Jefferson and Jinnah: Humanist ideals and the mythology of nation-building

Abstract

On September 11, 2001, the world of Thomas Jefferson, founding father of the United States, and that of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, came dramatically and tragically face to face with each other. The events of that day would impact on both societies in ways that the respective founding fathers could not imagine. America launched a war against terrorism. The immediate target was the Taliban regime and Al-Qaeda with its leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. Considering that the Taliban were nurtured and educated in neighboring Pakistani schools, and that the movement has been supported by Pakistan, the role of that country in America’s war against terrorism became crucial.