The reported remarks made by Advani in Pakistan raged
a heated controversy and debate culminating ultimately
into him tendering his resignation. In Pakistan, Mr.
Advani reportedly described Jinnah as ``a great man''
who had espoused the cause of �secular Pakistan".
Was Advani right? Did Jinnah truly espouse the cause
of a secular Pakistan? Was Jinnah a secular liberal
leader whose goal was to see Pakistan as an embodiment
of dynamic modern society? The best way to judge
whether Jinnah was secular or not, and whether he
truly espoused the cause of a secular progressive
Pakistan or not is to objectively analyse some of his
speeches and pronouncements made on different
occasions.
After independence, as head of the state he had
founded, Jinnah talked of securing "liberty,
fraternity and equality as enjoined upon us by Islam"
(25 August 1947); of "Islamic democracy, Islamic
social justice and the equality of manhood" (21
February 1948); of raising Pakistan on "sure
foundations of social justice and Islamic socialism
which emphasized equality and brotherhood of man" (26
March 1948); of laying "the foundations of our
democracy on the basis of true Islamic ideals and
principles" (14 August 1948); and "the onward march of
renaissance of Islamic culture and ideals" (18 August
1947). He called upon the mammoth Lahore audience to
build up "Pakistan as a bulwark of Islam", to "live up
to your traditions and add to it another chapter of
glory", adding, "If we take our inspiration and
guidance from the Holy Quran, the final victory, I
once again say, will be ours" (30 October 1947). He
told Edwards College students that "this mighty land
has now been brought under a rule, which is Islamic,
Muslim rule, as a sovereign independent State" (18
April 1948). He even described Pakistan as "the
premier Islamic State" (February 1948).
On another occasion, addressing the Civil, Naval,
Military and Air Force Officers at Khaliqdina Hall
Karachi on 11th October 1947 the Quaid said, �It is my
belief that our salvation lies in following the golden
rules of conduct set for us by our great lawgiver, the
Prophet of Islam. Let us lay the foundations of our
democracy on the basis of true Islamic ideals and
principles�.
As for the specific institutions of the new state, he
exhorted the armed forces to uphold "the high
traditions of Islam and our National Banner" (8
November 1947); and commended the State Bank research
organization to evolve "banking practices compatible
with Islamic ideals of social and economic life" and
to "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" (1 July
1948).
On one occasion when a Muslim who was holding a copy
of the Holy Quran asked the Quaid what laws would
govern Pakistan, he pointed to the Holy Quran (in the
hands of the questioner) and said that the laws were
given in the book in his hands.
It can clearly be seen that Jinnah always injected
religion into his politics. In his opinion,
Nationalism and Patriotism were inescapably bound up
with Islam; Islamic values were in consonance with
progress and modernity; fairness, justice, compassion
and honesty were all tenets of Islam and Islam thus
made it simpler to build democratic structures and
there was no contradiction between an Islamic state
and a polity governed according to modern democratic
principles.
With Jinnah clearly and unambiguously having made his
position very clear--that Pakistan was to be an
Islamic democratic State and Islam would form the core
ideology of Pakistan-- there was no need and necessity
for Advani to speak as he did.
By no standards could Jinnah have been called a
secular liberal leader. Jinnah never conceived of a
Pakistan which was based on the principles of
secularism that completely separated the State from
religion. Rather, he envisioned Pakistan as a state
whose political, social and economic system would seek
inspiration and guidance from Islam.
Cheers
Sandeep Heble
Panaji-Goa
__________________________________
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