The Reality of the Secular State and Its Hostility Towards Religion
A Critical Evaluation of the Secular Narrative and Its Concealed Agenda
❖ The True Meaning of a Secular State
Syed Mateen, referencing an excerpt by Professor Amjad Ali Shakir, raises the question: What is the real meaning of a secular state?
According to Professor Shakir, Maulana Maududi incorrectly translated secularism as La-Deeni (irreligiosity), suggesting instead that the term should mean multi-religious or pluralistic. He claims that adopting such a translation would make the term more favorable and acceptable.
❖ Maulana Maududi’s View and Its Critique
Maulana Maududi held that a secular state is not merely irreligious but inherently hostile to religion.
In light of his stance, Professor Shakir’s definition appears to be an attempt to sugarcoat the reality of secularism.
Presenting secularism in appealing language does not alter its core. Rather, it seems intended to veil the truth from the public and to disguise a fundamentally religion-excluding ideology in more attractive terms.
❖ Questioning the Concept of a “Multi-Religious State”
Proponents of secularism often argue that it establishes a “multi-religious state,” yet this concept raises several critical questions:
➊ What will be the source of legislation?
If a multi-religious state means laws will be derived from the teachings of all religions (e.g., the Qur’an, Bible, Gita), then while it may appear theoretically plausible, it is practically impossible.
If, on the other hand, all divine scriptures are ignored and laws are formed on non-religious foundations (such as human rights), as is done in current secular systems, then the term “multi-religious state” becomes meaningless.
➋ Restricting religion to the private sphere
Under secularism, religion is expelled from public life and confined to the private domain. This reduces religion to a personal hobby or amusement, as historically demonstrated.
❖ The Deception of “Everyone Except One Becomes a Minority”
Secularists claim that in a religious state, one religion dominates as the majority, while others are turned into minorities — a scenario they deem unjust. Hence, they argue that the state should be secular to protect the rights of all.
But this is a deceptive argument:
➊ Secularism renders all religions minorities
In the name of human rights, a structure is imposed that strips all religions of their role in the collective system.
A secular principle of “good” becomes dominant, effectively resulting in the supremacy of one worldview — secularism — over all religious ones.
➋ The true agenda of secularism
Secularism does not aim to preserve religious diversity but to eradicate all religious roles in public governance and replace them with a non-religious moral system.
In doing so, secularism deprives all religions of their collective function under the guise of religious freedom.
❖ Secularism: A System or a Metaphysical Philosophy?
Secularism is often portrayed as merely a political arrangement, but in reality, it is a metaphysical and moral philosophy.
Behind it lie certain ideological assumptions, which its advocates conveniently ignore or suppress.
❖ Is Secularism Something New?
Secularists argue that it ensures individual religious freedom. However, this claim is baseless.
For centuries, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and followers of other faiths have practiced their religions freely while living in shared societies.
✿ For example, under Muslim rule in India for over a thousand years, followers of all religions:
✔ Practiced their rituals openly
✔ Maintained their places of worship
✔ Were permitted to marry and manage personal affairs according to their own religious laws
❖ What’s Unique About the Secular System?
If secularism merely guarantees individual religious freedom, then this is nothing new or unique.
Throughout Islamic caliphates and empires, minorities always enjoyed religious liberties.
So what is the real need for secularism?
❖ Why Is the Truth Concealed?
Secularists refuse to admit that secularism is an anti-religious ideology.
Its primary objective is to confine religious values to the private sphere and exclude them from the public and state apparatus.
❖ The Real Objective of Secularism
The actual goal of secularism is to replace religious systems with a non-religious (secular) order.
To conceal this, it is marketed as a form of “pluralistic governance” or “political arrangement”, obscuring its religion-excluding reality.
✦ Final Thoughts
Secularism is not a neutral system — it is a philosophical project with a clear motive to marginalize religion.
It does not promote genuine religious freedom, but rather removes the influence of all religions from collective life, while promoting its own secular morality as supreme.
