Why not Islamic Secularist State?

by Salman Asghar on September 12, 2009

French lawmakers have argued that that burka undermines secularism and women's rights

The definition of secular state as per
Wikipeda is as follows:

A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state or country is officially neutral in matters of religion, neither supporting nor opposing any particular religious beliefs or practices. A secular state also treats all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and does not give preferential treatment for a citizen from a particular religion over other religions. Most often it has no state religion or equivalent

Well some people are of the view that Pakistan is a community where lives of individuals are… driven by religion! Pakistani community comprises of two different types of mindsets, the religious mindset and non -religious and both want to be dominated, want to come in power and want their own rules to be applied on the community. By non religious I don’t mean Atheism.

Secularism may be accepted in a Christian society but it can never enjoy a general acceptance in an Islamic society. Christianity is devoid of a shari`ah or a comprehensive system of life to which its adherents should be committed.

There is another class of people who says that there should be secularism in Pakistan as long as it doesn’t introduce any anti-Islamic propaganda. People in Pakistan have an excuse to kill other people in the name of Islam. People do not know how to follow Islam, no religion is bad. The problem is with the followers. Pakistan is a country having Muslims as majority and on the other hand they are not following Islam as they should so being a secular or non-secular state wont have any effect on them!
Talking about un-Islamic things, we don’t even have to do that here in Pakistan. 12 year olds can go up to a khoka and buy a cigarette, that is a bad thing as bad is taking wine. One can get a wine very easily in Pakistan. This is our Islamic Republic!

Lets take the example of Taliban due to which Pakistan was merely declared a failed state. Why?? Just because they were of the view that being an Islamic State, the rules governing are not that of Islam/ shari`ah! Now the version of Islam they wanted to introduce was not even excepted by the religious parties! Means they got contradictions among them selves and both were not ready to excepted each others rule of law!

Allah says:
2:256 There is no compulsion in religion, for the right way is clearly from the wrong way. Whoever therefore rejects the forces of evil and believes in God, he has taken hold of a support most unfailing, which shall never give way, for God is All Hearing and Knowing.

Some people rise question that what does a religion has to do with state affairs?
There are laws which can be generated by people of different religion for a state and can be proven better then religious laws!

Now those in favor of religious state says Pakistan was created on a basis of ideology, by pursuing the religious minds we are defending that ideology, where as being secular its just like becoming silent and silence contribute to no cause.

A Secular State is Anti Religion and then alcohal, prostitution and other anti-Islamic stuff will be implemented. Thats why I don’t like it

Legalising alchohol, prostitution and anit-Islamic laws is not a compulsion for a society to be called a secular society.

Secularism is NEUTRAL. People are mixing Secularism and Communism. Communists are anti religion. Secularism does not mean legalized alcohol or legalized prostitution. Parliament would still have the power to create legislation. Weather they legalize alcohol or not, that is completely up to them.
Such a socialistic system should be introduced where the individuals when tried should be according to their respective religions. At the same time the state’s interference in a person’s religion should be minimal. In secular state if after a certain age, a man wants to consume alcohol, its his faith, his own grave he will punished for his sins, why should government be worried? But on the other hand there are many reasons behind the bloodshed but the masterminds influence, brainwash and make them do the suicide bombing in the name of Islam.

Famous muslim scholor Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi says:
For Muslim societies, the acceptance of secularism means something totally different; i.e. as Islam is a comprehensive system of worship (`ibadah) and legislation (Shari`ah), the acceptance of secularism means abandonment of Shari`ah, a denial of the divine guidance and a rejection of Allah’s injunctions; It is indeed a false claim that Shariah is not proper to the requirements of the present age. The acceptance of a legislation formulated by humans means a preference of the humans’ limited knowledge and experiences to the divine guidance: “Say! Do you know better than Allah?” (2:140).

From ‘Al-Hulul al Mustawradah wa Kayfa Jaat `alaa Ummatina’
(”How the Imported Solutions Disastrously Affected Our Ummah”), pp 113-4

So again, middle of no where!

Cant we have an Islamic Secularist State?

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

usman zahid September 13, 2009 at 5:48 am

nice article . The problems we are facing today are self created. If we can make ourselves a better person and better muslim then i dont think being a secular state or an islamic state will affect us.

Salman Asghar September 13, 2009 at 6:56 am

Exactly, thats what I have tried to convey that name doesn’t matter! The thing that matter is how we live and how do we follow Islam!

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