Like a beating heart that gives us life a Muslim’s religion forms a very important part of his belief system that sustains him through adversity and hardship when all hope is lost. A person not endowed with faith/hope may resort to suicide but a person’s belief empowers him to carry on and not give up. It is this belief system that makes great sportsmen and allows human beings to defeat the odds.
Submission to the will of God is the foundation of Islam and a belief that God as God of all humanity and the Universe is forgiving, merciful and beneficent. Yet when this belief becomes a tool of usurping power and is incorporated into the laws of the state to control human beings, it results in theocracies run by kings & Khomeni, military dictators, autocratic-presidents and today’s Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
This is precisely what happened to Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s Pakistan. Jinnah is to Pakistan what George Washington, Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson combined are to America. Mohammad Ali Jinnah an eminent lawyer was Mahatma Gandhi’s partner and friend in the struggle to rid India of the British. Like Gandhi he was a secular man who believed in the inclusion of all citizens in any nation state.
America had driven out the British and was often used as an example to rally the protestors against the then mighty British Empire. M. A. Jinnah was an admirer of the American constitution and its principles of life liberty and pursuit of happiness. He never once used the name Islamic Republic for Pakistan as he believed in a secular state with equal rights for all. Pakistan came into being as Dominion of Pakistan.
Jinnah’s firm belief in a non-theocratic and secular Pakistan is confirmed by his speech broadcast in February 1948 to the people of the United States of America, Jinnah said:
“The constitution of Pakistan has yet to be framed by the Pakistan Constituent Assembly. I do not know what the ultimate shape of this constitution is going to be, but I am sure that it will be of a democratic type, embodying the essential principle of Islam. Today, they are as applicable in actual life as they were 1,300 years ago. Islam and its idealism have taught us democracy. It has taught equality of man, justice and fair play to everybody. We are the inheritors of these glorious traditions and are fully alive to our responsibilities and obligations as framers of the future constitution of Pakistan. In any case Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic State to be ruled by priests with a divine mission. We have many non-Muslims –Hindus, Christians, and Parsis –but they are all Pakistanis. They will enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other citizens and will play their rightful part in the affairs of Pakistan.”
Born on December 25, 1876 Mohammad Ali Jinnah was God’s Christmas present to the Muslims of India. Pakistan’s nine-eleven happened on September 11, 1948 when Mohammad Ali Jinnah died. He was only allowed a very limited amount of time from the birth of Pakistan on midnight August 14 1947 to his death on September 11, 1948. He did not have enough time to draft a constitution and nurture its development that would have established a secular and modern Pakistani state.
Military dictatorships and journeymen assisted by Islamic parties who could never win at the polls without election rigging, intentionally ignored Jinnah’s dream of a secular and progressive Pakistan. Successive military rulers tried to hide behind the veil of religion by asking self-serving questions about the ideology behind the creation of Pakistan. Ideology of a Secular Pakistani state was transformed to support the establishment of a theocratic state. After the introduction of the Hadood ordinance the whole concept of democracy that confers rights of life liberty and pursuit of happiness to all citizens was lost.
Hadood ordinance is the rallying cry for extremists. The Taliban and Al-Qaeda are supporters of the Hadood ordinance and consider it fundamental to their brand of theocratic Islam. Their argument is that the government of the day is not enforcing these laws in the true spirit of Islam.
In their state there is no role for women who make up at least 50% of the population of Pakistan. To lay their claims to Mecca they have even fashioned their flags using the flag of Saudi Arabia. Taliban were educated in Pakistan’s Madrassas and share their ideology with Pakistan’s religious parties. We have witnessed what they did to the people of Swat.
We have lived as Muslims in the Indian sub-continent for over a thousand years with our own culture and understanding of Islam. We do not need to be re-educated by Inquisition-brand Mullahs financed by vested interests whose sole aim is to seize power
Investors are drawn to countries where rights and freedoms are protected by the constitution and enforced by an independent judiciary. Pakistan’s judiciary is finally free. It stood up to a powerful military dictator and defeated him. Pakistan’s rulers are on notice both from Pakistan’s free media and the Judiciary.
George Bush destroyed the American economy by invading Iraq for weapons that never existed; yet we did not see disgruntled generals taking over capital hill. His time has passed and democracy marches on. Democracy is not perfect but it is the only system that allows you to elect your rulers for a pre-determined duration. Pakistani politicians must earn their respect from the establishment that has so far treated them like puppets in a circus.
Pakistan must endure and nurture its democratic identity. The democratic process will shake out the non-performers. Politicians must restore power to the peoples house.
Today, Pakistan is at a crossroads. Amazingly all the lucky stars are in alignment. Pakistan army wants to return to its professional role of defending the borders of Pakistan and staying out of politics. Pakistan army also realizes the importance of a successful economy to funding defense budgets. The United States is willing to promote development of Pakistan’s infrastructure and educational institutions in addition to meeting Pakistan’s security needs with all kinds of military assistance.
A secular nuclear-armed democratic Pakistan minus the Hadood ordinance is more acceptable to the world body than one dominated by religious fanatics bent upon forcing their brand of made up Islam on the people of Pakistan. The state has no business enforcing matters of faith and there must be complete freedom of religion.
The iron is hot. Pakistan must strike now to get rid of Hadood ordinance, reform Madrassas & relgious organizations that support the Taliban and the enemies of Pakistan and realize Jinnah’s dream of a peaceful and prosperous Pakistan.
Pakistan Peoples Party as the majority party must motion a repeal of the Hadood ordinance and through this process identify those that still wish to stand with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Any political party that supports the Taliban should be condemned and disbanded.
Pakistani society must get rid of guns in the hands of civilians and create a peaceful environment for the ordinary Pakistani, so that once again one can hear laughter and the sound of the cricket ball striking the willow held by one of our cricketing rivals from abroad.
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