Islam and Sectarianism ( 6 March 2012, NewAgeIslam.Com)
What Dr Hoodbhoy got Wrong
By Danielle Sharaf
Mar 7, 2012
An opinion piece in
The Express Tribune “Run
for your life” by Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy on March 5, 2012 read:
This essay
deliberately excludes Hindus, Christians, and Parsis. The reason: these
communities were never enthused about India’s partition (even though some
individual members pretended to be)…
First of all, bravo Dr
Hoodbhoy for such a brave article on the injustices faced by the non-Muslim
Pakistanis in the name of religion.
While Dr Hoodbhoy
painted a factual picture on the general state of affairs, he conveniently made
some very disturbing assumptions on behalf of people, that to date, are
fighting for their right of “Pakistaniyat” just as Shias or Ahmadis, thanks to
the Pakistan studies books we were fed on.
With all due respect
sir, I expected better of you.
I would be surprised
if you had not heard of Mr Jogendra Nath Mandal and his role in the freedom
struggle. A leader of the scheduled castes, he ‘enthusiastically’ fought for
the cause of Pakistan along with the Muslim League, convinced that Jinnah’s
Pakistan was a superior ideology than ‘MaBharata’. Born in Bengal, he was
chosen to be Pakistan’s first Minister of Law and Labour— but is now a
forgotten Hindu.
Mr SP Singha was the
speaker of the Punjab Assembly when the resolution for Pakistan was moved.
Short of three votes he ‘enthusiastically’ rallied the Christian members to
vote in favour of Jinnah. Muslim League won, resulting in the inclusion of
several populations near Sialkot, Chunia, Kasur etc. in present day Pakistan.
Singha died a Pakistan “enthusiast” Christian -conveniently ignored.
And who can forget
Samuel Martin Burke? He was the magistrate of the Election Petition Commission
of Punjab in 1945 who moved 16 petitions in favour of Muslim League, all to the
chagrin of Congress and Sir Hayat’s Unionists who wanted a United India. These
petitions eventually won Pakistan’s case, and after partition Mr Burke chose
Pakistan as his native country.
To date, he is revered
as a pioneer of Pakistan’s foreign policy. As Pakistan’s High Commissioner to
Canada, he is accredited to convincing USA and Canada of Pakistan’s need of
nuclear reactors. Mr Burke passed away as a Non Muslim Pakistan “enthusiast”.
Ignored again
These are, but a few
names that shared Jinnah’s dream of Pakistan and were instrumental in leading
thousands of Hindus and Christians to join the cause. Whoever thinks that it’s
only the Muslims who migrated on that glorious night of August 13, 1947, needs
a history lesson. Several thousands of non-Muslims left the Ganges behind
believing that Pakistan was their true calling – my family included.
Where is it that we
have fallen short of patriotism or denied service to our country? Christian,
Hindu and Parsi soldiers have fought and accepted martyrdom as recently as the
operations in Swat. They have been both war heroes and prisoners, enduring
harrowing tortures for the country. Who can forget the Cecil, Cyril, Anthony
Chaudhrys, Mervyn Middlecoats, Peter Christies, Brig Golwalas, Nazir Latifs,
Justin Sharafs and many others like them who answered the call of Labaik?
Since independence,
missionary schools and hospitals have opened their doors to every Pakistani
without difference. According to recent stats only 2.1 percent of the total
Christian population has immigrated abroad, the rest stayed put. So where is it
you see that we were never enthusiastic about the creation of Pakistan?
I am sorry Sir, but
please don’t insult us by assuming that we, as a community, were never better
than frozen poultry that was waiting to be re-branded as “minority” Pakistanis
rather than “minority” Indians. Not from you sir…not from you.
Source: The Express Tribune
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