Language not a concern for an Islamic state

[Harold Schiffman]

The concept of Islamic State
Islamic State believes in setting up of a truly just state, writes
SHAHNAZ BASHIR
The gradual imperial invasions of Ottoman Empire at the hands of
Portuguese capitalists in 17th century opened it to the European
Colonial careerists. The Empire, for seven centuries (from 1300 AD to
20th century), had had a remarkable, unrivalled expansion in most of
the Middle-East and Europe. It marked the glorious times of the spread
of Islam to the forbidden corners of world. After being pitted against
the Ottomans, the Arabs had successfully yielded to the motives of
British occupants for the false promise of independence. But when
their designs triumphantly disintegrated the Empire and made Arabs
enemies of their brothers in Turkey, British forgot the promise that
perhaps they had never intended to keep. Consequently, the most
powerful Muslim Empire was rendered dysfunctional within and
explicitly began to be rechristened into a National State. Salim III
laid the groundwork for new westernizing reforms and established
Ottoman embassies in European Capitals. In 1860's the economy slumped
and finally the Islamic Empire became bankrupt. The political and
economic position of the Empire was in stalemate in 1890's when it
conspicuously began to present a vulnerable overture for foreign
conquests. Palestine was one of the pivotal parts of Ottoman Empire.
In 1897 Zionists held their first conference in Basel to discuss their
ultimate aim to create the Israeli state in the Ottoman province of
Palestine. Same year marked the death of Sayyid Jammal-ud-din Afghani,
a Muslim reformer, who had strived for a consensus amongst the Islamic
states to gather and collectively confront the Western colonialism and
hegemony. Finally, the publication of the Sykes Picot agreement in
1920 in the wake of Ottoman defeat in First World War, the Empire's
provinces were divided between British and French, who established
mandates and protectorates to further split the Muslim community of
world.
The imperial takeover of the Ottoman Empire gave rise to the concepts
of secular and national states. Britain, the proponent of these
concepts in the former Islamic States had never itself observed
secularism in its own place. The problem of Ireland had broken out of
a rigid, aggressive intersectarian dispute of Catholics and
Protestants. British largely as protestant never budged an inch on
their radical sectarian stand which further troubled Anglo-Irish
relations and developed political rivalry between the Northern and
Southern Ireland.
With the adoption of radical secular and nationalistic policies in
Turkey, power hungry politicians across the Muslim world began to
imitate it and play with the essence of Islamic principles which
formerly were the sole basis of conducting the affairs of the states.
The decade of 1920's gave birth to, not only the nationalistic and
secular conceptions of the states but, misconceptions: emanating from
the misunderstanding contrived and fostered by the mischievous polity.
It spread wrong notions about Islamic governance and Islamic political
systems. The concept of Islamic State apparently became ahistoric and
intolerant, which unfortunately continues to appear like that.
In 1921, Reza Khan led a brutal secularizing policy in Iran by
executing the pioneers of Islamic movements. Jamal Abd-al-Nasser,
Egyptian President, belonging to a tyrannical secular party, Free
Officials, suppressed the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan Al Muslimeen) and
imprisoned thousands of its members in concentration camps in 1952. In
1961, Muhammad Reza Pahalvi, Shah of Iran, announced White Revolution
which further marginalized religion and widened the splits in Iranian
society. Saddam Hussein in 1990 under the banner of secularism invaded
Kuwait and inspired "Operation Desert Storm" for the Muslims of Iraq.
All of them setting a perfect example that Iqbal epitomizes in form of
this verse: Judda Ho Din Siyasat Se Tou Reh Jati Hai Chengezi
But all of these secularists' policies called for Islamic resistance
movements. Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic revolution was Iran's first
step to overthrow the Phalvi dynasty's secular strategies. The Israeli
victory and Arab defeat in 1967 led to a religious revivalist movement
throughout the Middle-East, as the old secularist policies seemed
discredited. In answer to the win of Israel, Sheikh Ahmad Yasin
founded Mujamah (Congress), a welfare organization to campaign against
the secular nationalism of PLO. Hamas an offshoot of Mujamah
successfully launched a protest movement called Intifaada against the
Israeli occupation of Gaza and West Bank. The secular inclinations of
the successor of Jamal-abd-al-Nasser, Anwar Saadat, got him
assassinated soon after his entrance into an agreement with Israel in
