Friday, 20 March 2009
Friday, 6 March 2009
What did independence do for the Pakistanis?
I was born in Pakistan, but grew up in Al-Ain a small town in UAE. The pride of being Pakistani is alive in the hearts of the many living in and outside Pakistan, but most capable Pakistanis look for any opportunity to leave the country.
I am one of those people. I have never been able to understand my relationship with my home country. I have never lived in Pakistan for more than 6 months at a stretch yet I am Pakistani. I have a Pakistani citizenship yet only one of the 8 passports I have was issued within Pakistan. I am fluent in Urdu, yet I havent read a piece of Urdu literature in over 18 years. I think about giving back to the country where I was born but till now I havent given anything. Do I really love my country?
The short answer is yes. I know this because everytime I hear a piece of news about a terrorist activity in the country, I cry from within. I feel helpless. I wonder if change could ever come to this country which was born from the need for a change. A common sight in any government building in Pakistan is the picture of Mr. Jinnah. The country never saw the kind of foresight and leadership in any other leader. At least, thats what we have been taught. We were also taught that Jinnah attended Lincolns Inn because he saw a Hadith of the Prophet written on a plaque there. There is no such plaque at Lincolns Inn. Why was this lie fabricated? How did it propogate? It seems like we are trying to put a shroud of religion to draw significance to it. Allama Iqbal also went to Lincoln's Inn but thats hardly ever highlighted.
Did Jinnah do the right thing? Can a country created as a land for the Muslims function? If yes, which is the right form of Islam? Surely that is an important question, because that would determine how books of law and governance were to be written. Can such a country be run democratically? I dont know the answer to any of these questions. There have been numerous debates on these topics all leading to an answer in an inconclusive state. The country has been in a state of disarray and we have now come to a time when the world is contemplating if the country is a 'failed state'. Thankfully, no one has declared that yet.
I am no scholar. I am no wise man. I possess simple thoughts and believe in the fundamental rights of human beings. The fact that there was a lack of rights for the Muslims in India suggests that the cause of Pakistan was justified. But, was it necessary that the constitution of the country be formed based on the laws of Islam? It was only necessary to protect the rights of the Muslims, wasnt it? Did no leader have the foresight to the see the conflicts resulting from differences within the religion of Islam? I think democracy can prevail and work much better in a secular country. Cant Muslims live and prosper in a secular country where the rights of the Muslims are protected? Anyone leaving Pakistan doesnt necessarily head towards a Muslim country, yet they feel much at ease outside Pakistan.
I might be biased. I am not a very religious person. I am Muslim and do practise my faith but not regularly or with diligence. That might make me a non-ideal Muslim but not a bad Pakistani. Then again, what is the definition of being Pakistani? If defending the constitution of the country is part of the definition, I have clearly failed that criteria in the last paragraph. Although, one can start an argument on how much the official protectors of the constitution of Pakistan have changed the rules under oath. If one says that it was changed out of necessity to protect the nation, I might agree with that and ask for further amendments but this time to the very first sentence.
People of Pakistan deserve to live in peace and prosperity. Is it not true that God is the Most Merciful and will forgive your sins, but will God forgive the sins Muslims commit towards fellow human beings? Pakistan shouldnt be a Muslim country, it should be a secular state with a constitution protecting the rights of the Muslims. Any light of hope for this country only glows in the hearts of the numerous Pakistanis who love their motherland. I am one of them.
I am one of those people. I have never been able to understand my relationship with my home country. I have never lived in Pakistan for more than 6 months at a stretch yet I am Pakistani. I have a Pakistani citizenship yet only one of the 8 passports I have was issued within Pakistan. I am fluent in Urdu, yet I havent read a piece of Urdu literature in over 18 years. I think about giving back to the country where I was born but till now I havent given anything. Do I really love my country?
The short answer is yes. I know this because everytime I hear a piece of news about a terrorist activity in the country, I cry from within. I feel helpless. I wonder if change could ever come to this country which was born from the need for a change. A common sight in any government building in Pakistan is the picture of Mr. Jinnah. The country never saw the kind of foresight and leadership in any other leader. At least, thats what we have been taught. We were also taught that Jinnah attended Lincolns Inn because he saw a Hadith of the Prophet written on a plaque there. There is no such plaque at Lincolns Inn. Why was this lie fabricated? How did it propogate? It seems like we are trying to put a shroud of religion to draw significance to it. Allama Iqbal also went to Lincoln's Inn but thats hardly ever highlighted.
Did Jinnah do the right thing? Can a country created as a land for the Muslims function? If yes, which is the right form of Islam? Surely that is an important question, because that would determine how books of law and governance were to be written. Can such a country be run democratically? I dont know the answer to any of these questions. There have been numerous debates on these topics all leading to an answer in an inconclusive state. The country has been in a state of disarray and we have now come to a time when the world is contemplating if the country is a 'failed state'. Thankfully, no one has declared that yet.
I am no scholar. I am no wise man. I possess simple thoughts and believe in the fundamental rights of human beings. The fact that there was a lack of rights for the Muslims in India suggests that the cause of Pakistan was justified. But, was it necessary that the constitution of the country be formed based on the laws of Islam? It was only necessary to protect the rights of the Muslims, wasnt it? Did no leader have the foresight to the see the conflicts resulting from differences within the religion of Islam? I think democracy can prevail and work much better in a secular country. Cant Muslims live and prosper in a secular country where the rights of the Muslims are protected? Anyone leaving Pakistan doesnt necessarily head towards a Muslim country, yet they feel much at ease outside Pakistan.
I might be biased. I am not a very religious person. I am Muslim and do practise my faith but not regularly or with diligence. That might make me a non-ideal Muslim but not a bad Pakistani. Then again, what is the definition of being Pakistani? If defending the constitution of the country is part of the definition, I have clearly failed that criteria in the last paragraph. Although, one can start an argument on how much the official protectors of the constitution of Pakistan have changed the rules under oath. If one says that it was changed out of necessity to protect the nation, I might agree with that and ask for further amendments but this time to the very first sentence.
People of Pakistan deserve to live in peace and prosperity. Is it not true that God is the Most Merciful and will forgive your sins, but will God forgive the sins Muslims commit towards fellow human beings? Pakistan shouldnt be a Muslim country, it should be a secular state with a constitution protecting the rights of the Muslims. Any light of hope for this country only glows in the hearts of the numerous Pakistanis who love their motherland. I am one of them.
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