--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The generals who had called Zia a mullah…" description: "\"The generals who had called Zia a mullah behind his back felt ashamed at having underestimated him: not only was he a mullah, he was a mullah whose und..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/mohammed-hanif-35001_ashamed_the-generals-who-had-called-zia-a-mullah_430183.jpg" --- # The generals who had called Zia a mullah behind his back… ![“The generals who had called Zia a mullah behind his back felt ashamed at having underestimated him: not only was he a mullah, he was a mullah whose understanding of religion didn't go beyond parroting what he had heard from the next mullah. A mullah without a beard, a mullah in a four-star…” quote by Mohammed Hanif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/mohammed-hanif-35001_ashamed_the-generals-who-had-called-zia-a-mullah_430183.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/mohammed-hanif-35001_ashamed_the-generals-who-had-called-zia-a-mullah_430183.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/mohammed-hanif-35001_ashamed_the-generals-who-had-called-zia-a-mullah_430183.jpg) > “The generals who had called Zia a mullah behind his back felt ashamed at having underestimated him: not only was he a mullah, he was a mullah whose understanding of religion didn't go beyond parroting what he had heard from the next mullah. A mullah without a beard, a mullah in a four-star general's uniform, a mullah with the instincts of a corrupt tax inspector.” [Mohammed Hanif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hanif/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator critiques a military leader’s superficial religious identity, highlighting hypocrisy and lack of genuine understanding. **In simple terms:** Leader pretends religious, but lacks true belief. Key Takeaway Beware of superficial authority and demand authentic knowledge. Themes politics religion hypocrisy Mood critical analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - military decision making - public perception - policy analysis Key Concepts leadership authenticity cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - What signs reveal genuine versus performative belief? - How does hypocrisy affect trust in leaders? A Different Perspective Complex political contexts may blur motivations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) [Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beard/) [Beard Mullah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beard-mullah-3793442/) [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) [Mullah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mullah-1066994/) [Mullah Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mullah-understanding-3793440/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Underestimated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underestimated/) [Underestimated Mullah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underestimated-mullah-3793439/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Uniform Mullah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uniform-mullah-3793441/) [Uniforms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uniforms/) ## Related quotes > [“I admit to a feeling of pride that my father had saved the day yet again, although I also thought that nothing would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-bin-laden/i-admit-to-a-feeling-of-pride-that-my-father-had-saved-the-day-yet/) [Omar bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-bin-laden/) > [“The morgue is the Mullah's mint: Why hang on to life in this world when our guardians are discounting the price of life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amir-khalil/the-morgue-is-the-mullah-s-mint-why-hang-on-to-life-in-this-world/) [Amir Khalil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amir-khalil/) > [ \[Mullah Omar\] gave himself this religious title. So it was something that all those people there who swore an oath of loyalty to him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/mullah-omar-gave-himself-this-religious-title-so-it-was-something/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [ I met a lot of the senior Taliban, and I asked them precisely \[about Mullah Omar\]. The most common answer was he is humble.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/i-met-a-lot-of-the-senior-taliban-and-i-asked-them-precisely-about/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [“Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/now-no-matter-what-the-mullah-teaches-there-is-only-one-sin-only-one-3/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“That night, I waited until Baba fell asleep, and then folded a blanket. I used it as a prayer rug. Bowing my head to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/that-night-i-waited-until-baba-fell-asleep-and-then-folded-a-blanket/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [My own schooldays convince me that I would not send a child of mine to be educated by a grinning monk any more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/my-own-schooldays-convince-me-that-i-would-not-send-a-child-of-mine/) [Harry Enfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enfield/) > [Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/now-no-matter-what-the-mullah-teaches-there-is-only-one-sin-only-one-2/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/now-no-matter-what-the-mullah-teaches-there-is-only-one-sin-only-one/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [I underestimated the difference of fighting in a cage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirko-cro-cop/i-underestimated-the-difference-of-fighting-in-a-cage/) [Mirko Cro Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirko-cro-cop/) > [It's