Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity: The Search for Saladin

The importance of this book lies with the discussion of the role of Islam in the Pakistani state as articulated by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of the country. Jinnah's vision was very different to that articulated by the Jamiat-i Islami and the book covers the debate between contending visions described as either secularist or fundamentalist. Another feature of the work is the treatment of the way Pakistan sees its place in the history of of Muslims in the sub-continent. The line of continuity drawn in the field of Pakistan Studies is an interesting one and is discussed here. Overall, the work is valuable because it demonstrates how contemporary Islamists have departed from Jinnah's original vision for Pakistan and the legacy he left behind.