tarek

A Case for Moderation
Gibran Bham


By Gibran Bham with contributions from Eric Hodges

Beginnings

As my plane landed at Jinnah airport I could not help but succumb to the excitement of being back in Pakistan; my place of birth and my country. Admittedly I had spent the majority of my life abroad in Saudi Arabia, the United States and the United Kingdom; now, however, things were different I for one was older, had a firmer understanding of politics and was open to debate and discussion about religion as well as politics. I was eager to see how people’s attitudes and perceptions had evolved over the years. I was anxious to see if pessimism was still entrenched as part of the Pakistani psyche. The people had good reasons to be pessimistic they had battled years of corruption, violence and political unrest. Nevertheless they also had reasons to be positive.

I had been following Pakistani politics and state affairs with great interest for the last 7 years and here was a country which over the last 5 years under the leadership of General Musharraf, had embarked on a system of reforms. Analysts show that Pakistan has a growing economy, with positive forecasts for all major economic indicators. The stock market is soaring, and was once labelled as the strongest in the world (New York Times in 2002). Education reforms are finally taking place, with primary education being made compulsory and free. Corruption and crime are at an all time low. Government reforms also include restoration of democracy at state and local levels as well as making inroads into the emancipation of women and freedom of the press. Pakistan was recently given the title of major non-NATO ally and with its close co-operation on America’s war on terror, it has seen many sanctions lifted, debts cancelled, and better trade relations. Pakistan is no longer considered just a third world country; it is a nuclear power and has grown to be respected in the West as an emerging influence in the region. I was excited as to what changes I would experience, and expected a more united Pakistan; striving towards a better future.

My excitement quickly dissipated after a five minute ride in a taxi listening to the driver’s complaints. Disgruntled people ranting on about a governments failures is not uncommon in any part of the world; I would have been happy to dismiss it as sheer frustration; but now something had changed. The old complaints of corruption and violence had been replaced by antipathy against the government’s policies, especially its close relationship with the United States. Now, the poor, and the rich, the educated and illiterate are all united in their criticism. A new blanket of conspiracy theories and pessimism has engulfed the country and is turning it into a very self-deluded and extreme place. So I ask are these criticisms valid? Are they productive? Why are there so many conspiracy theories that foster paranoia? This is what I hope to answer and understand in this article.

Conspiracy Theories Anyone?

For a country with such a large international influence the American people remain bizarrely introverted, discussion over things overtly political or containing the words international or foreign will be met with umm’s and ah’s; very few are interested in the news if it is bereft of scandal. Nevertheless those few who show an interest receive news that is remarkably subjective and rather one sided. In Britain open debate is possible and the media remain fairly objective, however this is mired by the need for political correctness. In Saudi Arabia you do not have debates beyond religion. And in Pakistan you have conspiracy theories.

It appears to be that the Pakistanis and Muslims in general are the only intellectuals left in the world. They watch the news, disregard the facts and come up with their own version of what really happened. AIDS was a disease born by the white men to kill off the black men, George Bush orchestrated the twin tower attacks, Saddam was an American agent and was never in Iraq and of course Osama Bin Laden is part of the CIA. This used to be quite amusing, but the new wave of bigotry and extremism that is has caused is down right scary.

It seems Pakistanis have yielded to the same anger and frustrations that plague Syria, and Iran; places which remain so embittered by the past that they cannot make a clean break. I was, as many Muslims are taught, to take the middle path of two extremes and that is the idea I put forward.

The United States of Self Interest.

The twenty first century is faced with a new form of colonialism; it is more overt and commonly comes in the guise of a military base. The sheer capacity of the American military machine affords it a remarkable position in the world; it retains the role of being the world’s policemen and protectors. Inevitably there are cases in which this authority has been used subversively. To point out the flaws of American foreign policy would require more time and certainly fill many more pages than I am willing to dedicate the time to. However most remarkable is the fact that America portrays itself as the bastion of democracy, clearly this image has been tarnished and or put into disrepute by the 2000 presidential elections of which African Presidents such as Mugabe would be proud to use as a template as to how to force a result. We were faced with the inconceivable fact that the man who lost the vote by half a million people obtained the most powerful office in the world. We see no supranational force garnering in order to invade the country forcing a regime change to abolish a radical right wing belligerent leader; on the contrary George Bush may in fact be in contention for a second year.

