RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL LIFE OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES A CASE STUDY OF BAHÁ’Í AND PARSI COMMUNITIES OF PAKISTAN Abdul Fareed 101-FU/PhD/F08 DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE RELIGION FACULTY OF ISLAMIC STUDIES, INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL LIFE OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES A CASE STUDY OF BAHÁ’Í AND PARSI COMMUNITIES OF PAKISTAN A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Comparative Religion By Abdul Fareed Registration no. 101-FU/PhD/F08 Under the Supervision of Dr. Muhammad Imtiaz Zafar DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE RELIGION FACULTY OF ISLAMIC STUDIES, INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD ١ذو القعدة ١٤١٦ من الهجرة /Submitted on: August17, 2015 C.E Statement of Undertaking I Abdul Fareed Reg. No. 101/FU/PHD/F-08 and student of Ph.D. Comparative Religion, Faculty of Islamic Studies, International Islamic University Islamabad do hereby solemnly declare that the thesis entitled ‘ Religious and Social Life of the Religious Minorities: A case Study of Bahá’í and Parsi Communities of Pakistan’ submitted by me in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. is my original work, except where otherwise acknowledge in the text, and has not been submitted or published earlier and so not in future, be submitted by me for any degree this University or institution. Abdul Fareed APPROVAL It is certified that Mr. Abdul Fareed s/o Abdul Raheem Reg.No.101-FU/PhD/F08 has successfully defended his thesis titled: Religious and Social Life of the Religious Minorities: A case Study of Bahá’í and Parsi Communities of Pakistan in viva-voce examination held in the Department of Comparative Religion, Faculty of Islamic Studies( Usuluddin) , International Islamic University, Islamabad. He fulfils the requirements for award of the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Comparative Religion Approved by: ________________________________ ____________________________ Prof.Dr Anis Ahmad Prof.Dr. Safeer Akhter External Examiner External Examiner ________________________________ ____________________________ Dr Bilal Ahmad Dr. Muhammad Imtiaz Zafar Internal Examiner Supervisor ________________________________ ____________________________ Dr Qaiser Shahzad Dean Head Faculty of Islamic Studies (Usuluddin) Department of Comparative Religion International Islamic University Islamabad التاريخ____________________________________________________________________ :Date PREFACE In the name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful All Praise be to Almighty Allah Who is the Creator of the whole universe and the Benefactor of the mankind. Allah says in Holy Qur’┐n, the last and the ultimate source of guidance: ‘Such is the admonition given to him who believes in Allah and the Last Day. And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out. And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine.’(65:2-3) The blessings and mercy of Allah be upon His last messenger, Mu╒ammad, the Prophet of mercy for the whole world. Minority studies especially the case study of the minorities which are living in the diaspora is a multidimensional topic of research. Bahá’ís and Parsis can be listed among the minorities which are living on this land for centuries before the creation of Pakistan. Both similarities and differences can be figured out between the above- mentioned minorities. The significance of these minorities cannot be gauged by the numbers which is nominal but it lies in the unique and attractive culture and tradition of the adherents of the duo.This dissertation is a result of almost three years of study and substantial research in the field. After completing the Ph.D. formal course, the researcher engaged in discussions with the respected teachers and indebted colleagues regarding the area to focus for research. Thus, the topic was selected. After the partial completion of this research, it seems essential to pay my gratitude to all those who motivated my interest in such an important topic. The researcher's acquaintances proved to be beacons who kept him motivated to complete the dissertation. The researcher discussed the research topic with his esteem teacher Dr. Nabil al- Fouli who appreciated the researcher and added his knowledge to the work. The researcher i discussed the idea with Dr. Muhammad Akram who helped him with his valuable suggestions and offering his profitable time. Furthermore, the idea was also discussed with and explored by respected Dr. Drakhshan who made it possible to get approval for the research topic from the concerned faculty and university. Raees Ahmad Mughal introduced the researcher to the members of the Bahá’í community of Peshawar and Islamabad and his uninterrupted help proved to be a blessing. The researcher thanks, here, the Bahá’í community of Pakistan which did not hesitate to share the specific culture and traditions of the community with him during research work. The person, Mr. Ramin Nabeelzadeh, was a relentless help and he provided relevant books and arranged for the researcher's attendance in the Bahá’í