Lost wisdom

Rise above sectional interests and private ambitions. Pass from matter to spirit. Matter is diversity; spirit is light, life and unity. Muhammad Iqbal
In his address to the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947 Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah had this to say:
“If you work together in a spirit that everyone of you, no matter to what community he belongs, 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 on end to the progress you will make. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed…
“We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste and creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one state.”
Bold and brave words from a leader who carved out a new nation from the 400 million inhabiting the large Subcontinent. Jinnah’s biographer Stanley Wolpert pays rich accolades to him in the opening paragraph of his book, ‘Jinnah of Pakistan’:
“Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Muhammad Ali Jinnah did all three.”
In the new country Jinnah wished to see a liberal and secular, modern and developed country free of any communal, sectarian and narrow mindset. Little wonder that, whereas in neighbouring India the Hindu Right raised its violent head from time to time to defeat secular and progressive forces, Pakistanis prided themselves over the fact that the people of the country did not allow the clergy to make inroads in parliament or other important institutions to spoil the fabric of a modern society and stable thoughtful action for the betterment of the people.
The only time the religious right was a force to reckon with was when Zia’s dictatorship had to be catapulted by Maulana Maudoodi and his ilk. Zia’s military intervention in the Afghan war against the Soviets, the Iranian revolution of Ayatullah Khomeni, and Soviet presence in Afghanistan not only prolonged Zia’s tyrannical rule but also underscored the rift between moderation and extremism in a country founded on an entirely different basis.
The root cause of communalism is religious and sectarian intolerance which is fanned by extremists who spread communal hatred to feather their own nests and achieve dubious political goals.
At a social level people belonging to different religious faiths and sectarian beliefs who live alongside one another develop a sense of unease with people belonging to other religions or sects. In a situation such as this some develop a feeling of persecution. Member of different sects refuse to take on other sects as tenants while community-based schools and hospitals make no secret of their prejudice for or against their own or other groups.
Not infrequently they want to assert themselves through acts of terror that results in death, destruction and lawlessness. Communalism is interlinked with terrorism as both have their roots in religious intolerance and oft-times take the form of religious terrorism.
Make no mistake. The only group that really knows its agenda in Pakistan is the clergy. With their covert, sometimes overt, support to terrorist groups they know where to attack and how to work towards seizure of power and influence in the corridors of governance. The terrorist creates fear, anxiety and panic through acts of mass killing and destruction. Not just the religious right but even some so-called liberal and democrats have described terrorists as their ‘army’ and would never think of action against them.
At election time many political parties have sought support and protection for their candidates while leaving their rivals to be mercilessly targeted by lawless elements.
Since the majority of our people are illiterate they are quite easily manipulated to become narrow-minded and dogmatic in their behaviour and outlook to meet the warped agenda of the communal elements in the society. Even though all religions have stressed the essential sacredness of life a review of people killed in the name of Pakistan reveals startling figures.
Innocent Shias as well as Sunnis, Deobandis and Hanafis, besides other sects and faiths have fallen victim to assassins’ bullets and bombs. Among them are bankers and businessmen, religious leaders and lawyers, worshippers, students and scholars and ordinary citizens who would never know why they were killed and to meet what objective.
The tendency on the part of religions and communities to build preventive and protective walls around them and to establish jealous empires of their own is more about bringing down other empires instead of putting their own house in order. Communal forces are never short of funds because pan-Islamists, the west and those who wish to see the country destabilised are only too willing to open their purse strings and sell their armed hardware for the benefit of religious intolerance to target a country that was founded for altogether different objectives.
Can the tide be reversed? Yes – if the people of the country are anchored to the task of development and growth not only for themselves but also for their children who must receive the very best that opportunity and modernism has to offer to the rest of humanity. If we open the windows of our hearts and minds to all that enriches life. If we assimilate whole-heartedly and not just pay lip service to the Prophet’s (pbuh) famous words, “Wisdom is the lost property of the momin; wherever he may find it, he is entitled to it.”
Email: anwerabbas1@gmail.com