According to one of my friends, Mawlana Hisam's glorification of the Night of Yalda and his recent cultural-civilizational positions is a revolution in the intellectual system of a religious scholar and should be taken seriously.
Author: Rustam Rushangar, analyst, especially for Sangar
There are many theologians, especially among Tajik religious ulama, who call the celebration of Novruz, Yalda Night, and other ancient cultural and civilizational holidays equivalent to blasphemy and polytheism and preach against them all day long. This has a significant negative impact on creating gaps, differences, and even hostility and alienation between our cultural society and the society of our clergy, which is very harmful.
The courageous and taboo-breaking stance of renowned and trusted theologians such as Mawlana Hisam has undoubtedly had a profound influence on the thoughts and ideas of other theologians, especially those who studied in the terrorist schools of Pakistan and are responsible for the intellectual leadership and guidance of our religious community. Therefore, after this, these so-called idiot mullahs cannot resolutely and passionately oppose our cultural and civilizational manifestations, alienate people from their original culture, history, and civilization, and consider the historical and cultural consciousness of people as disbelief and apostasy. If they continue to take this position, people may tell them that if their words had a religious basis, then such and such a great religious scholar and activist would not glorify the Night of Yalda.
Unfortunately, for over a thousand years, the Arabs have been hostile to our history and civilization in the Persian lands on cultural, tribal, and civilizational grounds rather than on religious grounds, and they have propagated the false belief that ancient cultural and civilizational traditions and customs are contrary to religion and faith of the people. This belief has been institutionalized in our societies for many centuries. However, it had no religious or legal basis and was mainly motivated by political and hegemonic reasons of ethnic origin. Real scientists and deep thinkers know this.
The Arabs, who, under the name of spreading religion, tried to destroy our culture and civilization, hid the fact that Islam is the culture and customs of the Arabs. In other words, the Arabs, thirsty for power and wealth, who came to our lands with material motives, destroying the border between Islam and Arab culture, increasingly widened the border between Islam and the Persian and Khorasan civilizations, making it impossible to cross. People were told that any acceptance of the ancient culture and civilization of a non-Arab people was a tendency towards unbelief and polytheism. In this way, many learned and free-thinking people who had no religious or legal basis were killed and destroyed. In the same way, many of our ancient works and heritage were destroyed. In this case, it was not the command of God and his Messenger. The military commander decided what to do and what not to do with manifestations of non-Arab culture.
After the Arabs, this policy was continued by the British, who created religious schools, one of the main tasks of which was to teach anti-cultural ideas in our society. The religious schools of Pakistan operate on the same principle and a group like the Taliban with a civilization-hating mentality is a product of these colonial and intelligence schools. Inside Afghanistan, Pashtunists also tried to take advantage of this thinking. A mindset through which they can cut off the heads of educated and free people with the sword of religion to control a group of ignorant and frightened people and impose their culture and ethnic values on them.
As far as I know, Mawlana Hisam is much more knowledgeable and dedicated than the existing and absent Taliban leaders, and his celebration of Yalda Night is based on intelligence and awareness. He knows well that his action does not contradict religious beliefs and values. Because he understands religion better. Nobody gave him money to sell religion, as the mullahs say. He has used his high religious position to bring about an intellectual transformation in society, and he knows full well that many mullahs will oppose him. Still, he has no fear because he knows that fighting his preconceived religious misunderstandings is a valuable fight that does not contradict the true spirit of Islam. It is not only contradictory but also compatible.