The irony remains that America does not hesitate to use force or invasion of a sovereign state in order to bring about what they deem to be democracy. The rouse that these things are done in order to protect the vested interests of that particular state are an offence to intelligent people. This particular piece of policy is mired by the stigma that it portrays its aims to be selfless acts protecting liberties and freedoms of the world. American isolationism is hardly a new concept; it seems implausible that the nation would do things based on merit without there being a direct economic, political or social consequence to themselves. Nevertheless the irony is that in so doing they are amassing an antipathy against themselves at an alarmingly rapid rate. It is hypocrisy to fault a regime of being brutal and unlawful when you go about forcing your will over other people, whom as far fetched as it sounds were not particularly unhappy with the situation as it was. Deposing an established government does not empower the people it weakens their resolve to demand change themselves. Be it the rights of black people in South Africa or the independence of the Czech Republic these changes are appreciated because, like US democracy, they were naturally established; admittedly at times through attrition, by the indigenous people. In the same way we do not teach people murder is bad by killing someone, or performing a rape to show it is morally wrong, invasion is a form of colonialism, the difference being it comes under the slogan ‘liberation’ it is none the less wrong. If the west were truly concerned with the state of the world in a selfless manor then the ethnic cleansing of Sudan would be halted and yet it continues while we stand at a distance and ‘condemn’ the acts. With no political, social, or economic gain, Sudan would be a financial black hole, one we would all be wary to get involved in. Those are the realities of international intervention, the old status quo of leave it till we can no longer ignore it.

Alas, however, I must catch myself as principally in the world of international politics your powers of persuasion are in proportion to the size of ones army or the sanctions one can impose. Though it may not appear ideal, America plays an important role in the way the world operates. I now can say with a clear conscious that my first task as a politician is to look after the interests of my own people. If a system of reciprocal favours is in place by which helping out a sovereign state would mean reaping the rewards for my own, then I will more than likely pursue that course of action. It would be easy to point out gross miscalculations in US policy at times, two names spring to mind: Saddam Hussein and Pinochet, or perhaps the CIA training of the Taliban, the supporting of Iraqi invasion of Iran, the Iran/Contra affair the list goes on. We must however not disassociate these things from my reasoning of reciprocal favours, as misguided as they may seem in hindsight; at the time they bore benefits to the US.

It is vital that we establish certain political truths, international politics is introverted, and no nation puts another’s interests at heart before their own. Therefore a lot of the anger one feels towards America is factually justified on the surface; but is blind to the self preservation, of which forms the basis of all politics. We can make the world a scapegoat but first ask yourself what Pakistan can do for Pakistan and our answers will come from within, not born from pessimism and despair but hope. In order to move forward we have to start looking within. We have to make a clean start and stop blaming others for the mistakes we make, the paradox is to learn from the past and not live in it.

Balancing the Equation (The case of Iraq)

The war on Iraq has been proved to have been one waged on misdirection and deceit; ironically the strongest condemnation of the invasion has come from within the US and particularly the UK. There is a strong reason for the world to condemn these actions as illegal, that is because they are. There is also a strong reason for the antipathy that The Muslim world has towards America; or then again is there? Hindsight is a strong tool that is why history has so much to teach, it was not only the west that believed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, Egypt and Jordon two Muslim countries were just as adamant in denouncing the Iraqi threat.

Let us scrutinize Iraq or more importantly how it came to be in this situation. Saddam was a shrewd political manipulator whom played an important role in the advancement of Iraq and was equally the spearhead of its downfall. The old adage that power corrupts holds no greater bearing in the case of Saddam. Once in power any autocracies main objective is to retain it. The events occurring in neighbouring Iran where the Ayatollah Khomeini had attained power through religious fanaticism was something Saddam, would not let depose him; and thus oppressed it from the onset.

