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| The Pakistan Identity |
Arabization in Pakistan and Bangladesh refers to a socio-cultural shift since the late 1980s where traditional, indigenous South Asian and Indo-Persian Islamic practices have been gradually replaced by more conservative, gulf-centric Arab cultural norms.
Indo-Persian Culture of Pakistan
The culture of the Indian subcontinent developed as a unique blend of Indian and Persian cultures through the historic interaction between the people of the region. It encapsulated the ethnic and religious diversity by integrating Islamic thoughts in the Indian society.
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| Lahore - Punjab Heritage |
The roots of the Indo-Persian culture can be traced to Mahmud of Ghazni who began a series of raids in the subcontinent during the latter part of the 10th century. Afghan and Mughal rulers of India established and maintained a sophisticated Persianized court and patronized works of Sufism and Persian language. The Persian language maintained its status as the language of high society and the official language of India.
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| Persian Court - Mughal Empire |
Arrival of Mughal and synthesis of Persian culture with native Indian population was encouraged. Many Mughal royals married Rajput princesses to solidify this relationship. So did their courtiers and military commanders. Its fair to say that behind a Pakistani Muslim, there probably is a Hindu mother or grandmother going back a few generations.
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| Mughal-Rajput Alliance |
Pakistan’s spiritual landscape is deeply shaped by Sufism. The Sufi brand of Islam rose to prominence in the region with the help of government patronage to Sufi orders like Chisti and Naqshbandi with Persian origins. Prominent saints such as Data Ganj Bakhsh the patron saint of Lahore, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sindh renowned for its intense Zikr (remembrance) and dhamal (devotional dance), and Sheikh Farid in Pakpattan—are revered for his mystical poetry, messages of peace, and his verses were later incorporated into the Sikh holy text, the Guru Granth Sahib. These legendary Sufi saints played pivotal roles in spreading Islam across the Pakistan and India.
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| Colors of Sufism - Pakistan |
Later, 17th-century Punjabi Sufi poet Bulleh Shah is famous for his Kafis (devotional poems) wildly popular for their radical calls for universal love and rejection of religious orthodox.
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| Baba Bulley Shah - Kasur |
The Urdu language is a product of the Indo-Persian culture, as it is a hybrid of Persian and Indic languages. The wide literature of Urdu exemplifies its cultural value and its literature can be considered a joint heritage of Muslims and Hindus. This provided another literary platform for unity among Muslims and Hindus. Many famous Urdu poets like Asad Ullah Khan Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, and Dr. Muhammad Iqbal also wrote extensively in Persian that was inspired by Indian culture (Paul, 2018). Therefore, the Indian subcontinent developed an Indo-Persian culture that fostered over centuries. Sufism and the Persian language became part of the Indian cultural fabric that symbolized, love, tolerance, and inter-faith harmony.
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| Mira Ghalib - Urdu Poetry |
Pakistan inherited this secular Islamic culture with liberal messages of Sufi Islam embedded in the history of its people. This culture remained firmly in place till the 1980s.
Key Drivers of the Arabization Shift
The Islamization project of General Zia-ul-Haq started a drastic shift towards 'Wahabi islam" in social norms and values which was antithetical to the liberal Indo-Persian heritage of region.
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| Growth of Radical Islam in Pakistan |
The term "Wahabism" is used to refer to "Islamic movement that has an apparent tendency toward misogyny, militantism, extremism, or strict and literal interpretation of the Qur'an and hadith". It strongly opposes Sufis, Shiites, and other Muslims who do not conform to the conservative literal interpretation of Islamic scripture. Wahhabism deems all non-Wahhabi sects of Islam to be unbelievers.
The transition away from historic Indo-Persian customs was primarily propelled by three distinct forces:
Saudi Funding and State Policies:
During the Cold War, particularly under Pakistan's military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq (1977–1988), state-sponsored "Islamization" aligned closely with Saudi Arabia's conservative Wahabi frameworks. Billions of dollars funded networks of madrasas (religious schools) across both Pakistan, shifting public discourse away from traditional Sufi Islam. Name of the modern city of Lyallpur was changed to Faislabad after King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Similarly Cricket stadium in Lahore was named Gaddafi Stadium after the Libyan dictator.
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| Renaming Lyallpur to Faislabad |
Gulf Labor Migration Boom:
Millions of working-class Pakistani laborers migrated to Arab sheikhdoms during the oil boom. Returning home, these workers brought back not only vital economic remittances, but also Arab-centric lifestyle habits, public behaviors, and puritanical interpretations of Islam.
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| Pakistani Labor in Saudi Arab |
Arabization of Local Vocabulary
The most visible sign of Arabization is the deliberate shift in daily vocabulary, filtering out historical Persian words in favor of their literal Arabic equivalents:
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| Farewell: Khuda Hafiz |
The phrase "Allah Hafiz" (meaning May Allah be your protector) gained mass popularity in Pakistan after newscasters on state television adopted it during military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq's regime. This cultural shift was fueled by the desire to use an exclusively Arabic name for God as per Quran. Traditional Indo-Persian farewell of Khuda Hafiz meaning "May God protect you" was systematically replaced by the Arabic equivalent "Allah Hafiz". The difference is subtle but indicates a deliberate shift from a 'secular' definition of God to a narrow Islamic definition.
A similar change was introduced for the holy month of fasting by changing from "Ramzan" to "Ramadan".