1981. Similarly, the leftist and secularist government led by Prime
Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and his policies inspired the
installation of the Islamic government of Zia-ul-Haque. The rise of
Islamic movements became a phenomenal reality whenever the states,
with majority of their populations as Muslims, were forced to accept
secularist governments. In modern interpretation and deconstruction
the term secularism means and is nothing but political debauchery.
In Kashmir, Jama'at-e-Islami was the first Islamic organization that
challenged the political monopoly of the hooliginistic National
Conference in 1953. The ideals of Jama'at did not bother NC on social
counts uniquely, as much as the political principles embodied in those
ideals. The ideals which were a primordial threat of first of its
nature to the local political traditionalism of the nationalists.
Stories abound, about how, in return to this challenge, the Jama'atis
were persecuted. The conversion of Muslim Conference into National
Conference in 1938 was the biggest ever blow to the political movement
of Kashmir. The conversion changed the future course of the struggle
for freedom and threw Kashmiris into another trouble. The secular
agenda of National Conference interposed its identity with the
colonial future of Indian Congress in Kashmir.
The Pandit, Sikh and Christian leaders had peacefully, though
individually, worked with Kashmiri Muslims against the Dogra autocracy
until the conversion. They could have continued to do so,
systematically, under the umbrella of Muslim Conference and their
strategies. But the change of name, policies and thus ousting of some
members by its pseudo-secular promise made the party and its policies
a sham. There are examples otherwise to prove how non-Muslims happily
worked under Islamic principles.
In July 2006, Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus (Kashmiri Pandits) in Tral,
southeastern area of Kashmir "raised a joint forum, to which they
unanimously called Islami Forum, to fight social evils and solve the
problems of the society". The creation of the Forum expelled all the
doubts and apprehensions that non-Muslims do not accept to work or
live under Islamic system and principles. "Hindu, Muslim Sikh Itihaad!
News agency KNS reported that the residents called a congregation at
Khankah-e-Molla, Tral. Besides Muslims, it was attended by a large
number of people from Sikh and local Pandit community who had come
from 126 villages of the area. The people unanimously raised an
organization named Islami Forum with noted cleric Moulana Noor Ahmad
Trali elected as its head, the KNS said (Greater Kashmir 10-07-06)".
One more wrong notion that needs to be dispelled is that
Jama'at-e-Islami is not the only organization aspiring for an Islamic
state. On August 16, 2006 Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a function at S P
college, Srinagar wished for creation of the same in Kashmir after it
regains its independence from India. It has become a trend to label
all those, who aspire for an Islamic state in Kashmir, as Jama'atis
which is grossly wrong. Although the majority of Muslims in Kashmir
wish for the same and are non-Jama'atis. Another false attribution is
calling Jama'at-e-Islami a confined or an organization of limited
membership of Islamists. Hundreds of Christians are members of
Jama'at-e-Islami in Pakistan. Mariya, an orthodox Christian in
Pakistan represents Jama'at-e-Islami of Pakistan in the Pakistani
Legislative Assembly. In an interview to BBC Radio Urdu Service, when
asked why she feels that Jama'at is a special organization to be
represented by an orthodox Christian like her, she said that she
didn't come across any other ideology in the world, except J-e-I's,
which she felt could have best represented a country on religious,
political, social, economic and moral grounds. (Ref. BBC Urdu Service
Archives, June 2005)
Actually the spirit of an Islamic state already lives subtly in
majority Muslim states occupied by unwanted forces of power. And even
in that state the subjects have set an example of their tolerance
towards their co-existent minorities within the state. "Muslim bothers
helped us when no body came", quoted the headline on the front page of
Greater Kashmir, May 2, 2006 after many Hindus were massacred by
unidentified gunmen in Doda, J&K this year in the last night of April.
Islamists also believe that if Punjab were a Khalistan and Muslims
were to live there with the Sikh brothers they would be represented
and regarded equally as would be Sikhs in an Islamic State. In
Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's empire which extended from Lahore, Pakistan
to the north including Punjab in 19th century, 90% of his subjects in
J&K were Muslims which remained untouched and unharmed because of his
tolerant policies.