It is common knowledge that the US supported Saddam’s war against Iran, just as it is they provided the weapons and training for the Taliban to fight the Russians, however let us remember that: Pakistan supported the Taliban, Iran supported the Hezbollah, Italians supported the Nazis and the government of Gujarat supported the Hindu riots. Reciprocity I again emphasise is one of the corner stones of international politics. This of course is an extreme cynicism and seems to contradict my chastising of pessimism; however this is the reality of international politics and sovereign advancement. The Muslim world must accept this, it’s a tough neighbourhood and one has to play the game or risk getting left behind. Stop the feeble and petulant complaining. Saddam endured seven years of sanctions; in the process he inadvertently joined the rest of the world in the slaughter of millions of children. The end result is that Saddam made the decision to invade Kuwait; he made the decision to murder five thousand innocent Kurds. As Muslims we come together to condemn the actions of the west as attacks on our people, where were our voices when Saddam invaded Kuwait, a war we all abhorred as much as the West. Where was our condemnation when he slaughtered the innocent Kurds? They were ****led by our own reluctance. We can blame the west as much as we want and there are grounds for some of the blame, but there are also ways around that. The Arab and Muslim world is vast it can amass as a united and extremely influential region. However look at us, Sunni killing Shia; the west need not do anything at all the catalyst of Muslim destruction will come from within. We have suffered not because of the influence of the West but because we choose to limit ourselves, and suffer the worst torment at the hands of our own people.

Tipping the Balance (the case of Palestine)

This region offers perhaps the greatest conundrum facing stability in the Middle East. Again we revert to history to recount the tale of how the dilemma came into being. The Palestinians seeking refuge from the now archaic and declining Ottoman Empire assisted the British and the French in their conquest of the empire and in the end were betrayed by the two allies signing the Balfour agreement with the Jews. Since then the Palestinian people remain a pawn in a political mine field they have been subjugated to the Israeli military machine and become a forgotten cause for the wider world at large. Though they have suffered grave injustices not just to the Israeli’s they have been the victims of thoughtless land repatriation by the international world who appear to act over guilt from the Second World War. They have been disregarded and at times blatantly ignored on the road to peace talks by the USA. Their people are used as cheap labour by the Israeli state while appearing as third rate citizens. Yes there have been great misfortunes loaded onto the shoulders of the Palestinian people.

Regardless of these issues I ask the question when have the Arab nations come together and looked for an effective solution to the problem in Palestine. When have the Arab world helped the Palestinian cause with the exception of 1948, 1967 and a short oil embargo in the 70’s? The Jordanians, as do the Israelis use Palestinian workers as cheap labour to help develop their countries. What have the Palestinian’s Arab brothers ever done for them? Random aid has not helped, they have allowed the Palestinians to live in refugee camps, for as long as the problem is there, they have the support of their people in this one cause. Whenever there is discontent in the Arab countries, the Palestinian card is used, furthering the cycle of hatred. Has there been any constructive leadership or solutions? No. All we hear is the rhetoric, and a statement once a year from the useless Arab League. Palestinians in other Arab countries are treated as 3rd class citizens and are often refused work and other opportunities.

What solutions do we proclaim besides violence and terror? The Palestinian people resolve to suicide bombings; strapping a bomb to ones chest and blowing up a building and killing a few innocent people may feel like a victory to some, but all it does is alienate moderate voices and more importantly the rest of the world. We claim to live in terror and yet resolve to the same tactics that we condemn which leaves both Israeli’s and Palestinians living in perpetual fear.

We must look and see how many a battle has been won without senseless killing, a classic case in point would be Mahatma Gandhi and how he tamed the mighty British Empire. He highlighted the plight of his people and used the media to his advantage. He is a show of how pragmatic dialogue, if believed in, can offer a tangible solution. What the Palestinians and most of the Arab world lacks is good leadership. If we automatically assume that the Jews rule the world and that there will never be a solution, then hey, lets all just go blow ourselves up! Good idea! But we have never been able to come up with practical solutions. There is no renowned literature by Muslims on the Palestinian cause being published in the West, because most of what they write is not appealing, but extremist. The only literature you will find is those written by White Christians, or even liberal Jews deeply disturbed by the ongoings. Let’s take another statistic. In America, 40% of people condemn the Israeli occupation. In Britain it is 80%. In France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands the no. is over 85%. But we have not been able to sell our case, and we have alienated our allies because of the lack of leadership and the growing extremists. Instead we have not been able to sell our case, and we have alienated our allies because of the lack of leadership and the growing affiliation to extremists. Let me take the opportunity to state this if we are going to blame America, Britain, Israel for the problems in the region we must add our own names to this list as we hold an equal share of the blame.

