Asslamo Allaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,
Let’s cut to the chase here!
Most of us weren’t even born when the Indian subcontinent was carved up into India/Pakistan and later into Bangladesh. In addition, despite all the discussions, analysis and insight (of the wise men and women) the 3 geographical entities are here to stay.
- Pakistan isn’t the model “Islamic” caliphate and a beacon of hope for Muslims worldwide as touted by many Nationalist Pakistanees, in fact it’s a failed state!
- Bangladesh is no better and has not done spectacularly well after independence and there is no shinning light at the end of the long Tunnel of Bangali Nationalism.
- The situation of Indian Muslims is dire and with each passing day their outlook becomes even bleaker.
So I don’t understand where the Nationalistic pride actually comes from? What have either of these Geocentric Muslims achieved (in terms of Dunya) which makes them feel proud and wave their flags with Nationalistic fervour? I am astounded when I witness Pakistani Muslims waving their flags in New York or London on the 14th of August! I am speechless when bodies are sent back to “Pakistan” to be buried when someone dies!
I have been to Islamic conventions where Bangali Muslims have walked out simply because one of the speakers spoke in Urdu and it was against their “Bangali Nationalist Fervour”.
I have seen and heard Indian Muslims harp on for hours about their “Great India” and how Secular, Marvellous and Tolerant the country actually is and that I have been misinformed about Babri Masjid, Kashmir, Godhra, Gujarat Riots, Mumbai Riots etc.
It is natural for a person to feel an affiliation and connection to the land of their birth but to wrap yourself in Nationalistic fervour and to begin to think of others as inferior and make your National identity the decisive factor is HARAM. Nationalism is nothing but empty rhetoric which please none but the ones with Shallow minds as Arundhati Roy says, "Nationalism of one kind or another was the cause of most of the genocide of the twentieth century. Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead."
A Nationalistic heart is the one is emotional, filled with delusional rhetoric and most importantly lacking the illumination of Islam because Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) said, " ...People should give up their pride in nations because this is a coal from the coals of hell-fire. If they do not give this up Allah (swt) will consider them lower than a lowly worm which pushes itself through khur (feces)." [abu Dawd and Tirmidhi].
Shallow people with shallow minds have shallow criterion!
Compare the shallow thoughts of Nationalists to the deep insight of the Sahabi Rabi’ bin ‘Amir (RA) who said in the court of the Persian warlord, Rustam; “Allah has raised us to rescue whoever he wills from the slavery of (fellow) humans and to make them (devoted) servants of Allah. And to deliver them from the cage of materialism guiding them to the magnanimity of spirituality. And to liberate them from tyranny of [different religions and] systems] leading them to the equity of Islam.” (al-Bidaya wal Nihaya 7/46)