Re: Jinnah's Pakistan?
First, I forgot about the Caliphate of Imam Hassan, my apologies. However, a few month/years doesn't make any difference.
You are clearly confused. The Caliphate was first in Saudi Arabia, then shifted to Iraq and finally, as the power of the Turks expanded, to Turkey. That's like each most powerful Western country adopting the title of Caesar. First in Rome, then the Frankish kingdoms, then Spain, then Britain and finally America. If all these countries called their leaders "Ceaser" at each point in history when they were the most powerful, it could be said that Ceaser has survived for 2000+ years.
Please read some historical literature other than the Punjab Government History textbooks. The Save Khilafat movement was not only a total failure, it had no legitimate base. Muslims in India. Muslims in India were as concerned with the Khilafat as Christains in South America were with the English monarchy. It was a needless and a total waste.
Ata Turk is as revered in Turkey as the Quaid is in Pakistan. Please stop listening to that conspiracy-theory-machine Zaid Hamid and open your eyes. Ata Turk literally salvaged Turkey from the wreckage of World War I.
IceSoul,
First of all, I never went to schools in Punjab so keep your judgments to your ownself. The closest I went to Punjab was when I sit for 45 minutes in PIA aircraft on Lahore airport while in transit.
As I said, we have difference of understanding and opinion; however, distorting facts is sad. Your claim that Caliphate was in Saudi Arabia alone in the beginning is so wrong that one can only laugh. I have heels over head on reading this. Why? Here are my reasons:
1) Saudi Arabia came into existence due to the abolishment of Caliphate. :)
2) It was called Jazeerat-ul-Arab, which included the whole Arab land.
3) Caliphate expended in Arabia (including Iraq), Iran, Africa and to the borders of Europe by the time of second Calip Umer (RA).
4) The capital of caliphate was moved to Kufa (in Iraq) by the time of 4th Caliph Ali (RA).
5) The empire remained the same but the emperor changed from Arabs to Turks at the time of Salahaudin Ayoobi (Saladin) when Crusades started. Arabs and Turks did not fight for Caliphate but rather came out as one nation, one ummah during those time.
6) Later the capital was shifted to Turkey during the reign of Ottoman Caliphate, which was ruling the land of Arabia as well. Go read some history. The Green dome and two minarets on its side and the inner area of Masjid Nabwi were built when Turk were ruling the land. They were not ruling just the Turkey. It was the same caliphate.
Now coming back to Ata Turk, sure he is considered "Father of the Turks" but the modern Turks. He took some shocking decisions that had disasterous consequences for Turks such as:
1) He put a ban on Arabic Quran.
2) He put a ban on Arabic Azan.
3) He put a ban on performing salah in Arabic.
4) He abolished the Turk alphabetic system and adopted Roman wirting script.
Go and ask Turks of that era, who after Ata Turk's time, used to get emotional when they used to see Quran in Arabic. Only people who were amused by Ata Turk were those who found Islam a burden on their shoulder.
You should know better that when debating, when you start throwing stuff at the other person which you have no knowledge of, then, you have already lost the debate because you have no better response. Not a Zahid Hamid Fan, that I am. Sorry to burst your bubble :)
PS, none of this is taught in Pakistani Text books. In fact, Ata Turk has found a favorable place in our official text books. This is history my friend, and the biggest lesson of history is that no one ever learnt a lesson from the history.
