Adil Najam
This picture is carried today by both Dawn and Daily Times. Dawn’s title is “Still Heroes” and the caption reads: “Bronze statues of Quaid-i-Azam, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Allama Iqbal put on display at the Science and Technology Expo-2007 being held at National Memorial Museum in Shakarparian in Islamabad.”
A visit to the Museum is on the top of my ‘To Do’ list when I return to Islamabad end of the month. I hope they are still there.
My first thought on looking at the picture was to note how both Jinnah and Iqbal are wearing suits here (this penchant of ours – me included – to dress up these guys in the garbs of our desires has been has been quite a remarkable historical see-saw!). My second thought was to wonder what the folks at Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa might have to say – or do – about this. I hope there is significant security against vandalism here.
But even more than that, I wonder what these three men are sitting there thinking about what is happening today in the country they helped conceive. Late at night when the museum is closed and the statues come alive and walk about, what is it that they sit together and talk about?
Saad thank you for the links and the additional information. We have a few Indian readers, perhaps one of them will weigh in on this?
Jabir, you did not offend me (too much :) It’s true what you say, I just don’t see it as a negative.
Grey Wolf was the title of Ataturk’s autobiography and I believe Jinnah’s daughter used it positively. In Germany, “Wolf” is even a proper name (Wulf Grunwald for example). It’s not an insult at all in this context. Perhaps Jinnah admired Ataturk but did not find his policies suitable to the subcontinent’s circumstances. Perhaps he admired him, but had a lot of reservations about the steps he took to force Turkey into the modern age. We don’t really know, at least I have never read a biographer who went into detail on this point.
I can refer you to the Wikipedia article on Jinnah as the fastest place to check this. I know how people feel about Wikipedia but most of what is in their article on Jinnah is pretty much common knowledge. If I am wrong in this feel free to correct me. I am not a Jinnah expert by any means.
For those whose circumstances permit them to lead a stress free life, I congratulate them; this is truly happiness. I think most of us have to deal with many different problems though wherever we live in the world.
This one incident in sixty years does not prove a government led persecution of Muslims. It just doesn’t.
I pretty much agree with everything else that you had to say but this.
The Gujrat massacre was anything but a one off incident. Some of the other major massacres/riots targeting Muslims in India were:
1. Jabalpur Massacre – 1961
2. Ahmadabad Massacre – 1969
3. Bhiwandi, Jalgaon & Mahad – (1970)
4. Aligarh – 1978
5. Nellie Massacre – Feb 1983
6. Meerut Massacre – 1987
7. Hashimpura Massacre – May 1987
7. Bombay riots at the time of the demolition of Babri Mosque – 92/3
(just google up the names to read into the details of these incidents)
As for the Samachar Commission Report, it’s the most recent and exhaustive report on the status of Indian MUslims (404 pages) headed by a former Judge.
You can download it from here
or here.
I actually think the sculptures are quite elegant. I think we should have more. Not only because we should be encouraging arts but also because it reminds people of history. Glad to see that this is being done.
Adnan Siddiqui is exactly right.
Putting a picture of Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Quaid-i-Azam is clearly a sign of a “leftist/secularist/qadyaniat” agenda.
Just read the post, this is exactly what Adil is writing about here!