Zainab Ali
ISLAMABAD: The Czechia embassy in Pakistan has honoured Madre-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah for persistently supporting her brother, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and compared her with Alice Masarykova, daughter of founding father of Czechia.
Alice Masarykova and Fatima Jinnah
Fatima Jinnah and Alice Masarykova are both important women in history for both the countries. Both women bravely faced the challenges on their way and played dynamic roles for their countries.
Fatima Jinnah
Fatima Jinnah, younger sister of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan known as Mader-e-Millat, was a Pakistani stateswoman, politician, and one of the leading founders of Pakistan. Fatima Jinnah was the Leader of the Opposition of Pakistan from 1960 to 1967. Fatima Jinnah formed a ‘Women’s Relief Committee’ during the transfer of power in 1947 and played a significant role in settlement of Muhajirs in the newly founded Pakistan.
During the years from 1937 to 1947 when the Pakistan freedom movement was at its peak, Fatima Jinnah’s role was like a beacon of hope for Muslim women. With her elder brother Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s guidance, she not only became a role model for Muslim women but for women of the whole Asian society. Her role as a women leader was even more important after the demise of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam. She worked for women’s rights under very difficult circumstances.
Alice Masarykova
Alice Masarykova was a sociologist and politician. She was detained for eight months in prison during her political career, accused of hiding her father’s political writings. Consideration of her execution was put on hold only because of the pressure the United States of America (USA) applied to the Austrian government. In 1919 Alice Masarykova was one of the first women elected as a member of the parliament of the Czechoslovak Republic.
The Czechia embassy in Pakistan held Fatima Jinnah in great respect for supporting her brother Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Czechia embassy did draw parallels between Alice Masarykova and Fatima Jinnah. The exhibition to introduce 50 women from Pakistan and 50 from Czech who shaped history, politics, society, culture, and sports, along with a book launching, was held at the National College of Art (NCA) Islamabad campus in collaboration between the Czech Embassy and National College of Arts. The exhibition posters and advertised book launch depicted 50 Czech and 50 Pakistani women.
The organizers of the event introduced some of them, starting with the fastest and youngest, born in 1988 and 1987, respectively. The youngest and fastest are Martina Sablikova, born in 1987, and Naseem Hameed, born in 1988.
“The Czech and Pakistani Heroines” include Fatima Jinnah, Asma Jahangir, Fahmida Riaz, Samina Baig, and others from Pakistan. While Alice Masarykova, Sona Cervena, and Bozena Laglerova made it to the Book from the Czechian nation. These women are not the only source of inspiration in their countries but the inspiration for future generations. Fifty women from each nation were introduced in the art project.
The Czechia embassy took it to Twitter, honouring both the women from the two nations to say that a daughter and a sister of founding fathers, the first President of Czechia, T.G. Masaryk, and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan. They said in the tweet that faithfully lending support to the national leaders was only part of their long journey of struggle.
This tweet from the Czechoslovak embassy is a tribute to two women from different nations, Alice Masarykova (1879-1966) and Fatima Jinnah (1893-1967), for supporting the national leaders faithfully.
Mariam Mukhtiar and Bozena Laglerova
Next to Alice Masarykova and Fatima Jinnah comes Mariam Mukhtiar and Bozena Laglerova. Czech Embassy said in another tweet that the two women reached the skies a century apart. A Pakistani fighter pilot and the first Czech woman aviator. Both are honoured as Czech and Pakistani heroines in a collection of portraits by art students.
Noor Jehan and Sona Cervena
Noor Jehan, Malika-e-Tarannum, whose career spanned more than six decades, was compared to Sona Cervena from Czechia. The tweet from the embassy said that the duo of singers probably never met during their careers in film and opera, but now both are highlighted by art schools Sutnarka in the project of Czech and Pakistani Heroines.
Asma Jahangir and Milada Horakova
Asma Jilani Jahangir, a human rights lawyer who co-founded and chaired the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, was compared to Milada Horakova. A tweet explained that the two exceptional women of the same profession lived 50 years apart but promoted the same values.
