Cognitive Dissonance

“And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents. ” (Holy Quran 2 : 204)

According to human psychology, if an individual continues to send and/or receive positive vibes about a person, party, place, system, institution, etc, this will be a positive re-enforcement for his/her beliefs about that person, party etc.

In contrast if such a person is sent continuous negative vibes about a person, party, place etc, this may act as a continuous negation of his/her beliefs and cause him/her to change his/her perception unless he/she has been completely brain-washed and/or becone non-receptive to new information / beliefs about the person, party etc.

At this point such a person has mentally reached a point of no return and no length of convincing whatsoever will be able to make him/her change their mind. A stage is then reached when ‘comforting lies’ are better than ‘unpleasant truths’ .

That is the stage of cognitive dissonance. One refuses to believe anything contrary to one’s beliefs, even going as far as to reject factual information to rationalise one’s own opinion.

Is it time to self-reflect whether one is open – minded to change one’s beliefs based on factual information or has one shut-shop and reached the stage of cognitive dissonance….?

Confirmation Bias

It surprises me as to what lengths people will go to defend their political idols; arguing against, opposing and even mocking verses of the Holy Quran, Ahadith, prophecies of the Holy Prophet PBUH etc to defend the actions and sayings of their political leaders.

Media Censorship

Now we are saying that almost ALL media personnel are wrong (even though they speak many good things about PTI and point out faults of other parties) and that only we PTI supporters are right.

Also every single media person, every opposition member, every intellectual, every survey, every protesting doctor, every professor of medical or other colleges, all the public rationalising against PTI etc etc are wrong.

عقل کل؟

Even Mr Haroon Rasheed, who was very close to IK, has turned so much against him; is it based on factual information? Has he like many others given up on IK? I think so. He says he repeatedly gave advice to IK, but he paid no attention.

Even many strong Pro-PTI media personnel like Sabir Shakir, Ch Ghulam Hussain, Khawar Ghumman, Dr Shahid Masood, Dr Moeed Pirzada, Dr. Danish, Kamran Khan, Irshad Bhatti, Arshad Bhatti, Mubashir Luqman (many of these considered as pro-establishment) have made statements criticizing various PTI policies. So who is left? Rauf Klasra, Amir Mateen, Zaid Hamid, Hassan Nisar, Ayaz Amir, Orya Maqbool Jaan etc? Should we turn off our TVs?

Also it has been mentioned many many times that one of the basic principles of rational debate is to attack the argument, NOT the person; that is not being intellectual / intelligent. Remember no one is perfect. Or is Cognitive dissonance in full display?!

Intellectual Dishonesty

دراصل کچھ دوست عمران خان سے اتنا محبت کرتے ہیں کہ وہ اس کے یا اسکی پارٹی کے بارے میں صرف وہ سنتے اور مانتے ہیں جس کا ان کال دل چاہتا اور مانتا ہے.

ان کے خلاف نہ کوئی بات سنیں گے یا پروگرام دیکھیں گے نہ کوئی آرٹیکل پڑھیں یا مانیں گے.

This is called intellectual dishonesty

اس کو عقلی بے ایمانی کہتے ہیں.

And then instead of addressing the argument, they start attacking the person.

This is again intellectual dishonesty

And if the opposition had done or does the same or another crime then get roasted for it.

Again intellectual dishonesty

Examples of Media Spilling it all out!

Every opposition party wants the media to point out the mistakes of the government (king has no clothes), but when the same opposition party comes into government, they want the same media to say ‘Long live the king’. What kind of logic is that?

کھلا تضاد نہیں؟

Economic situation:

His opinion on Modi before Indian elections:

So why suppress / ban media, programs, articles etc, especially those exposing PTI and its scandals, corruption etc. IK was very much in support of media and admitted that media brought PTI into limelight.

اپنے ضمیر سے یہ سوالات کریں.

آخر محترم شہریار آفریدی کے بقول ‘اللّٰہَ کو جان دینی ہے، اللہ کو جواب دینا ہے’ 🙂

If You Cannot Take the Heat, Don’t Go to the Kitchen

“If you can’t take the heat, don’t go to the kitchen”

We will be patient. We will not  go for revolt خروج or even try to (like Fazlur Rahman). Besides revolt has several strict set of criteria for it to be carried out as mentioned by the scholars:

But we have every right to question the actions of the government as time goes on. We have every right to question whether everything is really okay.