Correcting the Balance (the case of Afghanistan)

It is a common held belief that you must support your Muslim brother. I agree with this sentiment to a degree; however we must also be able to distinguish between right and wrong. We must not support people due to the virtue of them merely being Muslim. I use an analogy of a family to support my case; a family should be united. However, if the father is in jail, the mother is a prostitute, the son a drug dealer, the sister (the exception) is a hard working student, how would one expect a family like this to be united? Nevertheless the family is tied together by the fact that they share the same religion, thus there is common ground for the hope of unity and reconciliation. The Muslim world is like that family, and until we can sort our governments and our people are working towards progression, together, we can never be united. So then the question begs to be asked was the invasion of Afghanistan right or wrong? We question what affords America the right to invade another country at a whim I offer the following as an explanation.

The Taliban believe in a total Islamic state, a sixth century vision of the Arab world. Under the Taliban books, music and television were outlawed and schools disappeared. How does one expect society to evolve and adapt when stunted in all other forms of expression and free thought. In the Year of 2003, Greece had more books translated into Greek then all the Arab countries combined had books translated to Arabic. Walk into an Arab bookshop and all you see are religious books. Did not the Prophet say to seek education? Sixth and seventh century Muslims were successful not only because they were pious, but also because they were tolerant and had a hunger to learn and advance. The Muslim world is now a far cry from the ancient world where people from the rest of the world flocked to Arab states to learn the mathematics, astronomy and medicine.

Leaving behind our ideals of a medieval grandeur we have to acknowledge that the Taliban were a retrogressive and brutal regime that kept their people oppressed. Since the Taliban came into power there has been an influx of over eight million refugees from Afghanistan in the last six years. There number of refugees has decreased since the invasion. Speaking to Muslims from Afghanistan in Hyde Park’s speakers corner in London, I spoke to many Afghanis who had escaped the Taliban’s reign and often they broke down crying at the though of the state of their country.

Alas the invasion was not done in order to free the people however let us be under no illusions to the fact that the Afghanistan was harbouring terrorists. These were known criminals who had committed violent crimes not only against the West but were wanted in other Arab states as well. The attacks on the embassies in Africa in the mid to late 1990’s and the attack on the USS Cole went widely unpunished. The world did not even have to search for the culprits they took ownership of the bombings themselves. September the eleventh was the step to far. The Taliban had created a blood lust one that would not go away without reprisals. Extremists are to blame for the invasion. The US military presence in the region has always been a sore in the Middle East; the irony is that the actions of the Taliban bought their nemesis to their doorstep and have increased the US presence in the region.

The War on Islam

I had an interesting encounter with someone the other day, which came to the place I was staying and got in a yelling match with me. In Pakistan you don’t win debates by the points you make, the victor is the one with the loudest voice. Since I couldn’t compete in decibel level, I was resigned to the fact that I could not argue with this madman, it was chillingly amusing, yet deeply disturbing. The man threw facts around, which were factually correct, but were of no help to his argument. He was obviously very intelligent and undoubtedly articulate. It was the manner of his speech that troubled me. The yelling, and cursing at the West is common place. When I asked him politely why he brings up historical facts going back more than 500 years, and what he proposes we do about it, he gave me a blank look. I urged him to give me an answer at which point he became violent, calling me a nincompoop and accusing me of being naïve, and to wake up to the war against Islam. The man told me that the whole West, the Jews and Christians are united to destroy you because you say the Kalma, the Muslim declaration that there is only one God. Here is a man who doesn’t even pray, has never lived abroad, but he knows it all.

My friends, there is no war on Islam. Those who have lived in the West know that especially in Europe you no longer have Christian countries. They are largely secular with few interests in religious causes. In fact, more often than not it is the Churches and other religious establishments that call for moderation, e.g. the Iraq war was condemned by not only the Vatican but by the Church of England and other religious bodies. . Even today church groups provide a great amount of aid and assistance to many Muslim countries. America on the other hand is largely populated with evangelical Christians who consider it their divine obligation to convert other faiths into Christianity. They are not only active in the Muslim world, but in India, China and many other Buddhist countries. If they want to preach Christianity, let them do so. Are we so insecure in our faith that we disallow debate and expression of other religions? There is no obligation to convert there are no guns being pointed to our heads. On the streets of London and America you often see groups doing dawaa, trying to convert Christians to Islam, so we as Muslims can do so but are hypocritical that we do not afford the Christians the same opportunity in our lands.

