In this hue and cry about the secular credentials of Mr. Jinnah it has been overlooked that the creation of Pakistan was brought about by a movement of largely secular Muslims; as the Muslim League itself comprised of the Muslim intelligentsia and the feudal class. It did not represent the Ulema or the religious leadership at that time. It would seem as a revelation to many Hindus today but the truth is that partition of India was opposed not only by many Hindus but even the Muslim religious leadership at that time opposed it. The Darul ul Uloom at Deoband,the Islamic Centre of Bareily as well as the Jamiat e Ulama e Hind were in the forefront to avoid this travesty, however it was indeed the Muslim fear of being swamped by the Hindus culturally and politically which swayed the Muslim masses towards the League. A similar case in point today is the Iraqi Sunni minority which seems to be going through a similar crisis and which may soon start demanding a separate nation if it becomes clear to it that Iraq may have slipped from its grasp permanently. As an aside: the father of Maulana Fazlur Rehman the opposition leader of Pakistan is the son of a prominent leader of the Jamiat.
