

Verily this Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable), and giveth the Glad Tidings to the Believers who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a magnificent reward;

And to those who believe not in the Hereafter, (it announceth) that We have prepared for them a Penalty Grievous (indeed).” [Qur’an 17:4-10]

The major question that now arises is what the focus and strategy of this community should be!

• Should we not try to strive for peace rather than confrontation! We should learn from history that the most formative period for any civilization is when there was peace. ‘Treaty of Hudaibiya’ and the peace thereafter should teach us the lesson that peace rather than confrontation is more productive.
• Should we be focused to attain back the moral, spiritual and material progress of this community! The successes of the Muslims in the formative years were not martial might but moral justice and spiritual might.
• Should we not try to project the true religion of God as it is supposed to be based on peaceful existence and striving about for the good for the whole of humanity! People coming into the fold of Islam into thousand were not due to sword but due to its value, equity and equality.
• Should we undertake ‘Jihad’ not against nation but against poverty, disease, ignorance and illiteracy, these being the biggest enemy of the Muslim nations! Golden period were those when there was good distribution of wealth, best medical care and had world class centers of education.

These so called confronters, instead of picking up arms should address the problems at hand within us (morality, value and education) that are causing God to be displeased with Muslims if they want to go back to the glory that the Muslims used to have. It’s the duty of the silent intellectuals of this community to come forward and strive for the good cause instead of just observing the events from the distance.

“Remember how the Unbelievers plotted against thee, to keep thee in bonds, or slay thee, or get thee out (of thy home). They plot and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best of planners is Allah.” [Qur’an 8:30]

The need for Muslim to Introspect: Education

Sachar Committee report has rightly pointed out the backwardness of the Muslim community vis-à-vis the other community in India. It has aptly analyzed the status of backwardness and categorized it. On most counts the Muslim community lags behind other communities. Who are to be blamed for this backwardness?

Most of us, as a Muslim, point our finger to the external factors such as the government, the society as a whole and the conspirators that does not want this community to progress and drumbeat and declare that the atmosphere is not conducive for the growth of Muslim in India just because Muslims are in minority. But have we ever thought why other minorities such as Christians, Parses and Sikhs have better statistics than us when it comes to progress and better life even tough they are also minority. This fallacy has no base as even among Muslims one can find few sub-communities and people who are at par with other communities in progress. Did we ever introspect where does the main blame lie? Aren’t we to take the major share of blame?

It is basic fact that we as a community have not yet awaken to take responsibility of progress in our own hand, but we always look at others to do the things for us. I do not say that external factors have not been responsibility for our backwardness, but I fully believe that we are the one who needs to be blamed in the first place. Through out the history in every geographical distribution, minorities do face extra problem and issues and thus it is a fact that this cannot be ever resolved fully. But then to work out a realistic solution, we have to accept this fact that our destination is in our hand.

All the factors that the Sachar Committee has studied, shows the backwardness of Muslims has its genesis in education. The literacy rate among the Muslims is well below the national level. Twenty-five percent of Muslim children in the 6-14 year age group have either never attended school or have dropped out. Drop out rates among Muslims are higher at the level of primary, middle and higher secondary. In premier colleges only one out of twenty-five under-graduate students and one out of fifty post-graduate students is a Muslim.

It is an irony of this community! The very first word of the Quran that was given to the Prophet was ‘Iqra’ (Read) and not only that, further down the verse it mentions ‘qalam’ (Pen) [Quran 96:1-5]. Verse [Quran 39:9] poses a question to the people whether those that have knowledge and those who do not have are deemed equal! Added to this, the word ‘Ilm’ (knowledge) is found 750 times in Quran. Even there are many sayings by Prophet which directed the Muslims to seek knowledge whenever and wherever they could. It is well known fact that the captives of war were released if they could teach the people to read and write. “Indeed the worst of the beasts in the eyes of God are those deaf and dumb people who don’t use their intellect.” [Quran 8:22]

Regrettably, most of our religious leaders as well as, the-well-to-do people of this community waste most of their energies on only highlighting the causes of the problem that faces us. They shout these out from the pulpit and then take solace in the fact that a messiah like figure will come down from the sky and relive us of all our sufferings. History is the judge, till date no messiahs has come down from the sky, but they grow up on this earth among the community.

