There indeed is the contention that is fielded that Pakistan was founded on 'ethnicity' ie Moslem and not religion i.e. Islam.
There is also the contention the Jew is both a religion as also an ethnic group. Therefore, Jew as a religion is separate as being Jew as an ethnic group!
Indeed, if Pakistan came into being so as to not be swamped by a majority, then what was the raison détre?
Not being swamped by the majority can mean nothing but religion!
India is a diverse country with diverse communities, languages, culture, tradition and yes, religion!
Therefore, what made Moslems of British India different, if it were not religion?
If Indian Moslem were worried about being swamped, what made them feel so? Culture, tradition, language or what? Everything in India was diverse, excepting RELIGION!!
Thus, one feels it is splitting hairs when debating Moslem ethnicity and Islam, the religion!! There is nothing actually which is Moslem ethnicity or so I feel, though I can be educated!
In so far as Pakistan and Islam is concerned, the role of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Majlis-i-Ahrar and their attempts to dissolve the fine difference of the claimed Moslem ethnicity with Islam, the religion, requires scrutiny.
Should one accept that Pakistan was founded not on Islam the religion but on the "Moslem ethnicity", then it raises the question as to what commonality had the pre Partition Indian Moslems amongst each other to be taken to be an ethnic group?
Pre Partition India was diverse in language, dialect, culture, and traditions. In fact, the diversity and the different mindset was one of the reasons why the British could rule the country with a mere handful and that is the reason why even the so called First War of Independence of 1857 (the Sepoy Mutiny as per British history) was an utter failure inspite of the overwhelming numbers of Indians. Hindus and Moslems! The Sikhs did not participate.
That the Moslem identity was a contrived ethnicity is proved beyond doubt by the Language Movement in East Pakistan that started practically immediately on the birth of Pakistan when it imposed Urdu on the Bengalis!
The aspect that the Moslem ethnicity is a contrived rationale has been proved when Bangladesh came into being. It should not have happened if blood (ethnicity) was thicker than water!
Likewise, Balochistan, FATA and the problems of the Northern Areas too should not have happened if there was anything called the Moslem ethnicity!
Events in Pakistan's history leads me to believe that Moslem 'ethnicity' is but a contrived respectability being assigned to a religion's motivated existence. More of a sop since it is important to the Islamic mind than being a reality!
That is my belief and I am sure there will be those who will not agree.
Bookmarks