“Yeh Dil Maange More,” was the advertisement baseline of a multi-national soft drink company years ago. While the soft drink soon lost its fizz, its baseline still haunts not just Indians, but Muslims in many Muslim countries. In short, wanting more, eating more, drinking more and buying more. Consumerism in its ugliest forms can be seen even in Muslim countries.
Wealth in Muslim countries is tightly in the hands of the rich, famous and elite, while the poor are getting poorer. One of the major reasons for this chubby fat called consumerism to grow in Muslim countries (apart from in India too), is the spurt of the ugly high rise Shopping Malls. These Malls have also hit the bread and butter of small humble street shop owners whose simplicity and hospitality was touching. These shop-keepers not only gave you your grocery, but also asked the welfare of your family members and friends.
Walk into any giant-sized Mall in a Muslim country today, the automatic sliding doors will open like “khulja sim sim Ali Baba” style.
These Malls have no space for traditional and ethnic arts and crafts of that country. Instead the space is cluttered with western brands and their stuff that has invaded the Malls. From foreign contact lenses to automatic waist strap machines to trim your flabby waist, these outlets allure the visitors.
Shiny, gaudy imported strapless and backless women’s designer outfits are hung with fancy prices with the 30 per cent off tag dangling on them. Coffee shops and fast food joints offer a menu with newly coined phrases for dishes, though the dish could be as simple as a masala dosa… rice crepe with smashed potatoes! Electronic goods from across the globe like an automatic hair dryer or body massage chairs are on display in various colours, throwing the natural way to health out of the window.
The question is, do these Malls serve the basic needs of the people of the country or are they feeding the greed of the middle class, the upper middle class and upper class?
According to Islamic values, moderation is the key word in our lives and lifestyles. Many Muslim countries have been blessed with petroleum, palm oil and many types of oil which is money all the way. So why do these countries splurge their surplus wealth on Malls? Super Malls with slippery glossy floors do not indicate the development of a country. A view from level 5 on an escalator of a Mall will reveal that most shoppers or window shoppers are youngsters eating, buying eating again and buying more. Are these values healthy?
Malls have complicated people’s lives in more ways than one. There are more than 20 brands of coffee, tea, butter, milk, chocolates, shoes bags, jewellery, breads and biscuits etc. People turn into confused consumers who then end up buying more than what they actually need. So you have 5 pairs of shoes when you need just one, four brands of tea when you actually have just one cup of tea a day!
Why cannot Muslim countries spend their surplus wealth on “Knowledge Malls” instead? With such rich resources at their disposal, these countries can easily set up more educational institutions, more colleges, more schools, more research centres, vocational centres, orphanages etc. There should be something for the poor too. Muslim countries need to introspect and see if their super Mall indulgences is taking them anywhere at all. A little reflection will reveal that investing their wealth on knowledge can take them to greater heights spiritually, intellectually, morally, ethically, economically and socially.
In this context, the wise words of Hazrat Ali (RA) are specifically pertinent: “Ya Kamil! Knowledge is better than wealth, for knowledge watches over you, whilst you have to watch over your wealth. And knowledge governs, while wealth is governed. Wealth diminishes with spending, but knowledge increases therewith.” (quoted in Al-Ghazali’s Ahya-Ulummudin, chapter-1).
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April 2009 |