14-AUGUST INDEPENDENCE DAY OF PAKISTAN PART 3

mehar-badshah · Subject: 14-AUGUST INDEPENDENCE DAY OF PAKISTAN PART 3 Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:25 am

A dream destination By A Javed In the sub-continent, there emerged many movements in the 19th and 20th centuries with extensive impacts and aspirations. These movements with their specific endeavor achieved colossal popularity and successes. Pakistan Movement is one of those movements, resulting in a separate state for the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent. The first brick in the foundation of Pakistan was laid in 712 A.D. when Mohammad Bin Qasim anchored at Debal Port, freed the Muslim women and children from the prisons of Raja Dahir and constructed the first mosque at the town. Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah acclaimed the event in these words: "The Pakistan Movement started when the first Muslim put his foot on the soil of Sindh, the gateway of Islam in India". Muslims came to the Indian sub-continent as rulers. They were in minority and had a religion different from that of the majority whom they dominated. The locals accepted Islam in large numbers but even then the majority of non-Muslims remained high. The rotten governmental system and characterless behaviour of the last Mughal rulers paved the way for the downfall of the Mughal dynasty. Muslim rule in India was not ousted by the Hindu majority but by outsiders - the East India Company and the British. These outsiders received support from all religious communities, but the most disturbing stage came when the British showed their intention to establish majority rule under their supervision, which was called democracy. This created deep fear among the Muslims who saw their future as slaves of the Hindu majority. The Muslims of the sub-continent, because of the stigma attached to them for their role in the 1857 war of independence, were groping in the dark. After that, the British provided opportunities and facilities to the Hindus as their allies in every aspect of life, while the Muslims were ignored. The Hindus in turn fully availed this opportunity to harm the Muslims and destroy their culture. The Muslims, however, were aware of the fact that the Hindu majority would overwhelm them. The Hindus were far ahead in the fields of trade, commerce and technology. British-backed Hindus launched many movements to restrain Muslim culture and even their existence and convert them to Hinduism. For this purpose, the Hindus started a movement to establish Hindi language in the sub-continent instead of Urdu. However, the Urdu language came to birth in the sub-continent in the Muslim era and it was common in Hindus and Muslims. Therefore, there were two main reasons as to why the Hindus detested this language. First, it recalled the Muslim regime in the region and secondly, all the literature of Muslim culture and religion had been translated in this language. In 1867, the Hindus of Benaras started a movement to declare the Urdu language as foreign and demanded to establish Hindi language in the sub-continent. In 1875, Arya Samaj movement was begun to oust the Muslims from sub-continent. Under this movement, the Muslims were declared "Aliens". Following the creation of the Indian National Congress in 1885, the Muslim leaders saw through the game of this "National" movement and cautioned their people of the hovering hazards. The establishment of Muslim League in 1906 was a challenge to the Indian National Congress. Maulana Hasrat Mohani presented a plan to the Government for a country envisaging two separate states for the Hindus and Muslims. Chaudhary Rehmat Ali further developed this concept. He displayed great wisdom and foresight by putting forth not only a name but in large measure the scheme that ended in the inception of Pakistan. Maulana Mohammad Ali, Maulana Shaukat Ali and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan spread the message of Pakistan through their logical lectures and articles in newspapers. At the end of 19th century, the Muslims had to face much difficulty to survive. At the same time, they were the target of both the British and the Hindus. At this critical hour, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan guided the Muslim nation and practically took steps to save its status. He equated education with power and declared that the Muslims could improve their political, social and economic condition only through the medium of modern and scientific education. He cultivated the concept of a separate Muslim nation on the basis of religion, culture and history. He inspired the Muslims of the sub-continent to demand a separate homeland where they could arrange their lives and affairs of the State according to the dictates of Holy Qur'aan and Sunnah. The early 20th