pakistan- islamic or secular?

2

Contents:

Introduction

Secularism and its

relevance to Pakistan

Islam and its relevance to

Pakistan

Comparison

How can Islam help

Pakistan today?

Conclusion

Bibliography

Pg 3

Pg 4

Pg 9

Pg 16

Pg 23

Pg 26

Pg 27

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Pakistan- Islamic or

Secular?

What is the destined state ideology

of Pakistan? There has always been

an argument about the question just

asked. This argument has not been

as widely debated about in the

history of Pakistan as it is being

today.

It has only recently caught the

media’s attention and every citizen

of Pakistan wants to know the truth.

The youth especially, which has been

confused over the years about what

their forefathers wanted, what this

country was actually made for, and

what is the vision. Did they want a

Secular state? Or did they want pure

foundations of Islamic Socialism?

There is infinite debate about this in

the country and sometimes this

debate is referred to as the

ideological war being fought inside

the country. People who support

Secularism are blamed to be agents

of foreign agencies, as the righteous

majority of Pakistan believes that

our elders wanted pure foundations

of Islamic ways of living and

governance in the country. But at the

same time, some people who

support Islamic Socialism and

Governance are blamed to be

radicals and extremists. However,

such accusations usually come from

foreign analysts. Why was this

confusion created? There cannot be

a solid conclusion for this debate

unless both ideologies and their

relevance to Pakistan is understood.

This is necessary to seek the light.

4

Secularism and its relevance to

Pakistan:

The dictionary definition for the

word “secular” in political terms is

“denoting attitudes, activities, or

other things that have no religious

or spiritual basis”. In simple words,

secular is something that has

nothing to do with religion. In Urdu,

this word is translated to “la-‐deen”.

“La” meaning no, and “deen”

translating to religion. Similarly, the

definition for the word “secularism”

is “the view that religious

considerations should be excluded

from civil affairs or public

education”. Secularism is a new and

recent concept, compared to most

other political concepts. The main

purpose defined by the ambassadors

of this concept is to eliminate the

religious conflicts between people to

create global peace. Today, the

majority of the world is mentally

oriented towards following the

precepts of secularism. Although the

implementation of secularism hasn’t

actually brought any global peace,

there still is a huge argument all

around the world about the validity

of this concept. The neighbor of

Islamic Republic of Pakistan, India, is

one of the largest secular democratic

states. And at the same time, India is

imploding with religious conflicts

inside the country. According to

Opinion Maker, there are an

estimated 30 insurgency groups in

the secular country, most of which

are based on religious conflicts and

discrimination; whereas there are

other (reliable) reports of more than

80 insurgencies active in India.

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Therefore this concept is not as

dazzling as it seems, but nonetheless

there are a massive number of

humans who recognize and follow

this system, even in Muslim

countries like Pakistan. There are a

notable number of secular people,

mostly in the media and such

outlets, who have been publicizing

that concept in Pakistan for a while

now.

This has not happened with such

frequency before in Pakistan, and

maybe that is the reason the youth

hasn’t been so confused before. The

secularists believe that the rights of

Non-‐Muslims in Pakistan are target

of negligence. They also have faith in

the judgment that the Islamic rule of

law in Pakistan, and the Pro-‐Islamic

mindsets of the majority of Pakistani

people have caused discrimination

of not only Non-‐Muslims, but even of

the lower class in Pakistan that are

apparently being treated very badly.

The followers of secularism have

also attacked the blasphemy law.

The law that is criticized by almost

all foreign communities, but still

operational in Pakistan is the

blasphemy law. The constitution of

Pakistan states:

• Whoever willfully defiles,

damages or desecrates a copy

of the Holy Qur'an or of an

extract therefrom or uses it in

any derogatory manner or for

any unlawful purpose shall be

punishable with

imprisonment for life.

• Whoever by words, either

spoken or written, or by

visible representation or by

any imputation, innuendo, or

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insinuation, directly or

indirectly, defiles the sacred

name of the Holy Prophet

Muhammad (peace be upon

him) shall be punished with

death, or imprisonment for

life, and shall also be liable to

fine.

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is

known to have the strictest

blasphemy law among Muslim

majority countries. This only gives a

small idea of the religious

sentiments that reside in this

ideological state.

