A letter from Muhammad Iqbal to the king of Bahrain: My people who I struggled for are not a mercenary group

2014-03-19 - 6:33 م

To the king of Bahrain,
While visiting my country Pakistan, which I dreamt of and died 9 years before its establishment, I would like to tell you something frankly; a thing that my government - which arranged a visit with your brother, the chief of national guard- can't say due to prerequisite of protocol.

Countries are built on the grounds of their founding fathers, and I built my country on the basis of freedom, sovereignty and independence. I consider you one of those who offended my message for I, personally, chose the name "Pakistan: the Land of the Pure" for my country. I wanted this name to provide my people with luck. I am really disappointed for you making the word "Pakistani" in your country an anti-purism word, noting that I built my country on purism. You abused the destitute sector of my people to employ them in departments, in your security bodies, intelligence and torturing, which know nothing about purism.

I do believe that your people have enough of kindness and affection to differentiate between my people, whom you used to offend your people and mine, and those who work to thrive the land for their children's living with neither corrupting it nor its habitants. However, a large number of those groups share the Bahrainis their rituals.

You, reaching the very top in suppressing your people in the National Safety Law days has caused me pain, or let's say humiliated me. You used this law to protect your throne. It hurt me that you were not satisfied with the group you employed in the security apparatus, intelligence and torturing that you allowed to abuse your people, but you also endorsed all the Pakistanis whose circumstances forced them to work for you to make them applaud your name in the popular festival held by the Pakistani club on 21 May 2011 under the title of "We are all for Hamad".


You made them say what they do not believe in; such as: their total uphold for your entire measures you have taken in Bahrain to maintain its peace and stability, and the Pakistani community willingness to defend Bahrain with souls. When I chose the name Pakistan (The Land of purism) as the country name, I did not imagine that things would end up in abusing some of its people by dictators like you. You used some of them as mercenaries and the others as sycophants, thus demolishing the spirit of purism which this country holds.

I am in pain for what you have done to my people. My message for them was, "Do not seek your means of living in the hands of others; do not solicit aid from any, but resort to Allah. Challenge life obstacles and do not be shameful to your nation. However, I found you at the end humiliating them and replacing my human message with inhuman one.

Do you think that your political naturalization for the Pakistanis would discharge you from the sin of staining the "Purity" meaning, which Pakistan took its name fromm? No! I tell you that this won't discharge you. You have changed the Pakistani community, as you did with the other communities who suffer from miserable lives in their countries, to a functional group, i.e a group you employ to achieve political interests on the account of the native citizens. You are raising hatred between your people and my people; the Pakistanis and Bahrainis, through this act.

I, by the name of The Peace and Tolerance Award I was granted in 2013 in the International Samaa Festival for Sufi Music and Chanting, organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, condemn this abuse which ignites the flames of hatred and wars between people.

I will give you an obvious example about the shame which chases you due to abusing my people. Throughout the first week of this month, three people of the security apparatus were killed in a mysterious bomb next to the Daih region in Bahrain, one of them was from United Arab Emirates and another from Pakistan, your security apparatus and media got alerted for this Emirati soldier and you imposed a severe punishment over your people for his sake, while, on the other hand, you hid the Pakistani's identity as you hide a shameful scandal. Have you noticed how the Pakistani's blood has turned to be a shame to be veiled?

The spokesperson of the foreign affairs of Pakistan, Tasnim Aslam, had to announce in a press conference that, "Those who have been going to Bahrain to work in the armed forces have done so on their own initiative".

I have fought since 1930 for establishing the Pakistanis a land that respects their nation, racial, language, religious and humanitarian dignity. I did not fight to find them standing in lines in front of the slavery firms that recruit them to protect you from your own people.

During colonialism, I worked as a teacher. I taught philosophy and Arabic literature in The Government College University, Lahore, but resigned later for, "Working for the English is so difficult, because I can't tell people what I really want to as long as I work for them. I am free now to do and say what I want." It seems that you still ensure your security through working for the English and you lament for their formal departure, thus, I am not surprised that you are hiring my needy people to ensure your own protection since you can neither bear the free people nor you want them to resign from working for the English, so they eventually, talk freely to the whole universe. This is a difficult lesson for you.

Oh King!

I left this saying to my people, "Give me strength to say NO, give me wisdom to know how to say it and give me satisfaction to know when to say it." I tell you, from my pure grave and with all my powerful presence, fair mindedness, and sufficient knowledge that you are not welcomed in my pure land, Pakistan.


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