century, the period of 1908-1914 was most disturbing for the Muslims of the sub-continent. It was not only the local Indian affairs, which were frustrating them politically, but the activities of the imperialists in the rest of the Muslim world were also a source of much anguish. The anti-Muslim attitude of the Indian National Congress and other activities goaded the Muslims to become politically stronger. On 30th December 1906, Mohammedan Educational Conference was organised, in which a new political platform was announced for Muslims named "All-India Muslim League". The Government of India Act of 1909 - also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms -- gave Indians limited role in the central and provincial legislatures, known as legislative councils. For Muslims, it was important both to gain a place in the Indian politics and to retain their Muslim identity, objectives that required varying responses according to the circumstances, as the example of Muhammad Ali Jinnah illustrates. Jinnah began his carrier as an enthusiastic liberal in the Congress. But in 1913, he joined the Muslim League, which had been shocked by the 1911 annulment of the partition of Bengal into cooperating with Congress to make demands on the British. Jinnah continued his membership with Congress until 1919. During this dual membership period, he was described by leading Congress spokesperson as the "Ambassador of Hind-Muslim Unity". Jinnah, with his tiring efforts, brought the two parties on one agenda in 1916, which is called Misaq-e-Lakhnao. The Muslims of sub-continent observed October 27, 1919 as "Khilafat Day". Khalifat Movement was launched at the end of 1st World War to pressurise the British to accomplish their promise to retain the Caliphate in Turkey. This movement encouraged the Muslims and produced political enthusiasm among them. Muslim clerics started taking part in politics. In this movement, however, the most outstanding contribution was of Dr. Sir Mohammad Iqbal, the great philosopher and poet and symbol of Muslim nationalism. On his return from Europe in 1908, he started his great task of reforming the Muslims through his poetry. His entire poetry is based on the Qur'aanic philosophy of Islam, by which Muslims, especially the educated, were awakened. Allama also recognised the Two-Nation Theory. He was actually the dreamer of a new Muslim state of Pakistan. The demand for Pakistan became popular during the Second World War and Muslim community was organised under the banner of the All-India Muslim League. Branches of the party were opened even in the remote corners of the subcontinent. Literature in the form of pamphlets, books, magazines and newspapers was produced and distributed to explain the rationale for demanding Pakistan. With an overwhelming majority of the Indian Muslims now convinced about the imperative need for Pakistan, the entire Muslim population of the Indian subcontinent rallied around the Quaid-e-Azam who under the platform of the Muslim League led them to their dream destination - Pakistan.	Top

Remembering role of Ulema in Pakistan Movement By Mohd Saleem Shaikh [size=9]In 1940 the Muslim League formally endorsed the partitioning of British India and the creation of Pakistan as a separate Muslim state. During pre-independence talks held in 1946, therefore, the British government found that the stand of the Muslim League on separation and that of the Congress on the territorial unity of India were strongly irreconcilable. The British then decided on partition and on August 15, 1947, transferred power dividedly to India and Pakistan. The latter, however, came into existence in two parts: West Pakistan, as Pakistan stands today, and East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh. The two were divided by 1,600 km (1,000 miles) of Indian territory. The separate homeland that is now named 'Pakistan' was obviously a direct outcome of insurmountable struggle and a raft of sacrifices by audacious Muslims of sub-continent from all walks of life. Apart from the role of politicians of the sub-continent in the struggle of freedom for Muslims of India, the contribution of writers, theologians, journalists, students, women and mainly Ulema and mashaikh is worth remembering. They all channeled their energies and sources in the making of the Muslim nation and the idea of what is called two-nation theory. In pith, the credit for the success of the struggle cannot be attributed to a mere single section of the society. Irrespective of professions and strata of society, each and every Muslim was motivated and moblised to take active part. Broadly speaking, almost all the Ulema and mashaikh as well as other prominent leaders belonging to all schools of thought from the entire sub-continent readily propped up the cause of what was named 'Pakistan Movement'. Of the