There have been a number of recent

controversies regarding Pakistan,

and the secular minded citizens have

taken advantage of such events. In

June 2009, Asia Bibi was arrested for

being accused of blasphemy against

the Holy Prophet (peace be upon

him). She was sentenced to death by

hanging in November 2010, but after

the case reached media attention

with the help of Pakistani

secularists, it was delayed and is still

pending in the Supreme Court of

Pakistan. This case had been a huge

argument in Pakistan, and two

politicians were assassinated for

opposing the blasphemy law

regarding Asia Bibi (one of whom

was a Christian). Secular minded

columnists and anchors took this

case abroad with the help of their

media outlets, and portrayed Asia

Bibi’s story through her own eyes.

Even Pope Benedict in Vatican

issued a statement demanding

release of Asia Bibi, which raged

many Muslim scholars inside the

country. The policy of no

compromise when it comes to

blasphemy, and the unexplainable

emotions and sentiments of the

Pakistani Muslims attached to their

Prophet (peace be upon him) have

given liberals tough time in this

country. The Asia Bibi

Salman Taseer case, followed by the assassination

of ex-‐Governor of Punjab-‐ Salman

Taseer and former Minister of

Minorities Affairs -‐Shahbaz Bhatti

created a good scenario for liberal

parties to proliferate their mindsets.

Shahbaz Bhatti

But Secularism’s roots in Pakistan

date back to the 1960s. In the book

Shahabnama by Qudratullah Shahab,

a significant event regarding

Pakistan’s name, “Islamic Republic

of Pakistan” is discussed. Here is a

passage from the book that explains

this peculiar event:

“After the passing of 1962 constitution, I noticed something peculiar that in all the documents of the government, the word ‘Islam’ was not written with the name of Pakistan. First, I thought that it might be an error in the drafting, but after some days I came to know that the error was repeated several times and it seemed more intentional than unintentional. I wrote a note to President Ayub Khan to allow me to write a letter to all the ministries about this frequent error. One evening, He came to me and told me that it is not an error but we have taken this decision with a general consensus. President Ayub Khan told me that the name of Pakistan will be “Republic of Pakistan” instead of “Islamic Republic of Pakistan“. If I had the courage, I would have asked him: “Who are you to

8

eliminate the word ‘Islam’ from the name of Pakistan?” However I came back home and wrote a two pages note, the summary of which is as following: Pakistan has no escape from Islam. The history of this country is very old but its geography is new. The Red-cliff line between Pakistan and India was drawn for the purpose that we acquired this piece of land on the name of Islam. If now Islam is erased from the name of Pakistan, the limitation of this line will have no meaning. We became Pakistan for the sole reason that we are Muslims. If Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Turkey eliminate Islam from their lives, they would still retain their identity as Afghans, Iranian, Egyptian, Iraqi and Turks. But if we, Pakistanis, try to escape from Islam, Pakistan will not have any distinction of its own. Now, if Islam suits our luxurious life or not, Islam fits to our way of life or not, We personally follow Islam or not, the truth is that whether for the sake of saving our hereafter or for the worldly profit and selfishness, we are compelled to keep Pakistan and Islam parallel to each other for the sake of the long lasting of Pakistan. Due to the illiteracy of others, there is no need to go into the inferiority complex yourself.

In addition to this note, I also wrote a resignation letter to resign if this note is not accepted. Next Day President Ayub came to me to tell me something, He sat in front of me and took that note from my hand and started reading it. After reading few sentences, his facial expressions changed suddenly and he started reading from the beginning again. Then he said slowly: “Yes, Right You

Are” and repeated this sentence again, and hence the word ‘Islam’ was added to the name of Pakistan.” (Excerpt from the book Shahabnama).

Qudratullah Shahab

This excerpt, apart from providing

immense support for the Islamic

ideology to be established in

Pakistan, explains how the face of

secularism was emerging in some

people. The consensus had a

majority of people who would

considerably see Pakistan as

“Republic of Pakistan” rather than

Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Although, this is the same Field

Marshal who is known to have

lighted the spark of Islam among the

people of Pakistan during his last

months as President, him and his

9

cabinet were somewhat secular in

the start. This is where secularism

in Pakistan dates back to.

The secularists in Pakistan have

never been more powerful than they

are today, and they are availing

every inch of this opportunity to

create more secular mindsets in

Pakistan. It is a highly significant fact

that secularism became more

outspoken and blunt in Muslim

states after 9/11, especially in

Pakistan. Giving an example of their

outspokenness, a popular liberal

individual who has been working

with human rights groups in

Pakistan, Marvi Sermid, deliberately

challenged the two-‐nation (coined

by the visionary of Pakistan, Dr.

