The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page 260
244 REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN The representative of the Jamat-i-Islam after he had put to me the questions that had been permitted, put a very silly question to me but while I was muttering my reply - Munir ruled it out. The question was: "Now, what do you consider me? Do you consider me a Muslim or not?" My reply was: "I consider you whatever you consider me. " If Munir had not been so sharp in overruling him and that had not been the last question, I would have insisted that his question and my answer should be recorded. I have described the question as silly, because the stand of the Jamat-i-Islam was that I was not a Muslim. Counsel asked me, "What do you consider me?" My answer was, "Whatever you consider me. " Now, if Munir had said to him, "All right, answer that question" what do you consider him?" If he had replied, "I consider him a Muslim," he would be going against the stand of the party he was representing; and if he had said, "I do not consider him a Muslim," Munir could have retorted: "Then why do you put such a question to him: 'he is not a Muslim in your eyes; what does it matter whether he thinks you are a Muslim or not. '" These were some of the lighter moments, but all through that period was one of great strain for me and the Movement. On the one hand the Prime Minister said if I resigned I would be weakening his position, and on the other hand, terrible things were happening. I do not want the more extreme aspects to go on the record even here. True, the agitation was directed against the Movement in essence but I was the ostensible target if I had been allowed to go, the thing might have subsided. Question : That brings up one of the most interesting points about all of this, and I think it is one which is hard to sort out and separate from your own principles, and Westerners are not used to thinking in terms of principles in politics. Primarily, one thinks that if Harold Macmillan found himself in a difficult position, he would say, "You are sacked. I personally appreciate your position, but the stability of the government counts on this. Goodbye and good luck. " But here you were in an extremely difficult position in which you were given latitude and where the government appreciated your position and yet you had to make every hard decision, because you knew so long as you stayed on that you would continue to be sort of a central symbol which they could manipulate. You knew this must inevitably bring pain to your community.