Approaching the West — Page 71
A pproaching the West—71 interests! Minorities have suffered. Advancements in social philosophies and scientific discoveries have clashed with some religious precepts. In many situations, a religious law has been found inadequate. Therefore, many find it necessary to keep the religious canon separate from the affairs of the State. On the other hand, some still believe that a secular State shall remain devoid of moral and ethical precepts unless a specific Religious Law (of their liking) is established as the governing framework to nourish a spiritual society. Now, I would submit some specific instances in recent times when attempts were made to enforce some of the provisions of Isl ā mic Law in Pakistan, but failed and resulted in acts of terrorism among the Muslims living in that country. Let me make it very clear that it was not the failure of Isl ā m as religious force, but it was most certainly the failure of those individuals who wanted to use Isl ā m for their own political gains. In matters of religion, whenever there is lack of sincerity, the results could be devastating. For example, in 1977, an army General named Zia-ul-Haq deposed the democratically elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar ‘Al ī Bhutto. To win mass popularity, General Zia-ul-Haq made “Isl ā mization of Pakistan” the pivotal policy objective of his administration. He persistently promoted the role of Religious Law in the affairs of the State. Tens of thousands of Isl ā mic radicals were given jobs in judiciary, the civil services, and other government-run institutions. During the Martial Law period, General Zia created a Shar ī ‘ah Court system as a separate and distinct body outside the existing judiciary “to examine and decide