@ mjkhan

Jinnah's broadcast to the people of the United States (February 1948)

"I do not know what the ultimate shape of this constitution is going to be, but I am sure that it will be of a democratic type, embodying the essential principles of Islam. Today, they are as applicable in actual life as they were 1300 years ago. Islam and its idealism have taught us democracy. It has taught equality of men, justice and fairly play to everybody. We are the inheritors of these glorious traditions and are fully alive to our responsibilities and obligations as framers of the future constitution of Pakistan. In any case Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic State -- to be ruled by priests with a divine mission. We have many non- Muslims -- Hindus, Christians, and Parsis -- but they are all Pakistanis. They will enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other citizens and will play their rightful part in the affairs of Pakistan."

Again Jinnah is very clear about the kind of political system he wished for Pakistan. Jinnah's Pakistan was going to be a democratic state having essential principles of Islam like equality(equal opportunity for everyone regardlss of caste, color, creed) , peace, honesty, tolerance, justice, fair play and so on.

Now when we say Islamic state, we visualize Taliban's Islamic system, Iranian theocratic political model, Saudi legal and judicial system, Sufi Muhammad's Islamic state of swat and so on. The kind of state which Lal Masjid hooligans were demanding. The kind of state which our so called religious parties advocate, the kind of state which Zia was trying to impose(with some success). What is common in all these so called Islamic states? Well, its the rule of priests with some divine mission. The same model that existed in the Europe of dark ages. Whereas, Jinnah was clearly against such kind of theocratic model for Pakistan.

Theocracy means a government "by ordained priests, who wield authority as being specially appointed by those who claim to derive their rights from their sacerdotal position." Unlike Catholicism, there is no established church in Islam; (in fact, it decries such a church). Moreover, since Islam admits of no priestcraft, since it discountenances a sacerdotal class as the bearer of an infallible authority, and since it concedes the right of ijtihad to "men of common sense", the concept of theocracy is absolutely foreign to Islam.

Another point is willful misinterpretation of the word "secularism". The principles of secularism are clearly visible in Islam. Mesaq-e-Madina is one golden example as it was a written constitutional document of federal democratic nature considering collectively the Muslim, Jewish, Christian and pagan citizens of the state of Madina as Ummat-ul-Wahida ( a single community). Yes, the Prophet (PBUH) used the term Ummat-ul-Wahida (a single community) for Muslim and non-Muslim people of Madina.

So when Jinnah refers to Islamic state he has the model of Mesaq-e-Madina in his mind. This is evident from the following extracts from his 17 July 1947 press conference indicates:

Question: "Will Pakistan be a secular or theocratic state?"

Mr. M.A. Jinnah: "You are asking me a question that is absurd. I do not know what a theocratic state means."

A correspondent suggested that a theocratic State meant a State where only people of a particular religion, for example, Muslims, could be full citizens and Non-Muslims would not be full citizens.

Mr. M.A. Jinnah: "Then it seems to me that what I have already said is like throwing water on duck's back (laughter). When you talk of democracy, I am afraid you have not studied Islam. We learned democracy thirteen centuries ago."

N Jinnah never raised this slogan Pakistan ka Matlab kia. The slogan Pakistan ka Matlab Kia?" was coined and extensively used in the Punjab and at a limited scale, in NWFP only at the time of referendum in 1947.

I leave the conclusion to your understanding.

regards,
floydian

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Police Service of Pakistan (PSP)
39th Common Training Program