Muhammad Iqbal himself) and

stated “Pakistan will God willing

soon become a secular state”. She

gave this statement in Dr. Shahid

Masood’s TV program called

“Shahidnama” on Express TV. Noting

that such an open challenge, or

rather offense to the recognized

founding ideology of Pakistan had

never been made on live TV before,

this was considerably surprising for

the public.

Islam and Pakistan:

There are only two ideological

nations in the world, Israel and

Pakistan. Israel is supposedly based

on Jewish ideology, whereas

Pakistan was created in the name of

Islam. The Islamic ideology has

massively shaped Pakistan’s politics,

social environment, military,

constitution and even its borders;

the borders of Pakistan are based on

Muslim majority states dating back

to British India. Its visionary and

national poet, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal

(also known as Allama Iqbal) was

one of the greatest Islamic

ideologists ever born in the Sub-‐

Continent.

10

Allama Iqbal

The proclaimed foundations of the

constitution of Pakistan, The

Objectives Resolution, demands that

the constitution of Pakistan must be

based on the teachings of the Holy

Quran and the Holy Prophet (peace

be upon him). It was passed by

Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime

Minister of Pakistan and the right-‐

hand man of Quaid e Azam himself.

The resolution states:

1. Sovereignty belongs to Allah alone but He has delegated it to the State of Pakistan through its people for being exercised within the limits

prescribed by Him as a sacred trust.

2. The State shall exercise its powers and authority through the chosen representatives of the people.

3. The principles of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice, as enunciated by Islam, shall be fully observed.

4. Muslims shall be enabled to order their lives in the individual and collective spheres in accordance with the teachings of Islam as set out in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

5. Adequate provision shall be made for the minorities to freely profess and practice their religions and develop their cultures.

6. Pakistan shall be a federation.

7. Fundamental rights shall be guaranteed.

8. Judiciary shall be independent. Such facts illuminate the Pakistani

people’s immense bond with the

ideology of Islam. In the TV program

“Yeh Ghazi”, Mr. Zaid Hamid even

said that Mohammad bin Qasim, the

conqueror of Sindh in 712 AD

(present day Pakistan), was the first

Pakistani citizen. There are

numerous speeches of Quaid e Azam

in which he talks about a perfect

Islamic state, which shall make its

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own system, to repair the damage

that previous systems have done. In

his last speech, at the occasion of

opening ceremony of the State Bank

of Pakistan, Mr. Jinnah said:

“I shall watch with keenness the work of your Research Organization in evolving banking practices compatible with Islamic ideas of social and economic life. The economic system of the West has created almost insoluble problems for humanity and to many of us it appears that only a miracle can save it from disaster that is not facing the world. It has failed to do justice between man and man and to eradicate friction from the international field. On the contrary, it was largely responsible for the two world wars in the last half century. The Western world, in spite of its advantages, of mechanization and industrial efficiency is today in a worse mess than ever before in history. The adoption of Western economic theory and practice will not help us in achieving our goal of creating a happy and contended people. We must work our destiny in our own way and present to the world an economic system based on true Islamic concept of equality of manhood and social justice. We will thereby be fulfilling our mission as Muslims and giving to humanity the message of peace which alone can save it and secure the welfare, happiness and prosperity of mankind. May the Sate Bank of Pakistan prosper and fulfill the high ideals which have been set as its goal”

Quaid e Azam at the inauguration of the State bank of Pakistan Islamic sentiments have always been

traveling with Pakistan, its leaders

and its people throughout its

journey. Pakistan’s nuclear weapons

are known as the “Islamic Bomb”,

because of the nation being the only

Muslim country to possess nuclear

arms. Its struggle was based on

independence of Muslims from the

unjust rule of Hindus of that time.

The slogan roared most frequently

by millions of Muslims during the

Pakistan movement was “Pakistan

ka matlab kya? La ilaha ilAllah”,

meaning “What is the meaning of

Pakistan? There is no God but Allah”,

and this motto still stirs the souls of

Pakistanis today. Such enthusiasm

revolving around Islam clearly

shows the connection of Pakistanis

with their religion.

Today, Pakistan is standing on the

plains of a decision-‐making scenario.

The youth is confused. There is a

large secular part, which has been

discussed already (pages 4-‐9), and

similarly there is a number of

Islamic idealists seeking to revive

the ideology and poetry of Allama

Iqbal and getting the youth to where,

as they confirm, their forefathers

wanted them to be. These warriors

of media warfare have recently

stepped up with the agenda to

expose every single conspiracy

against Pakistan, and to get the

youth to study Iqbal and Islam again.

