Crying for Respect

In today’s society, parents, religious clerics, and teachers complain about lacking respect. These three classes play a vital role in shaping a harmonious society. Unfortunately, those who fail to fulfil their assigned responsibilities, lose respect accordingly.

In a society, parents have greater responsibilities than teachers and religious clerics, and their first responsibility is to educate their children effectively. A child’s first school is their mother’s lap, and their first teacher is their mother. Regrettably, the condition of women in Pakistan is dire. 52 percent of women in Pakistan and 75 percent of women in Balochistan are illiterate. Only 16 percent of them are employed and 80 percent are housewives, who spend most of their time in the kitchen. 47 percent women in Pakistan are married before the age of 18, and 54 percent suffer from poor mental health. According to NCHR, 47 percent of women in Pakistan face domestic violence. How can mothers effectively educate their children in such challenging circumstances?

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Strained relationships between couples have profound negative effects on children’s psychology. Children of quarrelsome couples are usually deprived of good health and education. Often, children suffer due to extended family dynamics and parental misjudgments.

Divorce, second marriages, forced marriages, reprimanding children for trivial things, discouraging them for failures, imposing unreasonable restrictions, not providing age-appropriate autonomy and financial allowance, and comparing them with contemporaries create distance between children and parents. The lower the understanding, the greater the animosity. Parents don’t need to be educated and rich, but they must be aware of their children’s basic rights. To understand children’s psychology and problems, give them full freedom of expression. Allow children to express their opinions freely. Ignoring a child can have far-reaching consequences, equivalent to ignoring an entire generation.

Similarly, religious clerics voice similar concerns. Apart from religious affairs, people rarely seek their counsel in everyday matters. In today’s world of the internet, modern technology, artificial intelligence, globalization, urbanization, and medical development, all challenges require scientific approach and rationality. Unfortunately, many religious clerics lack scientific expertise, rationality, and Ijtihad. The outcomes of Ijma and Ijtihad often vary.

Recall that the former Afghan government strongly objected to the Paigham-e-Pakistan fatwa in 2018. Generally, when questioned about their limited knowledge, biased character, and poor performance, religious clerics often resort to issuing fatwas as a defense. Moreover, the role of non-political religious scholars in building society has been commendable. In contrast, political scholars have consistently been embroiled in controversy. Religious clerics have similarly failed to promote tolerance, coexistence, and authentic Islamic values among citizens.

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However, the existence of crimes, crises, and conflicts in an Islamic society is surprising in itself. Religious clerics have historically opposed innovations that later benefited humanity. The recent VPN ban has become another addition to this ominous series, leading to a loss of respect. Religious clerics have historically aligned themselves with rulers rather than the public. Consequently, when rulers fell from power, the influence of religious clerics also declined.

Meanwhile, teachers have long voiced concerns about lacking societal respect. Respect cannot be demanded or coerced; it must be earned through dedication and excellence. Effective teachers possess expertise, stay updated, and demonstrate punctuality, ethics, and technological savvy.

A good teacher is also a good motivator. They foster creativity, critical thinking, and an everlasting student-book relationship. At minimum, a teacher must be able to write clear, error-free essays, letters, or applications in Urdu and English.

How many teachers possess these qualities? Despite formal education, why do students seek supplementary education? Can students succeed without additional support? Subpar teaching, inadequate institutions, and outdated curricula have diminished the importance of teachers and education.

Many Pakistani teachers are active in politics and often remain absent from duty under political patronage, which is incompatible with their profession. Teachers have the right to participate in politics but must not propagate political views in classrooms. Preaching intolerance, xenophobia, or anti-government ideologies erodes respect.

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Similarly, forming organizations and associations is necessary to protect teachers’ rights. However, teachers have consistently exploited these organizations for personal privileges, not educational advancement. Frequent protests by teachers over minor issues do not bode well for the education sector.

To earn respect, teachers must contribute beyond their core duties, demonstrating achievements and dedication. They should be authors, policymakers, and role models.

Disregard for teachers, parents, and religious clerics is alarming. It does not mean that politicians, judges, generals and bureaucrats are respected wholeheartedly, rather they are respected because of fear. Fear-based respect is temporary and soon turns into lasting hatred. Parents, religious clerics, and teachers are vital to societal development. Only by adapting to contemporary needs can they foster a healthy society and earn respect. Failure may render them irrelevant, making their pleas for respect futile.

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