Yesterday was, without doubt, one of the most depressing days here. What was termed a 'debate' was really a farcical show, another attempt to lampoon the "decadent" west. And here we had two teachers, both with their fucking American twang, quoting Nietzsche-the nihilism of the west-and Plato (the noble lie.."they didn't teach you that, did they?") and Chomsky. A heady brew. The west is in crisis, it has no moral foundations. Pornography, incest...what's your problem with that?This university is funded by amriki money, to produce 'brown saahibs' (Macaulay was wheeled in). And all this in front of the students.
"But how should we respond to the cartoons?"
Follow the will of God. And for that you need to go to the best interpreter, and that is mufti K-A...
More than that, other colleagues were attacked on the platform. The social sciences themselves were irrational, an eye-wash. The social scientists themselves devoid of any logic. We can essentialize, we must. In our tradition we talk of the kaffir and the muslim. Why should we even be concerned with words like freedom, peace, tolerance. They're out to get us. Look at Bosnia, look at Chechnya. And all this from people who teach Business Studies and Sociology! Oh, the irony.
Now, you might think I'm making this up given that it's so absurd. But that's exactly how it was. And this ain't no crummy university but supposedly the best or one of the best in the country. But what was really shocking was the way in which the vast majority of the students lapped this up, laughing and stomping their feet like clowns.
A few dissenting voices, old Lahore speaking. But I can't but help feel the game is over. I felt like saying, but have you actually ever listened to Bach. No, it won't do. This place is buggered. There's no two ways about it. Fanatics everywhere want people to take sides. But I prefer not to. Let us remain true to our roots and be unsure. As the Allama once said:
Even if the Divine reveals His Face
I'll still take "perhaps" and "maybe".
12 comments:
it _is_ so depressing. some days ago I found out that almost all first-year students were seconding the orthodox church in its fight against homosexuality ("they shouldn't be allowed on our streets") and even, some of them, many enough, endorsing the new article the church issued asking to forbid all art with pornographic content. I couldn't believe my ears! If even the students (in Letters!) talk like this, what can one expect, I don't know, in a country where the church has at least 80 percent of the population trust despite the fact that so many priests and almost all leading figures of the church are proven collaborators with the communist secret police.
I was so sad that I was almost at a loss for words.
yah it's the same here. i could swear billoo, this was an undercoverreport from our university here only then with the beliefs in reverse.....you know, philosophy shares the floor with near east studies....what discussions we had on security, i am tempted to say you won't believe, but you would believe them i fear.
yes the students, yes. i remember we so often wondered, why on earth aren't they protesting....
that's the thing, when maybe and perhaps aren't allowed anymore it gets dangerous.
I fear we must found our own university.
by the way we have people here who really truly believe that gayness is a disease....
My dear Billo
I am so touched by your post - this must have been so awful to have stirred your calm waters..
How well put:
"Why should we even be concerned with words like freedom, peace, tolerance. They're out to get us..."
Alas, that we have to live in these times and see the rot within...
please do not disappear
cheers
RR
Thank you all for your comemnts and solidarity. I'm actually speechless..and tired. But I'm so glad that my old friend from lahore showed up! Raza, next time you're over we'll go for some coffee and you can tell me about Rumi. And then for a moment we can imagine that this isn't the planet of the apes.
Keep well,
b.
I found it to be similar in the other best university, dissent against the mob is dangerous, but few of us do try and therein lies the hope.
b. I found your post so interesting that I want to share it with my friends, (not that I have many) but I do want them to think ... would you mind it if I put it on my wall in facebook?
Best Regards.
S.
Sure, S. Do whatever you want. In the meantime I'm going to the Dean and see if I can rally the troops. This isn't on.
Take care,
b.
Thanks :)
so sad this all is, but it is also in some sense negatively fascinating that there are still people who buy into that silly Nietzsche the horrendous individualist nihilist approach. i wonder will they ever deprejudice themselves....
however i do hope things do not somehow get worse as they already are.
i mean because it is not that NIetzsche only had crappy ideas but also some that even could be made useful in political contexts...Tracy Strong has written about that. it's not all Overman and things like that.
"made useful in political contexts"
Yes, I think that's the key. One could pull out of Plato or Aristotle or perhaps any text what one wanted (and that was what in fact was done). How sad since at one time muslims thought of the latter as the 'divine aristotle'.
So, for example, Plato was talked of as an example of the 'Enlightened' west (mockingly) and Nietzsche was wheeled in to say that morality without God is not possible. And Chomsky..well..
this is really ideological thinking, thinking in slogans and anyone can be be used instrumentally for The Cause.
yes that is true too, but i meant something different, i didn't express myself clear, i just meant when you for instance read all the NIetzsche and not only choose from it what you like you can get somethign out of it that is valuable in political contexts too for people all the time tend to think N is an apolitical thinker whereas his descriptions/aphorisms can be rather seen as diagnoses of how it is not good and that he was actually after a transvaluation, not that he had a supercoherent theory, but there are interesting things in NIetzsche about politics....and that's the book by Tracy Strong (Nietzsche and the Politics of Transfigurations) who tidies up all the prejudices. Had a look at some Levinas by the way, it's interesting. i do like the little blue waves above...have a nice sunday
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