Freedom / آزادی

Freedom/آزادی; a mere concept, an illusionary one, though I can discuss this, a philosophical concept for hours and hours, but let's jump to the political concept; the freedom you are wondering about, and about the freedom, I want to talk about.

You got the idea, it is about today's Independence Day, the 14th of August. Today was the day when our ancestors literally learned the real meaning of Freedom/آزادی, their hard works, struggles, sufferings, and pain were paid off.

Now today we all are celebrating their struggles, sufferings & hard works [that's another thing we don't appreciate them and their struggles, we don't know why they did, the purpose and the essence of this Freedom/آزادی], and really sensing آزادی [though we don't know how alienated we are, where we are heading towards, our present, and the future.] But still, we are celebrating this day and sensing that freedom, which is acceptable and understandable, and we should be doing it and thanking Almighty Allah for this blessing, at least we are not living like Palestinians, we have our free country. [Again, another, we don't know that this country was meant to exist to help out our brothers and sisters living wherever and should be available beyond the illusionary boundaries created and well-designed by colonizers].

Ok, the thing I want to talk about, are we really free? [not talking about a mere philosophical concept, but this, the actual one], Is Pakistan, let me add more to it, was ever and are we Pakistanis, and our Pakistan free?

I am not responding to these questions, I want you to first ask these questions to yourself, and realize are we free or aren't we? I even want you to think about, OK, I understand before such a freedom, what about after that freedom? 14th August, was the day, right? It was the day when Pakistan came into existence, and all that before, what about after that 14th August?

The reason why I am questioning like this is to make you realise that we always talk about the BEFORE of the Independence, and where's the AFTER? We all know the before of the Freedom and the Independence of Pakistan, and have no idea about the after of this Freedom and Independence. We know the history, the movements, the unity, the leadership, the ambition, the dedication, the struggles, and the pain, [though it's another thing, again, we haven't understood the WHY of Pakistan?], and we all do talk about these, but we don't talk about the after. Hmm, I don't even think so, we know what is After and what was after that freedom and Independence of Pakistan.

and why's that? stop for a sec, and think!

Talking about today, today's dynamics of politics, International relations, Geopolitics, our own structure, politics, systems; judiciary, parliamentary, bureaucratic, then the public resources; education, health, etc. keeping all that in mind, and anyone who have basic understandings knows where we are standing.

Another thing to discuss; it's we, just we, it's not Pakistan that is standing somewhere, it's only us. As per my concerns, I don't even think real Pakistan does exist. It's we in general, and again if you are thinking, it's not you, it's the system, government, and the structure, I doubt that.

What about freedom and being free?

I see cultural imperialism, western school of thought, western way of living, materialistic life, and the deadly you. I see sanctions on you, not on Pakistan, I see your school of thought being wiped out, you are a worshipper of others, you want to become, to dress, own, inherit like them. Likewise, I see the disappearance of you, I see your disappearing thought, intellect, your nature, and your very self.

Think, were you free or are you free? Because I don't see you as a free being, actually we aren't, we are being imprisoned, I don't see a being with a free mind, I see him prisoned somewhere. The strangest and shocking thing is, we don't know and understand that we are prisoned, it is not about being free, it is about imprisonment.

It wouldn't be justice to my thoughts, without sharing Iqbal's philosophy and poetry. Iqbal in his time wrote a poem about Freedom, to release Muslims from a prison; illusionary slavery they were in, they were in the same age, as we are, in mental slavery.

Freedom

ہے کس کی یہ جُرأت کہ مسلمان کو ٹوکے

حُریّتِ افکار کی نعمت ہے خدا داد

چاہے تو کرے کعبے کو آتش کدۂ پارس

چاہے تو کرے اس میں فرنگی صَنم آباد

قُرآن کو بازیچۂ تاویل بنا کر

چاہے تو خود اک تازہ شریعت کرے ایجاد

ہے مملکتِ ہند میں اک طُرفہ تماشا

اسلام ہے محبوس، مسلمان ہے آزاد!

The right of thinking free, a Muslim owns,
Is gift or God which can't be checked by frowns.
He can transform the Shrine to Magian fane,
Can deck the Shrine with Frankish idols vain.
Can make the Holy Book the sport of boys,
And can with ease devise new faiths like toys.
In India queer and odd the farce you see,
The Faith is captive, but the Muslims free.

It's not that Pakistan will suffer, it's we, the people who will suffer, and remember that it's not that Pakistan will bear, Pakistan will stay there with its real meaning. It's we that will be wiped off, and those strangers will revive, the purpose, essence, meaning, and the real Pakistan. Try being those STRANGERS.

Happy Independence Day 💚

Jazak'Allah.