What is Secularism? — Part I

“Creation of Secular states have neither forced Europeans and Americans to become atheists nor are all of them atheists. Neither have Churches fallen down nor any change is witnessed in Christian missionary work.” 

The word 'secularism' has taken an absurd meaning inside the Pakistani context. The word is attributed and categorized with ideas like profanity, atheism, and non-religiosity. Moreover, the urdu translation of this word as 'La Diniyat' [non-religiosity] is wage and out of context. In fact, secularism isn't just a word; it's a modern method of state craft that has its roots in pre-modern Europe. Today, in Pakistan, calling oneself secular is tantamount to call oneself an 'infidel'. 

This confusion must be solved as history empirically shows that eveery next generation has tried to progress in the forward direction rather than to stick with non-evolving ideologies. 

Following are some translated excerpts from Sabt-e-Hasan's book 'Naved Fikr'. The book gives an excellent account about the idea of secular. The author goes into history and tries to dig out facts and presents them in an apt fashion. It is important to read this book if we want to get a fair idea as to 'what is secularism'

"When Socrates drunk the hemlock, his student Kreto asked him about his funeral ceremony. Socrates answered, "My final ceremonies?!" He laughed and then said in a serious tone, "Kreto! How many times have I told you to you words in their right context, but I guess you haven't learnt anything. Kreto! Remember that using words out of context is the greatest sin of all.

In our country we are experiencing what Socrates said ages ago. Keeping the propaganda of orthodox clergy on one side, even politicians and newspaper editors use this word for spreading confusion. They present 'secularism' as ideas akin to some God send disease such as leprosy."

"Secularism and secular are jargons of pure Latin. In Latin the word 'Seculum' means 'World'. During The Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic clergy was divided into two parts. There were some bishops who lived inside the church to carry out ecclesiastical duties. On the other hand, there were bishops who lived like the commoners. It was the Bishops of this latter group who were named 'Secular bishops'. All other institutions were also called 'secular' that didn't come under the hierarchy of the church. Nowadays, Secularism means the system of government in which politics is separated from religious injunctions, and secular education is a system in which religious text books aren't a part of formal education."

"Secular ideas predate modern history, but the word 'secularism' was first coined by a British professor George J. Holyoake. In founded an association in 1851 in the city of London by the name of Central Secular Society. He summarized his ideas in the following manifesto:

1. The real guidance of man comes from science.

2. Morality predates religion and separately exists as an independent reality.

3. The only source to knowledge is rationality.

4. Everyone should be given freedom of thought and speech.

5. We should try to make this world a better place to live in."

"The objective of secularism is to create a society that believes in rational and logic. It doesn't want to transgress the societal and moral boundaries of a culture; rather it wants to free societies from the wrath of blind imitation and orthodoxy. Therefore, the preachers of secularism have always wanted to free humans from the chains of superstitions. This isn't any unique idea, Sufis also used to say that we should try to discover truth on our own, and discover our own paths to truth hood. We should strive for truth not just to gain some mundane reward; rather, truth should be sought because it ought to be sought after."

"Secularism is based on the presumption that freedom of believe and expression is an innate human right. Hence, man should have the authority to find his way in matters of politics, economics, religion and morality, philosophy and wisdom, and art and literature. To forcefully put one's idea on someone else simply means that former isn't able to give a logical answers to the later."

“To assimilate oneself with nature is called Secularism, and if humans go against the laws of nature they must reap the repercussions.”

“European historians call The Middle Ages as the Age of Darkness. According to them, the age between the 5th century and the 15th century was the period of social and cultural decline”

“English historian professor Fisher is very much amazed by the fact that Italy, which was the bastion of Christendom, was the founder of secular institution in Europe... [But looking this event in its correct historical context], the institutionalization of secularism in Italy was not a miracle; rather it was a direct result of the industrial progress in the Italian society. To cope up with the growing industrial needs of the rising banking, shipping, and textile industries, factory owners now needed a technically educated workforce. On the other hand, the Church was against scientific education. Henceforth, industry owners were forced to make their own secular school. The Church resisted these efforts, but failed to win any societal influence. Within no time, large secular universities came into existence in every part of the country. These institutions were secular, and were made to fulfil secular needs. In fact, there wasn’t any department of religious study present at the University of Bolonia. University of Padua was the most eminent centre for modern thoughts [in Europe]. There were six technical schools in Florence, where a thousand students took technical education. University of Salver was famous across Europe for education in Medicine. The students who graduated from these universities had a secular world view that mostly contradicted with the Church’s perspective.”

“The second most important reason for the rise of secularism was the creation of civil codes of justice that replace the Christian laws. Again, it was democratic Italy, where this change was first seen. The outdated Christian laws were not able to meet up with the demands of modern life; hence, around 13th century law colleges came into existence in the city of Rome, Milan, Verona, and Bolonia. Ancient Roman law was taught at these institutions. This changed the basic character of the judicial system, so much so that Father St. Bernard exclaimed, “The new [secular] judicial resonates in courts all over Europe, The law of God is not visible anywhere”. Even Prof. Fisher, who is a supporter of the Christian Church, accepted the fact that “the development that took place in the 13th century carries a deep emblem of the Roman Law. Those who graduated with education in civil laws supported the State in the internal conflict that was taking place between the Church and the State.””

