Re: Secular Pakistan: ‘Pakistanis should know Quaid’s Aug 11 speech by heart’
Well if you’ve found him to be that unpopular, people must be on to something. What is your objection to this thread. I don’t see anyone commenting on his economic policies. If the separation of religion and state doesn’t interest you, find a thread that does. Secularism involves a discussion of religion, and his regime played a significant role in this context. If you have a soft spot for the man, that’s your personal issue.
What “literature” do you suggest, because apparently the Pakistani state doesn’t know much about itself either. ‘History’ books read more like propaganda pamphlets. According to Dr. Ayesha Jalal, “Pakistan’s history textbooks are amongst the best available sources for assessing the nexus between power and bigotry in creative imaginings of a national past.” Zia took part in this historical revisionism. The 1979 education policy stated that the “highest priority would be given to the revision of the curricula with a view to reorganizing the entire content around Islamic thought and giving education an ideological orientation so that Islamic ideology permeates the thinking of the younger generation and helps them with the necessary conviction and ability to refashion society according to Islamic tenets.” With curricula like this, is it any wonder there is little tolerance for pluralism.
You sound like a counter-authority; feel free to share your 2 cents. Why begrudge the input of 2nd generation Pakistanis living in the West? By the same token, those born and raised in Pakistan love to preach at length about America’s foreign policy, its evil imperialism, its discrimination against its Muslim minority. But they should probably shut up because they’ve never lived here. Deal?
Me, me, me. If Islamists don’t effect your daily life, good for you. Those in the line of fire aren’t as privileged. Enough lives are being destroyed by religious politics to inspire people to re-visit Jinnah’s vision. If you find this thread frivolous and want to discuss what effects you most, start a thread.