POET Ibrahim Zauq once described meeting an old friend as being better than encountering Khidr or Messiah. That might well be true, but for me, meeting the Turks always feels like such an extraordinary experience. My latest encounter was with Dr. Irfan Nazir Oglu, who recently assumed his responsibilities as the Turkish Ambassador in Islamabad. Dr. Oglu made an impression as soon as he arrived in Islamabad. A few days ago, an event was organized to celebrate International Turkish Coffee Day. Shortly after that, he hosted a ceremony at the embassy to commemorate Quaid-e-Azam’s birth anniversary. This might be the first time that a friendly country’s embassy has celebrated the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation. Such closeness and affection can only be expressed by our Turkish brothers. At Dr. Oglu’s request, I presented an essay on Quaid-e-Azam’s unique leadership style, a summary of which is as follows.
Before moving forward, we must recognize that significant events, which influence history and geography, do not occur abruptly. Nature orchestrates these occurrences, bringing forth a great personality who aligns with the needs of their time, fulfils their role and departs. This cycle continues until a leader like Quaid-e-Azam emerges to lead a great movement to its destined goal. When we lost our freedom, our elders experienced various emotions. The most common reaction was the desire to take up arms and drive away the colonial powers. From Siraj-ud-Daulah to Tipu Sultan and from the Mujahideen Movement to the War of Independence in 1857, we pursued this path, but every attempt took us further from our goal.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was the first in our history to propose a different approach. He recognized that while we had tried warfare, we should now explore other avenues. He taught the nation the importance of knowledge and wisdom. This was a giant leap in our history. When nations face trials and undergo significant experiments, not everything goes as planned. Unexpected events occur and sometimes obstacles arise even from within. Sir Syed’s experiment also faced such challenges, leading to a profound ideological confusion. For a Muslim, nothing could be more troubling than feeling—or being made to believe—that approaching modern knowledge could jeopardize their faith. On one end of this dilemma was Sir Syed, while on the other was Allama Shibli Nomani. The nation was caught between these two extremes until Allama Iqbal emerged.
Iqbal is the patriarch of our ideological history. He reminded us of a hadith from Ibn Majah, which states that wisdom is the lost treasure of the believer, and wherever it is found, it should be claimed. However, he emphasized doing this while staying rooted in one’s foundation. In his Allahabad Address, he highlighted another critical point: the root cause of our problems is imperialism—monarchy and autocracy—and we must rid ourselves of it. He further emphasized that the psychology of reaction is destructive. Life is about selfhood (Khudi), movement, and action, but the correct arena for struggle and the right tools for battle are essential. Success achieved by South Asian Muslims after two-and-a-half centuries of struggle is built on this three-point strategy. Quaid-e-Azam was the leader, guide and custodian of this magnificent ideological tradition.
The path suggested by Iqbal was understood and actualized by none other than Quaid-e-Azam. Quaid-e-Azam taught us that if the enemy is powerful and their arsenal superior, one must rely on other weapons. He showed us that the pen is mightier than the sword, as logic and reason empower it. By holding onto wisdom and prudence, even the greatest adversary—be it the British Empire, on which the sun never set—could be overcome. He also taught us that the power of the vote is greater than that of the sword. Armed with this tool, success would inevitably follow. It was the wisdom of Iqbal and the visionary leadership of Quaid-e-Azam that enabled the Muslims of the subcontinent to overcome two formidable adversaries: the powerful British and the cunning, narrow-minded Hindus. The greatness of Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam is not only reflected in the creation of Pakistan but also in the inspiration they provided to all 20th-century freedom movements. This means our elders were not just benefactors of our nation but of all humanity.
Looking beyond South Asia, the ideological journey of Turkey offers striking parallels. Turkey grappled with similar debates between tradition and modernity, especially during the reign of Sultan Selim-I and later during the Union and Progress Movement. The challenges it faced resembled those encountered by South Asian Muslims during Sir Syed’s time. However, Turkey’s subsequent journey was remarkable. Figures like Mehmet Akif Ersoy, akin to Iqbal, inspired Turkish society with knowledge, moderation and awakening, while Mustafa Kemal Atatürk guided the nation to stability through political processes, not conflict. Under visionary leadership like Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, Turkey rose from being the “sick man of Europe” to a leader in the Muslim world. The central question is, what lesson does this inspiring history hold for us today? History offers these lessons repeatedly. The most recent example comes from Gaza. In response to Israel’s brutality, our brothers retaliated impulsively, reminiscent of the unplanned rebellion of 1857, leading to failure. If Palestine had followed the path of Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam, success would have been inevitable. The core message of Quaid-e-Azam’s 148th birth anniversary is that the path to success lies in knowledge, reason and the power of the vote.
—This writer is former advisor to the president of Pakistan, author & mass media theorist.
(farooq.adilbhuta@gmail,com)
