Dancing with Dogs: Freedom Struggle

Freedom Struggle - Khilafat Movement

The Khilafat Movement, Muslim League and Mohammed Ali Jinna were probably at the root of the million-dead and millions displaced during the Partition of India into India and Pakistan. Here is a very interesting perspective on the Khilafat Movement from a Muslim man - Hamza Alavi. It helps us keep our perspective cleaner and tells us again not all Muslims think alike and thus shouldn’t be lumped together with the extremists and fundamentalists.

Ironies of History:Contradictions of The Khilafat Movement

The ‘Khilafat’ Movement of 1919-24, is probably quite unique inasmuch as it has been glorified with one voice by Islamic ideologists, Indian nationalists and communists alike and along with them by Western scholars, as an anti-colonial movement of Muslims of India, premised on the hostility of the British to the Turkish Sultan, their venerated Caliph.1 Little attempt has been made to examine the premises on which the movement was founded, the rhetoric of its leaders being taken at face value. On closer examination we find extra-ordinary paradoxes and contradictions behind that rhetoric.
As for the ‘achievements’ of that Movement, its lasting legacy is the legitimised place that it gave the Muslim clergy at the centre of the modern political arena, armed with a political organisation in the form of the Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Hind (and its successors after the Partition) which the clergy have used to intervene actively in both the political as well as the ideological sphere. Never before in Indian Muslim history was the clergy ever accorded such a place in political life.
The Khilafat Movement also introduced the religious idiom in the politics of Indian Muslims. Contrary to some misconceptions (and misrepresentations) it was not the Muslim League, the bearer of Muslim Nationalism in India, that introduced religious ideology in the politics of Indian Muslims. Muslim Nationalism was a movement of Muslims and not a movement of Islam. It was an ethnic movement of disaffected Muslim professionals and the government-job-seeking educated Indian Muslim middle class, mainly those of UP and Bihar and urban Punjab. Their objectives were modest, for they demanded not much more than fair quotas in jobs for Muslims and certain safeguards for their interests. Muslim Nationalism in India was a secular rather than a religious movement. Nor was it, in its origins, a Hindu hating movement as is sometimes made out. To the contrary, by virtue of the Lucknow Pact of 1916 it had already moved decisively towards a common platform with the broader Indian National Movement and unity with the Congress Party. The Khilafat Movement intervened in that context in a way that decisively killed the politics of the Lucknow Pact. The intervention of the Khilafat Movement in Indian Muslim politics has had a considerable retrogressive ideological influence on the modern Indian Muslim mind that reverberates still in Muslim thinking and their politics in present day India and Pakistan. For that alone, it deserves to be reviewed and re-evaluated.

Posted by shanti at August 11, 2003 9:50 AM

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Excellent post, Shanti :beam:

It is an outright lie that Pakistan was created for the sake of the Muslim minority. Tt was created for the sake of the elite Muslim minority!

Those who could afford to go— the rich landowners, the intellectual elites, and professional classes— went to Pakistan. Not to escape discrimination, but to ensure that they— not Hindus— held the levers of power. Which they still do. No wonder power in Pakistan is still held with the fuedal lords, tribal leaders, rich elites, military, and mullahs.

While Jinnah was busy announcing Pakistan’s creation, millions of Muslims had no choice but to stay where they were because they could ill-afford to make the journey. This was Jinnah’s biggest betrayal.

Enough for today. :mad:

Gandhi and his peers (Rajaji for one. I’m reading his biography) supported the Khilafat movement for another reason.

During the First World War, most (if not all) freedom fighters supported the British War effort, in return for what the British promised would be more devolution of power. As Britain was fighting against Turkey as well, Muslims were chary of taking the British side. After all the holy shrines of Mecca and Medina were looked after by the Ottoman Caliphs of Turkey. In order to get Muslim support for the war effort, the British promised to keep the status quo on the Caliphate and Mecca / Medina.

The Brits broke most of these promises after winning the war. The coming together of the civil disobedience movement and Khilafat thus had the same motivation � redress against the broken promises of the British.

Seems people in india are living in some places having walls that don’t allow those news to reach them which show there true faces.

For you shanti, We the muslims in pakistan haven’t forgotten all the muslim blood that was split in Gujrat and all those burnt unborn babies of muslim women and the dishonouring of our sisters and your “DEMOCRACY” didn’t even change the responisbles of the state. Shame on you and your false democracy…. And let me tell you… Muslims never ever killed massess on the basis of religion… On the contrary its you the Hindus and Christians who have killed others on the basis of religion….. And the history proves it….. Had the muslims been the killers no body would have accepted islam …. Dont you know that before the advent of islam to sub continent all of our forefathers were non believers… And look at the situation now….. I hope you have the courage to face this truth :nice:

I expected an attemp to address the issues that i raised but what i got from you shanti is just a host of issues that don’t show any connection to what i mentioned specially when u very easily stated in your messages that muslims are mass murderers and i raised the point of islam being accepted by masses themselves and they are still muslims…. And for you shama zaidi.. I don’t believe either that pakistan is a muslim or islamic state…. and i am very much ready to accept that the “rulers” in our country are walking on the guidlines of america… And we have a lot of people within pakistan who are working to change this situation…. And i am not giving any lecture to any muslim any where….

But just to start a positive discussion… Shanti and all others who are there reading this message…. do u people have a solution to what is going on right now in this world… All the troubles and inhumane actions taken by the bully states? to which majority of the states are supporting whether these states are of muslims or non muslims… The killings of innocent “humans” (if u don’t like the word mulims) through out the world for the benefit of some big Capitalists in America or Britain…. These Capitalists carve policies and coerce the politicians in their countries to implement those policies…. And don’t think that I am writing this to annoy somebody or criticize somebody just for the sake of it….. I would like to hear a solution to this world-wide problem and not same sarcastic comments….!