meetings and ceremonies held in Islamabad and Karachi. The above-mentioned name, also, had arduous discussions related to the Bahá’í community. The researcher became acquainted with the Parsi community by having discussions with Dr. Framji Minwala and Farishta Dinshaw. The researcher, also, enjoyed occasional discussions related to his research area with few scholars like Prof. Dr. Anis Ahmad, Dr. Safeer Akhter, Dr. Mazhar Yasin Siddiqui and Dr. Muhammad Sajjad. Dr. Muhammad Imtiaz Zafar, the supervisor, is the most important name while the research. He is the venerated teacher and mentor whose incessant support and guidance played a vital role in the completion of the dissertation. He has a special place in the career of the researcher, also. Dr Zafar showed great patience and consideration during contact with him. I am highly indebted to him for his intellectual competence and guidance. May Allah shower His blessings over him and reward him the best in this world and the hereafter. I would like to acknowledge all members of Bahá’í and Parsi community who provided valuable ii information and knowledge during the research, field work and interviews. All of them are difficult to list here, however, the researcher expresses his gratitude to all of them. And now, last but not least, the researcher would like to thank his wife who stood with him during the research work. Her humbleness and love made the researcher's life pleasant and cheerful through different stages of the dissertation and the children have been a source of constant inspiration and encouragement. The prayers of my parents are a continuous support for me. May Allah bless all. Abdul Fareed iii ABSTRACT Pakistan is a diverse society with varied ethnic and religious minorities. Pakistan is an enormously plural country characterized by religious, sectarian and ethno-linguistic diversities. It has an overwhelming Muslim population comprises more than ninety-six percent of its 182 million people follow Islam. Islam is declared the state religion of Pakistan. There are religious minorities who identify themselves as non-Muslim Pakistanis. The constitution of Pakistan is a safeguard for the minorities which provides religious and social rights to the minorities. Two of the minorities which are not in much limelight in Pakistani society are the Bahá’ís and the Parsis. Both are said to be the religions living in the diaspora. It appears a good case study of the religions in migration. They are living in a very small number in Pakistan but remain successful in keeping their identity. Socially and religiously, both the communities are enthusiastic to follow the respective religious traditions and practices. The status of the social life of these two religious minorities of Pakistan and their role in Pakistani society is not very much evident. These communities share similarities and differences. The differences overshadow the points of agreement. This study is conducted on the social issues of different but selected religious communities and minorities. This study aims to identify consistency and transformation in the social status of the Bahá’ís and Parsis of Pakistan. An attempt is made to analyze the factors responsible for the change in the social status. It is concluded and analyzed that there is a significant difference between these two minorities. This study is aimed to analyze these religions in Pakistan on ethnic identity and on the institutional parameters iv identified and applied by these communities themselves, i.e. the individual, community and institution. Objectives of the study are to understand the history, social status and current situation of these religious communities of Pakistan as well as their practices and socio-religious and economic aspects. Furthermore, the research is an attempt of ethnographic description of the two communities in which the researcher tried to render a ‘true to life’ picture of what people say and how they act. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface ……………………………………………………………… i Abstract……………………………………………………………… iv Table of Contents…………………………………………………… vi Introduction …………………………………………........................ xv Introduction of the Subject..……………………................... xv Literature Review……………………………………………. xix Statement of the Problem…………………………………… xxxi Research Methodology ………………………….................... xxxii Scheme of Chapters …………………………………………. xxxiv CHAPTER 1 ………………………………………………… 1 The Historical Account of the existence of the Religious Minorities 1.1 Introduction……………………………………………… 1 1.1.1 The Muslim Rule in India………………………… 1 1.1.2 British Colonial Rule 6 1.1.3 The Independence Movement and the Creation of Pakistan 15 1.1.4 Formation of All India Muslim League 17 1.1.5 Jinnah’s Vision 25 1.1.6 Islamization and Minorities 33 vi 1.2 Minorities and their Rights 40 1.2.1 Islam and the Rights of Minorities 41 1.2.2 Qur’┐n and the Minorities 43 1.2.3 S┘rah of the Prophet and Muslim Minorities 46 1.2.4 Rights of Minorities in Pakistan 49 1.2.5 Religious Rights of Non-Muslims 50 1.2.6 Religious Minorities and the Constitution of Pakistan 52 1.3 The Religious Minorities of Pakistan- An Overview 54 CHAPTER 2 …………………………………………………..