Secularism is the broader term. It means that no one is superior on the basis of religion. So in secular societies, religion doesn’t determine your identity your social status or your recognition. If you are part of that society, the state represents your identity or nationality. like every citizen of America is American regardless of Muslim American or Christian American. While a secular state is one that accommodates all religions within that state periphery. Secularism is a system of doctrines and practices that disregards or rejects all the form of religious faith and worship. It is basically a belief system that religion should not be the part of policies of the state or public education. In political terms it is a movement towards the separation of state and church which can be referred as reducing ties between government and state religion, replacing laws based on scripture such as Halaka Dominionism and Sharia with civil laws, and eliminating all the discrimination on the basis of religion. This is said to add the democracy by protecting the rights of religious democracy.
Secularism has different connotation in different regions. If we look on secularism by using the lens of the Indian version of secularism and compare it with the Chinese version of it, it has totally different connotation. And when we study secularism through a Western prism it gives a different explanation. A lastly Islamic version of secularism has the least resemblance with Indian and it totally opposes the Chinese and western version.
Secularism in India means equal treatment of all religions by the state. With the 42th amendment of Indian constitution of India enacted that India is a secular state. So there is no religion of the state. So, the Muslim Indian have their own Sharia-basedpersonal Muslim law while Hindus, Christians, Sikh in India live under their common law. While Chinese consider secularism as they negate the existence of religion in any form they promote Atheism as their version of secularism. The essence is lying in neither promoting nor suppressing any religion rather in the concept of irreligion.
In western societies concept of secularism took centuries to evolve. They blame their history was full of wars until their state was part of the church. After the treaty of Westphalia in 1648, which was the result of 30-year bloody war between Roman Catholics and Protestants. In Great Britain it is said that today, you might say with justice that Roman Catholics and Protestants do not exist, what exist is that everyone is the citizen, an equal citizen of Great Britain. This “separation of Church and State” is paraphrased from Thomas Jefferson letter published in Massachusetts newspaper in January 01,1802.
“I contemplate with a sovereign reference that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislatures should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; thus a wall of separation between church and state”. Which latter becomes establishment clause and free exercise clause of the first amendment to the constitution of the United States of America.
Islam negates the definition of secularism as the absence of belief in God and this opposes religion and religious institutions; this view is held by Marxists, liberals, so-called enlightened people (pseudo-intellectuals) and socialites. The Islamic version of secularism is all people are equal before the law irrespective of their religion and the secular law gives complete freedom to every individual to choose and propagate their own religion. So the practical example of this version is charter of Madina. Dr. Muhammad Hamid Ullah, one of the most eminent Muslim researchers and scholars of the 20th century, the Charter of Madinah (Mithaq-ul-Madinah) was the first constitution written by mankind. So, It will be right to mention here that the concept of secularism was given by Holly Prophet in 622 A.D when he formed a state named Madinah. There were 12 tribes of Arabs divided between Aws and Khazraj and ten Jewish tribes including Banu Nazeer, Banu Quraiza and Bani Qainuqa. One of the provisions of the charter was: All parties included in the charter, i.e. Muslims, people of the book (Jews and Christians) and pagans, had the freedom to practice their religion.
A secular state is that which accommodate all the religions. By this definition, Pakistan is the secular state as it accommodates all religions. It is an unending debate in Pakistan till yet, despite that the nation has completed 71 years of independence, we lack concise that either Pakistan was formed in the name of Islam or it is a secular state. If we follow the history of Tehreek-e- Pakistan most prominent name was Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the father of the nation. So, the question is what Jinnah wanted Pakistan to be, A secular state or an Islamic state?
Jinnah neither wrote any book nor he publishes any article in any newspaper or journal in which he disclosed vision of Pakistan. All words or sayings are gathered from his speeches. There are dozens of such saying by which one can prove any side. There is no doubt in it that the constitution of purely Islamic and no law could be entered into force which will be against the Islamic teachings therefore it doesn’t mean we should exile all seculars from the state .We should also understand that constitution is evolving documents it is not a book of God which is unchangeable, it is a social contract between state and people of state, so, we should understand that what our society wants and what are the parts of constitution which are not fitting with the mindset of masses in society. Following objectivity doesn’t means that we should forget our subjectivity.
We should have certain things in our mind like what was the purpose o the creation of Pakistan, what are certain obligations by living in a society where 92% are Muslims and finally being Muslims what are certain parameters. We should learn how to agree to disagree. Patience is a most important lesson in Islam. So, neither it is possible to expel all religious mind people therefore the solution to it is that we should accommodate all the segments of society whatever ideology he or she may have based on equality.
So those who are saying Pakistan in just Islamic state and Islamic states have nothing to do with secularism are wrong and those who are arguing that secularism has no existence in an Islamic state are also wrong. Both should study Islam. No religion is secular as Islam is. And there is no better practical example of Islamic secular state as Madina was at the time of Holy Prophet. So both school of thought should be accepted and work to promote that status of Pakistan being Islamic secular state.
And how it is possible? The only way is to be patient. You can’t counter extremism with other extremism. So both of the peaks should accept each other and devise ways to be moderate. So let’s work for better Pakistan on equal grounds. Let us be better Pakistani, better Muslim and better society. Everyone should contribute to his or her domain whatever he or she could do. So, let’s are united with faith, discipline, and patience to make secular Islamic Pakistan a strong Pakistan.
Illusions 