The Post 9/11 Enlightenment of Pakistan: An Analysis of Musharraf’s Policy Perspective

Abstract

Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan and Allama Iqbal were supporters of enlightened and moderate thoughts and were in favor of the modern interpretation of Islam. They provided the right path to Muslims of the sub-continent at the time when they were suppressed and experiencing a critical phase of history. Both these intellectuals set practical examples for the emancipation of the Muslims of the sub-continent, accepting the challenges at the time and successfully achieving their objectives. Since 9/11, Muslims across the world, as well as in Pakistan, has been receiving a great deal of criticism, as terrorism has been associated with Muslims and their religion. President Pervez Musharraf then presented his policy of ‘Enlightened Moderation’ (EM) for the emancipation of the Muslim world and he also addressed the West stating that Islam was an enlightened religion and beseeched the West justly to resolve the political disputes of Muslim countries. This research analyses the perspectives of Musharraf’s policy of EM, based on socially constructed views of political analysts and academic scholars. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the version of reality on EM and its current relevance.