To widen the horizons, one has to read thoroughly the literature of Syed Abul Ala Maududi in which he has criticised communism, socialism and nationalism after gaining deep knowledge of these phenomena. He then gave a modern political framework of governance that is indeed an amalgamation of democratic principles and the political system of Islam. Syed Abul Ala Maududi had a very liberal approach towards incorporating Islamic jurisprudence in the folds of the polity. He argued for a system that would help bring critical ingredients of society, including social wealth, the different sects and minorities, under the fold of one ideology based on the Islamic principles of justice, guaranteeing people human rights, freedom of expression, liberty, rule of law and transparency.
I recall the political atrocities of the PML-N government in February 1999 when Atal Behari Vajpayee, former Indian prime minister, was visiting Lahore and the Jamaat-e-Islami leadership was on the streets with a call that was clearly not welcome due to Vajpayee’s staunch opposition to the right of self-determination for the the Kashmiri people and his ministers’ alleged involvement in the Babri Mosque incident. The Punjab police launched a furious crackdown on JI activists and blocked the peaceful protestors in a compound surrounded by huge buildings from all sides. I was hardly 12 years old at that time and took shelter in a Hilux.
We were four people who stayed in there for six hours. The police fired riot shells and bullets into the air and the bullets were repeatedly hitting the surface. It was impossible to breathe and I felt we would be suffocated to death. During the search operation, elite force commandos found us, broke the mirrors, caught hold of us and started beating us. Thereafter, they threw us into a police van. I saw them beating the 80-year-old father of Hafiz Muhammad Idrees, current deputy chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami, and injuring the young with their shields and rifles. Since that very incident, I had harboured a grudge against the police, but with the passage of time, the wounds healed and I forgot.
Each one of us has suffered atrocities, in one form or the other, starting from the tedious matters of registering for a birth certificate to problems faced in the police stations, loss of meritorious admissions and employment opportunities. But we are still free men and women having the liberty of voicing our concerns in freedom. It is time we rose above differences in all forms and reaffirm our resolve to become a nation first.
Now to the matters of politics. Those levelling allegations against Javed Hashmi for being untrue should note that many people gave remarks that he is an old man and remains in a state of denial against the assertion of Qazi Hussain Ahmed, that enemies beyond Pakistani frontiers are involved. Similarly, I find no reason to level charges of espionage against the party of a veteran politician such as Javed Hashmi, who himself is a strong pillar in the country’s politics. Obviously, he has his faults but declaring him to be wrong for political point scoring is terrible. This tells a lot about how Imran Khan’s advisers are ruining his decades-long struggle by putting his reputation at stake. The roars of “Haan maen baaghi hoon” when he left the PML-N and the echo of appreciation by his welcoming followers are unforgettable impressions of Javed Hashmi recorded in the history.
A JI worker will never be able to fit in other political parties since he enjoys an unprecedented kind of liberty in the party. He can stand up anywhere, at any instance, and hold his/her leader and colleagues accountable for their deeds. If the leader can satisfy the accuser, then well and good, if not then the accused will have to answer the whole lot publicly without showing displeasure. No political party in the country promises this kind of transparency; they don’t let the workers rise. In the Jamaat-e-Islami, no one bears the ignominy of being kicked out of the party at the mere drop of a hat. It is the prerogative of a special commission to decide the expulsion of any member. You don’t have to be the blue-eyed man or woman of the leadership. Your affiliation and your hard work will determine your fate at the hands of fellow activists.
Imran Khan should note that the establishment is ruthless and the crowd is faithless. The only guarantee for him to remain a national leader is the trust of aimless youth and the prayers of poor men and women. He should use his charisma wisely and not commit any mistake that would lead him somewhere from where there is no return. Democracy is a filtration process that would take its time to mature and unfurl in true form and for that, Imran Khan will have to make compromises, fill the reservoir of youthful energies and bring about a change within the ambit of the Constitution. Imran Khan’s advisers are isolating him from the polity in Pakistan. He should reorganise immediately and take firm decisions to address the critical problems of the public in Pakistan.
