Pakistan-born Canadian writer Tarek Fatah in his book “The Tragic Illusion of Islamic State” argues that Islam has been hijacked by Islamists who invoke the religion for their own political agenda and not for piety or submission to the divine. The book was launched at Indian Habitat Centre in New Delhi recently. Aseries of discussions between Fatah and other authors present followed.
Fatah said that Muhammad Bin Qasim, the conqueror of Sindh and Multan was a rapist and was portrayed as a hero by Naseem Hjazi in his books. He also added that in the contemporary global movement, the Islamists have worked to establish the Islamic state, while Muslims continue to be sacrificed for a cause that rooted is in deceit and delusion.
Saying that India sacrificed its language, Urdu, to Pakistan, Fatah added that the language has affected the Punjabis of Pakistan. He recalled that in the regiment of Dhaka, civil servants were debarred if they couldn’t read or write Urdu. “A 100 million Punjabis of Pakistan cannot read or write Punjabi. This is what Urdu has done to Pakistan. In Punjab assembly, a Muslim Punjabi is not allowed to speak in Punjabi. Not a single school teacher knows Punjabi. Not a single school has the medium of instruction in Punjabi. And these people host the Babbar Khalsa? Look at the contradiction. Is this not a tragic illusion?” asked Fatah.
The author said that the law must not be based on a specific religion, adding that if a piece of text cannot be abrogated, it cannot be a law.