As far as the larger picture is concerned, America does not seek to convert us or destroy us. Muslims in America have more freedom for religious knowledge. They are provided with centres and have far greater chances for debate than they do in their home countries. This is diametrically opposed to many Muslim countries, which shamefully subjugates different faiths. We should look at ourselves first before we question others. It is in Muslim countries where foreigners are killed for being Christian or Jewish. It is in Muslim countries where you hear medieval slogans of converting non-believers to our faith either by the sword or the bomb. It is this sort of close minded bigotry which exists in Muslim countries which have made the fairly open minded public in the West quite hesitant and unsure of what to believe about Muslims.

The American-Pakistan Alliance not all bad

In Pakistan we have many great minds but very few results this is not because of any relationship with America but due to our own faults. Change is not something that merely happens over night on its own we have to want change to achieve it. America was a corrupt and lawless country for over 150 years before it started to emerge in the early 1880’s. It has had its battles with corruption, crime, slavery, and civil rights. But it has progressed, and its progress did not depend on a single individual, but on its people. Those who migrated to the country and were full of optimism that tomorrow would bring a better day. They worked hard, and gave their children the education they never had, and in so doing the country has thrived. It’s a simple concept and we have it in us, just look at the success of the Pakistani people abroad. When we see the current government, there are changes and there is progress, free education, better infrastructure, a crack down on drugs and crime as well as all economic factors looking positive.

We have the option to turn against our own government and the Americans and alienate ourselves from the world as have Iran, Cuba; and remain as a country that had a lot of wasted potential. We can resign to the anti-American sentiment shared by these other countries by focusing on the issues aforementioned in this essay or find pragmatic solutions to our problems. As I pointed out earlier we can either isolate ourselves or we can move on with the times. Our religion and identity are not under threat nor are we.


Supporting our country

As the people of this nation we can choose to focus on the things that have not changed and remain pessimistic or focus on things that have improved. We must either classify General Musharraf as a visionary or an impotent leader; I personally think he is a visionary and question most people deeply on the performance of the government, and they will admit there has been vast improvements. The Government needs to encourage people participation in other things besides government. Institutions like lobby groups, and think tanks help country progress. Keeping the people informed will cut down the conspiracy theorists who feed off the lack of information and widespread paranoia. This is the greatest threat to our country, as these conspiracy theories fuel resentment, ignorance and ultimately extremism. The government cannot win the fight alone and needs to involve the people, especially those who are educated and successful. It is the educated middle class of people who need to take the fight to the conspiracy theorists. Instead of listening to this rhetoric like tamed birds, we need to get a dialogue going with the knowledge that we have and will attain. It is only by doing this that we can overcome the minority voices that spread discontent.

Fighting the extremists

The extremist views are not only destructive to the world at large but they are the largest instability to peace within our own boarders. Terrorist cells and extreme groups flourish only in the plethora of hostility and despair. If we look back at Palestine we see a nation born on anger the youth know nothing more than hating those that they are from birth taught to despise. They remain a people limited in knowledge by those they are subordinate to; and angry over issues that they barely comprehend. And yet they give their lives up to a cause they support by an accident of birth.

As for the extremists they love to mix religion and politics. They claim to be enlightened; but they are blinded by hate and rage. These are not the type of religious people we should aspire to be. The Quran argues for tolerance, and while there should not be a total separation of church and state, there should be limits. While we should follow the laws and punishments set in the Quran, we should also exercise judgement; we have developed since the original texts were written and thus I question the aversion to still decapitate people, chop off hands, and stone to adulterers to death. Should the state dictate my prayers and my relationship with God? Extremist clerics are held in awe and feared by the average Muslim because of their physical appearance and pretence of almost divine knowledge. They suppress minds by preventing people from questioning God because they claim asking questions will bring about serious reprisals. The Quran is a book for all of us, all mankind, and the biggest problem we have in Pakistan is that we choose to adhere to other people’s interpretation of the text. Instead we go to madras’s and have the teachers tell us what to think and how the Quran should apply to our lives. How many of you reading this actually know what they are saying when they utter their prayers? Why not?

