This refers to the letter, ‘Negating Khilafat heroes’ (May 6) by Fauzia Qureshi. During my recent visit to Turkey, I was highly impressed by the progress made by Turkey in the areas of economy, tourism, infrastructure and education. The Turks are proud of their identity as Muslims.
By the 19th century, Turkey was known as the sick man of Europe. The writer, I am sure, would know that the Khilafat Movement, according to historians, was an alliance with the Indian Congress and some of them label it as a marriage of convenience. Gandhi was imprisoned due to his support for the movement. The Muslim League opposed the Khilafat Movement all along. Arab states viewed it as a threat of continuation of the Turkish dominance of the Arab land. According to certain detractors, the members of the Khilafat Movement were more concerned about the fate of the Khalifa than the people of Turkey itself. Turkish nationalists overthrew the Khalifa in 1922. The writer has expressed her dismay over the division of Turkey into two dozen new countries. However, Arabs were overjoyed with the restoration of parts of Iraq, Syria and Egypt.
Dr Najeeb A Khan
Islamabad