A buffalo gave birth to a calf, but by the will of Allah, the calf died. What did the buffalo’s owner do? He skinned the calf, fed the meat to the animals, and stuffed the skin with straw before stitching it up. He placed sticks in all four legs and sewed them as well. Now, this appeared to be a calf. The outer skin was real, but it was stuffed with straw inside. The buffalo accepted it as her real calf. Before milking the buffalo, the owner would place this fake calf a little distance away from her and then milk her. After milking, he would remove the calf and hide it. This is called “Mora” in Punjabi, meaning “dead from the inside.” Metaphorically, an incompetent person is also called “Mora.”

As for “Jhawan,” it is made from the vegetable known as sponge gourd. When the gourd grows large and ripens, its shell cracks and separates when pressed. The seeds inside are used for the next season, while the fibers inside, naturally bound together as if sewn, remain. This empty fibrous structure is called “Jhawan” in Punjabi. When used with soap, Jhawan cleanses the body of dirt and grime. Nowadays, nylon versions of Jhawan are also available in the market.

While religious and political leaders around the world use such Moras and Jhawans, Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh has taken this practice to an extreme. Qualified people, holding degrees, were left humiliated, while Moras and Jhawans were being recruited into government jobs under a quota exceeding fifty percent. Such Moras and Jhawans also filled the ruling party’s positions. Two movements arose against them, but they were brutally suppressed with killings and terror. The Jamaat-e-Islami, which had played a role against the secession movement in 1971, was labeled as a traitor by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during his regime. His daughter, Sheikh Hasina, went so far as to hang those people, who were referred to as “Razakars.”

During protests, the people of Bangladesh began chanting, “We are all Razakars,” and waving Pakistani flags. Statues of Sheikh Mujib, which were widespread in Bangladesh, were demolished. Sheikh Hasina fled to India. Despite her escape, students did not end their movement; they issued an ultimatum to dissolve the assembly full of Moras and Jhawans. Consequently, the assembly was dissolved. They also refused to accept a Mora and Jhawan-type Prime Minister and proposed the name of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate and an international figure highly regarded by the people of Bangladesh and global institutions for his invaluable contribution to eradicating poverty in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina’s Mora and Jhawan political culture had forced Dr. Yunus to leave the country; he is now the country’s designated interim leader.

When we look at our beloved homeland, Pakistan, we see countless Moras and Jhawans. For example, in Punjab, a province with nearly half of the country’s population, a Chief Minister was appointed who was only a matriculate and who would personally visit the police station to free his accused associates. A young man became the Chief Minister merely because he belonged to a ruling family. Another person was suddenly made the Chief Minister of Punjab, who didn’t even know that the European Union wasn’t a country but was asking, “Where is the country called the European Union located?” Such unknown and incompetent individuals have been and still are becoming our rulers. Remember, the greatest corruption, the greatest betrayal, and dishonesty lie in assigning responsibilities to the incompetent in the presence of capable people. These individuals commit billions in corruption and cause trillions in losses through their incompetent decisions. These people come at a great cost to society. The only way to avoid this most expensive form of corruption is to hold intra-party elections under the supervision of a free and independent election commission. The tragedy of Pakistan’s political and religious parties is that elections are merely for show, elections without contest, and the party leader remains in power for life. Important responsibilities are seen to be held by relatives and friends, who mostly turn out to be Moras and Jhawans.

Jamaat-e-Islami, which still stands tall eight decades after its founding, has elected Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman as its new leader. Members chose him based on his performance and sincerity. This election is now challenging the IPPs (Independent Power Producers) system. Although the system is trembling, it remains steadfast. The wish and desire of patriots like me and other concerned citizens is that our Mora and Jhawan system should change in such a way that August 2024 should bring our beloved homeland to new heights.

Most people know Syed Maududi as a religious scholar. Some consider him one of the renewers of the 19th century. I say that his greatest renewal work is the peaceful transfer of power based on the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah, the example of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the present democratic system. He was so sincere and selfless in this that he initiated it himself in his lifetime. He was elected as the leader of the Jamaat for five years by the members’ votes. When he saw that people would continue to elect him, his far-sighted political vision decided that he would not become the leader again, and instead, he would live as an ordinary member. Thus, during his lifetime, Mian Tufail Muhammad was elected as the leader of the Jamaat, and Maulana Maududi became his ordinary member.

The result of this process is that today, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has turned the Jamaat into a public force in Islamabad. Neither Syed Maududi’s relatives nor his sons held positions in the Jamaat during his lifetime or after him. All the leaders after him had relatives and sons who appeared as workers but never as a privileged class. Countries that have developed did so through a transparent democratic system. They paved the way for merit like a carpeted road to achieve progress. Quaid-e-Azam instructed us to follow such a path. Liaquat Ali Khan was a traveler of the same path. In this path, there is no room for bequests for the party. Bequests apply to personal wealth, and that too within limits; the nation and party belong to the people and workers. Their future decisions are not made by bequests but by consultation and merit-based shura (council). This is the message of Independence Day 2024. Ignoring it will result in the Mora and Jhawan culture hindering the nation’s progress. If Jhawan-like authoritarianism dominates the scene, the dream of a great Pakistan will remain unfulfilled.”

Written By:Moulana Ameer Hamza