If we had used these energies constructively (create that messiah among ourselves) to look for the solution of this problem the scenario would have been completely different. We have seen that the Muslim community in south of India are in much better position than those in the north; albeit still below the level of other community. The basic reason is that the Muslims in the south have understood the need of education and have set up institutions to provide the same. The end result is that they are economically as well as hygienically better off.

It is rightly said that that when God wants to denounce a community, the first and foremost thing that he takes away from it is the power to think rightly. If this community wants to come out of the backwardness, it should first make it imperative on itself to focus all of its energy to get literate focusing fully in the field of education and seeking knowledge.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/op/2009/07/05/stories/2009070550011200.htm

http://blogs.thehindu.com/delhi/?p=25305

Is religion losing its Compassion or is it being hijacked?

Religion has a core value which is thought to raise the moral level of human being. It is supposed to teach to live in harmony with society and nature, to work towards the common good. The sacred scripture of all the major religion is raised on the foundation of morality and peace. No religion incites violence, though they do permits to take up arms, but only in case of self-defense and action against injustice, but never for unjust war or creating unrest in society or on the earth.

These ‘difficult passages’, that permits the use of force, are usually misinterpreted or quoted and understood out of the historical context by many who always takes the text literally so as to suffix their motive and prove the brownie point to incite the ‘religious minded mass’ to use force to overcome injustice or to agitate for a ‘cause’. They use these ‘difficult texts’ to further perpetuate injustices to others for some injustice done to them and thus given it the fanciful name of ‘collateral damage’.  These leaders do not see that passages mentioning and calling for peace, moral and justice out numbers those that permits to pick the arms. But they pick these ‘difficult passages’ which are few in numbers in the whole scripture to prove their point of using force. They do not think or refer to the passage that one injustice done to a man is like doing injustice to the whole mankind. They don’t look at the passage that God can forgive the person who at times has disobeyed Him (as He is merciful), but He will never forgive the injustice done against some human being (as He is not unjust).

It seems simply that these religious leaders have no religious motives for their action, but they have are thriving only on politics to be a leader. Political motive to prove that their community is the best, political motive to get at the helm of power, political motive to subjugate the individual freedom in the long run as we have seen in all the autocracy and  theocracy in the modern time and in the past.

These curbing of freedom has raised its demon head across the subcontinent in the last few months. First we see that they attack and spread terror in the mind of other community and once they have won the mass support of their own community of ‘religious minded people’, their target gradually shifts to within its own community member who are a bit different from them and who disagrees with their brand of thinking and finally to like minded people once there is no target to hit at, thus leading to complete anarchy.

We need not go very far to see these examples! We have seen this play taking place right across the boarder in Pakistan. Many of the religion group had formed there to fight the other community; first it was Communist of Russia and then Hindus of India. It then shifted to more intense attack within its own community, between the sects. And finally we see chaos is spreading in form of attacks within its own community in form of moral policing. There, they have almost reached the final stage of anarchy where the civil society is on a verge of breakdown.

Let’s move within our boarder and look! Are we also moving in similar fashion where extremism is spreading its tentacles? It all started with communal strife, where the majority butchered the minority, in Gujarat, in Orissa and various blasts like Malegaon and Nanded where the target was other community. This is gradually mixed with attacks on different caste within the same community. And now we are seeing this shift taking place in guise of moral policing where we saw many reports coming in from Karnataka. So are we seeing the same play being staged here in India in name of religion that we are seeing that is being played across the boarder! There across the boarder, they are getting ready for the final stage while here we are experimenting between second and final stage.

For the ‘religious fanatics’ with political aspiration, any opponents of their style and thought are the enemies and have to be crushed at the bud by any means, either through, admonishing, threat, ‘character assassination’ or in the end finally if required, assassination itself.

Since ages religion has been hijacked by the aspirant of power to create mass hysteria so that they can get to the helm of power. The same play is also seen to be enacted on secular front where nationalism gets hijacked, where the enemy is created out of other nation. Religion as well as nationalism has always been exploited by them either to remain at the helm or to reach there. And we silent mass have let this happen. We are only jolted to wakefulness once we have reached the stated of chaos, confusion and disarray, in short anarchy!

