This is a special edition issue for the 75th Independence Day of Pakistan. It also serves to remember the 100th Hijri year anniversary of the defeat of the Ottoman Caliphate.
"When the idea of Pakistan was born, it was the Khilafat Movement before it that gave birth to this national movement." boomed the Sultan of Pakistan. It was with these words, that the side conversations of the leaders of the Islamic World began to dwindle. They looked up to the central stage for the first time, their glassy eyes turned anew. It was as if for the first time today that the other Heads of State and Heads of Government paid attention to the happenings at the United Nations. The Sultan of Pakistan had called an international summit between the leaders of the Muslims, specifically on the eve of the 75th Independence Day of Pakistan. Ironically, it was only with the presence of the Sultan himself, that did anyone heed even a grain of attention at the event.
"The national ethos of the Islamic Federation of Pakistan has always been Islam. The energy that hastened through our citizenry in the final days of the Ottoman Caliphate is the same energy that inked the Pakistan Resolution in Lahore, the same energy that lifted the very first flag of an independent Pakistan in Karachi, and the same energy that pulled the initial trigger in defense of our Muslim brothers and sisters in Kashmir." The Sultan of Pakistan continued, "If you take that energy out of the souls, hearts, and minds of our people, then you have killed Pakistan, and erased any importance behind what it means to be a Pakistani." he shouted. "Remember this O Muslims, we may be proud of our dear Indus Valley, but Pakistan is not a geographical place. It is not represented in its purest form- its most pak form- by a village, city, or province, nor a flag, emblem, or anthem. No, rather we are guided by the Quran and Sunnah, and the meaning of Pakistan has always been and will always be La Ilaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah."
The auditorium fell completely silent, to the extent that even the rhythm of a heartbeat could dance across the walls of the room. The Sultan paused to sit down and take three sips of water, as per the Sunnah. When he arose, he continued. "We have always derived our importance- our divine mission- from our service to our Lord and the Ummah of his Final Messenger. The guided among us care neither for ethno-nationalism, nor irredentism, nor the glories of this dunya. But I know I do not have to remind all of you of this fact. If my words were of a false nature, then we would not be the only ethnic federation within the entire Islamic World." It was with this sentence that a number of the Muslim leaders lowered their head in shame, upon the reminder of their failure to unite, let alone mitigate the bloodshed between their brothers in faith.
"Nearly half a year ago marked one hundred Hijri years since the collapse of our unifying anchor, the dear Ottoman Caliphate. Shame on all of us for allowing this century of weakness to transpire." he shouted. "We, as a collective and once powerful force, have for far too long been disunited. This modern pride within our Islamic lands is a cancer and a curse. Tell me, my brothers, do you wish to be a king of nothing? Is your status so important, that you will gladly watch our civilization shrivel and die over the preservation of your title and your wealth? If there is anything you should ponder after this meeting, then ponder this."
"In 1933, one of our greatest founding fathers, Choudhry Rahmat Ali, coined the term Pakistan. He meant for this special name to be a unifying acronym between the regions of Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh, and Balochistan. Today, you may identify Islamabad within this acronym as well." the Sultan of Pakistan stated. "Now, I propose that inline with our pursuit of service towards the Muslims and our One God, we look at this name through a new set of eyes. There are eight principal regions within the Islamic World", the Pakistani leader mentioned. He began to list the following eight regions:
- Persia
- Arabia
- Khaleej
- India
- Sahara
- Turkestan
- Anatolia
- Nusantara
"It is as I said earlier. Pakistan is not a place. You can not burn its forests, nor can you salt its fields." The Sultan paused, seemingly to make a brief prayer. "I realize with upmost clarity, now more than ever, that it is from the east we will regain our civilizational strength. In the days to come, Inshallah, Pakistan will mobilize its resources towards the weakest and wariest among us. You did not ask me to be your leader, nor did I invite you here to coronate myself as your Caliph. However, God has granted us a pure intention, and it is my role to cultivate this into an honest effort from now until the time of the Mahdi. Your diplomatic offices will receive more information shortly, but until then, I hope you will join my call for a renewed Islamic partnership. I will see you all soon. Islam Zindabad."