Rare Pictures of Quaid-e-Azam.

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah poses with Tribal Maliks in Landi Kottal, 1948

 

When I was young, growing up in Canada I never understood Pakistani obsession with this man.
He's just another guy I thought, and who cares if Pakistan was part of India or not. All my friends were Indian Punjabi after all.

As I grew older I met Indians, real Indians, Hindu Indians, and I saw in real life the visceral hatred they had for Muslims. Now we see the road of that hatred has lead us to the brink of a Kashmir genocide, cow lynching, butchers of Muslims being elected PM and much more.

Now I realize how important this man was to me personally, to a nation of 200 million people
and for that, I just want to say
Thank You Jinnah.

 

True.

 

Champion athletes of Pakistan photographed with Quaid-i-Azam Mohamed Ali Jinnah, founder and first Governor-General of Pakistan, and Miss Fatima Jinnah, after the first All-Pakistan Olympic Games held in April, 1948.

 

A rare portrait of young Mr Jinnah

Mr Jinnah was absolutely on the top of the profession. Therefore, naturally many lawyers tried their best to be allowed to work with Mohammad Ali Jinnah but very few could be taken. Mr. Frank Mores, then Editor of Indian Express, once wrote: “Watch him in the court room as he argues his case. Few lawyers can command a more attentive audience. No man is more adroit in presenting his case. If to achieve the maximum result with minimum effort is the hallmark of artistry, Mr. Jinnah is an artist in his craft. He likes to get down to the bare bones of his brief in stating the essentials of his case. His manner is masterly. The drab court rooms acquire an atmosphere as he speaks. Juniors crane their necks forward to follow every movement of his tall well-groomed figure. Senior counsel listen closely, the judge is all attention; such was the great status of this top lawyer.”

Once a very close friend whose request Mr. Jinnah could not decline came with his son who had just returned from England as a full-fledged barrister. He said: “Jinnah, please take my son in your chamber and make him a good lawyer.”

“Of course, yes,” said Jinnah. “He is welcomed to work in my chambers. I will teach him all I can. But I cannot transmit my brilliance to him”. Then slowly he added: “He must make his own brilliance.” This went into the heart of the young barrister and he worked so hard on the briefs and the law that one day he too became a great lawyer, but nowhere near the height of Mr. Jinnah.

 

You met Indian Hindus in Canada who had a visceral hatred of Muslims?

 

Believe it or not but one of my best friends was a Hindu and he was very nationalistic.

At the time I didn't know what Hindutva/Rss/BJP was.
But we used to get into arguments all the time about Hindu Muslim history.

Again, I was in the 20s and did not understand.

We stopped being friends for other reasons but around 2011 I came to PDF and started reading about Hindutva, RSS, etc.

Looking back, he was 100% Hindutva and he did have a visceral hatred for Muslim.

Why were we friends?
At the time I had zero hatred for India/Hindus so I had no problems being his friend. I still don't fully understand why he was my friend.

 

Sorry you had that experience. NRIs undoubtedly tend to me more nationalistic and jingoistic. Don't judge people based on social media and forums - they tend to attract the vocal hyper nationalists anyway - from Cricinfo to YouTube.

 

After 9/11 the west demanded Muslims condemn terrorists and for Muslims to do something about them.
And we did, countless Imams preaches against terrorists, majority of terrorists were caught due to Muslim intel. Muslims were on the front lines fighting.

I am not saying Internet Hindus are just as bad (yet), but India and Hindus in particular need to confront internet Hindus and take responsibility for them.

I have seen a few Indians argue against Internet Hindus but they are so few and far between.

To this day, some of my best friends are Indian punjabis so its not all lost on my end. But hatred breeds hatred and the world needs to confront them no matter where they are.

 

1948: Rare Photo of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, First Governor General of Pakistan with Leader of Chakma Tribes in the Chiltagong - East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)

 

Choudhary Rehmat Ullah (In middle row second from the right) Member Muncipal Committe, Muslim League Jalandhar in 1940 with Quaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah.
Courtesy : Farhana Shahid