Independence Day - United States

[EagleEyes]

Good question.

Just trying to understand your question.
you meant ask if "Pakistani government BELIEVES in ths (below)"? is that the question?

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government,
laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form,
as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness

Yes, that is the question.

 

[FaujHistorian]

Yes, that is the question.

Based on my understanding, it believes in parts of it but not whole.

The reason is simple.

American declaration was adapted from Greek and British philosophers.

If you look at the part that says.

----- unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Life, liberty, and happiness was added by Thomas Jefferson.
this is based on John Lock's philosophy. Locke defined what he said "Natural Rights". and he included in those rights "Life, Liberty, and Property"


Pakistani founding fathers didn't get to write such things. I have not seen clear references to Locke in the writings of Jinnah and Liaqat.

However Jinnah's approach was somewhat similar. As we can see his life as super rich gentleman.

But Liaqat Ali Khan wasn't smart enough to use Locke. Instead he relied on Arab philosophy of islamist approach in his "qarardade Maqasid" or "Objectives Resolution"

As per wiki, the Objectives Resolution proclaimed the following principles:

• Sovereignty belongs to Allah alone but He has delegated it to the state of Pakistan through its people for being exercised within the limits prescribed by Him as a sacred trust.
  
• The state shall exercise its powers and authority through the chosen representatives of the people.
  
• The principles of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice, as enunciated by Islam, shall be fully observed.
  
• Muslims shall be enabled to order their lives in the individual and collective spheres in accordance with the teachings of Islam as set out in the Quran and Sunnah.
  
• Adequate provision shall be made for the minorities to freely profess and practice their religions and develop their cultures.
  
• Pakistan shall be a federation.
  
• Fundamental rights shall be guaranteed.
  
• The judiciary shall be independent

As soon as we added Quran and sunnah in our declaration, it lost its value for the goals stated within it.

 

[KingMamba]

That's a complete misrepresentation. In fact, it was religious leaders and religious people who argued for slavery in most cases. There were some religious groups that opposed slavery, but everybody who supported slavery were strongly religious. Passages from the bible were quoted to argue that god intended slavery to exist. Mostly it was the freethinkers who sided with the abolitonists, and argued that the notion of universal human rights should trump anything in religious texts. That fine orator and thinker and non confirmist, Robert Ingersoll, also called "The great agnostic", and a sharp critic of religion, was one of the strongest proponents of abolishing slavery, and arguing for complete equality of the races - that part didn't happen for at least a century more. He was far ahead of his time. Religious groups had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the new era of equality.

His famous address to coloured people:
http://antislavery.eserver.org/legacies/address-to-the-colored-people/ingersoll.pdf


In any case, I don't want to dwell on that subject here, since the thread is about celebrating USA's independence day. Happy (belated) independence day to all Americans - it is one of the greatest nations to have arisen in modern times. May the next generation take it to even greater heights.

You are right, in US history class they do touch on the religious angle that was used to justify slavery.

Happy Belated 4th of July to all.