Posted on 12/05/2001 9:45:35 PM PST by BERZERKER
Rafique Zakaria's book on Mohammed Ali Jinnah The Man Who Divided India has kicked up a controversy in Pakistan with intellectuals and diplomats up in arms and questioning the inferences made on the role of the Quaid-e-Azam (great leader).
The book has come up for a sharp criticism in the Friday Times, while Pakistani High Commissioner to India Ashraf Jehangir Qazi is reported to be upset with the analysis on Jinnah, according to Zakaria.
“The general refrain from that country, which Jinnah created as a land of salvation of all Muslims' ill, is that I should not have attributed the motives to him the way I did,” Zakaria said.
Zakaria, known for his scholarly knowledge on Islamic studies and contemporary history, said he has been receiving several phone calls from Pakistani intellectuals and journalists for his comments.
“I have been also told that some Pakistanis would soon come with a befitting rejoinder to my book,” he said. “Well it could be another book from across the border,” he adds.
Besides analysing various facets of Jinnah's political and personal life, the book also questions the rationale behind Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel accepting the Partition theory.
Giving his reactions on the “stir” the book has created in Pakistan, Zakaria said, “Well, it was expected. A lot of Pakistanis themselves have been paying lip service to Jinnah and his contributions. Fundamentalists themselves hate him on many fronts.” He, however, denied he has done “any injustice” to the Quaid-e-Azam.
“My only complaint with Jinnah is his solution about the Muslims' problems. He promised Muslims heaven and gave them hell in the form of Partition,” Zakaria said. “In this book, I analysed Jinnah quoting most of the time Islamic theologians and Maulanas. Can any one deny that this man knew nothing of Islamic tenets or could not even read Quran. He simply frightened Muslims and thrust himself as their leader,” he adds.
The purpose of his book, Zakaria said, is to “open the Muslims’ eyes”. He adds: “For heaven's sake give up the confrontation attitude with Hindus. You like it or not, Hindus are a major force in SouthAsia and we cannot wish it away,” a pensive sounding Zakaria said.
“My appeal to all Muslims and Pakistanis is that see for themselves what has happened to them—from a position of dominating community in South Asia today they are divided lot—Indian Muslims, Bangladeshi Muslims and Pakistani Muslims,” says the author.
“Pakistanis, in particular, should discard the two-nation theory because it has failed in every sense of the word,” Zakaria said.
However, Zakaria said the overall response about the book in India has been “positive and interesting” with senior Editor M.J. Akbar saying “it was superb and thoroughly authentic”.
Zakaria said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during his knee-operation days in Mumbai had gone through the manuscript and found the volume “informative and interesting”.
“Vajpayee told me he liked it,” Zakaria said adding, “I then requested him to release my book, to which Prime Minister said why you want to create further problem between me and general Pervez Musharraf.”
They used to be one nation, but that was before the League of Nations.
You are wrong on two accounts: (1) India is a democratic constitutional republic, although secular in nature, just like the United Kingdom is essentially a Christian nation, and secular in nature; and (2) India tolerates all of its citizens and respects their religious choices whatever their persuasion, including, but not limited to, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, Zoroastrianism, etc. (their is a strongly delineated separation between Church and State).
For example, the Prime Minister is a Hindu and the Defense Minister is a Christian.
No one monopolizes Indian politics, and most certainly not Islam.
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