EASY AND LICENTIOUS LIFESTYLE TRANSFORMS ONE TO BECOME EGOISTIC – ALTAF HUSSAIN

  London – 3 September 2004 Easy and licentious lifestyle transforms one to become egoistic whereby he or she feels ashamed in doing laborious or hard work and prefers begging. This was stated by MQM Founder Leader Mr Altaf Hussain while delivering a thought-provoking lecture to the members of MQM Labour Division in Karachi and Hyderabad. Recalling his earlier statement on how the environment affects human beings in changing their personality, character and attitude, Mr Hussain said that because of human psychology, normally when one leaves behind hard times and adopts the peaceful and relaxed lifestyle he or she forgets their past. If their lifestyle becomes so comfortable that servants are present to perform even the smallest of chores then one becomes dependent upon the servants. Humans take this comfortable and easy lifestyle for granted with a view that it will remain  forever. However, if situation changes and one has to leave this comfortable lifestyle and revert back to face the critical, tense and demanding lifestyle then he or she will prefer to beg then performing laborious or hard work.  This is not only the result of comfortable and easy lifestyle but also the affects of the relaxed environment. Mr Hussain said that comfortable and easy lifestyle makes one a victim of egotism and when one begins to hide from laborious work then he or she even prefer dishonourable lifestyle instead of honourable lifestyle during hard times.  However, if one is not the victim of egotism then during hard times he or she would prefer laborious and hard work and never resort to begging – and never feel ashamed in earning legitimate (halal) income.

Mr Hussain said that being a worker of a Movement, one performs his or her duties without giving consideration to hunger, thirst or the weather and does not feel ashamed in laborious work. However, normally it is witnessed that when based on his or her hard work and skills, the same worker is promoted to a higher position then he or she forgets that they will ever be required to become a worker again. It has been witnessed that when new office bearers are selected as a result of organisational elections then normally the outgoing office bearers are not prepared to work as simply a “worker”.  This is despite the fact that in the past these outgoing office bearers (when they were simply workers) were prepared to do any laborious or hard work. When one reaches higher positions then one’s ego also starts to grow and reaches to the limit where they feel ashamed, embarrassed and dishonoured when asked to work as a “worker”. Such a person completely forgets about the ideology, mission and cause of the Movement and only remembers how to acquire high position.  However, if ideology is overriding the minds of those on the high positions – then on becoming a worker he or she will accept that ranks and positions are temporary and ideology is supreme. Therefore, if the Movement has decided to make sit with other workers then to accept this as the decision of the Movement.

Citing the example of early days, Mr Hussain said, “a few people who started working with him since 1978 are aware that normally all the organisation work was performed in my home. We used to work throughout the night and I (Mr Hussain) used to make meals and tea for all the workers. At that moment of time no one knew about Altaf Hussain. Today, by the Grace of Almighty Allah, Altaf Hussain is known national and internationally. But despite 27 years have gone by, Altaf Hussain continues to make meals for the workers at the International Secretariat in London and does not feel ashamed in performing any laborious task or hard work.”  He said, “Altaf Hussain is also a common person – ideology remains the overriding factor not only in the past when I started the Movement but also today.  The Allah Almighty has blessed me with honour, position, fame, repute and status – but ideology remains the overriding factor in my mind and that is the reason why I do not feel ashamed in performing any laborious task or hard work and also do not consider my companions as my slaves.”

Mr Hussain further stated that to gain political support various presidents and prime ministers of Pakistan met with him – however, he never felt egoistic because his thoughts and soul has been overridden by the ideology not only in the past but in the present as well. He reminded those office bearers who adopt monarchic attitude means that their ideological cover was very weak and by reaching a higher position their ideological cover is ruined. He stressed upon all the office bearers and workers to held themselves accountable in front of their conscience and strengthen their ideological cover to become the hands and arms of the Movement in testing times with a view to defeat any conspiracy.