The 49th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on December 28, 2018, on the theme of “Jinnah’s Vision for Social Cohesion”.
The show began with the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s well known address to the Constituent Assembly in the port city of Karachi on 11 August 1947, three days before the creation of Pakistan, “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state”.
The first guest on show, Mr. Zulfiqar, a lecturer of Pakistan Studies in Islamia College Peshawar, noted that Jinnah advocated for human rights all his life as he was not just the leader of Muslims but the leader of humanity. He always believed in inclusion at all stages of his struggle and promoted the idea that Muslims are one nation and they are different from others. Jinnah’s historical speech on August 11, 1947 envisaged a tolerant Pakistan with the inclusion of the communities of all faiths with equal rights. His vision was to preserve the identity of each culture and province while treating them equally. We need to teach our youth about why and how Jinnah was successful in achieving his mission. He believed in women’s equal participation in the development of the country. He often said that if my sister was not there, I would not have done what I did. Given the ideals enshrined in Jinnah’s vision, state of Pakistan should ensure equal citizenry and work towards a society free from discrimination, ensure social inclusion, build social capital and provide equal opportunities for social mobility to the people.
The second guest on show, Ms. Hina emphasized that youth needs to learn from Quaid’s vision of democracy. Unity is the binding factors in any society and prerequisite for peacebuilding. She further added that his 11th August speech clearly talks about religious freedom, rule of law, and a society free of corruption and nepotism. Religious and cultural biases are the major hurdles in forming cohesion in a society.
About Ulasi Taroon
Ulasi Taroon is a counter radicalization initiative of Center for Research and Security Studies that aims to address the radicalization challenges, extremist ideologies and foster social cohesion through a discourse anchored in the core constitutional values which are fundamentally essential prerequisites for social peace and harmony. The endeavor aims to cultivate and sensitize the people of KP in the core values in the Pakistani constitution and our social contract. It’s an attempt to highlight the criticality of abiding by these ideals – such as adherence to rule of law, primacy and sanctity of constitution, equal citizenry, responsible citizenship, respect for fundamental human rights, tolerance for diversity and different opinions, inclusive democracy and good governance – as a measure of fostering social cohesion and peaceful co-existence.