The Quran, my friends, is a beautiful book and it is the only reason I believe in God, and it is the reason why Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Read it, enjoy it, and see how tolerant and loving your God is, and see what he is not. He is not a God of Extremism, who dictates your every move, He is loving and just. As for the Hadeeth, let us be a little wary. Many would label me as a follower of the devil just for saying that, it is clearly not the case. The Hadeeth is not the Quran. The Hadeeth are traditions passed by generation to generation and were only written 250 years after the Prophet passed away. Seventy percent of the Hadeeth that Saheeh Bukhari collected, he disregarded and utilised the few that he felt were reliable. The Hadeeth often paint an intolerant picture, which is diametrically opposed to those you see in the Quran - the word of God. I do not advocate not reading the Hadeeth; on the contrary I support it. So read the hadeeth and if it makes sense, as your gut and heart that God has made will tell you, then follow it, otherwise be wary.

Let us progress and not live in the past as do extremists. Let us take the fight to them, isolate them. Let us debate OUR book OUR religion with them; and not merely rely on them, or anyone for that matter. Let us discourage pessimism and encourage progression.

A Case for Moderation

My friends, we are victims of history, but we are not the only ones that have suffered through imperialism. Our dislike of American imperialism and foreign policy should not affect our support for our fairly successful government. As citizens it is our duty to make a better life for ourselves and for our families. Those who are able should seek to share knowledge and contribute to society by writing, speaking, debating, lobbying and simply encouraging. Each one – Teach one.

In the process of our own growth, we should not cease to arm ourselves with knowledge of the goods and bads of this world. As we grow, we will encounter the extremists and pessimists and all they are is a stumbling block on our path to unity and success. So let’s neutralise this cancer, and move on and build a better Pakistan for all of us. Inshallah.

The entire point of this essay is to encourage productive debate and dialogue, as this is the cornerstone of a healthy society. I hope you will have the courage to do so.

Gibranbham@yahoo.com
Eric_hodges@hotmail.com

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when they make no laws but what they themselves and their posterity must be subject to; when they can give no money, but what they must pay their share of; when they can do no mischief, but what must fall upon their own heads in common with their countrymen; their principals may expect then good laws, little mischief, and much frugality

platinum786

Hi tarek, long time no see.

First of all i'd like to point out to the world, that everyone in Pakistan is an expert in everything, you won't find a single person who won't claim to know it all better than everyone else.

Secondly, this article is major scare-mongering bro. The only people in Pakistan who will express opinions on world affairs are the ones who know and the ones who read tabloids because they have too much time.

If you don't visit Pakistan yourself you will not know. It is almost fashionable to ****** about the government and have your own policy on everything, heck who can truly say they trust a Pakistani in power? Icertainly can't, not even as far as i could throw one.

How many of the taxi drivers who dislike Pak-US arrangements will do anything about it......next to none. The awaam (people) are too busy living life and surviving to give a sh!t really.

No doubt we have extremists who truly do believe this, but they are a rarity and you will find, in rich area's they don't even exist. If you have money you have education, you have no time for Mullahs.

I got an uncle who has a shop, he puts his kids thru school and college, and hires a private islamic tutor to teach them about islam from the QURAN, not from the tabloids.

People with sense and ability do that, and are doing that.

The writer tries to stick in M.E issues to try and make fashionable *****ing actual concerns, this is aobut as epic as peoples constant complaints about traffic levels or tax hikes in the UK.

We know it's happening, we care, but we can't and won't do nothing about it.

You know what worries me, and should worry the rest of the world too, the beating the carcass of democracy is taking in Pakistan, Musharraf is silencing everyone, PPPP, MMA, everyone who isn't singing his mantra, hounds like Altaf Hussian are allowed to spread secatarian hatred all over again, simply coz he says god bless mushy at the end of every speech!

That is dangerous, all should be allowed to speak, say whatever they like, let the dogs bark, and by election time the voters will know which dogs has only the bark and which possess the bite too.

Otherwise they only vote on knowledge of bark, and that's f**ked us for the last 58 years!

Lucien LaCroix

A very interesting article. The author's conversation with the taxi driver is indicative of what I have always said--when you can't answer to your own failings and disappointments, it's easier to rail against/blame others for your own problems and the problems of the world.

__________________
"If I see further than other men, it is because I stand upon the shoulders of giants."

tarek

Hi Plat - good to read to you here.

Reading the article, I found the case to be unpersuasive, that to say that it is not a case that will appeal to the senisbility and sentiments of pakistanis, as is clear that a majority of Pakistanis are or remain unpersuaded.

platinum786

it's true, it's just sensationalism, why coz it sells papers.

did u here aobut Skh riots in the UK?

simple protests, perhaps 1-2 scuffles, turned into a riot to sell tabloids.

tarek

MMA to organise caravans after black day: Qazi

By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has announced to organize caravans across the country after January 1 ‘black day.’ The decision was announced in a press conference addressed by president of the six-party alliance Qazi Hussain Ahmad.

