In 1947, Pakistan was allegedly created on the basis of the two-nation theory. The theory explicitly stated that the foremost distinguishing factor to determine national identity is religion.
Disregarding any commonalities between the Hindus and the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent, the two-nation theory implied that the two distinct religious entities of united India represented two separate nations.
With this ideology in place, it was declared that the Hindu and Muslim communities could no longer co-exist harmoniously in combined-India. This led to the division of united India into fragments with subsequently agreed Muslim-majority areas forming a new nation-state: Pakistan.
Pakistanis have been allured by lands that are different and better than their parent country. Many of them wish to settle in developed countries around the world. Consequently, over the decades, we have seen several Pakistanis immigrate to other countries for better lives and better prospects.
By doing so, they voluntarily choose to live with people of different religions and co-exist with different cultures and traditions. That puzzles me. If these Indian Muslims fought for an independent country on the basis of religion, then why do they now consciously choose to co-exist with people of other religions?
We teach young Pakistani children that Pakistan was created on the basis of the two-nation theory to proudly justify the formation of an independent and secure homeland for the Indian Muslims. However, today we find Pakistanis inhabiting places all over the world. Does that suggest that Pakistan was founded on the wrong principles?
Another sad but true reality is the enormity of disparate religious belief sets that are found in Pakistan today. A multitude of different religious groups hold strictly different views under the umbrella of one Islamic faith. If religion is the foremost distinguishing factor for national identity, does that justify the formation of several small nations to account for each of the different religious belief sets that exist within Pakistan?
Moreover, now when Pakistan's provincial representations - the Balochis, the Pakhtuns and the Sindhis - demand recognition and respect for their distinct identities in contrast to the dominating Punjabi provincial forces, isn't it incumbent upon us to grant them their due rights and divide Pakistan as we adamantly stood for the partition of India in the past?
it wasn't just about "co-existence". if co-existence was peaceful why would anyone care to leave their homes? there was more to partition than the black and white theory we read so coldly and impartially today. there were living breathing human beings who recognized the effacement of their rights and even persecution based on religious grounds and therefore sought freedom. my family has indian friends who say even today an average muslim in india is more likely to be treated unfairly based on religious grounds - chucked in jail for small reasons, sidelined in university, etc. we've even been told of outright physical persecution that happens to certain groups in this day and age for no reason except that they're muslim. there is much more going on than the media would like to admit.
ReplyDeleteas for us wanting to go all over the world today - the simple fact is we have changed. we take our freedom for granted and go all over the world and don't mind doing away with our notions of religion or completely adopting other countries' values because - frankly speaking - we generally just don't care any more. this has no bearing on the fact that at the time of partition, people did care. in general, the entire world today no longer gives religion the importance it is due, because global culture in our era operates on secular and capitalistic premises. however the fact that more and more people are becoming irreligious doesn't change the fact that there are still many religious people today who do believe that religion is the primary identity of a human being, and while they harbor no ill-feelings to other peoples, they prefer to remain amongst people of the same religion. because for them, it is only logical that recognition of and love for the very Originator of one's life - and those who love Him - should supersede all else in life.
rights were only demanded way back in partition because our rights were trampled. yes there are many different religious and ethnic groups in the country but the fact remains that pakistan today is over 95% muslim. that's a huge amount - it's almost everyone! if we respect the rights of the 5% of other people, they will not need to ask for freedom. if balochis, pakhtuns' etc are given equal rights, they will not need to ask for freedom. this is similar to how pakistanis would never have wanted freedom if their rights were respected in india.
divide-and-conquer is an age-old tactic that in all of history has always been played by powerful forces to destroy countries. these predator forces have very often sent their own people into target nations to lower their morale, feed into them ideas that will be to the predators' military advantage, or provoke civil war. agreeing to divide pakistan is simply to agree for it to be conquered by those who are using their resources to feed these ideas into us, via the media and education systems. the game of chess was not created as mere entertainment. war strategy is not only played on the battlefield. psychology matters. wars cannot merely be fought if the idea isn't first sold and justified. and pakistan is a targeted, a country at war. (for anyone who doesn't realize this, please pay a trip to North Pakistan and enjoy a few dozen drone strikes). eg. even right after Israel's attack on Gaza in 2008/2009 (and as usual the U.S.'s support), there was a contract with Star news to broadcast favorable images of the U.S. policy directly to the targeted areas. why? because wars need to be won in minds too, not just on the world map.
the solution to our problems is not to fall into the trap and agree to get splintered into little shreds and to go backwards into the tribal world again. the solution is to recognize that there are forces trying to separate our unity and break us apart, and to give each distinct internal group its own rights, so that they have little reason to complain, so that we can be a strong and united force, looking out for each other. TOGETHER.
a "big happy family" is a far better world to live in, the world that islam idealizes in an Ummah where everyone's rights are respected, REGARDLESS of their religion. This is a far more sophisticated ideal to work towards than a world full of competing rivals. unfortunately, while its beginnings were noble, Pakistan no longer gives any value to Islam, and whichever parts of Islam are implemented in the state, the media has successfully brainwashed the masses into turning against all things "Shariah". a very easy thing to do, given that noone really studies what shariah is any more.
ReplyDeletehere's a little something on the concept of nationalism: http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?180001-quot-He-is-not-one-of-us-who-calls-for-Asabiyyah(nationalism-tribalism)
and here's a little history on what an Islamic force ideally stands for, and throughout history has tended to stand for, until the world wars and the fall of the caliphate:
www.iera.org.uk/downloads/Islam_war_on_Terror.pdf
hope you find them informative!
i forgot to mention an important point up in the last comment. rights should not be confused with "identity pride". the pakistan-india separation was rooted in human rights, not "muslim pride". and in fact the entire notion of the muslim ummah, and the khalifa, is not based on "muslim pride" but on "human rights". the very purpose of shariah (which is barely implemented in pakistan, or anywhere in the world for that matter, except in disconnected shreds) - the very purpose of the shariah is to preserve and respect 5 human rights which are divinely ordained to humanity: (1) religion (2) life (3) intellect (4) family/lineage (5) property/wealth. if various groups in pakistan are not being granted rights, then their complaint is valid. but if peoples' complaints are based in "Pakhtun pride", "Sindhi pride" etc - then these are negative forces that should be corrected. having one ummah does not mean that individualities and distinct historical and cultural backgrounds not be recognized, of course they should - but arrogance and egocentricity is not a valid reason to break a country into pieces. our efforts should be towards fulfilling each others' rights and keeping people together, not breaking ourselves apart.
ReplyDeleteThe Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Should I not tell you of a deed that is a rank higher than fasting, praying and spending in charity?” People replied: “Indeed, O messenger of Allah” He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: “Reconciling between people.” (Abu Dawood)
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