Eid-ul-Azha Message to the Nation, on 24th
October, 1947
God often tests and tries those whom he loves. He called upon Prophet
Ibrahim to sacrifice the object he loved most. Ibrahim answered the call
and offered to sacrifice his son. Today too, God is testing and trying
the Muslims of Pakistan and India. He has demanded great sacrifices from
us. Our new-born State is bleeding from wounds inflicted by our enemies.
Our Muslim brethren in India are being victimized and oppressed as Muslims
for their help and sympathy for the establishment of Pakistan. Dark clouds
surround us on all sides for the moment but we are not daunted, for I am
sure, if we show the same spirit of sacrifice as was shown by Ibrahim,
God would rend the clouds and shower on us His blessing as He did on Ibrahim.
Let us, therefore, on the day of Eid-ul-Azha which symbolizes the spirit
of sacrifice enjoined by Islam, resolve that we shall not be deterred from
our objective of creating a State of our own concept by any amount of sacrifice,
trials or tribulations which may lie ahead of us and that we shall bend
all our energies and resources to achieve our goal. I am confident that
in spite of its magnitude, we shall overcome this grave crisis as we have
in our long history surmounted many others and notwithstanding the efforts
of our enemies, we shall emerge triumphant and strong from the dark night
of suffering and show the world that the State exists not for life but
for good life.
On this sacred day, I send greetings to our Muslim brethren all over
the world both on behalf of myself and the people of Pakistan. For us Pakistan,
on this day of thanksgiving and rejoicing, has been overshadowed by the
suffering and sorrow of 5 million Muslims in East Punjab and its neighborhood.
I hope that, wherever Muslim men and women foregather on this solemn day.
They will remember in their prayers these unfortunate men, women and children
who have lost their dear ones, homes and hearths and are undergoing an
agony and suffering as great hand cruel as any yet inflicted on humanity.
In the name of this mass of suffering humanity I renew my appeal to Muslims
wherever they may be, to extend to us in this hour of our danger and need,
their hand of brotherly sympathy, support and co-operation. Nothing on
earth now can undo Pakistan.
The greater the sacrifices are made the purer and more chastened shall
we emerge like gold from fire.
So my message to you all is of hope, courage and confidence. Let us
mobilize all our resources in a systematic and organized way and tackle
the grave issues that confront us with grim determination and discipline
worthy of a great nation.
Pakistan Zindabad