London
– 31 October 2000
Mr
Altaf Hussain, Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), has said
that he does not own tanks but has logic and rationale. Logical and rational questions should be
replied with logic but if in reply someone uses arms and ammunition then it
means that he does not have any rational reasons to challenge the logical
questions. He was addressing the
meetings of MQM workers in several cities of America (i.e. Washington, Chicago,
New York, Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, Florida, Los Angeles, St Louis, Boston
and New Jersey) and Canada (i.e. Toronto, Montreal and Calgary).
During
his speech, Mr Hussain said that through his statement on 26 October 2000, he
asked seven questions relating to the “Nazaria-e-Pakistan” from the
intellectuals, historians and the educated people of Pakistan. Mr Hussain said, “however, instead of
replying logically to these logical and rational questions, false allegations
are levelled against me and people are being provoked to “assassinate”
me.”
Mr
Hussain said that often it is said that the Army is the defender of the
ideological boundaries of the country.
What is meant by ideological boundaries? If it means “ideology of Pakistan” then what is the “ideology of
Pakistan”? If the “ideology of
Pakistan” is the “ideology of Islam”, then is Islam established only in
Pakistan? Does Islam not exist in any
other country? Can religion be confined
into a specific geographical boundary?
Can religion be restricted to any borders?
Mr
Altaf Hussain said that at the time of presentation of the two-nation concept
it was said that Muslims and Hindus are separate nations. They have their separate religion, culture,
social values, way of living, which are different from each other. That in the undivided India, Hindus were in
majority and the Muslims in minority, therefore, in the event of independence,
the Muslims would become subservient to the numerical majority of the Hindus. Therefore, the one hundred million Muslims
of the Subcontinent should have their own state where they would be free to
practice their religion, faith, culture and their lifestyle. The Jamiat-e-Ulema Hindh, Jamaat-e-Islami
and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad opposed this two-nation concept and argued in
favour of the concept that nations cannot be established on the basis of
religion. Mr Hussain asked whose
concept was proved right after twenty-five (25) years of creation of Pakistan
-- those who claimed that the two-nation concept was right or the intellectuals
who opposed the two-nation concept.
Could Pakistan, which was created on the basis of two-nation theory,
become the nation of the one hundred million Muslims of the Subcontinent? If the “ideology of Pakistan” means the
“ideology of Islam” then does Islam preaches safeguard to a section of the
Muslim population and leave the majority at the mercy of non-Muslims?
Mr
Hussain said a few days ago, an MQM delegation visited India on the invitation of
an NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) to attend a conference. A lot of outcry was made on the visit. Everyone labelled the MQM as anti-State,
traitor and Indian Agent. However, when
the cricket teams of Pakistan, the cultural groups and intellectuals visit
India then no one terms them as traitors.
Is it not bigotry?
Mr
Hussain said that Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Deputy Convenor of MQM, was
detained by the Immigration Department for checking his travelling
documents. After thorough investigation,
his documents proved authentic and he was allowed to enter into the United
States of America. However, the height
of prejudice is that a Pakistani newspaper published a concocted and fictitious
story that an Indian passport has been recovered from Dr Khalid Maqbool
Siddiqui. Moreover, it was also
mentioned in that story that India has issued 30 other diplomatic passports to
people belonging to the Karachi and Sindh.
In this manner, the entire Mohajir nation was accused of being Indian
Agent. It is ironic that those who are
accusing us of being anti-State have themselves opposed the creation of
Pakistan and opened fire at the Kabat-Ullah Sahreef.
While
addressing the participants of the meeting and through them the MQM workers and
supporters throughout he world, Mr Hussain said that the time of test has
arrived and if you want to secure the future of the coming generations then you
have to come forward, think and play your role. He also advised the office bearers of MQM Overseas USA and Canada
to fulfil their responsibilities and further improve the organisational work.