My heart goes out to those who lost their lives and suffered injuries in the recent mayhem. The blood of a Muslim is very sacred and priceless. They came out for a good cause in their own capacity, putting trust in the leadership. Salutations to all those political activists of Pakistan who sacrificed their lives for the good of those sitting in cozy shelters. It is heart rending to see Pakistan burning on all frontiers of its statehood. I do not support crackdowns on peaceful protestors but I do support arresting the megalomaniacs who, in a streak of utter barbarianism, sabotage the state apparatus and those who work in the media.
This nation did not listen to the champions of change, including Qazi Hussain Ahmad. Everybody thought his views were too idealistic but never recalled Pakistan was once an ideal dream of Allama Muhammad Iqbal. It must be said that Sirajul Haq has emerged as a wise politician amidst these crises but still, those in the power corridors have a better recipe to rule since decades. He has the same advice for Imran Khan which Syed Abul Ala Maududi gave to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that “you must be very careful of the people around you”. The Quaid-e-Azam later realised this by saying “I have phony coins in my pocket”.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2014.
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COMMENTS (18)
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Good article... Positive
"Ik is playing Test match in T20 style" Risky for country and him ! Respects his vision and goals, but its current approach can be dangerous, Good to read this article where author is showing concern for Imran Khan by implicitly acknowledging his importance for the country by pointing out at his weaknesses like a true friend ! Also good to know how rightwing is becoming beacon of democracy and hope, good signs for Muslim Political system all over the world and specially for Pakistan ! And Islamic with such liberal democratic view needs to be encouraged so as to keep violent extremists group at bay !
JI and IJT are basically extremist parties opposed to Jinnah's Pakistan. They are dangerous for our country's future and have rotten our core. They use violence to spread their beliefs.
strongly agree....excellent piece
I have read Abul Ala and have great respect for him - the way he has changed the thought process of Muslims the world over is phenomenal. From Malaysia to Morrocco - he is one of the most read thinkers of our times. No doubt Maududi was a visionary, one of the rare few personalities who are the identity of Pakistan.
@Agree but..:
If you are sleeping in the first raqaat of a prayer and wake up in the fourth, you never hear the imam say "Allah o akbar"--you only hear "Asalam o alykum wa rahmatullah!"
Imran has said repeatedly that he wants to make Pakistan a prosperous, growing state, which means elimination of poverty, job creation, etc. If you were not paying attention, it is your problem, not Imran's although he did say even in the Karachi speech that he dreams of people lining up to get jobs in Pakistan.
I think either your Urdu comprehension is quite poor or you are not an Imran supporter at all and are just trying to be cute with words hiding your loathing for him in the guise of a question. Which one is it?
Informative and lucid, Excelent piece
@mirza prejudice is a burden you carry.
It is true that No political party in the country promises this kind of transparency; they don’t let the workers rise. JI in its essence is very democratic and the current stance of its emir is commendable. ..but the process of distancing themselves from military establishment should keep on.
@Ranjha: then sorry to say, you all should be prepare to sacrifice a lot and a lot might include no chicken qorma daig for a lot of people
Thanks for the honesty of the writer and full declaration of his background and relationship with the most organized rightwing party. After a couple of lines I saved my five minutes by ignoring it all.
There are no doubt some good points in the internal working system of JI, but so far as its dealings with any outsider are concerned, JI is not better than any other political party or interest group. I have seen at close hands the working of its subordinate student organisation, IJT (and the teachers sympathetic to or associated with JI), and I can say that they took for grabs the whole educational institution, trying to not allow any new academic or administrative appointment or promotion from rival groups, usurping for themselves most of the institutional facilities. They tried to make lives of other workers miserable, even causing or threatening to cause physical harm at times. In short, they behaved as any other interest group.
Syed Abul Ala Maududi has been one of the worst things that have ever happened to Pakistan. If the Pakistani state is not the secular state that Quaid-e-Azam envisioned, one of the chef responsible is Syed Abul Ala Maududi.
@Ranjha: I agree with you on all except the last line. Because I've never heard IK talk about the things you mentioned. Did he say anything about these in Karachi?
The JI is like any other political party ' it runs with the hare and hunts with the hound '. A democratic system is one in which the government following the last MUST be better than the last......can this honestly be said of the PML-N ? It is also a system that delivers for the people and not for a handful of parliamentarians and their cronies ( sadly the JI falls into this category ). Can you honestly claim it delivers for the people ? As an apologist for the status quo......can this country afford the years of filtration, you talk about, WITHOUT CHANGING the filter ?