A lot of misconceptions arise in Indians about the Khilafat movement and Indian National Congress supporting it.A common muslim in India at that time
has nothing to do with the Khalifa of Turk.It was the
Gandhiji who wanted a mass support.Earlier to the
event of Khilafat ,the British had massacred Indians at Jalianwala Bagh.The Extremist group which had broken from the Congress was getting mass support and Gandhiji in order to strenthen his
base and show to the British Empire that he was the lone mass leader of Indians conveyed to the
Ulemas through Muslim Leaders in Congress the need to protest by the muslims over the Khilafat issue.As per the news item published in Bombay
Chrinicle on 24th November 1919 or 20, Gandhiji was the only non muslim who attended the 2nd Conference of Ulema held at Delhi on 19 to 21 or 22
Nov.Most ironically it was the Gandhiji who moved a resolution in the Indian National Congress Session to extend the support to Khilafat movement and it was passed by cenpercent votes except the sole opposition vote which was casted by none other than Barrister Jinnah who from the dais dared Gandhji to shun the mixing of religion and politics. Gandhiji was successful in his mission of boycot of peace celebration.After seeing the huge success achieved by Gandhji, the pork eater.
drunker Jinnah who can not fit into the defination of a muslim,picked up the the idea of mixing the religion with politics.( The web page of Bombay Chronicle is available).

I dunno where to start. All of you, with the exception of taimur, are too confused. Are subjecting the 1.6 billion Muslims worlwide to be unbalanced or do u believe thast all subcontinent Muslims are either terrorists or elite self centred bigots????? I mean if you want to look at history: look at the years of the caliphate. Umar I’s conquest of jerusalem and his conduct towards the non-believers. Fast forward to the crusades. No forced conversions there; no violence. The advent of Islam in the sub-continent: Muhammad bin Qasim’s extra-ordinaraliy, peaceful appraoch towards the Hindus, resulting in so many conversions to islam.
As for the mughals: who have you ever heard saying that a dynasty is an Islamic Government. The Mughal rule itself was therefore illegitimate. However, even many amongst these were moderates who gave rights to both Hindus and Muslims. There was none amongst the mughals who did not have Hindu Ministers in his Court. Akber even married Rajput princesses. The point I’m trying to make is that Muslims never enslaved any none believers, and hindus particularly enjoyed prestigious positions during Mughal regime.
As for Jizya, just because yours isn’t a complete religion does not mean that Islam cant be a religion+code of life+legal system at the same time. Since Allah had bestowed the government to the muslims they had every right to impose a jizya, which in it self was a little more than nothing amount of money.
Finally what justification can you provide for your mass slaughtering of Muslims during the partition. Waht about those trains of the dead that reached Pakistan with mutiliated corpses. Waht right did the hindus ahve to try and seize the newly obtained freedom that the Muslims had recently obtained. It was an outragoeus, malign act, witnessed by millions.
As for your muslim president…..that was a political masterpiece on your part to demonstrate that india isa democracy. But what power does he enjoy. He cannot over rule any act passed by your prime minister, can he?? And for that amtter, why would he since he is nothing more than a puppet in yor hands.

hey people ,
saad here . im new so hope u guys give me time to settle in . ive been reading a lot of stuff about the muslims fundamentalist and stuff. well i would like to make clear to all of you that the people being termed as muslim fundamentalists are actually not . how exactly do we define a fundamentalist . a fundamentalist is a person who goes to the root of something ( in this case a religion) . but its not possible that any religion can preach the stuff being carried out by taliban and these other entities . so the lable of muslim fundamentalist is not applicable .
secondly i would like to make it crystal clear to people that islam as a divine religion was introduced as a complete code of life heck every religion is . it deals with matters problems of ploitics to daily life . but bear this in mind islam is completely open to changes according to circumstances according to time the example is the constitution of madinah ( i can elusivate my point if anybody wanys me to )
thirdly a lot of different stories are popping up pertaining to partition . well people believe it or not we can never come with the true story of partition . all of them will be biased . so i say that we stop playing this blame game and move into the present . lets do something more constructive . its not like people are running short of arguments but it wont get us anywhere .
hope you pay respect to my point .
waiting for better times
muhammad saad

Salam:
This is me waqas .I was preparing my Pakistan studies assignment about khilafat movement, I read all your comments except taimoor and bilal u all people are fake and liar.
I will give u people answer about all your questions.
First point to think that khilafat movement was purely Muslims movement. Muslims were participating in khilafat movement for securing holy Makkah and holy Madina in favor of turkey than why Gandhi being Hindu take part in this Muslims movement??????
Its true you all Indian Hindus, u have to accept that truth the Gandhi was only Hindu in khilafat movement who take part only just for fame . He want to become famous, in this he provided great damage to Muslims during khilafat movement.
Another answer I want give some one said that only Gandhi was leading during khilafat movement, point to think why??????????????
Because all great Muslim leader (especially Ali brothers) which were participating in khilafat movement were put in jail only Gandhi was out. Think why only he was out???? That is the reason u Hindus making him prominent.
U Indian Hindus r hiding this truth that How Gandhi damage the khilafat movement When Muslim leader were in jail??????????????????
Gandhi on the basis of chora chori incident finished the khilafat movement at that time when khilafat movement was on its peak. U all Hindus also hiding this truth that who were murdered in chora chori and who did this, yes Muslim were murdered.21 Muslims were murdered and Hindus did this.

August 11, 2003

Freedom Struggle - Khilafat Movement

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