Enlightened moderation is a term coined by General Pervez Musharraf, according to him the idea dawned on him while he wad meditating in his study at night! In his words it is:

“Enlightened moderation is a tow-pronged strategy that I sincerely believe is also a win-win strategy. One prong, to be the responsibility of the Muslim world, is the rejection of terrorism and extremism in order to concentrate fully on internal socioeconomic development. The other prong, to be the responsibility of the West in general and the United States in particular, is to put their full weight behind finding a just resolution of all political disputes afflicting the Muslim societies.” (refer page 298, In the Line of Fire).

He further elaborates:

“In any case, enlightened moderation has nothing to do with Islam and its teachings. It has more to do with Muslims and their emancipation.” (refer page 298, In the Line of Fire).

The key words in this strategy are rejection of extremism and the emancipation of Muslims. In none of his writings, speeches and statements he has defined what he means by ‘Extremism’. The questions that need to be answered are:

1) Does being a practicing Muslim classify one as an “Extremist”?
2) Is one who believes in and wants the enforcement of the injunctions of the Quran and Sunnah as required by the Constitution an ‘Extremist’?
3) Is the propagation of Islamic values ‘Extremism’?

Emancipation means; “the releasing form slavery, oppression, restraint, or legal disabilities; the state of being freed from any bond or restrain”.

General Musharraf does not explain which restrain or bond the wants the Muslims to be free from. Does he want the restrains of Quranic moral injunctions on Muslim society removed? And does emancipation mean the adoption of Western moral values and cultural norms?

When Ms. Nilofer Bakhtiar a Minister hugged a Frenchman in public (which is a cultural norm in the West) and some people in Pakistan condemned it, the secularist lobby called it extremism. This gives credence to the allegation by the Ulema and the leaders of MMA and the present Government and its secularist supporters are promoting the adoption of Western moral values and cultural norms.

Fatwa is an opinion given by a Mufti. Normally people ask a Mufti either verbally or in writing to give an opinion on a particular issue. Hundreds of Fatwa are issued daily by the Ulema in Pakistan. One can easily go to Jam-e-Ashrafia in Lahore and Dar-ul-Uloom in Karachi and see scores of Ulema giving opinions everyday.


In the case of Ms. Nilofer Bakhtiar the Imam of Lal Masjid was asked in writing and gave his opinion. He says that he did not issue the Fatwa on his own. In any case leaving aside the Fatwa no one can deny that hugging a stranger cannot be justified because such behavior culture.

Pakistan is an Islamic state and every Minister in the Oath vows:

“That I will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”
[Refer Constitution of Pakistan, Third Schedule, Article 92(2)]

The first paragraph of the Oath taken by the President and the Prime Minister states: “I, do solemnly swear that I am a Muslim and believe in the Unity and Oneness of Almighty Allah, the Books of Allah, the Holy Quran being the last of the, the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last of the Prophets and that there can be no Prophet after him, the Day of Judgment, and all the requirements and teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunah.”
[Refer Constitution of Pakistan, Third Schedule, Article 42]

On 14, June 1948 only eighty nine (89) days before his death Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah while addressing the Army officers of the Staff College Quetta said:

“One thing more, I am persuaded to say this because during my talk with one or two very high ranking officers I discovered that they did not know the implications of the Oath taken by the troops of Pakistan. Of course, an oath is only a matter of form, what is more important is the spirit and the heart. But it is an important form and I would like to take the opportunity of refreshing your memory by reading the prescribed oath to you.”

Thereafter the Quaid red out the Oath prescribed for the Officers of the Armed Forces at that time and advised them to strictly conform to its obligations in letter and in spirit.

The Quran unambiguously instruct us that there should always be a group in the Muslim society who uphold and enjoin the establishment of good and righteousness while forbidding evil and wrongdoing.

“And from among you there must be a party who invite people to all that is good and enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong, it is they who will attain true success.
(Al-Imran 3:104)

Recently in India a court issued arrest warrants for Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, saying that their kiss at a public function; “transgressed all limits of vulgarity”. India is a secular country but it imposes restrains on public behavior based upon Indian cultural norms and values without being apologetic. It needs to be noted that Shilpa Shetty is an actress and not a minister.

A Minister represents the Government and his/her public behavior portrays the values and the norms acceptable to the Government. Since no responsible person of the Government has censured the public behavior of the Minister Ms. Nilofer Bakhtiar they appear to implicitly accept/approve it and this silence of the Government lends support to the view that ‘Enlightened Moderation’ means Westernization; the adoption of Western moral values and cultural norms.

(Daily Nawa-i-Waqt, Dated: May 7, 2007)