State of Medina
By ColonelRiaz Jafri (Retd)
Westridge, Rawalpindi
Many media representatives and politicians in the opposition camp chide Prime Minister Imran Khan for not establishing his promised State of Medina in Pakistan. During a TV talk show today with MNA Dr Ramesh, who was not allowed to table a motion in the House banning alcohol for non-Muslims, anchor SaleemSaafi time and again brought the question if alcohol was allowed to be consumed by non-Muslims in the State of Medina, thereby implying that it should be banned in Pakistan as well. He had garnered the support of Allama Ashrafi, who naturally had to side with the anchor. However, the Minister of Information Ch. Fawad was of the view that it was a non-issue and should be left to the discretion of the non-Muslims.
If such a bill were allowed, it could lead to many other bills pertaining to gender segregation at work places, co-education, banning male doctors from treating female patients, not allowing women to go anywhere without a mahram, etc. The Minister also clarified that by making Pakistan a State like Medina doesn’t call for introducing theocracy in Pakistan.
I am of the view that what Imran Khan meant was that there should be a rule of law that is equally applicable to all citizens of the state to ensure justice and fair play for all. This concept was given in the Meesaq e Medina: all citizens irrespective of their faith, cast and creed were ONE Ummah and were to be treated alike. All the tribes of Muslims (Mohajir and Ansars), 9 tribes of the Jews, Christians and others except the non-believers (mushrakeen) were termed as “Ummat e Wahida” – one ummah in the Meesaq. And this concept of Ummat e Wahida – One Nation - comprising of Muslims and non-Muslims (believers) was given by no other than the Holy Prophet (SAW) himself. By the same token, all people of Pakistan - Muslims and non-Muslims - constitute ONE Ummah. This is exactly what the Quaid said in his August 11, 1947 speech to the First Constituent Assembly of Pakistan:
“You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed - that has nothing to do with the business of the State. ….. Now, I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the state.”
And probably this is what Prime Minister Imran Khan is striving at, or he must.
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