Ulema and mashaikh, Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani was the outstanding personality who rendered really valuable services for mobilizing and gearing up the movement of Pakistan. He and other noted Ulema and Mashaikh had a great number of followers spread over the sub-continent, who put their hearts in speeding up movement of separate homeland for the Muslims of the united India. Hence, the services of the Ulema and Mashaikh in the movement of Pakistan proved strong backing and boosted efforts carried out by the Muslims of the sub-continent for a separate Muslim state, where they would spend their lives in accordance with Islamic laws and principles without any fear. Their services included educating their disciples and awakening the general masses to the need of Pakistan for the Muslims of the sub-continent, making physical and personal contacts with the people even in distant areas, convening of public meetings and ingraining the idea of inevitable necessity of an independent country in their minds. Moreover, while complying with the instructions and directions of the Quaid-i-Azam in strict manner under the able guidance and instructions, the Ulema and Mashaikh spread the message in all corners of the sub-continent, infused the Muslims and worked ceaselessly to achieve the goal. Maulana Shabbir Ahmed lent his full support in the election campaigns of the Muslim League and even pleaded in favour of Quaid-i-Azam against all opposition, directed from other ill-advised and ill-informed rather blind Ulema and Mashaikh. He always publicly announced his complete faith in the honesty and integrity of Quaid-i-Azam and even exhorted the Muslims to vote to the Muslim League. For, it was struggling hard for carving out a new Muslim State on the global map where the Islamic laws and traditions shall possibly be formulated and practiced. He advised the Muslims not to lend an ear to Hind-influenced Muslims or the nationalist Muslims. On one occasion, he said that any one who casts his vote for the opponents of the Muslim League must think of the eventual aftermaths of his action in terms of the interests of his nation and the answers that would be called upon to yield on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, the role of our Ulema and Mashaikh in the Pakistan Movement is really highly laudable and worth of writing in letters of gold. They prevailed upon their followers for awakening the common people, they toured the country in spite of the difficulties in the means of communication, they addressed meetings and enabled the nation to reach that goal which they have resolved for. In this connection, the names of Pir Jama'at Ali Shah, Mian Ghulam Ullah Sharaqpuri, Pir Ghulam Mohyuddin Golravi, Allama Allauddin Siddiqui, Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani and many other noted religious leaders will ever be remembered with regard to the superb services they rendered for the cause of Pakistan's making. It is worth mentioning here that when the matter of Aligarh University's progress and later that of the financial needs of the Muslim League for its development rose, Hazrat Pir Jama'at Ali Shah subscribed lakhs of rupees on his behalf and on that of his followers. In the same way, when the 1945 elections were in full swing, Khawaja Hasan Nizami of Taunsa and other deities asked their followers to work for the success of the Muslim League. Apart, the grand historic congregation of Benares, which was attended by more or less six thousand Ulema and Mashaikhs as well as hundreds of thousands of students from every sphere of life delivered real support to the Pakistan Resolution in 1940, and so made the task of the achievement of Pakistan considerably easier. Similarly, the landmark convention of the All-India Muslim League in 1946 was attended by a great number of Ulema and the Mashaikh including Pir Jama'at Ali Shah, Maulana Jamal Mian of Farangi Mahal (Lucknow) as well as the inspiring personality of Maulana Abdul Hamid of Badaun in Uttar Pardesh. As recorded in Pak-India history, afore-mentioned religious leaders and scholars enjoyed deep and intensive influence of the common people and had a large number of followers and adherents. Given the reasons, these Ulema and Mashaikh proved a strong source of greater strength and sacrifice for the Muslim League, who devoted themselves to the cause of Pakistan Movement for freedom. After reviewing Pakistan's history, one comes to a conclusion that religious scholars have been a great source for building the nation in one way or the other. Convinced by the fact that they continue to enjoy the status of strong opinion leaders in our society with ever-rising number of their followers, their role can be utilized for the country's socio-economic development other than just spreading and teaching Islam.