Hope so we do not turn our faces and act to be blind, deaf and dumb for long enough to let our respective religion or nation be hijacked by politician to use it as a vehicle to carry us to civil unrest.

Are we letting ourselves to be fooled by our 'religion'!

On 4^th of April, the media all over the world had a gala time over the coverage of the misery of the 17 year girl, who was publicly flogged for no crime of hers as per the human right. But there seemed to be a grave crime that had been committed by that girl as per the interpretation of those religious fanatics that control the very area of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. For a few religious fanatics it was a punishment given to the girl for going against the tenet of ‘sharia’ (religious law) and thus a just punishment but for majority of the Muslims, this video was a shame perpetuated in the name of Islam For many people who are neutral it was a human misery and for the Islamophobic people around the world it was a great deal of entertainment in showing the ‘evil of Islam’.

The religious fanatics who are now gradually taking over the control of the religion in Pakistan, have completely made a fool of Islam in this very first week of April, which is celebrated all around the world as “Fool’s Day”! Even the so called Islamic religious heads (most of them) in Pakistan, have shown that they are hand in glove with those fanatics by not coming out strongly against and condemning this injustice matted out in the name of Islam.

The girl’s only ‘crime’ had been to go out of the house with a man who was not her husband or brother or father usually called ‘mehram’. Is this public humiliation of the girl justified?   What sanction does the ‘sharia’ give? Can anyone among the public give the punishment without the approval of the law of the land? Shall we, the silent majority that believes in the religion of Islam and follows it, let our religion be hijacked by these fanatics, who do not seem to know the basic teachings of Islam also? 

To differentiate whether this sadist behavior is sanctioned by Islam or these tribal fanatics are imposing their tribal customs and traditions on to Islam by giving it Islamic name of ‘sharia’, there are lots of questions that need to be asked and answers sought from these fanatics.

As per the media report the man in question was her father-in-law, which is actually a ‘mehram’ as per Islamic laws till her husband is alive. Let us presume that the man was not her father-in-law but some other man whom she knew. So what was the basis of giving this punishment? As per Qur’an injunctions, there is no punishment for going out with anyone, the only condition is being modestly dressed and having an outer garment (‘hijab’) worn by the women (though the later condition is still in debate among religious scholars). Only punishment assigned is for ‘zina’ (fornication and adultery) (Qur’an 24:2). The saying rightly goes, ‘having half knowledge is more dangerous than being fully ignorant’. This seems to be the case of these religious fanatics, they know that there is punishment of flogging in Islam, but they do not seem to know that there is also punishment on ‘accusing a chaste women’ (Qur’an 24:4). So what punishment should be given to those who were making a mockery out of the whole system of punishment as per ‘Islamic’ custom?

So we come to the next question, where did these fanatics get the injunction to flog the girl for going out? As per the mere knowledge of the writer of this article, there is prohibition on meeting with people who are not ‘mehram’ behind closed walls (alone) but never in public places when you are following all the dictum of modesty. Even the ‘Hadith’, saying of the prophets will not support the injustice they carried out as per their tribal law and gave it the name of Islam. Please let these fanatics enlighten us with their basis on which they were making mockery of Islam.

So let us even give them the benefit of doubt and presume that they can prove from some texts of the vast collection of ‘Hadith’ not taking the holistic view. The next question comes, who gave them the authority to give out the judgment.  They should know that only an established Islamic state which has sanctioned a religious court can grant this punishment. Didn’t they know that the Prophet had asked the people, whom he had directed to go to the Christian Kingdom of modern day Ethiopia to escape the prosecution of the people of Mecca, to follow the law of the land. So here, these fanatics are duty bound by the law of Pakistan and its constitution.  Now these people can claim that Pakistan’s president has ceded and accepted to establish the ‘sharia’ in Swat. But has it been established yet? Has the ‘qazi’ (judge) been appointed and accepted to hold the court?

Further to this, the main contention for doling out the punishment is that the girl was with a person who was not her ‘mehram’. Acceptable, as we have no facts. So, my question is, were the people who were touching her, who were holding her legs and arms and lifting her ‘hijab’ to lash her with punishment? Where did the question of ‘mehram’ now go? Why didn’t these contractors of religion flog these men for touching a girl who was not her ‘mehram’ or the man who was caught with her? Why this two scale of judgment? Doesn’t this show these religious hypocrites are biased towards our sisters and mothers? Alas!

