The least we owe to Jinnah; honour him before the celebration

“But make no mistake: Pakistan is not a theocracy or anything like it.” Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan said in a broadcast talk to the people of Australia on February 19, 1948.

The nation will celebrate Quaid’s birthday on December 25 with immense zeal and zest. Special programs will be broadcast, events will be organised, and roadways will be decorated with portraits and quotes of the Quaid. These annual commemorations are supposed to symbolise the nation’s regard and admiration for the Quaid. Unfortunately, the essence behind these symbolic gestures seems to have long been forgotten.

On December 3, 2021, just weeks before the 145th Jinnah Day, a member of a minority group had his most basic human right revoked: the right to live. The topic was trending on the news and social media at the time. Fast forward to mid-December, and the episode has faded from the news as well as from the memory. Whether we accept it or not, the majority of the world now views Pakistan as a theocracy and an extremist nation. Putting aside all other considerations, this specific tragedy of lynching and our national response to it indicates a great deal about our position as Pakistanis. What good are commemorations and festivities marking the Quaid’s birthday if we fail to adhere to his vision’s fundamental tenets of freedom and equality for all? Not to say that symbolic gestures or celebrations are bad, but they are at the very least ineffective if they lack purpose. In Quaid’s own words:

“There is no other solution. Now, what shall we do? Now, if we want to make this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous, we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, and especially of the masses and the poor. If you will work in co-operation, forgetting the past, burying the hatchet, you are bound to succeed. If you change your past and work together in a spirit that every one of you, no matter to what community he belongs, no matter what relations he had with you in the past, 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 no end to the progress you will make...... You are free; you are free to go to your temples; you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”

These remarks of the Quaid, made on August 11, 1947, encapsulate his belief that, in order for Pakistan to develop, the state must safeguard and promote the well-being of its people regardless of their historical, religious or ethnic backgrounds. According to him, all people (see the quote above for reference) and not just the “Muslims” of Pakistan have the liberty to order their lives in whatever way they see suitable. Furthermore, in his address to the Central Legislative Assembly, February 7, 1935, he mentioned religion as a matter which is between man and God. Quaid had always been loud and clear about his ideas regarding freedom but today, his nation stands confused. The debate over “What went wrong, where did it go wrong, and what’s the solution?” will go beyond the scope of our discussion.

We as a nation should focus on an important ideal that Jinnah not only advocated for but actually lived by and that is equality.

The actions of the nation are running counter to the Quaid’s principles. To mention a few incidents regarding minorities, on May 9, 2020, a Christian church in Pakistan’s Punjab province was desecrated in a land grab crime. Hindu homes in Pakistan’s Sindh province were set on fire on May 11, 2021. In one village, a Hindu woman was sexually assaulted and her family attacked. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s 2019 Report states that on an average, more than 1000 forced conversions to take place every year.

Another area that was emphasised by Jinnah and is neglected by his nation is equality for women. While addressing a rally at Aligarh on March 10, 1944, he said, “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you.” He emphasised the importance of modern education and made it obligatory for women to be educated according to these standards to realize his vision of Pakistan as a modern society where men and women coexist in peace. He emphasised that only through educating women would they be able to compete with today’s damaging patriarchy as they will be equipped with the necessary knowledge. He was an outspoken supporter of modern education and set an example for the rest of the Muslim society by defying his own family’s wishes and conventions and supporting his sister, Ms Fatima Jinnah, in her pursuit of higher education.

He said: “It is essential to provide opportunities to women for their betterment and progress.” Quaid said women should work alongside their male counterparts. During his time in Parliament, he was a vocal opponent of every discriminatory legislation. He also backed legislation that made it illegal for minors to marry. Several Muslim leaders before Mohammad Ali Jinnah emphasised the need for women’s education, but only “inside the four walls of their homes.” He questioned and then deconstructed this idea. His desire for women to be active participants in society was considered by conservatives as pushy and unethical. According to the Quaid, women should lead rather than be led. He constantly said that women should work alongside men in the struggle for Pakistan and that the struggle for Pakistan could not succeed without their participation. He is quoted as saying: “No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men.”

Jinnah was fully aware of the under-representation of Muslim women in politics and desired to see them at the forefront. As a result, when Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz told Jinnah that she had organised a Punjab Provincial Women’s Muslim League, Jinnah stood up and said: “I do not believe in separate men and women’s organisations, but in their working together from the primary League upwards.” He used to say: “Muslims will never get freedom unless the women practically take part in politics and play their due role in the society.” Quaid further emphasized, “If the woman of the house becomes a Muslim League member, then everyone in the house including children, old people and youth will become Muslim leaguers.”

As for his country, after a period of more than seven decades of its creation, women are continued to be viewed and treated as lesser than a man. According to a report conducted by Human Rights Watch in 2009, between ten and twenty per cent of women in Pakistan have experienced some sort of abuse. Women’s access to property, education, and work are still far lower than men’s. Pakistani society has traditionally been patriarchal in its social and cultural context. According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “Global Gender Gap Report 2021,” Pakistan ranked 153rd out of 156 countries on the gender parity index.

Would Jinnah be proud if he saw the appalling conditions that a country founded on the principle of freedom has created? Would it make Quaid feel any better to see his nation prioritise bogus celebrations over actually honouring his memory? What would it take for us to grow out of our mediocrity? Perhaps the most meaningful thing we can do this Quaid’s day is to consider these issues and their solutions. Since ignorance is bliss, we may choose to overlook the diseased sections of our society and allow them to take hold. Alternatively, we might recognise the problems in time and begin working on the solution, which, in my opinion, is the preferable alternative. That is the bare minimum we owe to the father of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

-Imama Khan is a graduate student at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad and can be reached at: itsimama@gmail.com