by Dr. Khalil Ahamad
In a country like Pakistan where welfarist and socialist thinking is dominant, where state is perfectly omnipotent, where every person is a committed statist, where individual, his freedoms and responsibilities are considered a luxury, and where the concept of free market is dismissed outrightly, isn't it surprising, and fortunate enough, too, to have a free marketeer who has written various books and articles on free market philosophy. And, isn't it surprising and unfortunate enough, too, that there is no publisher to print his books.
This writer is Aslam Effendi, unfortunately quite unknown in Pakistan. He is more than 77, and has to his credit three books that explain various aspects of the philosophy of liberty in a simple and intelligible language. He proudly remembers Robert Le Fevre as his late teacher, as 'an intellectual giant' and as 'one of the greatest if not the greatest authority on Individual Liberty.'
Here is a 'short biographical sketch' of Aslam Effendi:
He is an Afghan by birth. He is a manual therapist, essayist, columnist, polemicist, pacifist, individualist, orator, broadcaster, water-color painter and freedom philosopher. He has written extensively on individual liberty and world peace for various international journals such as the prestigious Reason, and also wrote a regular column for the Colorado Gazette Telegraph.
His book titled HOW TO END ALL WARS FOREVER was highly praised by many a man of note. He assisted Bertrand Russell with the International War Crime Tribunal set up to try US President, Lyndon B. Johnson for war crimes in Vietnam. His family has produced 5 kings and 10 prime ministers; his great grandfather Dost Muhammad Khan is considered by historians as the second greatest hero in Afghan history, having conquered Afghanistan at the age of15; thereafter uniting it as one country; and an attempt to dethrone him resulted in the worst ever military defeat of the British (First Afghan War 1841-1842).
His father Prince Abdur Rahman Effendi, during 1919, turned down an offer to supplant his cousin King Amanullah whom the British suspected of hobnobbing with Lenin. He is presently a citizen of the former princely state of Swat that was once a Mecca for the peace-loving Buddhists of Tibet, China and Japan.'
Aslam Effendi's first book is HOW TO END ALL WARS FOREVER. When he failed to find a publisher for it, he had to spend from his pocket to get it published. The result was a very badly printed book and that without a distributor, too. So, it remained dumped and could not find its way to the market. Then, the International Society for Individual Liberty, California, USA, took up the task of publishing this book for the world market. Its President, Vincent H. Miller rates this book as:
"Aslam has written a wonderful book entitled "In Search of Truth" which we intend to re-publish for a world market soon."
"His book is a Socratic dialogue between a young student who found a copy of Karl Marx's "Das Kapital" (which influenced his thinking) and a wise old (libertarian) professor. It takes place in Swat (Pakistan), where Aslam used to live. They discuss issues and the professor explains the fallacies -- in a kindly manner. I
describe the book as Henry Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson" written in the style of Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet.""
"Effendi's book was published in Pakistan under the title "How to End All Wars Forever." I liked the original title "In Search of Truth" better. I've been working
on a large (private) foundation grant proposal, which if it comes through, will (among other things) enable us to publish the book. I may be mistaken but I think
Aslam published it in a local dialect as well as in English." [Its Urdu translation is underway. KA]
". . . Regarding [this] book, I must say I am tremendously impressed. I sat down and read your manuscript from cover to cover at one sitting, something I rarely do. . .I think this marvelous creation has the potential to be an all-time classic, that it would have widespread appeal if translated into other languages. . .Incidentally, it is very well written. . ."
Here are some other opinions about this book:
"Thank you for sending me the typescript of your book. I have read it with great approval. Those unfamiliar with the ideas expressed in this book must live at the
cost and risk of their lives. Apart from this, it is a commendable specimen of English prose: but one thing that outweighed everything else in the book was the
remarks of the American lady who said you were damned."
[Bertrand Russell]
"I am delighted to send you my blessings for your book."
[Patrick Armstrong (Parliamentary Group for World Government, House of Commons, London)]
"I have gone through your book with considerable interest and would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you. . . I couldn't imagine that complex economic
ideas could be simplified to the extent you have done. . . I strongly feel that even a diehard communist would start thinking after reading your book. Indeed it is brilliant piece of writing. . ."
[Prof. Oscar W. Cooley (Professor of Economics, Northern Ohio University)]
"I have read the typescript of your book with considerable interest. There is need for such a book in times as these . . . it would probably secure publication more
readily in Britain than in Asia . . . may I confess that I have been curious to know how a Pakistani can write so faultlessly such very 'English' English as you do."
