State and religion

LAHORE: It is time for religion to be distanced from the state as it is abundantly clear that Pakistan’s bureaucrats, military men, politicians, and clergymen do not represent Islam’s true spirit. A distorted version of Islam is being projected from our country – violence is frequently resorted to and murder is often sanctioned by misguided men in religion’s name.

Europeans suffered for hundreds of years before they realised religion’s emotive potential and decided to separate the state from religion. Witnessing the clergy’s double standards and opposition to Pakistan’s creation, our founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, rightly insisted on separating religion from the state.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2010.