Though the concept of Islamic state in a state where majority of the
natives are Muslims takes eventually a definite shape as soon as it
achieves the political freedom. It is not a Utopia or a dreamt-of
condition but evidently, as seen elsewhere in the world, an idealistic
reality that shows itself up, the time it is born free and
consolidates itself. As Gandhi realized this in the case of Kashmir
and wrote in the letter to Pandit P N Bazaz on May 5, 1934, "Knowing
that Kashmir is predominantly Musalmaan it is one day bound to become
a Musalmaan State". It is a different question that he later blessed
Indian army to occupy the state. But a reality will still remain a
reality.

The bottomline now, is to bust all the myths that mystify and malign
the essence of an Islamic state.

Islamic state discourages communal fanaticism and bigotry and
encourages strong communal harmony and tolerance. It by its nature
rejects Westernization and colonialism but insists modernization of
great arts, sciences, technology, life style and general development
and progress in accordance with Islamic principles. Islamic liberalism
is far more beautiful and secure than Western pseudo-liberalism.
Islamic state also rejects discrimination on the basis of race, class,
creed, caste and language yet regards him or her in high esteem
whosoever practises piety.

The minorities in an Islamic state are called Zimmis (responsibility).
Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, Taoists,
Shintoists— are all Zimmis in an Islamic Empire. They are allowed full
religious liberty, are allowed to organize their community according
to their own customal law, but are required to recognize Islamic
sovereignty. Besides Zimmis, Jews and Christians are regarded as
Ahl-e-Kitab (people of the scripture) who by that identity enjoy
wishful marriage propositions and brings them closer to Islam (Ref.
Islam: A Short History by Karen Armstrong). Zimmis are also called
"Protected subjects" in the premise of an Islamic state. An Islamic
state is dutybound to provide protection and safeguard to the lives,
property and honour of Zimmis. Islamic state does not believe in
Nationalism in political terms but impresses upon the delimitation of
State's extension on Islamic Principles. Similarly, Islamic state is
not a national state but it gives its non-Muslim natives the right to
legislation. Noted scholar and academic of Kashmir University, Dr.
Sheikh Showkat Hussain writes in his book, Minorities: Islam and the
Nation State, pp60, "Islam does not prohibit the participation of
Non-Muslims in such legislation (which conforms to Islam). Umar Ibn Al
Khatab (the second Caliph) sought the advice of Non-Muslim experts
while devising procedures for the collection of revenue and settlement
of lands in Iraq and Egypt. Binomin was known as one of the great
leaders of the Copts in Egypt. Umar asked Amar Ibn Al As, the governor
of Egypt, to consult Binomin regarding various affairs of
administration, (cited in ibid, pp81, Islam and Jihad by A G Noorani).

Declaration of Umar Ibn-al Khatab (RA) at Jerusalem best exemplifies
the concept of an ideal Islamic State. He said, "This is the
protection which the servant of God, Umar the commander of the
Believers, has granted to the people of Ayliya. The protection is for
their lives and properties, their chapels and crosses, their sick and
healthy, and for all their co-religionists. Their Churches shall not
be used for habitation, nor shall they be demolished, nor shall any
injury be done to them or to their compounds, or to their crosses, nor
shall their properties be harmed in any way. There shall be no
compulsion on them in the matter of religion, nor shall any of them
suffer any injury on account of religion. The life and property of the
Roman who leaves the city shall be safe until he reaches a place of
safety…Whatever is written herein is under the covenant of God and the
responsibility of His Messenger, of Caliphs and of Believers…Witness
to this deed are Khalid Bin Walid and Amar Bin Al Aas and Abd Al
Rahman Bin Awf and Mu'waya Bin Abi Sufiyan." Written in 15 AH (Tabari,
3:609, trans. 12:191-2) Ref. Makers of Islamic Civilization! Umar by
Shibli Numani (Oxford) 2004 ed.

Language is not a concern for an Islamic state as long as minorities
are concerned. Language, after all, is a medium of communication and
nobody should politicize it. Language settles after its evolution over
thousands of years. There is nothing moral and immoral in any
language. It depends upon the speaker to make it the either of the
two. One can abuse in Arabic and praise in the same language. A
language (particular) becomes the part of religious identity when it
becomes the medium of divine communication to a respective community.
Good Jews (not Zionists) and Copts besides Muslims in the Arab world
speak, write, read and love Arabic. Not because Arabic is the
religious language of Muslims but because it was there in the Arab
world before the revelation of Holy Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Arabic was spoken in the times of Jahiliya also; from the times
immemorial in the Arabian civilization. Muslims of Bangladesh speak
and love their Bangla, the script of which comes from basic graphic
Sanskrit alphabets. Though Urdu is a medium through which all the
theological interpretation of Islam and its literature has come from
and continues to come to South Asia. Urdu is a language in which our
monumental literature, our revenue records, our identity, our
civilizational history is preserved. It has been developed over
hundreds of years. If shunning it means to get logically rid of an
"alien language", that some people feel has been thrust on us, than
what is English. Then in the first place English deserves (logically)
the first priority to be shunned off as a colonial language. Illogical
campaigns to promote one language and destroying the other won't do.
Urdu in Jammu & Kashmir is the unique bridge of communication amongst
the people who live across the state. It is ironical that those who
have made their professional carriers over the years only because of
Urdu language have nose-dived in the campaign to erase the beautiful
language along with their children. The children who have been
spending an imperial life in West and don't have a sophisticated
knowledge of hard facts and crude realities. One should not spit in
the plate one gets fed from.

Muslim Ummah must unite for achieving back the glory it has lost. The
triumph lies in unification, intellectual renaissance, prudence and in
giving up the foolhardy trifles. For where has Prophet PBUH encouraged
angry retaliations? Nowhere. But strategic retreats, love, unity and
then with the discipline and patience would come the success.

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