To Control the Mass, Control their Brian!

"In effect, the human being should be considered the priority in a political war. And conceived as the military target ... the human being has his most critical point in his mind. Once the mind has been reached, the 'political animal' has been defeated without necessarily receiving bullets." -taken from (declassified) US Central Intelligence Agency training Manual.

 

The above dictum has always been used in the ‘Psychological Operations’ by the Power to control the Mass. Once you control the brain of a man, he just remains as good as a pumpkin. So in the psychological warfare to enslave the brain, “Change” and “Fear” have been the best known weapons..

 

“Change” is the best strategy exploited by politicians to create mass hysteria to come to power at the helm of the state while “Fear” has been always used as a lethal weapon to bring the mass into submission so that one can elongate one's stay at the helm of power. While “Change” is used by the power to control ‘our mass’, “Fear” is used with same effectiveness to control the brain of those that lie out of ‘our mass’.

 

“Change” leads to hopefulness in the mass that makes them see the ray of light breaking in the eastern sky at dawn. Expectation of better time starts to be foreseen at the horizon. It brings about a trance of atmosphere where the mass begins to sail high, expecting a better time to come. This very “Change” can be a potent weapon in twisting the minds because most people are not happy with their lives or the state of their country and so 'change' can seem to be a very good idea. 'Yeah, that's right, we need change!'

 

At the core of this, is to orchestrate a show of candidature, the focus of everything you hope for, believe in and want to change. This is why it has always been crucial not to specify and detail what 'hope, 'change' and 'believe' means. It is an eyewash to leave the ‘string’ loose enough for the mass to imagine the paradise.

 

'I am whatever you want me to be, for I am just a projection of you. And I got a big smile, see!' There is no more powerful way of manipulating people than to tell them what they want to hear and to keep shut about anything that they wouldn't like to hear. These salesmen that are polished and glazed from both sides in different schemes, are trained to pick up in general conversation what their target likes and dislikes and to respond accordingly in the way to only show the glazed side that suits the buyer. The technique is simply to tell the potential buyer, what you have gleaned, is what they want to be hear.

 

The punch tag of “Change” has been used again and again over the century in all democracy to rise to power, government after government. It has also led to mass uprising by the opposition to muster in a new order. It has always been a trump card that has been used again and again and yet again, by shrewd politicians to the utter dismay of the hopeful mass, to be yet again exploited.

 

On the other hand “Fear” leads to hopelessness in the mass that makes them see the western sky where the light is going down the horizon and darkness  setting in to engulf them. It brings a gloom in the atmosphere and hence the mass is ready to give in all that is theirs to someone who can prevent the night to set in. “Fear” leaves little room for logic or moral platitudes - it demands simplistic responses to otherwise complex problems.

 

Fear is categorized into two, not so well demarcated boundaries, the fear of ‘seen’ and the fear of ‘unseen’. Fear of ‘unseen’ has the same effect on the mass that “change” has, but in a negative sense, for people are not aware what lurks in the dark. In modern time, ‘terrorism’ has been the catch word to instill “Fear”. The countries that have hardly seen any act of ‘terrorism’ (fear of unseen) are more fearful than the ones for whom it has been an on and off affair (fear of seen).

 

Governments have used this as a bludgeon to control the mass. Under the guise of this “fear” they have clung on to power again and again, or have passed on legislation and amendments which could not have been acceptable by the mass under normal circumstances. This “fear” propaganda helps power to take control over the liberty and rights of the mass and thus stop any voice from arising on any unacceptable policies.

 

Fascism usually thrives on “Change” and “Fear”. It makes entry into the society on hope of “Change” which gradually metamorphosed by the power into “Fear of unseen” before rising its head as total “Fear”. In its true sense, it is not just a police state imposed by a tiny hierarchy. It might end up like that, but first it is brought to power by a mass movement from within the people who have no understanding of what the 'change', ‘hope' and 'believe' that they are being offered really means. Also this machinery is oiled and created by fuelling the fire of “Fear”, the fear of unforeseen.