“People who have no hold over their process of thinking are likely to be ruined by liberty of thought. If thought is immature, liberty of thought becomes a method of converting men into animals.” Muhammad Iqbal

Why is it that Islam is so closely associated with the right wing of politics in Pakistan? The ‘liberal’ Pakistani class, sadly, breeds a deep hatred for Islam. They see Islam as barbaric, as uncivilised, and perhaps most interestingly, they see Islam as anti-intellectual. Granted, faith is not a given, it is given (Abdal-Hakim Murad), however. This trend is most pertinently illustrated in the case of Imran Khan, the rising political force in Pakistan. Unfortunately, Pakistan is bereft of modern day Muslim role models to nurture its increasingly young population. Islam is in need of a re-branding, or, more accurately, a de-branding.

As the Muezzin’s call to prayer resonates over any given city, outward observers will, no doubt, associate the population of Pakistan with firm religiosity. Delve a little deeper, however, and one finds an expanding ‘liberal’ class scoffing at the sound of the azaan and ridiculing those who pour into the country’s many masjids. The reaction of the secular and ‘liberal’ classes to the meteoric rise of Imran Khan serves as an ideal example of the anti-Islamic ‘liberal’ trend. Khan is seen by many (expats and foreign-born Pakistanis especially) as the beacon of hope for a much beleaguered Pakistan; but for the so-called Pakistani ‘liberals’, he is the object of much of their vented frustration with (incorrectly applied) Islam. Why has he become so polarising? The answer to this question, I believe, lies in the spurious perception the Pakistani ‘liberals’ have of Islam, not helped, of course, by the ignorant mullahs now shoved into the international limelight. Religion, goes the argument, belongs in fairytales. As a democratic socialist, a British Pakistani, and, most importantly, a (British) Muslim, I find this despondently unfortunate. In the words of Iqbal; God is not a dead equation!

The Muslim cause, as alluded to above, has been dreadfully championed by those most able to convey the socialistic message of Islam. Tyrannical army generals, hateful clerics and celebrity ‘imams’ have all tarnished the image of Islam whilst at the same time professing to uphold Islamic values. The most recent example of this, one could argue, is Amir Liaquat; the Islamic TV host caught unceremoniously cursing on live television. As a dislocated observer of Pakistani politics, this misuse of Islam is very upsetting. Two important points must be stressed: firstly, the political spectrum should not solely be defined by religiosity; and secondly, even if it was, Islam is egalitarian.

Indeed, the Welfare State is inherently Islamic; Umar, the second Muslim Caliph, established the first ever Welfare State, even providing pensions for the retired. Pakistan’s very foundations were built on democratic Islamic socialism: what does it matter whether Jinnah himself was a practicing Muslim or not? The redistribution of wealth, also, is a fundamental aspect of Islam, one of its integral principles, no doubt. The progressive taxation system that Pakistan so desperately requires, therefore, is also intrinsically Islamic, it seems.

Why should a Muslim immediately be dismissed as one adhering to rightwing political beliefs? The Pakistani Muslims need to wake up and revert to the very fundamental teachings of Islam to revive Pakistan. As Muslims, as Pakistanis, as democrats, let’s reclaim the left and centre left ground of politics.