urban frontier: karachi

Posted under radio, ummah by rahma

NPR has started a series highlighting growing urban centers.  This week is Karachi.  While I haven’t heard any mention of Islam (granted, I only heard the development story this morning and skimmed the rest online), there is a hidden ghost of religion in the story, as the folks at GetReligion would say.

This morning’s story spoke of gulf investors looking to pour their mega bucks into development projects in Karachi - condos on the sea, gulf courses, the whole 9 yards.  It also mentioned that gangsters threatened to kill Amber Alibhai’s family if she didn’t stop her crusade, er jihad against development for the rich at the expense of the poor.

Where is religion in this story?  Pakistan is a muslim country.  Ergo, most of the players here are probably muslim.  How is it that our ummah has so lost sight of our humble beginnings among the poor of Mecca that we’re rushing to build luxury developments while our brothers and sisters are without electricity and clean water?  Where is the transformative power of the deen that the early generations experienced?  Granted, we all can’t be Abu Bakr (ra), giving all our wealth to the cause of Islam.   But where are the development projects for the poor coming from these rich gulf investors?  Do they exisit?  That’s something to find out.