“Creation of Secular states have neither forced Europeans and Americans to become atheists nor are all of them atheists. Neither have Churches fallen down nor any change is witnessed in Christian missionary work.”

A letter to Mr. Jinnah

Mr. Jinnah playing billiards. Source:  m-a-jinnah.blogspot.com

Dear Sir,

There are two reasons why I'm writing this letter in English. Firstly, I'm fortunate enough to attend a school that taught me to write in English, and secondly because it's easier for you to comprehend English. (Though many are trying to make Arabic your mother tongue!) 

Perhaps, this letter might be considered contemptuous. I don't know and neither do I care. For me contempt means the killing of innocents, which die in dozens everyday in this country. Contempt is evident in the mass migration of Hindu minority to India. Contempt for me is the ever powerful feudal class that controls every institution of national decision making. Hence, I don't care whether this letter falls in the category of contempt or not.

I don't want to write a long elegy, characterising the everyday realities of the land of pure. Maybe, you know them better than me or let me say, these evil realities are now a part of our national psyche. We aren't the secular state you dreamt once, a state like Norway, where the capital was closed down for a week or so in order to pay homage to the innocent children who got killed in a firing spree by a fanatical racist. I guess we can't afford such homage; as such homage would require closing the country till eternity.

I want to tell you how your name is sold by Islamists and Generals alike in order to come in power. How your speeches were amended, how your pictures were censored, and how your ideology was sent to oblivion.

Mr. Jinnah, your own speech in your very own country, was about to be censored. The wisdom you spoke about in your 11th August 1947 speech was labelled as 'too much secularist', and considered a threat to the 'existence of Pakistan'. It was Dawn's editor, Mr. Altaf Hussain, who got your speech published as he threatened them that he'll come to you if an effort is made to censor it. Hitherto, I must say, Mr. Hussain should have visited you. He should have discussed with you about such anti-Pakistan elements. In this case you might have given a clearer elucidation of your ideology about the country.

Let me tell you how your personality has been changed from an English gentleman lawyer into a religious cleric. A daring woman of your country, Faranaz Isphani, made a comment regarding this 'ideological metamorphosis'. She said, "The contrived and Islamist Quaid of Pakistan’s current textbooks never existed." The Jinnah cap sticks to your personality as if you never wore anything other than a Sherwani and that conical cap. No one talks about your Muslim, Christian, Ahmedi, and Hindu friends who always remained your close advisors. Nobody talks about the liberal outlook you had for the modern state of Pakistan where "Muslims will cease being Muslims; Hindus will cease being Hindus, not religiously, but politically." 

Let me also tell you about another phenomenon which I bet will make you beam. The same old religious parties, Tahreef-e-Ahrar, Jammat-e-Islami, et cetera, are now classifying themselves as the saviours of Pakistan! They've also invented a new slogan, which they say dates back to pre-1947. It's something like this: Pakistan ka matlab kia? la illah il lallah. I'm just telling you their slogan, because if you meet them in the afterlife, do ask them that if Pakistan means la illah il lallah then why did they oppose Pakistan? To your surprise, these clerics have distorted history books by removing all references that might prove them to be against the existence of Pakistan. If you meet a Pakistani teenager in heaven and discuss the role of clerics, you'll be amazed when you hear him eulogizing the role of clerics in Pakistan.

Mr. Jinnah, your idea of peaceful co-existence with India has now become a myth. You said that the nature of foreign relations between our two neighbourly countries would be like the relationship between United States and Canada. Sir, I would sadly say, this is becoming impossible as time passes forward. India's insistence on making a nuclear bomb forced Pakistan to make a similar arsenal for herself. We wasted billions of rupees on this rubbish that everyone knows is never going to be used. Sub-continent is land of shrines and sufi; we aren't like those barbarians who killed thousands of Red-Indians in the worst possible way imaginable. As nuclear bomb haunted Pakistan in 1970s, today it's cross-border terrorism that haunts India. Mr. Jinnah, it was a sheer disappointment for every 'rational human' in your country when he or she heard that a Pakistani was involved in the Mumbai attacks. It was sheer disappointment for me when I came to know that a Pakistani was involved in the firing incident at the Indian parliament. Moreover, your reputation as the 'Hindu-Muslim peace ambassador' today seems as a myth. People paint your movement an anti-Hindu movement fought for elevating the religion of Islam. Our generation don't know they you were the greatest advocate of 'Hindu-Muslim Unity' right up till the Cabinet Mission Plan (1946), which failed due Nehru's stubbornness.

In the end, I must say Mr. Jinnah, Pakistan will one day become a modern state. Rational voices, although very few, can still be heard. People do speak out for their universal rights. The civil society is much more active. The middle-class will rise as progress is an inherent process of history. Democracy, equality, and justice will prevail in this land.

From,

A citizen of Jinnah's Pakistan.