Weekly holidays and the economy
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
THROUGHOUT the developed countries, Sunday is observed as a holiday. In Pakistan too the weekly holiday is on Sunday.
Pakistan is motivated more by economic pragmatism than anything else. Friday as weekly day-off delinks a country and its economy from business and other interactions for three days with much of the rest of the world where holidays are observed on Saturdays and Sundays. Businesses and official communication suffer as a result. The leaders in Pakistan considered it more worthwhile to promote the economic interests of their country.
One day weekly holiday and that too on Sunday, not Friday, happens to be the practice in many important Muslim countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, etc. People of these countries also do not think that they are becoming less religious as a result. Nothing in the holy Quran says that Muslims should remain inactive after saying their prayers on Friday or keep the whole day away from their earthly affairs. The real teaching of Islam is to work hard at one's occupation but for the prayer time.
Why do our leaders want to interpret it differently? Friday was made the weekly holiday as a result of a populist decision. It was designed to exploit some extremely religious quarters support is cultivated or sought by all the major political parties for winning elections. But the existing caretaker government can change the weekly holiday schedule. It is not burdened by any political considerations or influences and as such, has all the powers to act decisively. It can take an executive decision that henceforth the weekly holiday would be on Sunday.
Amin Ahmed
Maghbazar, Dhaka
Pakistan is motivated more by economic pragmatism than anything else. Friday as weekly day-off delinks a country and its economy from business and other interactions for three days with much of the rest of the world where holidays are observed on Saturdays and Sundays. Businesses and official communication suffer as a result. The leaders in Pakistan considered it more worthwhile to promote the economic interests of their country.
One day weekly holiday and that too on Sunday, not Friday, happens to be the practice in many important Muslim countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, etc. People of these countries also do not think that they are becoming less religious as a result. Nothing in the holy Quran says that Muslims should remain inactive after saying their prayers on Friday or keep the whole day away from their earthly affairs. The real teaching of Islam is to work hard at one's occupation but for the prayer time.
Why do our leaders want to interpret it differently? Friday was made the weekly holiday as a result of a populist decision. It was designed to exploit some extremely religious quarters support is cultivated or sought by all the major political parties for winning elections. But the existing caretaker government can change the weekly holiday schedule. It is not burdened by any political considerations or influences and as such, has all the powers to act decisively. It can take an executive decision that henceforth the weekly holiday would be on Sunday.
Amin Ahmed
Maghbazar, Dhaka