Many of these warriors have been

labeled “conspiracy theorists”. One

of the interviewees for this

magazine, Mr. Zaid Hamid is one of

the most renowned preachers of

spiritual foundations of Pakistan.

His, along with many other pro-‐

Islamic analysts’ argument is that

Quaid e Azam and Allama Iqbal

wanted Pakistan to be purely

Islamic. They openly claim that

Pakistan was created for a bigger

purpose and greater reason;

Khilafat. The pro-‐Islamic ideologists

of Pakistan have used the media and

their powerful speeches, to motivate

a vast fraction of the youth to work

for an Islamic political system in

Pakistan.

On Mubasshar Luqman’s show aired

on Dunya TV in Pakistan, the leader

(grandson of Khan of Qallat) of a

separatist movement in Baluchistan

was interviewed and was asked why

Zaid Hamid

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they joined Pakistan in the first

place, and why in such crucial times

they are rebelling. His answer still

makes one think about the depth of

Pakistan’s connection with Islam.

The grandson of Khan of Qallat said:

“I asked the same question to my father. And he said that his father, my grandfather, Khan of Qallat, was the leader of Baluchistan. Quad e Azam was his lawyer and he represented the Qallat State. During independence movement, Quaid e Azam offered my grandfather to join Pakistan. My grandfather was a bit reluctant. But one night, he saw a dream in which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ordered my grandfather to join the Muslim movement. That is why Baluchistan is with Pakistan today”. This is just one of the many

undeniable arguments presented by

the pro-‐Islamic people of Pakistan. It

would be rather offensive to not

realize the enormous love for Islam,

the Prophet (peace be upon him)

and the Holy Quran that the majority

of the Pakistani people have. This

force -‐ the ideology, is regarded as

the most powerful force that resides

in the hearts of the Pakistani people,

especially the youth. It takes only

one romantic speech to get this

nation sacrificing itself in the name

of Islam. The perfect example here

would be the speech of Field

Marshal Ayub Khan, in which he

addressed the Pakistani nation,

commanding them to destroy the

invading forces of India during the

commencement of the 1965 war.

This speech drove the passionate

people of Pakistan so mad, that there

are hundreds of stories of the public

participating itself in the war of

1965, and helping the soldiers in

every possible way. The historic

speech reads:

“My dear fellow countrymen, peace be upon you all. It is time to test the tolerance of 10 million Pakistanis. Early morning today, Indian army attacked the Pakistani city of Lahore. A passenger-‐carrying vehicle was destroyed during this cowardly attack, at Wazirabad station. Indian leaders have always scorned and disrespected the independence of Pakistan, and have condemned the free state for Muslims. India has been planning an assault on Pakistan for the last 18 years. The people of Pakistan, who have “la ilaha ilAllah

14

Muhammad ur Rasool Allah” (There is no God but Allah and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his Prophet) residing in their heartbeats, will not be calm until the enemy is eliminated forever. The Indian leaders perhaps don’t realize, what nation they have challenged. Our hearts are filled with faith and belief, and we know we are fighting for the right cause. The nation has been put on high alert today. The war has begun. Our gallant soldiers are on the frontline to destroy the enemy. Allah has given us a chance to show our might. My fellow countrymen, move forward and confront the enemy. May Allah be your protector and guardian. Ameen”.

Field Marshal Ayub Khan It is very bizarre after one realizes

that the youth of Pakistan today, has

faced absolutely no challenges

compared to their forefathers – and

at the same time, they are the most

confused generation. The passionate

ones are ready to die for the country,

whether it be against India or any

other hostile state. The secular ones

focus on human rights issues, and

the frustrated ones talk about

joining back with India. Such

confusion is very dangerous for

Pakistan, and giving the state one

proper ideology is a must. Even

though, at the moment Islam is the

state ideology, the country is called

Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the

majority of the Pakistanis are happy

with it. However, the pro-‐Islamic

Pakistanis believe that the actual

Pakistan movement is yet to be

completed. The completion, they

suggest, will be done with the

enforcement of an Islamic political

system. This system will guarantee

that there be no political parties, no

banking system based on interest

and a few other obligations;

basically how Iran looks today. In a

written interview, Ms. Syeda Qudsia

15

Mashhadi, a writer, assured that

Pakistan was created to be an

Islamic state. She said, “Pakistan was

definitely made to be an Islamic

state. Our founding fathers wanted

to establish it on Islamic system of

life”. She supported her answer with

a large number of quotes of Quaid e

Azam, in which it is made clear that

Pakistan and Islam are on the same

page. One of Quaid e Azam’s quotes

cited by Ms. Mashhadi was,

“Pakistan not only means freedom and independence, but also the Muslim Ideology that has to be preserved that has come to us as a precious gift and treasure.” Quaid-‐e-‐Azam, Chittagong, March, 1948.

