By Irfan Husainenlightened moderationAfter shutting its eyes to this practice for years, the government woke up and decided to act. But its planned demolitions have ground to a halt in the face of resistance from a handful of madressah students.
We are guided, perhaps more than ever before, by considerations other than reason. All kinds of superstitions cloud our thinking, rendering us prone to the most irrational behaviour. Rather than moving forward, we seem determined to go back in time.
The paradox is that while emotionally and intellectually we remain rooted in the mediaeval era, we still seek the fruits of modern science and technology. We see no contradiction in using the Internet to propagate the most violent quasi-Islamic philosophy. Videos of people being beheaded in the name of the faith are routinely sent around the world through cyberspace.
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