THE PROFESSIONAL CRITICS

THE PROFESSIONAL CRITICS –

A GLAMOROUS STERILE ELIT  POLITICAL CLASS

By: Kassim Ahmad

11 December, 2012

         It seems somehow that to be able to criticize the status quo  shows a superior intellect above the common run of the masses. It is practised by holders of Ph.Ds, usually holding professorial  and other academic posts in foreign Western universities (those in Eastern countries somehow are nore modest). It is also practised by vetren writers who sonorously pontificate  with their noses high in the air!

         There are, of course, many things that are not right in the status quo in all countires, now, before, and in the future   Has there been any perfect country or, for that matter, any perfect human being? If there was, the professional critics would not have been born. They were born to right he wrongs of societies. As one American philosopher has said (not his exact words) : “Do not talk of crimes. Who has not committed crimes? Better to concentrate on solving problems.”

         All countries are run by imperfect people, including morally and spiritually-elevated leaders like Abraham. Jesus, Asoka, Budhha, Confucius, Muhammad, Omar ibni Khattab, Jefferson, Lincoln and Gandhi.

         Imperfection, therefore, is a feature of life, going through nonlife, like minerals, to lower life, like amaeva, to higher and higher life, culminating in the crown of life that is homo sapiens, the khlifah of the Quran, God’s vicegerent on Earth. The khalifah being a ruler is the master of his desteny. He shapes his destiny, thereby re-makes and changes the world.

         I have been a critic of the status quo in my time. One of my early poems reads //sekian lama kita mati dalam setia//kali ini kita hidup dalam durhaka// Roughly translated, it reads: “For so long have we died living in loyalty; now we are going to live upholding defience!” Well now, after 66 years of independence, we have come far. But this 66 years’ far along Liberalism’ road is very far from Islam’s Just Society where no family lives in poverty.

         The trouble with the professional critics is that thei crticisms do not provide the remedy. Their critical mind lacks creativity, i.e. it is sterile.  It is anti-life, if such a life-form can ever exist. Away, therefore, with the professional critics!

 
KASSIM AHMAD is Malaysian free-lance writer. His website is www.kassimahmad.blogspot.com