It is also claimed by pro-‐Islamic

ideologists that there are hundreds

of other speeches of Quaid e Azam in

which he specifically declares that

Pakistan will be based on nothing

but Islamic socialism. As mentioned

before, this is the most decisive era

for Pakistan and the youth will play

a crucial part. Therefore, it is

necessary for the youth’s mindsets

to be mobilized under one ideology.

The Secular-‐Islamic differences have

created an ideological civil war in

Pakistan, and there is no doubt that

it is of high intensity. Again quoting

Mr. Zaid Hamid, a pro-‐Islamic

analyst and ideologist, in the show

Shahidnama, “Whoever tries to

mingle with the spiritual dimensions

of Pakistan, and challenges the

Islamic values here-‐ we will fight

them like we fight our enemies”.

It is understandable, and is

recognized by most Pakistanis, that

Islam was the reason Pakistan was

created. However, with the

expeditious spread of globalism in

the past decades, Pakistani youth

has now been introduced to

Secularism as well. Even if one

agrees that Quaid e Azam wanted a

secular Pakistan, the history of

Pakistan shows that the public has

cared about nothing but the Quran

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and Sunnah. The destined ideology

for Pakistanis must be recognized

and implemented, whether it be

Islam or Secularism.

Comparison:

In the midst of confusion, if one

compares the argument of both

Islamic and Secular idealists, and

understands both concepts, the

pathway to reality becomes quite

clear. The secular argument focuses

more on the personality and

appearance of Quaid e Azam. If their

argument is probed, the most

significant point is the following

quote of Quaid e Azam:

‘’ You may belong to any religion or

caste or creed, that has nothing to do

with the business of the state”

There is also one more speech of

Quaid e Azam in which he talks

about Hindus seizing to be Hindus

and Muslims seizing to be Muslims,

but not in a religious sense, rather in

political sense. Other than these two

quotes, secularists focus on Quaid e

Azam’s personality. He was educated

in England, his English was much

better than Urdu, he wore an English

suit, and things as such.

Quaid e Azam’s Western appearence

But it is to be noted, that Allama

Iqbal, the greatest Pan-‐Islamic

philosopher of the same time was

educated in the West, he spoke

exceptionally fluent English, he

usually wore western suits as well,

but at the same time he called for the

rule of the Quran. So it would not be

analytically convincing to label

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Quaid e Azam secular because of his

appearance or seeming way of living.

Some Pakistani liberals even go to

the extent of saying that Quaid e

Azam created Pakistan so that his

party could get seats in a parliament,

or Quaid e Azam never wanted

Pakistan, it was rather a mistake of

the situation. It would be extremely

offensive to the five million Muslims

who gave their lives for Pakistan,

when we say that Pakistan and the

two-‐nation theory is not valid

anymore.

Even if one does not agree with the

pro-‐Islamic argument and focuses

on unbiased research, it is counted,

specifically according to the research

of Mr. Ayub Baig Mirza, that Quaid e

Azam gave 115 speeches in which he

perceived Pakistan as an Islamic

State; out of which, 101 are prior to

independence and 14 are post-‐

independence. In many other

addresses, Quaid e Azam clarified

that every movement has an

ideological foundation and its

visionary, and for Pakistan’s

movement, Islam is the ideology and

Allama Iqbal is the visionary. Pro-‐

Islamic analysts have also

concluded, that Quaid e Azam’s

speech of 11th August, which is

widely rejoiced by secularists, was

actually given by him to reassure

Non-‐Muslim Pakistanis of their

rights and place in the society, and it

did not mean to label Pakistan as a

secular nation. The famous excerpt

from 11th August address is as

follows:

“We are all citizens and equal citizens of one state…. Now I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal, and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State”. After this speech was given,

secularists spread the word that

Quaid e Azam wants Pakistan to be a

18

secular state. Factually, since then all

of this confusion had started. But to

clarify the matter, Quaid e Azam

himself said on 25th January 1948

that

“I could not understand the section

of the people that deliberately

wanted to spread mischief and

propaganda that the constitution of

Pakistan would not be made on the

basis of Shariah”.

