The Non - violent movement of Ghaffar Khan proves the Western threat of Islamic fundamentalism wrong.
APPROACH
I have followed Inductive Approach in my Research to analyses the impact of
non-violence on domestic and International level.
QUESTIONS
What was the objective of the non- violent movement of Abdul Ghaffar Khan?
Why was a non-violent of approach adopted by Abdul Ghaffar Khan?
What was its impact on the West?
How far Ghaffar Khan's policy of non-violence is justified a right policy?
SAYINGS OF ABDUL GHAFFAR KHAN ON NON-VIOLENCE
'I promise to refrain from violence and from taking revenge. I will sacrifice my wealth, life and comfort for my nation and people'.
These sacred words of oath and pledge of the "Khudai Khidmatgars" explain very well the nature and objective of this peaceful movement and the very personality of its leader and initiator Khan Abdul
Gaffer.
Abdul Gaffer khan was born in 1880 in the NorthWest Frontier Province of India. He was a devoted Muslim and son of a respected chieftain. Being a part of barbaric Pashtun tribe system which
suffered a tormented history filled with recurring invasions, conquest and occupation Gaffer Khan felt a personal religious call during his youth to serve God by up lifting its people through social reforms and
education. He began his work as a sacred duty. India was that times a colony of Britain and was perusing its in- humanistic and imperialistic policies fulfilling its objectives of occupation and submission by overt and
covert means. It compelled a great human and religious person like Abdul Gaffer khan to take part in politics and fight a non-violent struggle for its people to get greater autonomy in 1929. He organized an action group
known as the "Khudai Khidmatgar."
Meaning "the servants of God" the movement espoused non-violent, nationalist agitation in support of Indian independence and sought to awaken the Pashtuns political consensus. He realized that the pervasive violence of his society was responsible for its inability to uplift itself. He decided to invoke people on religious and humanistic grounds through the path of non-violence in every case towards British and among themselves. The pledge called people to serve God by serving other people that helped people wining self-respect and human dignity. Such a commitment was considered as strange particularly coming from a community historically noted for savagery and barbarism and a close tribal culture.
These "servants of God" in their peaceful movement suffered hard ship and extreme violence by the British Government. They endured humiliation, jail, flogging, destruction of homes and mass shooting.
Ghaffar Khan himself had to spend fifteen years in British imprisonment during 1930s to 1940s. When the British decided to move Gaffer Khan out of town to imprison him else where a huge crowd gathered in Kessa Khani
Bazaar (a medieval style market place) to protest against his arrest .The British army opened fire on the unarmed non-violent crowd in which hundred of people died.
Gaffer Khan and its non-violent activists became
targets of repressive incidents of mass firing and mass arrest occurring in 1932. 10,000 were locked in Haripur prison but despite all such atrocities the non-violent struggle continued not committing a single adversary
against it. They faced opposition from Britain and Muslim League both as were against the partition of India in two separate states, India and Pakistan. Gaffer Khan was influenced by Ghandi's peaceful movement and
policies and at a time he affiliated himself with the Indian National Congress. Despite all such difficulties the member ship of Khudai Khidmatgar rose to 100,000 that helped them to establish the parallel Government.
When Pakistan came into being he chose to live with his people in Pakistan but imprisoned by Pakistani officials for fifteen years. He spent seven years of his life in exile.
ANALYSIS
The
non-violent movement lead by Gaffer Khan against the imperialistic power provides a very good example of a peace full struggle for accomplishing rights without bloodshed and armed resistance. It is a lesson of
tolerance, endurance and patience for the contemporary freedom fighter groups that fight for the just cause under religion. It also proves that if religious values and belief system are truly practiced then it becomes
possible to seek justice and peace. It further shows that Islam has tremendous values and principles of non-violence that if truly followed, can bring peace, leading a group of people to fight for their rights perusing
the right method.
This movement of Abdul Gaffer Khan was carried out sorely under the Islamic Principles of Non-violence bringing the right picture of Islam to the forefront. By the in-depth study of this
movement the Western threat of Islamic Fundamentalism turns out as a myth created under the false interpretation and miss-propagation of those groups who use it in their own personal interest. Freedom fighter groups who
promote terrorism have nothing to do with Islam. They present a distorted picture of Islam using it to attain their personal interest. As for the West, the West indoctrinates phenomena's without questioning them;
sometimes to hide its own un-just policies creating a terrifying picture of Islam, filled with violence. In the light of this peace full movement the justification of violence is completely nullified. It shows that how
groups practicing Islamic values and pursuing a nonviolent policy can peacefully achieve their goals. It is the best effective policy that has a lasting effect on society further proving that the Islamic faith is
universal in nature.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion we have perceived that this case study proves the Western threat of Islamic Fundamentalism a totally wrong phenomena. It shows how an organized
movement with courage and linked to non-violence can motivate people against imperial policies and rule. Needless to say, the non-violence policy of Ghaffar Khan had reduced the ruler's capacity to prolong their rule
and effectively challenge repression. The distorted picture of Islam can be eliminated from the Western minds if the Islamic freedom fighter groups adopt such a policy, which also proves to be the best to achieve right
political objectives.
M.A.(Final) at the Department of International Relations, University of Karachi
