Comments on: The death of secular democracy in Pakistan? http://www.ssrc.org/blogs/immanent_frame/2007/12/29/the-death-of-secular-democracy-in-pakistan/ Secularism, religion, and the public sphere Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:44:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ibrahim Malick http://www.ssrc.org/blogs/immanent_frame/2007/12/29/the-death-of-secular-democracy-in-pakistan/#comment-97 Ibrahim Malick Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:53:24 +0000 http://www.ssrc.org/blogs/immanent_frame/2007/12/29/the-death-of-secular-democracy-in-pakistan/#comment-97 In 1966 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto proclaimed that "Islam is our faith, democracy is our policy, and socialism is our economy. All power to the people." Developing a specifically Islamic modernity has been one of the great challenges of the last half century, not just in Pakistan but around the world. Forty-two years after this proclamation Bhutto’s daughter Benazir was killed without openly acknowledging that religion and state don't mix well. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto started Islamization of Pakistan by declaring Ahmadis ‘non-muslims’, and further caved in by banning alcohol. These seemingly trivial acts emboldened the Mullahs of Pakistan who soon celebrated his execution. His daughter also capitulated to Mullahs! I vividly remember in 1988 election campaigns Benazir promised to repeal Hudood and Zina ordinances that curtail the rights of women in Pakistan, but she did not fulfill these promises during her two tenures as Prime Minister. It was during Benazir's rule that the Taliban gained prominence in Afghanistan. She viewed the Taliban as a group that could stabilize Afghanistan and enable trade access to the Central Asian republics. Her government provided military and financial support for the Taliban, even sending a small unit of the Pakistani army into Afghanistan. I know we ought to remember the good things of people after the die and I do have lots of fond memories of her election campaign in 1988- but I think we should be clear about lessons learned here: Pakistanis must stand firm against religious forces and take back every inch that they have lost. I believe there is a need for a grass root political organization (such as Secular Pakistan Party) to promote and implement a democratic outlook informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by compassion. Here is a <a href="http://www.chowk.com/interacts/11120" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">link to an article</a> I wrote last year. There are millions of Pakistanis like myself waiting for guidance and leadership... In 1966 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto proclaimed that “Islam is our faith, democracy is our policy, and socialism is our economy. All power to the people.” Developing a specifically Islamic modernity has been one of the great challenges of the last half century, not just in Pakistan but around the world. Forty-two years after this proclamation Bhutto’s daughter Benazir was killed without openly acknowledging that religion and state don’t mix well.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto started Islamization of Pakistan by declaring Ahmadis ‘non-muslims’, and further caved in by banning alcohol. These seemingly trivial acts emboldened the Mullahs of Pakistan who soon celebrated his execution.

His daughter also capitulated to Mullahs!

I vividly remember in 1988 election campaigns Benazir promised to repeal Hudood and Zina ordinances that curtail the rights of women in Pakistan, but she did not fulfill these promises during her two tenures as Prime Minister. It was during Benazir’s rule that the Taliban gained prominence in Afghanistan. She viewed the Taliban as a group that could stabilize Afghanistan and enable trade access to the Central Asian republics. Her government provided military and financial support for the Taliban, even sending a small unit of the Pakistani army into Afghanistan.

I know we ought to remember the good things of people after the die and I do have lots of fond memories of her election campaign in 1988- but I think we should be clear about lessons learned here: Pakistanis must stand firm against religious forces and take back every inch that they have lost.

I believe there is a need for a grass root political organization (such as Secular Pakistan Party) to promote and implement a democratic outlook informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by compassion.

Here is a link to an article I wrote last year. There are millions of Pakistanis like myself waiting for guidance and leadership…

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