Quaid e Azam offering prayers

This quote folds and dumps the

confusion in the bin. Pro-‐Islamic

writers and columnists have debated

that Quaid e Azam’s speech of 11th

August was actually meant to relieve

the anxiety of the minorities residing

in Pakistan caused by the religious

conflicts in the sub-‐continent. It was

not meant to describe the system

that was to be implemented in

Pakistan, and this is ascertained by

the speech of Quaid e Azam in 25th

January 1948, in which he clarifies

what system Pakistan will run on.

There is a copious amount of quotes

of Quaid e Azam that elucidate the

fact that Pakistan was created for

Muslims to live their life in

accordance to Islamic principles,

morals and ethics. Not only this, but

also create their own system of

governance, in the light of Quran, so

that the world has something

different to follow other than the

systems of the West, which have

ruined the economic circumstances

of the world (as clarified by Quaid e

Azam in his last speech). During his

address to the Usmania University,

Deccan India, Quaid e Azam was

asked what an “Islamic” republic is.

He defined it in the following terms:

“In Islam, ultimate obedience belongs to God alone. The only way to follow this guidance is through

19

the Holy Quran. Islam does not preach obedience to a king, parliament, person or institution. The Islamic Govt. means rule of the Quran. And how can you establish the rule of the Quran without an independent state?” Quaid-e-Azam, address to the students of the Usmania University, Deccan, India, August, 1941. Two things that are illuminated by

this answer would either anger the

secular elements of Pakistan, or

convince them to accept Pakistan as

an Islamic state. One, that this quote

reflects the fact that Quaid e Azam,

at an individual level, was neither

secular minded, nor unaware of

Islamic teachings.

Quaid e Azam

His description of an Islamic state is

no different than what any Islamic

scholar would perceive it to be, and

his knowledge upon it shows that

Quaid e Azam was actually a

knowledgeable Muslim, if not a saint.

And the second message given by

this quote, through the last sentence,

teaches exactly why Pakistan was

really created. “How can you

establish the rule of Quran without

an independent state?”. The Great

Leader, as “Quaid e Azam” would be

translated to in English, wanted the

rule of Quran to be established in

Pakistan; and through this it

becomes lucid that the struggle for

Pakistan is still an abandoned

mission, which can only be

completed after the laws of Quran

and Sunnah are implemented.

Rather surprising is the fact that

some groups find it odd when Quran

being implemented in Pakistan is

talked about, whereas (as mentioned

before on page 10) The Objectives

Resolution, the foundation of

20

Pakistan’s constitution, states that

no law will be enforced that

contradicts to the teachings of

Quran.

Plenty of other speeches of Quaid e

Azam indicate towards an Islamic

system. A few of them are as follows,

“ Pakistan not only means freedom and independence, but also the Muslim Ideology that has to be preserved that has come to us as a precious gift and treasure.” Quaid-e-Azam, Chittagong, March, 1948. “Come forward as servants of Islam, organize the people economically, socially, educationally and politically and I am sure that you will be a power that will be accepted by everybody.” Quaid-e-Azam, Presidential Address at the All India Muslim League, Lahore March 23, 1940. “You have to stand guard over the development and maintenance of Islamic democracy, Islamic social justice and the equality of manhood in your own native soil. With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve.” Quaid-e-Azam, address to the officers and men of the 5th Heavy and 6th Light Regiments in Malir, Karachi, February 21, 1948. “You are only voicing my sentiments, and the sentiments of millions of Musalmans (Muslims) when you say that Pakistan should be based on pure foundations of social justice

and Islamic Socialism, not other –isms” Quaid e Azam, March 1948, Chittagong. “We should have a State in which we could live and breathe as free men and which we could develop according to our own lights and culture and where principles of Islamic social justice could find free play.” Quaid-e-Azam, address to Civil, Naval, Military and Air Force Officers of Pakistan Government, Karachi, October 11, 1947. These quotes give an idea about the

thought process of Quaid e Azam

while leading the independence

movement, and also confirm that the

destined state ideology of Pakistan

was always meant to be Islam. In

actuality, Quaid e Azam himself

called people who support

secularism in Pakistan “mischievous

and propagandists” (referring to his

address on 25th January 1948).

Another argument that is presented

by the liberal analysts of Pakistan is

that Allama Iqbal had absolutely no

role in the creation of Pakistan,

mainly because he died before the

passing of Pakistan Resolution, also

21

known as Lahore Resolution. This

again, is an insult to history. Keeping

aside the fact that almost every

Pakistani recognizes Iqbal’s vital

role in the creation of Pakistan, it is

still necessary to clear the mystery.

