Religion and myths in Pakistan

[kmailik]

As a committed and true Sunni Muslim I would like to draw the attention of fellow Pakistani's (with anti-Shia attitudes)to some facts about Pakistan's political history. Quaid-e-Azam, Mohammed Ali Jinnah was born a Shia Muslim (he was an Ismaili Khoja Muslim of Gujerati origin). As were successive Pakistani leaders like Iskander Mirza, Ismail Chundrigar, Yahya Khan, Zulfikar Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto (though as I know she denies it) to name but a few.

I have heard many Sunni Pakistani's talk about a Shia (Iranian-inspired) conspiracy against Pakistan - of Shia's controlling the media, finance and politics in Pakistan. This is of course prejudicial rubbish, and religiuos bigots should remember that Shia's are not a separate ethnic/territorial group in Pakistan - they are around 15 to 20% of Pakistan's population, and there are Shia's in every ethnic group, province, division , district of Pakistan.

The whole Sunni-Shia violent struggle in Pakistan (of which I believe both sides are equally to blame), along with other issues like the persecution of non-Muslims, the ethnic division in Sindh, and the perceived domination of Punjab has to do with the explosive and divisive policies of General Zia. This man was so obsessed with destroying the PPP, that he ended up destroying the tolerant and peaceful fabric of the Pakistani Nation which had existed for thirty years before him.

[ehsan]

Too true,specially your comments about Zia.

[fact]

your article was very informative. dont you think it is high time to start afresh leaving behind mistakes already committed by the past rulers and think a new about the ways to spruce up your country.

[Fanatic]

I dont believe that Zulfiqar Bhutto was a shia. The only reason he was called a shia because he was overthrown by a sunni (Zia).
Of course this is something ive heard and im not sure of its truth. but then again i see no proof of Zulfiqar being a shia. And Jinnah, books say he was a shia and not ismaili, some people say he was ismaili but then became a Twelver Shia, althought that is extremely unlikely. But we know for a fact he was a Shia. The first muslim who came to India was a shia who was Temur Lunk. My great grandfather told me that his family were descendants of Timur Lenk. The Moguls were Shia as well because they came from Persia and the Safavid dynasty. But a great difference between Jinnah and the other leaders of Pakistan, whether they be Shia or Sunni, is that Jinnah was not religious but a good political leaders. The other leaders of Pakistan were religious but were bad in the political sense.

[Asif]

Fanatic,

Timur-e-Lang was a Sunni--and a pure Sunni at that' he waged jihad against the shias of iran.

All the Mughals were Sunnis as well; except Akbar who later on became a heretic and created his own deen e ilaahi; the mughal dynasty was started by Babar who was from what is today Central Asia and in those days was called Maawar-un-Nahr (Transoxiana). They were strict Hanafis and were affiliated with the Naqshbandi Sufi Order which is of Central Asian origin although the roots go back to Our Master SAyyedna Abu Bakr radhi Allah anhu. Iran has been a Sunni country until the 16th/17th century when Shah Abbas came to power.

[kmailik]

Brothers I must clarify. Zulfikar Bhutto was definetly a Shia - I once met his English Male Nurse who mentioned it to me, and I was slightly surprised, but all books I have read on him testify that he was in fact a Shia - read 'Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan' by Stanley Wolpert. Nobody can really deny Jinnah was born a Shia, though Sunni fanatics do not mention this fact. As for the Moghuls - they were definetly Hanfi Sunni's, though some rulers of princely states were Shia.

But so what ? The reason I started this debate, was to point out the myths that lie behind the extremist religious thought in Pakistan i.e that every good ruler is a Sunni and that all bad rulers were conspiring Shia's. Sunni or Shia we built Pakistan together, and we should move ahead together...

[Mr Xtreme]

Well said Malik.

[Fanatic]

I still need to see some proof on the Moguls and Timur Lenk being Sunnis. My history teacher told me that the Moguls came from the Safavid Dynasty in Persia. Babur set up the Mogul dynasty and he was a descendant of Timur Lenk. Persia became a shia Nation after it broke away from the Ottoman Empire.