Renowned Pakistani political scientist, writer, and academic Eqbal Ahmad, is remembered for his unwavering anti-war activism, global support for resistance movements, and seminal contributions to Near East studies. His early life took a turn when he served as a Second Lieutenant in the Pakistan Army during the First Kashmir War in 1948, sustaining injuries. Ahmad’s intellectual journey saw him actively engage in the Algerian Revolution and delve into the intricacies of the Vietnam War and US imperialism, shaping him into an early opponent of the war upon his return to the US in the mid- 1960s.
Ahmad’s academic journey commenced at Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan, where he graduated in 1951 with a degree in economics. Briefly serving as an army officer, he then crossed continents to pursue American history at Occidental College in 1957, later advancing to Princeton University, where he obtained his PhD in political science and Middle Eastern history in 1965. During his Princeton years, Ahmad’s academic pursuits took him to Tunisia and Algeria for his doctoral dissertation, where his support for the revolution resulted in his arrest in France. Transitioning to academia, he taught at the University of Illinois and Cornell University until 1968, simultaneously emerging as a notable fellow at the anti-war Institute for Policy Studies.
Amidst controversies for advocating Palestinian rights during the 1967 war, Ahmad faced isolation within the academic community, prompting his departure from Cornell. From 1968 to 1972, he worked at the University of Chicago, actively opposing the Vietnam War and enduring charges as part of the Harrisburg Seven in 1971, only to be acquitted in 1972. In 1973, Ahmad moved to Amsterdam, where he founded and directed the Transnational Institute until 1975. Returning to the US in 1982, he joined Hampshire College as a tenured professor, earning the title of Professor Emeritus in 1997. Ahmad, a vocal advocate against militarism, bureaucracy, nuclear arms, and ideological inflexibility, became a prominent left-wing academic in both Pakistan and the United States.
Despite his stature in radical South Asian and left-wing circles, Ahmad was not without controversy. Pervez Hoodbhoy notes that there were warrants of arrest and death sentences were issued to him during martial law regimes in Pakistan. In 1971, Ahmad faced charges of conspiring to kidnap Henry Kissinger, which were eventually dismissed. Kabir Babar hailed him as ‘one of the most outstanding thinkers’ from the subcontinent, with analyses marked by astuteness and predictive power. Edward Said, citing Ahmad as a pivotal influence, lauded his writings on South Asia for their information and depth.
By 1990, he divided his time between Islamabad and Amherst, writing for Dawn, albeit he was unsuccessful, in establishing a liberal arts college named after Ibn Khaldun in Islamabad. Eqbal Ahmad’s legacy endures as a stalwart supporter of democracy, self-determination, and a powerful critic of prevailing societal norms, leaving an indelible mark within intellectual circles globally.
In his dynamic career trajectory, which is the tumultuous period from 1960 to 1963, Eqbal Ahmad got involved in North African politics, notably Algeria, where he aligned with the National Liberation Front (NLF), collaborating with luminaries like Frantz Fanon and local nationalists in their struggle against French colonial rule. Despite an offer to join the first independent Algerian government.
Ahmad chose the path of an independent intellectual, showcasing commitment to principles over political positions. Fluent in Urdu, English, Persian, and Arabic, he returned to the United States.
Teaching stints at the University of Illinois at Chicago (1964–65) and Cornell University in the school of Labour Relations (1965–68) marked Ahmad’s re-entry into academia. However, his vocal advocacy for Palestinian rights during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war led to his departure from Cornell.
Eqbal Ahmad’s friend, author Stuart Schaar suggested in a book on Eqbal Ahmad that he had warned the US against attacking Iraq in 1990. He had correctly predicted that Saddam’s fall would bring in sectarian violence and chaos in the region.
Eqbal Ahmad had also interviewed Osama bin Laden in Peshawar in 1986. In the early 1990s, he had predicted that considering the ideology of Osama Bin Laden, he would eventually turn against his then allies US and Pakistan.
Granted land in Pakistan by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government in the early 1990s, he envisioned Khaldunia University, emphasising independent, alternative education. Retirement in 1997 brought him back to Pakistan permanently, where he penned a weekly column for Dawn, advocating for social democracy in Muslim countries. His influence extended to the Textile Institute of Pakistan, where he served as the founding chancellor, championing values reflected in the Dr. Eqbal Ahmad Achievement Award, a testament to his enduring impact on education and intellectual discourse.
The passing of Eqbal Ahmad left a lasting influence. On May 11, 1999, Eqbal Ahmad succumbed to heart failure while undergoing treatment for colon cancer in Islamabad, Pakistan. His marriage to Julie Diamond in 1969, a New York teacher and writer, bore witness to a singular daughter, Dohra.
Posthumously, Hampshire College instituted a memorial lecture series in Ahmad’s honour, drawing speakers of international repute such as Kofi Annan, Edward Said, Noam Chomsky, and Arundhati Roy. Revered as an ‘intellectual unintimidated by power or authority,’ Ahmad’s collaborations spanned left-wing luminaries like Chomsky, Said, Howard Zinn, and Daniel Berrigan. His influence extended to activists such as Pervez Hoodbhoy and journalists like Alexander Cockburn.
Critics and admirers alike praised Ahmad for his uncanny understanding of human nature, encyclopaedic knowledge of world history, and the combination of academic rigour with a resolute will to act. His left-wing secularism, coupled with denunciations of western imperialism, positioned him as a unique and influential political thinker in the Muslim world.
The writer is our Editorial Assistant.