[Sir Norman Angell (Nobel Peace Prize Winner 1933, and Adviser to late US President, Woodrow Wilson)]
"You are one of the few people in Pakistan to understand the truly coercive and authoritarian nature of the State. . ."
[Carl Watner (Publisher and Editor of the Voluntaryist)]
". . . Your book is an eye opener. Many a politician would feel small after reading it. . . Some of the facts are frightening. . . On the whole, it is a charming book;
exceptionally well written. . . I must admit that it is packed to the brim with rich ideas."
[Pandit Brijlal Nehru (Author, poet, financial adviser and first cousin of India's Prime Minister Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru)]
"What a book! After going through its pages I now know why our world is so sick and what we can do to cure it. Thank you, Aslam Effendi. Thank you again."
[Cynthia Pfrimmer (Publicist)]
His third book, ECONOMICS FOR THE CONFUSED, belongs to the tradition of Henry Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson. It is ready for the press but . . .
Aslam Effendi's second and his most favorite book, HARD FACTS OF HISTORY, is dedicated 'to the victims of politicians, bureaucrats and artificial laws'. In his view, "this is probably the first book of history of its kind, a book that presents history from a completely new angle." This book lists 26 'most important lessons that man could learn from history.' Though, completed in 1992, it is still lying unpublished.
Now, come to the fact that the Foreword to this book was written by no other person than Henry Hazllit himself. Isn't it sufficient to prove the importance of this book!
FOREWORD
Aslam Effendi's book, Hard Facts of History, is like a bullet moving with great accuracy towards its target, the inter-relationship between morality, individual liberty, economic prosperity and world peace. With the backing of history, he employs his unusual skill of discriminating analysis, deductive logic and powerful pen to debunk formal governments and sovereign states. There is no mention about the achievements of kings and presidents, of political and military leaders of all kinds. A historian on looking back to study the decay of formal governments will find in this thesis a valuable document of human history. The author writes with feeling, lucidity and breath-taking boldness that makes him a joy to read. His love for freedom, humanity and world peace, shines through the pages of this remarkable book and nobody can read it without deep obligation owed to him. He has come to represent to me the hope of a confused, disunited and war-ravaged world. How I wish a great number of people read this book at least twice; better still if it is translated into as many languages as possible. I am sure that this book will not only open many eyes but will stimulate many to think in new directions. For sheer readability, this book cannot be surpassed. And for depth of thought it contains, few books can equal it. Therefore, no member of the legal profession, no journalist, no politician, no historian and no thoughtful person can afford to ignore it.
Henry Hazlitt
Editor, New York Times
1992
In March 2002, I came in contact with Vincent H. Miller, President of International Society for Individual Liberty, California, USA. He introduced me to Aslam Effendi. When I wrote to him, he was happy to know that he was not the only Libertarian in Pakistan. Then, in the first week of June 2002, I went to Islamabad to see him. He is too old, but vibrant with the spirit of Liberty. We had hours and hours of discussion about his work, Libertarianism, Anarchism, Anarcho-Capitalism, and the ways to promote the philosophy of liberty in Pakistan. He asked me to find a publisher for his books.
He was a bit disappointed and said: 'Well, isn't it strange that there is so much talk about the importance of human freedom, so much talk about human rights, so much talk about world peace and yet it is an irony of fate that a book that with the help of historical facts tries to provide down-to-earth solution to these problems has to wait 10 long years to find a publisher.' He weighs his book with the help of a statement of John F. Kennedy: 'The importance of the book, HARD FACTS OF HISTORY can be realized from these words spoken by late US President John F. Kennedy before the United Nations in 1961: "Every man, woman and child lives under a nuclear sword of Damocles, hanging by the slenderest thread, capable of being cut at any moment by accident, miscalculation or madness."'
Out of his three books, he wants HARD FACTS OF HISTORY to be published first for the world market; for, in his view, this book could be able to bring peace in a world torn-up with conflicts and wars.
What a pity that in the presence of hundreds of free market organizations and groups, there is not a one the mission of which is to promote such writers and their work! With so many inventive, creative and daring souls doing their utmost to save and keep alive the heritage of freedom and promoting it, would anyone of them like to save what is being produced now and here? In this connection, my idea is that an organization may be formed with the sole aim of promoting the neglected freedom writers by raising funds to publish their works after being scrutinized by a committee of referees.
This March my visit to Islamabad provided me an opportunity to have another meeting with Aslam Effendi. He is living with a few hundred copies of his only published book, HOW TO END ALL WARS FOREVER, stored in his room. He has no hope that his other two books, ECONOMICS FOR THE CONFUSED, and HARD FACTS OF HISTORY, will ever be published in his life time, but he is hopeful of the 'great victory of libertarians!'