Pakistani Names with Non-Islamic Origin
Native names in Pakistan are rooted in the region's indigenous languages, such as Pashto, Sindhi, Punjabi, and Balochi. Arabic names gained widespread prominence after the creation of Pakistan due to religious focus but many families—especially in rural or culturally preservationist communities—still use traditional names derived from local geography, nature, folklore, and pre-Islamic South Asian or Indo-Iranian roots.
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| Future Generation- Pakistan |
The following indigenous, non-Arabic native names are fast disappearing in Pakistan:
Not many Pakistani parents name their children by the Punjabi indigenous or Persian names such as, Alla Ditta, Badal, Bahadur, Barkat, Bakhtawar, Boota, Buland, Bhura, Chand, Chanan, Daler, Feroz, Gulab, Heer, Iqbal, Kanwal, Karan din, Malang, Maula Bux, Moti, Mukhtiar, Meena, Misri, Mehar, Naseeb, Nihal, Roshan, Ranjha, Reshma, Rustam, Sanwal, Sajawal, Saawan, Sohni, Sher, Shamsher, Tahal, Ujjal,
Source: I found these names from the list of fallen solders in WW2 from Pakistan region,
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| Punjabi Mussalman Soldiers - World War |
Similarly Sindhis and Balochi have lost indigenous names like, Allah Dino, Allah Rakhio, Hiro, Marvi, Maluk, Sarang, Sachal, Momal, Punnu, Rohal, Sarwan, and Sassi.
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| Young Baloch Girl |
Afghans however are still holding on to the traditional Pashto names such as Malala, Gabina, Zarsanga, Panra, Palwasha, Gurbaz, Gulabdin, Nangyal, and Naveen. .
Changing Dress Codes
Historically, the Middle Eastern style "hijab" was NOT the traditional form of veiling for women in Pakistan. Instead, traditional modesty in the region was practiced through the dupatta (a long, versatile scarf), the chader (a large shawl), and the practice of purdah (social seclusion) at homes.
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| Traditional Dupatta and Purdah - Pakistan |
Traditionally, the Pakistani families did not adopt the Arab-style Abaya and facial veils (Niqab). The women of Pakistan traditionally wore Salwar-kameez with a light dupatta (scarf). In rural and tribal areas, a large, thick sheet or shawl called a chader was wrapped around the body and head to obscure the female form when working or traveling.
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| Muslim Woman - Pakistan |
The hair was partially visible under the dupatta that provided modesty for the women of the region. When entering mosques, encountering male elders, or moving through conservative public spaces, women would pull the dupatta over their heads as a sign of respect and modesty. It was rarely pinned or tightly fitted like a modern hijab.
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| Dupatta for Modesty NOT Prohibition |
The tightly pinned headscarf known today as the "hijab" covering every hair or the matching black "abaya" are relatively modern imports influenced by Arabization trends starting in the late 20th century. Today, many younger urban Pakistani women choose the Arabic hijab over the traditional loose dupatta for fashion or personal religious expression.
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| Arabic Hijab vs. Pakistani Dupatta |
The Bengali Identity
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| Dhaka Sisters in Traditional Sari - 1971 |
Let's now compare Pakistan's arabization journey with its twin East Pakistan. Bangladesh's independence in 1971 was built fundamentally on secular Bengali nationalism, language pride, and local art. Typical Bangladesh women wore Sari (Shari) just like their Bengali counterparts in India.
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| Rich Sari Varieties - Bangladesh |
The traditional clothing landscape of Bangladesh is deeply tied to the country's rich textile history, climate, and regional culture. Bangladesh is world-renowned for its distinct, heritage Sari varieties:
- Jamdani Shari - a premium, lightweight, sheer muslin sari featuring intricate, geometric motifs hand-woven directly on the loom using gold, silver, or cotton threads
- Tant Shari: The quintessential daily-wear sari made of crisp, breathable cotton, perfect for the hot, humid Bengal climate. It features thick borders and a decorated aanchal.
- Rajshahi Shari: Produced in the northern Rajshahi region, these high-quality silk saris (including mulberry, tussar, and eri silk) are prized for their smooth texture and vibrant hand-printed or block-printed designs.
- Katan and Benarasi Shari: Heavy, luxurious silk saris woven with metallic zari threads, traditionally worn by Bangladeshi brides
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| Sari-Hijab - Bangladesh |
The rise of global Arabic fashion and religious revivalism has made the hijab common in Bangladesh over the last few decades but it has not replaced the Sari yet. The traditional Bangla sari remains the undisputed choice for formal wear, weddings, and national festivals. But younger Bangladeshi women are adding Hijab to their Saris.
Where is Pakistan heading?
While Arabization has profoundly shaped Pakistan's ideological identity, the country wrestles with a complex mix of heritage and religion wheres religion reigns supreme. Today, Pakistani society often balances multiple cultural influences, incorporating not just Arabic fashion but also Turkic aesthetics sparked by the immense popularity of Turkish television shows, popularity of Punjabi music from India among younger generation, and a growing reclamation of its ancient Indus Valley Civilization heritage.
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| March of an Intolerant Society |
My concern is this 'Arabization" will erase the indigenous nativity of Pakistan with a generic Arabized identiy. The future generation of Pakistanis will no longer associate themselves with their indigenous roots, regional languages, and cultural identities. It will become a bland monotonic society where religious identity obscures the thousands of year old cultural heritage. And Urdu, a non-indigenous language developed in Indo-Gangetic plains will devour the indigenous languages such as Punjabi, Seraiki, Sindhi, Baloch or Pashto forever ... and this change will be irreversible!
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