Whenever I come across this verse of Sura Anfal in the Quran during recitation it seems as though it was brought down for the people of Pakistan: (Sura Anfal Verse 26).

Today when the country is getting ready to celebrate the 61th Independence Day we should look into our past to see why we wanted and received this freedom? What was our point of view? What was the promise that Quaid-e-Azam made with the nation? What was that one slogan that had all the Muslim united, moving and motivated? Because today there are voices in this country that suggest that this country was not taken in the name of Islam. This was done only to give Muslim a separate state and Islam should not be involved in the running of this state rather the majority’s opinions should be dominant even if that means creating a free society which has no moral obligations and laws. However, if we look at the events of that time and study the facts it will be clear on us like an open book that the efforts to separate Pakistan became alive and Muslims from the entire subcontinent started to join in big numbers only after the slogan: “what does Pakistan mean? Lailaha Illalla Muhammadur Rasul Allah!

It would be a big slander on our leaders to say that they tricked the entire nation and actually they took this land only to become rulers and in power. A few years a go when the Foundation of Motive of Pakistan invited me to one of their programs the elders there gave me a small hand book which had all of the speeches and sayings of Quaid-e-Azam which he had repeated on different occasions to convince his audience that Pakistan is being created as an Islamic State. The Foundation should spread this book among the younger generation. In fact the government that was formulated in the name of the Quaid should include it in the curriculum so that the young generation can be uniform in the observations about this country. It will also make it clear on everyone that this country is the nation of the slaves of Muhammad-e-Arabi (PBUH). There is no future for secularism, anti-religion or any other ism in this country. When today’s young generation looks at the past 61 years they dwell on the events and issues and its outcomes and then they try to look at their future in light of the past they feel stuck in the quicksand of hopelessness. Whether it’s the uncensored freedom on the media or the dying importance of humans in the society; or whether it’s watching the poison of corruption spread or the familiarity of unfairness, look at political uprooting or the dictatorship of a man; watch the growing conflict on the western borders or the threats of the strong powers. Watch the deteriorating peace situation in the country or study the constantly weakening relationship between the public and the army. This whole scenario is filled with hopelessness which no so called modern enlightenment or forward thinking can change into a ray of sunshine.

Did we really sacrificed so much and gained this freedom to see this day? If we simply repeat the sacrifices the slight life left in us might awaken. Uncountable women were widowed, number of daughters sacrificed their families, and immeasurable amount of young men fertilized this land with their blood, many caravans were lost. Those elders are still alive you cannot contain their elves while telling us these heart wrenching stories; when they look at our culture, new gained traditions, the customs of marriage and the affects of Indian culture on our media they scream saying why did you separate if you were one??? If you have the same interests and the same cultures then why were so many sacrifices made??

So, should we give up hope for dawn? Should we give ourselves up to this darkness? Or should we become so detached to say that whatever happens happens? Do we want to be the little pricks in a flood which follow the direction of the water and have no weight of their own? But Listen!

Are you not part of the Ummah of the Prophet (PBUH) who was being separated from his beloved Kaabah, the Quresh were out to get his life, and he was heading towards Yathrib in a state of helplessness at that time he said to the man who was following him, “Saraqa what will be your condition when you wear the jewels of Qaisar and Kasrah?” In that situation of hopelessness he was bearing the lights of hope. When The Islamic State of Madinah consists only of area which is now the Mosque of the Prophet (PBUH) and included a dew thousand individuals that’s when Allah gave them this good news  in Quran.

So there is no question of losing hope today. More then hundred arab Muslims in number and, more then 58 sovereign Muslim countries located in the most naturally resourceful part of earth, most young adults of the world being Muslim and more then that for this generation to be motivated and active in this culture of destruction and glamour; these are the good news and realities which keep us from being disappointed. And yes the incident of Laal Masjid that just passed the blood of the martyrs is saying that do not forsake us. Also keep the ray of light that has come through Laal Masjid burning brightly. We have to motivated and move the nation in the same way so that the memory of mission of Pakistan can be revised and revitalized and show our nation the destination because.

By Sameeha Raheel Qazi- MNA