(RKN wrote: It's unfair to pick up bits and pieces out of context to paint someone a fundamentalist. The statements have to be read in the context of the social milieu and time in history to understand their true import.)
------------------------ While Jinnah may not have been a fundamentalist wanting to establish a 'theocratic Islamic State', he was not a liberal leader who had espoused the cause of a secular Pakistan either. Jinnah's vision was clear and unambiguous: he was in favour of a modern 'democratic Islamic state' and not a secular society divorced from religion. Jinnah's model Islamic State would seek to synthesise Islam with modernity. In such a State, all citizens would be equal before the law but governance and policies to be pursued would be based upon the 'ideologies and identities of Islam'. In other words, it essentially would be an 'Islamic democracy' which would follow a progressive and dynamic vision of Islam. Such a model could hardly have been referred to as a 'Secular democracy'. Jinnah's broadcast to the people of the United States (February 1948) makes this position of his very clear: "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 principles of Islam. Today, they are as applicable in actual life as they were 1300 years ago. Islam and its idealism have taught us democracy. It has taught equality of men, justice and fairly 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.". And we will leave the discussion on whether a 'modern Islamic State' can also be a democratic one to another day. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