The media is like a watch-dog. Surely the same media, the same journalists, anchors, social media etc that questioned PMLN, PPP and Musharraf and helped bring PTI into power, surely they can’t be all wrong.

One cannot avoid or dodge such questions and/or one should accept the mistakes of the government; why are leaders unable to satisfactorily answer tough questions on economy by economic experts (or even refuse to come on talkshows)?

We can and will ask questions about BRT, dengue, economy, health, education etc for the benefit of the public.

Accept that there may be corrupt members in the government and that they should be held accountable as the opposition members, instead of continuing with them etc.

Self-accountability is the best way to progress.

The Questions/ Reservations of Media & the Public

This is what media and the public are asking:

Massive problems at governance level

So many broken promises now called U Turns

Going to IMF when other options were available

Bringing in cabinet members of Musharraf and PPP era, many of whom have corruption cases against them

Corruption, Nepotism and conflicts of interests continue

His recent leaks about Army and ISI were more serious than probably dawn leaks

Mysterious roles of Zulfi Bukhari, Anil Musarrat, JKT etc

His remaining adamant on Usman Buzdar

Hundreds of other questions

Also read next article:

Answer to these questions remain unanswered, even analysts, journalists are unable to give satisfactory answers.

Even ardent PTI supporters are often perplexed by such questions and his incomprehensible decisions

How can such a great leader, a great speaker commit all these grave errors?

Often similarities between him and Musharraf arrise…

Something is extremely fishy.

And there are other aspects we have to look to like Islamic economic aspects etc etc

Many of my students and many others I know, many commoners we see on tv channels and meet on the streets, who were strong supporters of PTI including doctors have now turned against PTI because of the broken promises, and now the MTI act.

One of my previous student writes:

Mantra of PTI Supporters

The same mantra being repeated ad infinitum by PTI supporters:

1. You want PML N or PPP back again? (No)

Apologies, on a lighter note:

2. Give us time. Be patient. (with no change in policies)

3. Stop being pessimistic (Optimistic Versus Realistic)

4. We have locked all the corrupt leaders and started retrieving money (when will the benefits trickle down to the public?)

5. Imran Khan will fix everything. Trust him.

6. Any alternative?

HOPE AND THE ALTERNATIVE!

For those asking what is next or what is any other hope for Pakistan after Imran Khan, same can be asked:

What is the hope for Syria?

What is the hope for Yemen? What is the hope for Myanmar/Burma?

What is the hope for Palestine?

What is the hope for Kashmiris when this government has completely thrown them to Indian dogs?

What is the hope for Egypt?

What is the hope of hundreds of thousands of people living below the poverty line around the world including Venezuela, USA and in Europe etc etc??

History has seen that when an Ummah goes far away from teachings of Allah Almighty and many doubts and controversies arisE in His deen, He sends His Prophet PBUH;

BUT since there is to be no Prophet after Prophet Muhammad PBUH, He will send Imam Mehdi and Hazrat Eesa AS as guides but also as ummati of Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

Scholars of all three major world religions are repeatedly saying predicting the closeness according to the Holy Scriptures of Armageddon  (Great war) and Anti-Christ (Dajjal) who will oppose the Mehdi and Eesa AS.

According to Ahadith 99/100 people will be killed in this war, which makes it most likely a nuclear war. And USA and Russia are all ready for such a great war. Just a trigger is needed like another 9/11 like false flag attack.

Its just that many Muslims don’t believe that such events are going to be held so soon; they still believe that such events will occur hundred or more years later.

Another basic principle of Allah Almighty is that he Hears the cries of the oppressed and responds to their cries of help. Oppressed pious people of Palestine, Kashmir, Yemen, Syria, Burma etc have been earnestly praying to Allah for help for so so many years now.

No Muslim army has come to their help. So ultimately Allah will send help through Imam Mehdi very very soon in sha Allah according to His principle.

In and after the great war, people of Gog and Magog and Dajjal will be killed, Hindus will be defeated in Ghazwa Hind and Qustuntunia will also be defeated. And finally peace will prevail on the Earth once more in sha Allah.

Yes alternative for the Muslim Ummah is Imam Mehdi, whose coming is very near. He will come and straighten things out in sha Allah. Just wait and be patient.

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