Qazi said the MMA wants the PPP to side with anti-Musharraf forces instead of trying to strike a deal with the establishment. "We desire that all opposition parties should launch a combined agitation against General Pervez Musharraf," he said.

He invited PML (N) Acting President Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and PPPP chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim at dinner on December 30 in Islamabad. The two leaders have already consented to attend the dinner while besides Qazi Hussain Ahmad, other mainstream MMA leader would also be present on the occasion.

The MMA president strongly dispelled the impression the government was trying to portray from the forthcoming courtesy call on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz by Leader of the Opposition Maulana Fazal-ur-Rahman.

"What is the status of Shaukat Aziz? Where does he matter? What power does he exercise in running the government? Where does he stand in the power corridors," asked Qazi Hussain Ahmad.

The MMA leader remarked, "we are chalking out agitation and the government-controlled media is giving the impression of a dialogue to be underway with the prime minister." "General Musharraf is a liar and cannot keep up his words, so there are no prospects of holding talks with him any time in future," he said. He said there could be no two opinions about the invalidity of the so-called legislation rushed through the parliament to legitimize Musharraf’s possession of army chief office.

"His indispensability pretext is costing professionalism of the armed forces very dearly," said Qazi Hussain Ahmad. The MMA leader said the gulf between people and the military ruler has widened to irreversible proportions.

He lashed out at Pakistan Television and Information Ministry for "pressing the media organisation to downplay the MMA protests campaigns." Qazi claimed the starting phase of the protest campaign was indeed a great success.

"The General should read the history of a fellow dictator’s (Field Marshall Ayub Khan) downfall who was the so-called all-powerful of his time," he said and added the protest campaigns and rallies started amid Section 144 but the two-person protest marches led to the political demise of the ‘pharaoh’ of his time. He advised General Musharraf to see the writing on wall and quit as promised with the nation and as amended in the constitution.

platinum786

Don't we have one of those every other month anyway........??

tarek

Plat

If we do have one of these every month, then it only serves to highlight the danger Islamist inspired instability in Pakistan represents to the world, isn't that so??

And doesn't it make the case more credible that "moderation" is something significant numbers of Pakistanis will have nothing to do with other than to reject it in favour of the islamist worldview? One in which Islam itself is under attack by crusaders, where Jihad and martrydom is glorified and where the only legitimate state is one that is run by Islamists?

tarek

In Early December at a rally, Qazi Ahmed, the boss of the Jamaat e Islami, publically threated the Ismaili Muslim sect with harm if it did not stop behaving as an agent of Change (read, the West)

Yesterday, This threat materialized in the murder of Ismailis in Chitral at the hands of "masked gunmen":

"Chitral trouble is symptomatic of deeper malaise

Four masked men killed two workers of the Aga Khan Health Services Office in Chitral on Monday December 27 and burnt four vehicles belonging to the charity organisation. The police have registered a case against the unknown assailants and have also arrested four persons belonging to “a banned organisation”. This kind of violence has happened in the area before but has gained momentum after the MMA campaign against the Aga Khan Foundation in the rest of the country. In the adjacent Northern Areas (Gilgit) the Aga Khan charity institutions have come under attack regularly in the past years after being targeted by the radical religious elements waging jihad in Kashmir.

Earlier this year, we had news about sectarian unrest in the North for almost six months. Schools were closed and there were instances of sporadic violence in areas where Shia and Ismaili populations are concentrated but where power and influence have passed to Sunni clerics. In Chitral, the Shia-Sunni tension dates back to 1988 when the Northern Areas were attacked by Pushtun lashkars. A retired commissioner of Gilgit wrote: “In April 1988 armed rioters from outside entered the Gilgit environs. Eleven villages around town were torched, their wooden structures burnt to ashes and valuable goods looted. Around 40 persons were killed. It was clear to the Gilgit civil administration that the raiders, who were tribals and mujahideen elements, could not have reached this remote place from Peshawar without someone’s blessing. The Frontier Constabulary, whose checkposts dot the Swat-Besham road and the Besham-Gilgit highway, did not act to intercept the raiders”.