always good to be underestimated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/it-s-always-good-to-be-underestimated/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Mysticism, poor mysticism! When it is underestimated and oversimplified, it comes down from its original sphere and stands beside religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/mysticism-poor-mysticism-when-it-is-underestimated-and-oversimplified/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [I think I've explained earlier on in the year that I kind of underestimated how important experience was in this series, especially when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wheldon/i-think-i-ve-explained-earlier-on-in-the-year-that-i-kind-of/) [Dan Wheldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wheldon/) > [I didn't know what I was in for when I joined 'The X Factor' - I underestimated it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-cole/i-didn-t-know-what-i-was-in-for-when-i-joined-the-x-factor-i/) [Cheryl Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-cole/) > [I don't think I should be underestimated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-davenport/i-don-t-think-i-should-be-underestimated/) [Lindsay Davenport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-davenport/) ## More by Mohammed Hanif > [The innocent are punished. That's the world we live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hanif/the-innocent-are-punished-that-s-the-world-we-live-in/) [Mohammed Hanif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hanif/) > [“She tries to maintain a nondescript exterior; she learns the sideways glance instead of looking at people directly. She speaks in practised, precise sentences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hanif/she-tries-to-maintain-a-nondescript-exterior-she-learns-the-sideways/) [Mohammed Hanif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hanif/) > [“She wants a surprise so big and so heavy it could flatten her in the middle of the road. She want a tied-to-a-rocket-and-launched-into-space kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hanif/she-wants-a-surprise-so-big-and-so-heavy-it-could-flatten-her-in-the/) [Mohammed Hanif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hanif/) > [“Men constantly feel hungry and women constantly feel sad. 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They want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hanif/he-lives-in-a-world-where-where-people-want-their-share-of-pain/) [Mohammed Hanif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hanif/) > [“Don't be frightened of your own reflection. We all have bad moments in front of the mirror," says Noor. "You should probably get married.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hanif/don-t-be-frightened-of-your-own-reflection-we-all-have-bad-moments-in/) [Mohammed Hanif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hanif/) [Explore all 13 Mohammed Hanif quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hanif/) ## More Ashamed quotes > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. 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And I was ashamed.” Humiliated. Broken. Miserable. If Wilcher had stood by Jaymee, if her father hadn’t berated her, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-green/with-her-own-life-and-i-was-ashamed-humiliated-broken-miserable-if/) [Stacy Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-green/) > [You should avoid hedging, at least that's what I think. You should be ashamed to die until you've made some contribution to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johns/you-should-avoid-hedging-at-least-that-s-what-i-think-you-should-be/) [Vernon Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-johns/) > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [“When all are undressed, one is somehow not ashamed, but when one's the only one undressed and everybody is looking, it's degrading,' he kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/when-all-are-undressed-one-is-somehow-not-ashamed-but-when-one-s-the/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [There are a great many colored people who are ashamed of the cake-walk, but I think they ought to be proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/there-are-a-great-many-colored-people-who-are-ashamed-of-the-cake/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour, and who then asketh: "Am I a dishonest player?" - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-love-him-who-is-ashamed-when-the-dice-fall-in-his-favour-and-who/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zondervan-publishing/whoever-is-ashamed-of-me-and-my-words-the-son-of-man-will-be-ashamed/) [Zondervan Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zondervan-publishing/) > [You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-were-never-created-to-live-depressed-defeated-guilty-condemned/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-never-wonder-to-see-men-wicked-but-i-often-wonder-to-see-them-not/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“To survive during the Khmer Rouge, you had to steal, cheat, lie, point fingers at others, even kill. And now you are ashamed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-brinkley/to-survive-during-the-khmer-rouge-you-had-to-steal-cheat-lie-point/) [Joel Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-brinkley/) [Browse all 1,607 Ashamed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The generals who had called Zia a mullah behind his back felt ashamed at having underestimated him: not only was he a mullah, he was a mullah whose understanding of religion didn't go beyond parroting what he had heard from the next mullah. 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