3-6pm at Ahsan Memorial

Society of Iqbal Studies (SoIS) Workshop on "Ata Turk-Good or Evil". An analysis of the times, ethos and aspirations of the Muslims of the Sub Continent during the early part of the 20th century. How was Turkey perceived at that time, what were the longings and feelings of the Muslims. How did Iqbal saw and interpreted the mood of the times and the aspirations of the Muslims. Linkages with the important personalities of the time, khilafat movement, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Malauna Shaukat Ali, Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Khalida Adeeb Khanum, Sajjad Hyder Yeldrum etc.

Detailed analysis of excerpts of Iqbal's 1936 paper on Islam and Ahmedism related to Mustafa Kamal's policies and their implications for Turkey. Relationship of mistakes committed by AtaTurk in the long term context of time and when viewed from a higher level reveal a different picture. This paper was written much after the major policy shift undertaken by Turkey banning traditional dress, calling of azan from minarets, secularism.

Iqbal's exception to the suggestion of Pandit Nehru that the changes brought by Mustafa Kamal are anti Islam. Why Pandit Nehru was worried about what is Islamic or not.

Qualitative difference between the West's conception of Secularism which emanates from the womb of Christianity itself in the form of duality between the spirit and matter, and Islamic experience where it is defined as separation of functions. Tendency of separation of state and religion as found in Islamic history represents to a great extent the practical side of separating certain functions and their implementations. All such functions are actually derived from the common source of Quran and Sunnah and thus could never be divorced from one another as could happen in the West due to the deeper metaphysical theories regarding the duality of spirit and matter.

It is therefore that many of the Western inspired attempts of introducing in to Islamic thoughts the traits of the Christian version of duality of spirit and matter through sufistic thought as evident in the writings of Frithjof Schuon, Syed Hosain Nasr and others who are primarily funded from the Western Sources.

It is remarkable to see a very different definition of Khilafat Movement in the wikipedia where Khilafat Movement has been portrayed as a movement that was against AtaTurk which is contrary to the 6 points as highlighted by the leaders of Khilafat Movement. Also, the writing, poetry and speeches of major Khilafat leaders such as Mohammad Ali Jauhar. Anti Kamalism was first projected in Subcontinent through the "funded" visits of Khalida Adeeb Khanum and then later by the Pandit Nehru himself.