Imran acquires gift of the gab, stuns many with brilliant oratory

With no malice intended towards media men acting as 'courtiers to the powerful,' it is always an uphill task for neutral journalists to generously praise the acts or words of any incumbent ruler, but Imran Khan's extempore speech at Mecca during the recent Organization of Islamic Cooperation Summit has compelled this writer to believe that the Pakistani Premier must surely have touched many hearts within the Muslim world with his potent words, besides uplifting a lot of dejected souls languishing in dark alleys of despondency.

Having oft-admitted he is a shy person; Imran Khan has never been known as an orator who could mesmerize his audience or hold them spell-bound through oratory.

But, the way he spoke at the Mecca Summit on Saturday, it is quite evident that he has finally acquired the gift of the gab now, having sharpened his skills as a public speaker.

Public speaking has never been Imran's forte throughout his 23-year long political career. Rather, his charisma, the panache and the aura surrounding his personality have been pulling him along as a care-free politician known for his hard-hitting and undiplomatic speeches against political adversaries.

Yes, he has been an unconventional speaker, but his recent speech at Mecca was studded with knowledge of history and that of current affairs, and one could feel that his tongue was delivering the message of his heart.

During his speech, Imran asserted that Islam had nothing to do with terrorism, slated the Western world for repeatedly blaspheming the Holy Prophet (PBUH) without respecting the feelings of 1.3 billion Muslims and viewed the West was suffering from Islamophobia.

He also took on the 57-member OIC, saying it had failed to play an effective role in safeguarding the rights and religious sentiments of the Muslims.

The Pakistani Premier articulately criticized the dichotomy and double standards of the Western world, saying that while it dealt sensitively with the issue of Holocaust to please the Jewish community, it paid no heed to the religious sentiments of the Muslims when it talked profanely about the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Imran then used his knowledge of history to add conviction to his arguments.

He opined that suspicions and misunderstandings against the Muslim world had resulted in the shooting of 50 innocent Muslims in two New Zealand's mosques, adding that before the 9/11 episode, around 80 percent of the suicide attacks were carried out by the Tamil Tigers but no one had ever blamed Hinduism for that!

Imran held that religion had nothing to do with the actions of Tamil Tigers because it was a political struggle.

He said: "During the Second World War, when the Japanese pilots blew themselves up on American ships, no one had blamed their religion for their act."

With all diplomatic demeanor intact, Imran then touched upon the plight of the Kashmiris confronting a suppressive Indian rule, talked about the Palestinian state-hood and said Pakistan recognized East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

History reveals that former American President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speeches had worked wonders in this context, and his words had helped his country come out of the Great Depression of the 1930's. He had won a record four Presidential elections, the only American head of state to do so.During his Inaugural address in 1932, after he had beaten Edgar Hoover in a Presidential election, Roosevelt had sought to buoy up the injured psyche of the American people and tackle the Great Depression, which was the longest, deepest, and most widespread financial recession of the 20th century.

Having started around September 4, 1929 in the United States after a major fall in stock prices at New York's Wall Street, the Great Depression had made worldwide GDP plunge by an estimated 15 per cent, while the international trade had nosedived by more than 50 per cent between 1929 and 1932.

During this Great Depression, unemployment in the United States had risen to 25 per cent and in some countries; it had surged as high as 33 per cent.

During his historic public address, President Roosevelt had said: "This is pre-eminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. In every dark hour of our national life, a leadership of frankness and vigour has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory."

Shortly after Roosevelt's speech, America had started showing signs of economic revival, though Britain, Austria, Italy, Greece and Germany etc had taken a much longer time to come out of the grave financial turmoil.

However, what Imran Khan's government lacks is enough cash to accomplish its projects involving construction and development. Pakistani banks, of course, hold the key along with private builders to Imran's dream.

Over 85 years ago, Roosevelt had also simplified the mortgage process for the homeless, and the Home Owners' Loan Corporation was established to stop the foreclosures of American homes.

His $3 billion construction and development projects had employed more than 8.5 million workers, who had gone on to build 650,000 miles of highways and roads, 125,000 public buildings as well as bridges, reservoirs and irrigation systems etc.

Unlike Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and one of his predecessors, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the art of public-speaking does not come naturally to Imran Khan.

Turning the leaves of history, one comes across the annual session of the All India Muslim League, which was held in Lahore during March 1940.

It was here that Quaid-i-Azam had delivered a history-changing speech that had paved way for the division of India and creation of Pakistan just seven years later. To him the differences between Hindus and the Muslims were so great that their union was full of serious risks.

So strong and persuasive were the Quaid's words that the Pakistan Resolution for the establishment of a separate homeland for the Muslims of British India was passed on March 23, 1940, which is considered a landmark document of country's history.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Pakistani President from 1971-73 and Prime Minister from 1973-77, had used his speeches to a great effect.

From the podium, he would convince the Pakistani masses that he was their voice and the man to help them accomplish their long-elusive dreams.

His hand-and-tongue coordination, his body language and facial expressions made people instantly believe what he said. His words hypnotized his followers for decades.

Here follows a brief list of some world leaders whose speeches had lifted hearts in dark times, gave them hope in despair, gave courage to the weary, knitted their dreams and consequently rewrote history:

Famous American President Abraham Lincoln's November 19, 1863 speech in Pennsylvania was just three minutes long, yet this public address is unarguably one of the greatest pieces of rhetoric in American history.

Former British Premier, Winston Churchill, had a strong and reassuring voice, which kept the morale of his countrymen high during some of her darkest hours of World War II. In 1953, Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, in part for his speeches, which he wrote himself.

Former American President John Kennedy's ability to speak was one quality that made him such a compelling communicator.

In January 1961, Kennedy delivered his inaugural address. He had spent months writing it. Listening to his inaugural address, the American nation felt that a new era and a "new frontier" were being ushered in.

Great French leader, General Charles de Gaulle's June 18, 1940 speech in London is another masterpiece. In June 1940, it was clear that French were losing their country to the German invasion. Refusing to sign a truce or an armistice, French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud was forced to resign.

Adolf Hitler had achieved extreme power and influence through his powerful oratory. He had an incredible ability to hold an audience of millions in the palms of his hand. His charisma generated a pseudo-religious following among the German people.