[Reader-list] The construct of ‘Kashmiriyat’ It is a mix of two ideologies which makes it to stand somewhere outside Islam, analyses Suhail Showkeen “Kashmiriyat” is a word in vogue. Letters and articles are written regarding it. Books and magazines are published

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

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*The construct of 'Kashmiriyat'*

It is a mix of two ideologies which makes it to stand somewhere outside
Islam, analyses Suhail Showkeen

 "Kashmiriyat" is a word in vogue. Letters and articles are written
regarding it. Books and magazines are published for its promotion and
propagation and media is also used to disseminate the theory of
"Kashmiriyat". A number of articles have appeared and are still appearing in
this newspaper by different authors giving different definitions of this
term. But one thing which is common in all these definitions is that the
very term "Kashmiriyat consists of the inevitable elements–secularism and
nationalism and without these two constituent elements the "concept of
Kashmiriyat" cannot be conceived. In other words, "Kashmiriyat" is nothing
but a hotchpotch of these two ideologies. As Muslims it is obligatory on us
to judge both of these ideologies with true Islamic perspective so that we
may be in a position to accept or reject the same. So in order to form any
opinion regarding "Kashmiriyat", it is necessary that the above-mentioned
two ideologies should be dealt with in detail.

 First comes the ideology of "Secularism". In simple words, secularism is a
principle of separation of religion from politics and this separation is one
of the greatest tragedies in human life. It has reduced religion to become a
private affair between an individual and God. It has also deprived man of
the invaluable guidance of religion in social and collective affairs. It
made ruthless inroads into religion.

 It gainsays all the moral values and declares them to be only relative in
character. By virtue of this "Ism", the man lost the real hold of things and
began to shape his own career with complete disregard to the divine guidance
and thus, became an objective slave of his own passions and desires.
Renaissance brought in its wake this concept of "secularism". What was done
actually is that a line of demarcation was drawn arbitrarily by the men at
the helm of renaissance forces, cynically allotting to Christianity merely a
tiny niche of human life in the shape of Sunday service in the Church and of
the rites of birth and marriage and of burial on death. This new concept of
"secularism" was liberal enough to allow Christianity only a peripheral
existence, and too a din, pale and divorced existence from the storm and
stress of life.

 Consequently, Christianity lost its hold and grip for the political and
collective affairs of man and was left merely as a dogma and a ritual. On
the contrary Islam as a complete divine way of life i.e. "Ad-Deen" demands
full and complete subservience on part of its followers. It strongly negates
rather condemns this so-called separation of religion from politics. It
demands complete implementation in every aspect of life whether private,
collective, social, economic or political. As Allah (SWT) says: "The
religion before Allah is only Islam" (Al-Qur'an, 3:19).

 "If anyone desires a Deen other than Islam, never will it be accepted of
him; and in the hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost"
(Al-Qur'an, 3:85). "O you who believe! Enter into Islam wholeheartedly; and
do not follow the footsteps of the evil one" (AL-Baqarah, 2:208). "This day
I have perfected your Deen for you, completed my favour upon you and have
chosen for you Islam as your Deen". (Al-Maidah, 5:3). Allama Iqbal (RA) has
rightly said: "I behold the politics of secularism, the maid of evil, of low
nature an dead conscience". The great scholar and jurist of contemporary
times Dr. Allama Yousuf-Al Qardawi regards belief in secularism as blasphemy
(Fatawa, Vol: 1, page No. 70).

 The second fundamental element of this "Kashmiriyat" is nationalism.
Nationalism, in simple words is a social attitude, which makes nation and
nationality the over-mastering, centripetal force, to which must gravitate
the whole fabric of society. In nationalism, nation is the master of the
people. Sovereignty vests in nation. The greatest virtue is to sacrifice for
the nation and the greatest crime is to go against it. The expression "my
nation, right or wrong" is redolent of a nationalist mind. This redolence we
can clearly see in the following sayings – Mazzini, the protagonist of
romantic or liberal nationalism, could not refrain from asserting that "the
destinies of Italy are the destinies of the world". Fichte went much further
about Germany and said: "It is first of all the Germans who are called upon
to begin the new era as pioneers and models for the rest of mankind."
(Freedom and Organization by Bertrand Russell, pp 405). He further says: "to
have character and to be German undoubtedly mean one and the some thing".
(Ibid, pp 407). Now every sane person can assess what sort of disaster this
type of biased and fanatic ideology can bring to the humanity, as it did in
the past. This concept of nationalism proved a deathblow to the moral code
and humanitarian view in one's individual and collective affairs. The idea
of the unity of man was completely exploded. Humanity was divided into
innumerable units and groups on the basis of homeland, language, colour,
caste, race, class and community. This helped to create a number of
prejudices. To quote Hans Kohan: "For nationalism represents "vested
interests", not only political and economic but also intellectual and
emotional, of an intensity and extent shown by no previous idea. In the face
of the omnipotence of nationality, humanity seems a distant idea, a pale
theory or a poetic dream through which the red blood of life does not
pulsate". (The idea of nationalism, pp 21-22).

 Now, a far as the two systems – Islam and nationalism are concerned they
stand poles apart. The idea of oneness of man is foreign to the modern
society engulfed by nationalism. It has divided mankind into innumerable
tiny compartments of nation, caste, colour, race etc. on the other hand
Islam strongly believes in the oneness of man. According to Islam all men
are the children of the same parents, Adam and Eve and hence, they are all
brothers. The whole humanity is one family and the whole world is one home.
The artificial walls erected by nationalism between man and man must
therefore be razed to the ground and man must be freed from the tyrannies of
division. Islam frees man from the bondage of his own passions and desires,
from the tradition and customs and from the clutches of other men, nation or
other demigods. In short it frees man from the bondage of man. Allah (SWT)
says: "O mankind! Be careful to your duty to your lord who created you from
a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread
abroad a multitude of men and women." (An-Nisa 4:1)

 "And He it is who hath produced you from a single being, and (hath given
you) a habitation and repository." (Al An'aam 6:98) say (O Muhammad): O
mankind! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah to you all". (Al-Aa'raf 7:158). "O
mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations
and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! The noblest of you, in the
sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. (Al-Hujrat 49:13).

 In word and deed, our most respected and beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was
the perfect embodiment of the Qur'an and the final guide to the whole
humanity (Kaafatan Naas). His sermon on the occasion of the last pilgrimage
was a remarkable epitome of his ceaseless and indefatigable endeavour. He
reminded the mammoth gathering before him that all human beings were born of
Adam and Adam was born of dust, that the Arab and vice versa and that white
people had no superiority over black people and vice-versa. He commissioned
the concourse present there to convey this message to those who where not
there. It was an address to humanity at large and it constituted the first
and finest character of liberty, equality and freedom of man. May blessing
of Allah and peace be upon Muhammad (SAW) – the real benefactor of humanity?

 It must be clear by now beyond any shadow of doubt that Islam stands of
humanity, super-nationalism, internationalism and nationalism and
categorically negates and opposes this "new European god" of Nationalism
whether it is Racial, Linguistic, Roman, Democratic, Totalitarian or of any
other type. Allama Iqbal (RA) is cent percent right when he says: "The
greatest among fresh Gods is country, its apparel is the shroud of
religion." (Bang-e-Dara).
 I have taken pains to discuss extensively these two modern ideologies so
that we may be able to form an opinion about "Kashmiriyat" which is the
hotch-potch of both these ideologies and is being foisted upon the minds of
Kashmiri Muslims through electronic and print media. It is now proved beyond
any doubt that this "Kashmiriyat" is an alien concept and it undoubtedly
undermines the basic concepts of Islam on the one hand and on the other hand
it is this tool of "Kashmiriyat" which has been used to sabotage the concept
of unity among Muslims of the sub-continent.

 As "Kashmiryat" is undoubtedly an un-Islamic rather anti-Islamic ideology,
so it is very strange on part of those "Muslims" who have devoted and are
utilizing their capabilities in promotion and dissemination of this alien
"secular and nationalistic" idea. I would like to conclude with the excerpt
taken from the prophetic and pathetic speech delivered by Moulana Muhammad
Ali Jauhar (RA) at the Round Table Conference in London in 1930, just a few
days before death so that it may serve as an eye-opener for all the secular
and nationalists of the world:

 "Many people in England ask us why this question of Hindu and Muslim comes
into politics and what it has to do with these things. I reply, it is a
wrong conception of religion that you have, it you exclude politics from it.
It is not dogma, it is not ritual! Religion, to my mind, means the
interpretation of life". I have a culture, a polity, an outlook on life – a
complete synthesis which is Islam. Where God commands. I am a Muslim first,
a Muslim second, and a Muslim last, and nothing but a Muslim… we are not
nationalists but super-nationalists, and I as a Muslim say that "God made
man and the devil made the nation." Nationalism divides, our religion binds.
No religious wars, no crusades, have been such holocausts and have been so
cruel as your last war, and that was a war of your nationalism and not my
Jehad"

(Pakistan Movement Historic Documents by G Allama 1968 Edition, Pages
81-832)

Seeing Kashmiriyat through this perspective will not mislead us any further.