Secularism and Pakistan

By Alee Rafi

“You may belong to any religion or caste or creed-that has nothing to do with the business of the State.” – Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Years have passed since the early demise of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, yet his idea behind Pakistan remains a mystery to many. Jinnah attempted to make sure that Pakistan would not end up as a theocratic state, however today, that seems to be a major part of our national policy. Jinnah however wanted to lay down the foundation of a secular nation that would be a haven for all religious minorities, instead of a symbol of persecution, class differentiation, sectarian violence and a war in the name of Religion. This article takes a look at Jinnah’s vision of a secular Pakistan.

What is Secularism? To address this we must realize who is a secular person? To the layman, it is a person who is not concerned with religion. So when we claim that a nation is secular, do we ask it denounce religion? Or does it simply set religion aside? For a country to be secular it does not have to be unreligious, it just needs to differentiate between its constitutional powers over the masses and its power, ability and need to control their beliefs. The state must then respect religion in all its shapes, forms and sizes. It must adhere to all sorts of believes, and most importantly it must not interfere.

The state, as an institution serves the masses. Differentiating between them on the basis of religion, defies that purpose. It creates ethnic tensions, paves the way to sectarian violence and promotes hatred and differences in the society, shifting the balances of power. For power is the ability of an individual, group or nation to get their will over the will of others. The state then becomes the symbol of this overwhelming power for the majority, and one of hate for the minority. The minority, ultimately feeling unjustly dealt with, mistreated; repel some of their frustrations back on to the state.

Pakistan has been the breeding ground of ethnic and secular differences for 64 years. It has seen ethnic violence, rants and rages. This land has witnessed horrific incidents on the name of religion, and faces the sternest of challenges from the radical terrorist outfits, waging a war in the name of religion. It is also home to lunatics and extremists, using religion as their shield to commit the most heinous of crimes. Rape, Murder, Slavery and Torture: all in the name of superiority over another.

We see Bavarian laws imposed that constitutionally permit you to get minorities executed if we are able to prove in the feeble courts of law, an unjust action by the minority against Islam. The implementation of such laws is crucial, and Pakistan has failed to properly manage it. On the other hand, we fail to see the same sternness when it comes to the persecution of the Hindu, the Sikh and the Christian. We fail to see the minorities being treated as equals, as brothers and sisters, as humans. And so, religious laws implied by the state pave way for such inequalities, injustices and differences. It allows one to use religion to commit the most unholy crimes, it permits one to use religion, to denounce another, and it enables one to claim superiority over another, all on the base of religion.

This paradox of using religion as a tool has to reach a climax. And it can only be done by separating religion, from state-affairs. Pakistan will always remain a Muslim-majority country, it will always condone practices that pose a threat to that majority, but that does not mean it has the right to undermine all other religions which are a part of Pakistan. For they too, are a part of our identity. When we won this nation, we won the right to stop the persecution of Muslims, not the right to persecute the new minority.