News
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Pakistan’s destiny one with the world
By Aftab Ahmed Khanzada
Before the capitalist system, the feudal system existed throughout Europe and Asia. However, its shapes were different. In that period, the economy was dependent on agriculture, which was obtained through slaves and peasants.
They were not allowed to leave the land they were cultivating and adopt some other profession or move and settle at some other place. They had to deliver half to three-fourth share of their agricultural produce to the representatives of the state or the Barons, Lairds and Landlords.
Forced labour and other forcible taxes and gifts were on top of this. In the period of feudalism, many glorious kingdoms came into existence in Asia like the Abbasi Empire, Mughal Empire, Safavi Empire of Iran and Osmania Caliphate. In that period, industry, crafts, education and philosophy achieved great development. Cultural and artistic activities in Asia were famous worldwide, but in Europe, the conditions were opposite to this.
In the fifth and sixth Christian centuries and due to continuous attacks and rampage of the brutal Hamoon and German tribes, the system of the Roman Empire was sabotaged. Rome was severely looted. The properties of the Roman Barons and Lairds were distributed amongst the tribal knights, who were foolish and illiterate.
They had no concern with education, the arts, culture and civilization. This resulted in Europe being drowned in the darkness of lack of culture or enlightenment. The Catholic Church was the second pillar of feudalism. In the beginning, Christianity spread to the ranks of the Roman slaves and other communities treated cruelly, but it gradually spread further, till in the year 312 AD, King Constantine the First also converted to Christianity, and declared Christianity the religion of the state. Due to these reasons, the effect and sovereignty of the Catholic Church not only increased, it became the richest political power of Europe.
The cultivators of the church were presumed as free of cost slaves of the Abbots. They ruled over the thoughts of the people because very few knew how to read and write except the Abbots. The Catholic Church was a greater antagonist of social welfare and development than the illiterate Barons. The Abbots had been trying to ensure that rebellious elements should not raise their heads, which might cause dangers to the income or thought monopoly of the church.
Many people suffered from the fear of the brutish convictions of the church’s religious courts. If there was any doubt about the beliefs of any person, he/she could be declared a practitioner of witchcraft, a pagan.
Each joint of his/her body would be broken and such people were burnt alive at the stake. Even monarchs could not dare to interfere in the religious courts. Capitalism was a great social revolution, which caused the collapse of the pillars of feudalism, the aristocracy and the Church.
But this social revolution was not possible without an intellectual revolution. Capitalism was evidence that society had outgrown the old ways and feudalism could no longer command the traditional loyalty of the people. Martin Luther and Kalwin’s revolt against the Catholic Church led to half the Christian world becoming Protestant.
The invention of the printing press finished the spiritual and educational monopoly of the Catholic Church. The collision between traditional beliefs and modern science, the theory of the solar system of Copernicus, Keppler and Galileo was strictly criticised and condemned by the Church. It was claimed by the famous philosopher Spinoza that man is free. In the writings of Locke, Rousseau and Mantis, wherein it was claimed that the people are the source of sovereignty and additionally the creations of Goethe, Schiller, Shelly, Balzac, Emile Zola, Herzen and numerous literary giants had changed the old structure of the western system of thought and sensibility.
Thereafter, the workers and students of Paris had taken out processions against the undemocratic activities of the government, but the army did not repress them. As a consequence, King Louis Phillipe had to abdicate.
Thereafter, rebellion erupted in the Austrian capital city Vienna and the tyrant Prime Minister, who had ruled for 39 years, had to flee the country. Revolution also broke out in Hungary and on that day, the people rose up in the various states of Germany.
The peasants ignited fires in the palaces of the Barons and burnt the papers of mortgages and loans, refusing to pay taxes or do forced labour. In Berlin, the riots continued between fierce citizens and the army.
King Fredrick William became so afraid and horrified that he appointed a liberal Prime Minister for tranquillizing the anger of the people, and sent the army out of Berlin into the barracks, promising to hold elections within a month for a new constituent assembly. Thereafter, Austria recognized the freedom of Bohemia (Czechoslovakia). The people of Milan in Italy had beaten and ousted the Austrian army and the city of Venice became an independent republic.
The days of undemocratic governments were over and the social revolution had arrived in every country. Today, Europe is the most independent and developed continent of the world. On the other hand, today’s Pakistan is still standing where it was centuries ago. In Pakistan, some elements have been using the name of Islam for fulfillment of their objectives.
They have been propelling the fire of extremism and terrorism and urging a particular interpretation of the faith to be imposed upon the whole country. They don’t think others as Muslim except themselves. These particular elements have been trying to make the people of Pakistan hostage through extremism.
In the history of Pakistan, these elements have been inflicting losses on the people of Pakistan in all sorts of shape. These elements have been using fear and intolerance with great skill. These elements, running politics in the name of religion, used to combine each matter with the US for particular objectives, but they forget that they have been trying to destabilise the most important Muslim country, Pakistan. Today, Pakistan is standing at the most important turn.
On one side, the extremists have been clashing with Pakistani society and want to keep it under their thumb, and on the other, there are the serious problems of inflation, unemployment, poverty and illiteracy.
In this situation, we can only make Pakistan a welfare-oriented, independent and peaceful country only by implementing the principles of the Quaid-e-Azam and side by side, we would have to stand up against extremism, use of force, tyranny, terrorism, barbarism and horror. Now this war has entered a decisive stage.
The people of Pakistan will not allow anyone to snatch their freedom. Those persons who want to separate the people of Pakistan from the world brotherhood, their defeat has become their fortune, because in all conditions, the final victory will be gained by the people, as it has been gained by the people of Europe.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk