Urdu (Allama Iqbal):
In taaza khudaon mein bada sub se watan hai
jo pairhan iss ka hai, woh mazhab ka kafan hai
English Translation:
Among these new gods, the greatest is the Nation!
Its garment is the shroud of Religion.
Bengali Rendering:
“Among the new gods, ‘Nation’ is the greatest,
And its garment is the very shroud of Faith!”
Thus the pressing question arises: can one truly be patriotic while holding such a belief?
Table of Contents
Nationalism in the Writings of Pakistani Intellectuals
Within the writings, sermons, and fatwas of Pakistan’s ideological intellectuals, one repeatedly encounters—
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A deep-seated disdain for nationalism,
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An effort to equate patriotism with shirk (polytheism).
And since, according to Islamic Shariah, shirk is considered a sin graver than murder, their argument inevitably concludes that jihad against nationalists becomes a religious obligation.
1971: Carnage in the Name of Islam
In 1971, the killing of Bangladeshis, the unspeakable atrocities against women, and the plundering of our wealth—all were carried out by Pakistanis in the name of Islam. Their clerics declared:
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Such actions were a religious duty,
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We, the Bengalis, were kafir (infidels),
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Our mothers, sisters, and property were lawful spoils of war (ghanīmah).
As a Muslim, these interpretations tormented me for years:
How could fellow Muslims be branded as kafir? How could our women and wealth be treated as war booty?
Iqbal, Maududi, and the Search for Ideological Roots
Through reading the works of Allama Iqbal, Abul A’la Maududi, and Dr Yasir, the matter gradually became clearer. Recently, I revisited two pamphlets by Maududi, written in the 1920s on Turkish nationalism, which further crystallised the picture.
The conclusion I reached is stark:
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Followers of this creed can never be genuine patriotic Bangladeshis.
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Conversely, true patriotic Bangladeshis can never, in their eyes, be authentic Muslims.
The Pretence of Patriotism
When adherents of this ideology speak of patriotism, it is, in truth, nothing more than pretence. And they even justify this pretence through Shariah:
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In times of war, deceiving the enemy to save one’s life is permissible.
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Hence, the performance of patriotism too becomes licit.
The Deeper Conflict
This tension is not merely political; it is profoundly ideological and theological. For those shaped by the Pakistani worldview, patriotism and Muslim identity cannot coexist.