After the Pakistan Resolution was

passed and was presented in Minto

Park, Quaid e Azam visited Allama

Iqbal’s shrine with one of the

members of the Pakistan movement,

and stated that if Iqbal was here, he

would be very happy to see that I

have done what was ordained to me.

Allama Iqbal with Muslim leaders

This highlights the importance of

Allama Iqbal in the creation of

Pakistan. Also, as pointed out on

page 17, Quaid e Azam had called

Iqbal the visionary behind the

movement for Pakistan. The greatest

reason, why some people don’t like

it when Iqbal is associated with the

creation of Pakistan, is that Iqbal

was a Pan-‐Islamist. This is not only

portrayed through his extraordinary

poetic dimension, but also in his

written letters to Quaid e Azam

regarding Pakistan. Some of the

letters include,

“The Congress President has denied the political existence of Muslims in no unmistakable terms. The other Hindu political body, i.e., the Mahasabha, whom I regard as the real representative of the masses of the Hindus, has declared more than once that a united Hindu-‐Muslim nation is impossible in India. In these circumstances it is obvious that the only way to a peaceful India is redistribution of the country on the lines of racial, religious and linguistic affinities.” Iqbal to Quaid, June 1937. “To my mind the new constitution with its ides of a single Indian federation is completely hopeless. A separate federation of Muslim provinces reformed on the lines I have suggested above, is the only course by which we can secure a peaceful India and save Muslims from the domination of non-‐

22

Muslims. Why should not the Muslims of North-‐West India and Bengal be considered as nation entitled to Self-‐determination just as other nation as in India and outside India are?” Iqbal to Quaid, June 1937. “Happily there is a solution in the enforcement of the Law of Islam and its further development in the light of modern ideas. After a long and careful study of Islamic Law I have come to the conclusion that if this system of Law is properly understood and applied, at last the right to subsistence is secured to everybody. But the enforcement and development of the Shariat of Islam is impossible in this country without a free Muslim state or states.” Iqbal’s letter to Quaid, 28th May, 1937. “The Palestine question is very much agitating the minds of the Muslims. I have no doubt that the League will pass a strong resolution on this question and also by holding a private conference of the leaders. Personally I would not mind going to jail on an issue which affects both Islam and India. The formation of a Western base on the very gates of the East is a menace to both.” Iqbal to Quaid, 1937. Not only do the letters reveal Allama

Iqbal’s Pan-‐Islamism, they also

uncover the fact that Allama Iqbal

had a critical role in forming the

vision, strategy, purpose and

motivation for the Muslim League,

and the Muslims of India at large for

the mission of Pakistan. We can see

in the last letter mentioned above,

that Pakistan’s foreign policy

towards Palestine and Israel is the

product of it. Quaid e Azam, before

the Pakistan resolution passed,

declared numerous times that the

Muslims of India did not honor

Britain’s pro Jewish attitude and its

betrayal towards the Arabs.

Quaid e Azam with Global Muslim leaders Quaid e Azam also declared that the

Muslims, not only of India but also of

all the world will rise in rage against

the state of Israel and will perceive

Britain as an enemy of Islam. He

even went to the extent to call Israel

23

and “illegal child of the West”. It

should be noted here that this is not

some fiery lecturer, this is Quaid e

Azam himself. The support for the

Palestinian cause was built in

Pakistanis through this letter of

Iqbal, which described Pakistan’s

foreign policy, even before its

resolution was passed. This shows

just a little image of what the

importance of Iqbal was in the

creation of Pakistan, and it is not to

be neglected that the creation of

Pakistan was only one big step that

had to be achieved; the real

completion of this mission would be

the implementation of Quran, as

ordered by Quaid e Azam and

Allama Iqbal themselves.

How can Islam help Pakistan

today?

When Quaid e Azam, and the

hundreds of millions of Muslims in

the Sub Continent called for an

“Islamic” state of Pakistan, they did

not mean “Mullahism” (which is

usually what the West perceives an

Islamic system to be). Quaid e Azam

described this case very well when

he stated during his address to a US

radio station that Pakistan will not

be a theocracy (ruled by priests).

The aim was to implement the real

essence of Islam, and the wisdom of

Quran and Sunnah, through which

Pakistan would grow as an Islamic

welfare state and serve humanity.

