Social and Religious Differences
Supporters of Hindutva, a nationalist ideology, believed the dominant Hindu religion should be the national Indian identity. Hindus made up the majority of India, constituting over sixty percent of the population. Muslims were afraid that Hindus would use their majority status to force them to follow laws that would deny them the freedom to continue their way of life.
"Hindu-India and Muslim-India must be separated because the two nations are entirely distinct and different, and in some matters antagonistic to each other...We differ in our history, culture, language, architecture, music, laws, jurisprudence, calendar and our entire social fabric and code of life. One India is impossible to realize. It will inevitably mean that the Muslim will be transferred from the domination of the British to the caste Hindu rule, a position that the Muslim will never accept."
~Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Leader of the Muslim League
Source- Muhammad Ali Jinnah Speech on the Making of Pakistan
Map Key: Pink- Hindu, Green- Muslim
HinduismHinduism has a caste system with four major castes. Each caste was treated as they were ranked.
"When we [Muslims] wanted to drink water, they [Hindus] wouldn't let us use their glasses, they wouldn't even pour it for us…they would pour it through the nozzle, we'd hold our hands at the other end. They consider us more untouchable than the Untouchables." |
IslamIn Islam, all humans are created equal. Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations based on wealth, power, or race.
"At one level, they had very cordial relations, our Muslim neighbors were good, they helped us, we helped them, but Hindus had a curious inhibition. My mother...she did not allow any Muslim to enter her kitchen. When she was eating, she did not allow any Muslim to touch her…such inhibitions and customs kept us apart…" |