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    A Discussion on Dr Mujeeb Afzal's book: Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian Muslims

    Written by: Staff Report
    Posted on: October 14, 2014 | | 中文

    A Discussion on Dr Mujeeb Afzal's book Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian Muslims

    The Pakistan-China Institute recently hosted the launch of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian Muslims, authored by Dr Muhammad Mujeeb Afzal, who was also present on the occasion. Discussants at the event included historian Dr. Ilhan Niaz and Professor Rasul Bakhsh Rais, Director General of the Institute of Strategic Studies, while the moderator of the event was Dr. Dushka Saiyid, Editor Youlin.

    Dr. Rasul Bakhsh initiated the discourse and said that he was intrigued by Mujeeb Afzal’s discussion of the fact that Muslims are confronted with the challenge of losing their culture, identity and influence and how the rise of Hindu nationalism has contributed to this challenge. He opined that participation by Muslims in Hindu rituals and cultural practices does not necessarily mean that they are being Hinduized, as they may simply be taking part in Hindu cultural practices by choice. He said that he has great faith in India protecting its minorities, and even if there is a strong Hindu nationalist ideology, it is still a pluralist democratic society.

    Discussion - Book - Mujeeb Afzal - Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian Muslims

    Dr. Mujeeb Afzal & Professor Naeem Qureshi                      Discussants Professor Rasul Bakhsh Rais & Dr. Ilhan Niaz

    Dr. Ilhan Niaz praised the book and urged all Pakistanis to read it, regarding it as an important piece of scholarship on a neglected topic in Pakistan’s academia. He said that a number of people in Pakistan claim to be experts on global politics and India, but so far there has been no serious attempt to understand India’s history or its evolutionary process by any Pakistani. Mujeeb Afzal, he argued, boldly engages with this topic, providing an insight into Indian history, politics and democracy. Dr. Niaz discussed how the emergence of a dominant Hindu identity in India is problematic for Muslims, and why attempts by the BJP to integrate Muslims into Hindu nationalism have been unsuccessful.

    Mujeeb Afzal, the author, also participated in the discussion and talked about identity construction and the misconceptions associated with it. He argued that Indian identity is based on duality, and there is no such thing as a single “Indian” identity. He also distinguished between Indian nationalists and Hindu nationalists, and explained that most people mistakenly tend to use these terms interchangeably.

    Discussion - Book - Mujeeb Afzal - Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian Muslims

    Professors Rasul Bakhsh Rais, Ijaz Hussain, Rafique Afzal and Naeem Qureshi

    While discussing the recent elections in India he said that Hindu nationalists were no longer dependent on Muslims to come to power, and had acquired a certain kind of legitimacy. He added that perhaps an important reason for the BJP’s recent success is that this time they have placed greater emphasis on populism and less on ideology, and their future power is sure to affect Muslims. Homogenization, he argued, may be successful and Muslims may be integrated as “Hindu Muslims” rather than as Indian Muslims.

    Dr. Dushka Saiyid, the moderator, commented that Indian Muslims were the biggest losers of the partition of the Indian sub-continent. She opined that Muslims are responding to what they perceive as a threat to their identity and culture, but have a tendency to be inward looking when faced by the challenges of modernity. She gave the example of Jews in the USA, a minority whose influence was out of all proportion to their numbers.

    The event was attended by a number of prominent academics, including Professors Naeem Qureshi, Rafique Afzal and Ijaz Hussain.

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    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021