According to Mr. Haji Mohammad

Saif Ullah Khan, ex federal minister

and leader of opposition National

Assembly Pakistan, if The Objectives

Resolution were enforced

appropriately and thoroughly,

Pakistan would not have been in this

situation, where feudal and capitalist

lords are ruling it. The rich are

getting richer and the poor is getting

poorer. Mr. Saif Ullah Khan also

blamed corrupt leaders that have

polluted Pakistan’s politics

24

throughout its history, and advised

to practically implement The

Objectives Resolution to create the

real Islamic Pakistan as demanded

by the Muslims of Sub Continent

under the leadership of Quaid e

Azam. He believes that Islam can

help the situation in Pakistan today,

because its creation was based on

the name of Islam. It is noticeable

that the majority of the Pakistani

people are conservative minded, not

in an extremist sense, but in a moral

sense. Any event, whether on the

global level or inside Pakistan, which

involves blasphemy or ignorance

towards Muslims, is protested the

most in Pakistan.

Pakistanis protesting against Israel

Whether it is about the offensive

festival of drawing the Prophet

(peace be upon him) or burning the

Holy Quran, Pakistani Muslims are

always seen in the front row

demanding a halt to the profane acts.

These people have witnessed and

tried every system of the time;

dictatorship, democracy, socialism,

and if one analyzes bluntly, each one

of them has failed to satisfy the

Pakistani public. None of them have

provided social justice and none of

them have fulfilled the requirements

that the forefathers had set. Today,

Pakistan is practically neither an

Islamic state, nor a secular state. It is

rather a feudal state, which is being

ruled by landlords and corrupt

capitalists sitting in power to gain

more and more for themselves.

Similarly, Ms. Syeda Qudsia

Mashhadi has explained that Islam is

not only the solution for Pakistan; it

is the solution for the whole world.

25

She supports this statement with the

quote of Quaid e Azam (page 20) in

which he states that Pakistan does

not need any other isms, it just

needs the Islamic system of

governance. She also mentioned

Islamic caliphate, and explicated that

an Islamic caliphate or a modern

model based on it would be a good

solution for the problems in

Pakistan.

If we look at Muslim history, only

one social and economical system

has worked for Muslims, and that is

the rule of the Quran, or as it is

called, Shariah. Even though the

political system has been modified

over the years and Muslims have

seen a lot of monarchies, the social

environment and economy of the

Muslim civilizations have only been

stable with the fundamental

principles of Islam. And it is evident

that all the problems that not only

Pakistanis, but Muslims at large are

facing today are because they have

not focused on creating their own

systems of governance, but rather

borrowed systems from the West

and East which in the end weakened

the unity and strength of the

Muslims in most aspects of global

competition. Therefore, as Quaid e

Azam said in his last speech (page

11), Pakistanis must create their

own destiny, and come up with new

and revolutionary systems of

governance, military, economy and

social justice in the light of the Holy

Quran. Islam is a religion where

sovereignty and supremacy belongs

to Allah alone, not any dictator or

parliament. Islam endows love to

humanity and respect to all religions

and equal rights for minorities as for

Muslims. This was the message of

the forefathers of Pakistan, and now

is the duty of its youth. Not only will

this require will and determination,

but also knowledge and loyalty to

26

the religion for which they will have

to reject other incompetent systems

of the world, and from which the

Pakistanis will take guidance to

create new systems of equality and

justice.

Conclusion:

Playing with history and altering its

course for one’s personal favor can

lead to centuries of humiliation for

the nation. A small compromise can

lead to years of slavery, and a

dignified stand at the right time can

welcome prosperity. Pakistanis must

realize that it would be cruel to

Quaid e Azam himself, if we perceive

that knowledgeable Muslim as a

secular leader who only created

Pakistan and martyred 5 million

people so that his party can get a

parliament to lead.

Pakistan has not been able to

achieve its potential and its purpose

because it has forgotten Allama

Iqbal. Pakistanis have forgotten why

they created this nation, and what

price they had to pay for it. It would

be brutal to forget the cost that the

forefathers of this nation paid to

create it, and Pakistanis must now

look forward to generating new

systems of social justice, uniting the

Muslim world and serving humanity

in the light of Quran, as ordained by

Quaid e Azam and Allama Iqbal.

Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime-minister of Pakistan, who passed The Objectives Resolution

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Secular?” E-‐mail interview. 06 Oct. 2011.

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mail interview. 19 Oct. 2011.

pakistan- islamic or secular?

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