Secularism in Pakistan

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The concept of the Two-Nation Theory on which Pakistan was founded, was largely based on Muslim nationalism. [1] [2] Secularism in Pakistan went from being a matter of practice in law by the Government of Pakistan to a political movement opposing the Islamization policies of the military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s. The supporters of Islamisation on the other hand assert that Pakistan was founded as a Muslim state and that in its status as an Islamic republic, it must thereby implement Islamic laws, known as Shariat. And that the context of Jinnah's speech was true implementation of Islam in which all religions would have equal rights and live as free citizens as supported by the Islamic jurisprudence itself as distinguished from a religious oligarchy. [3]

Contents

One of Pakistan's most popular media outlets, Dawn , was originally founded by Jinnah and still identifies as secular. [4] [5] [6] [7] Other popular media outlets like Express Tribune, Daily Times, and Pakistan Today also identify on a liberal and progressive platform.

History

Although Pakistan was founded as a separate state for Muslims in the Indian subcontinent in 1947, it remained a Dominion in the British Commonwealth and did not immediately become an Islamic state. Although the 1949 Objectives Resolution envisaged an official role for Islam as the state religion, the state retained the most of the laws that were inherited from the secular British legal code that had been enforced by the British Raj since the 19th century.

In 1956, the state adopted the name of the "Islamic Republic of Pakistan", declaring Islam as the official religion, but did not take any further measures to adopt Islamic laws. The country's military rulers General Ayub Khan (1958–1969) and General Yahya Khan (1969–1971) continued a secularist tradition and repressed much of Islamist political activism.

Jinnah's address

There are diverse opinions in Pakistan about whether Jinnah envisioned Pakistan to be a secular state or an Islamic state. His views as expressed in his policy speech on 11 August 1947 said:

There is no other solution. Now what shall we do? Now, if we want to make this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous, we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, and especially of the masses and the poor. If you will work in co-operation, forgetting the past, burying the hatchet, you are bound to succeed. If you change your past and work together in a spirit that everyone of you, no matter to what community he belongs, no matter what relations he had with you in the past, no matter what is his colour, caste or creed, is first, second and last a citizen of this State with equal rights, privileges, and obligations, there will be no end to the progress you will make.

I cannot emphasize it too much. We should begin to work in that spirit and in course of time all these angularities of the majority and minority communities, the Hindu community and the Muslim community, because even as regards Muslims you have Pathans, Punjabis, Shia's, Sunnis and so on, and among the Hindus you have Brahmins, Vashnavas, Khatris, also Bengalis, Madrasis and so on, will vanish. Indeed if you ask me, this has been the biggest hindrance in the way of India to attain the freedom and independence and but for this we would have been free people long long ago. No power can hold another nation, and specially a nation of 400 million souls in subjection; nobody could have conquered you, and even if it had happened, nobody could have continued its hold on you for any length of time, but for this. Therefore, we must learn a lesson from this. You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state. As you know, history shows that in England, conditions, some time ago, were much worse than those prevailing in India today. The Roman Catholics and the Protestants persecuted each other. Even now there are some states in existence where there are discriminations made and bars imposed against a particular class. Thank God, we are not starting in those days. We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one state. The people of England in course of time had to face the realities of the situation and had to discharge the responsibilities and burdens placed upon them by the government of their country and they went through that fire step by step. Today, you might say with justice that Roman Catholics and Protestants do not exist; what exists now is that every man is a citizen, an equal citizen of Great Britain and they are all members of the nation.

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.Jinnah, August 11, 1947 –chairing the constituent assembly.

“….Religion should not be allowed to come into Politics…. Religion is merely a matter between man and God”. [Jinnah, Address to the Central Legislative Assembly, 7 February 1935]

“….in the name of Humanity, I care more for them [the Untouchables] than for Mussalmans. ” [Jinnah, Speaking about the Shudras or Untouchables, during his address at the All India Muslim League session at Delhi, 1934 ]

“….I am not fighting for Muslims, believe me, when I demand Pakistan.” [Jinnah, Press Conference, 14 November 1946]

”But make no mistake : Pakistan is NOT a theocracy or anything like it.” [ Jinnah, Message to the people of Australia, 19 February 1948 ]

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 fairplay 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. Broadcast talk to the people of the United States on Pakistan recorded February, 1948.

It has been argued by secularists that in this speech Jinnah wanted to point out that Pakistan would be a secular state. But Islamists argue that associating an Islamic state with a theocratic state is wrong and a true Islamic state would also be giving the said rights to the minorities and hold them in equal status and this statement was rather to distinguish it from a religious oligarchy.

The words are Jinnah’s; the thought and belief are an inheritance from the Prophet who said thirteen centuries before, "All men are equal in the eyes of God. And your lives and your properties are all sacred: in no case should you attack each other’s life and property. Today I trample under my feet all distinctions of caste, colour and nationality"

— , Hector Bolitho, remarks about Jinnah's address to the Constituent Assembly (1947)

Islamists use these statements of Jinnah for Counterpropaganda:

Objectives resolution

Early in the history of the state of Pakistan (12 March 1949), a parliamentary resolution (the Objectives Resolution) was adopted :

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.

This resolution later became key source of inspiration for writers of Constitution of Pakistan and is included in constitution as preamble.

Islamization

As a reaction to the bifurcation of Pakistan (due to the rise of secularist forces in East Pakistan) in 1971, Islamic political parties began to see an increase in popular support. In the 1970s, the populist and elected Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto caved in to a major demand of the Islamic parties by declaring the Ahmadiyya Community to be non-Muslims. Under the constitution of 1973, Bhutto also banned alcohol, gambling and night clubs.

Bhutto was overthrown in 1977 by Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq, who went considerably further with the formal campaign of Islamization of Pakistan (1977–1988). However, Pakistan is still a semi-secular state and Islamists and Islamic democratic parties in Pakistan are relatively less influential than democratic Islamists of other Muslim democracies. (See also: Islam and secularism)

Secularization

Pakistan elected Muslim world's first female prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 1988 (and again in 1993). She did not repeal most of the Islamic laws of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (her father) and General (later president) Zia-ul-Haq, but promoted secularism through media, cultural policies, general policy making and style of governance, etc. Military ruler Pervez Musharraf promoted secularism under the banner of Enlightened Moderation during his nine years long military rule (1999–2008).

Benazir Bhutto's assassination in 2007 and the murder of Salman Taseer, a Pakistani politician calling for the removal of the blasphemy laws, have provoked secularists in Pakistani politics, media and civil society. Government led by Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party has followed the legacy of Benazir Bhutto's secular style of governance during five years long democratic period (2008–2013).

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References

  1. ↑ Dr. Muhammad Reza Kazimi (25 December 2019). "Jinnah: the man, the myth and the vision". Dawn.com .
  2. ↑ "Return to Jinnah`s Pakistan". Dawn.com . 13 December 2009.
  3. ↑ Yasser Latif Hamdani (22 March 2021). "Jinnah, secularism and Islamic modernism". Daily Times (Pakistan) .
  4. ↑ Paracha, Nadeem F. (1 April 2018). "SMOKERS' CORNER: SECULAR VS MODERNIST". Dawn.com .
  5. ↑ Zia, Afiya S. (24 May 2017). "The secular myth". Dawn.com .
  6. ↑ Adil, Mamun M. (12 August 2017). ""Mr Jinnah's actions were secular"". Dawn.com .
  7. ↑ "Secular or Islamist?". Dawn.com . 17 September 2011.
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