That year General Zia ul Haq fired Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo for failing to control violence. Today, the MMA clerics are openly threatening ‘action’ against the Aga Khan Foundation because they don’t want it to organise a better examination system in the country. There is no doubt that the fiery sermons delivered down-country are having their effect in the North and have intensified sectarian conflict in Chitral too. What are the grounds for the MMA’s fury? If you wave the agitprop aside, there are no grounds at all.

It is quite obvious that religious prejudice was already simmering and simply wanted an outlet. The clergy has therefore decided to confront the Aga Khan Foundation on a very flimsy pretext. This is what happened.

The Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB) has been established through an ordinance to give the country an efficient system of exams that all students can afford. This was done in view of the growing popularity of the GCSE and “A” level exams conducted by the University of Cambridge in Pakistan. Each student taking these exams has to cough up around Rs 20,000. After the Board’s programme comes into force an examinee will pay only Rs 1,500 if he comes from a non-profit-making school and Rs 3,000 if he belongs to a private school. The standard of examination will be as high as the Cambridge one, which is taken by our students because it is reliable and is recognised in the private sector. It should be noted that the AKU-EB ordinance applies so far only to the private sector and the federal institutions and is completely voluntary. (Education being a provincial subject, the system will apply to state-run schools only after the provinces agree.) If an institution is unwilling to submit to the new system it is free to stay away. How does that threaten the Pakistani society? The truth is that once the programme gets going everyone will enlist in it because of its efficiency.

Although the MMA, led by Jamaat-e-Islami, has no past record of criticising the Cambridge system in the country, the Jamaat now says the AKU-EB is set to “secularise” the country by the introduction of this system. How is that possible through mere conduct of such exams? The ordinance establishing the AKU-EB says quite clearly: “The Examination Board shall follow the national curriculum and syllabi.” There is no hidden reference here to any presumed secular brainwash as feared by the clergy. So what is the truth of the matter? The truth is that a hidden desire to exclude one more community from the pale of Islam persists after what the religious fanatics have done to non-Sunni majority locations in the North. What was happening so far in the periphery is now threatening to come to the centre. That is why General Pervez Musharraf must take firm action against the elements which have attacked the Aga Khan Health Services Office in Chitral and are working under a scheme to destabilise the country by exacerbating its sectarian conflict. That is also why he should seriously think of displacing the reactionary MMA with a liberal party in his political affections

Ray

When I had written about the Sunni - Shia problems, based on the experience of India, it was said that there is no such thing.

Yet, Tarek's artcile does indicate some.

Just for education, it that so serious a divide?

What actions are being taken to minimise this schism?

platinum786

yeah, they ha[ppen every month, but if they had any impact, these people would ahve a say, why is it they still need to protest again if they have a say?

Simply coz they have no impact, they only have thier same old faces apearing and attending, the die-hards that's it. They have to do it again and again to keep remembered.

Trust me, modernisation, is happening all the time, it's just how it's presented.
If you tell someone i'm gonna modernise you and turn you life upside down.....ppl get worried, tell them step by step......and explain things....nobody cares....why because modernisations makes life simpler for us, islamization doesn't (note, islamization is a political process by which the teachings of islam are manipulated and misquoted to create a Iran like dicatorship, Islam is a religion ).

I and all of gods creatures like things simpler, islamization makes it simpler only for the bushy beards at the top. Show that and islamization drops dead, everyone who sees it for what it is drops it like hot coal.

I'll give you a real life example you know, remember Ameer Kiani from PDF, he's changed, he was a die-hard mullah at the age of 14, now he's a man, he understands. Anyone ever thought they could see sense from him? You see plenty now.

[@ RAY]: Shia-sunni divide, ancient political devide from nearly 1200 years ago, turned into 2 "religious factions", now a mere p1ssy handbag fight between extremists from both ends.

You see them in other religions, in other cultures, extermists, the type who want it just thier way....only right now it sells many papers if you highlight muslim ones.....not that they need any help in particular.

tarek

Plat

Yaara this is not PDF and there is no need to play the cheerleading section here - it's not just that it doesn't work, but it's entirely unnecessary - There are no evil Hindu hordes to be set right about what is really going on in Pakistan - I encourage you to trust the community of interactors here, just like you ,they are human and want to connect at that level, and they will if they are engaged in a honest manner.

All news and analysis about the kinds of threats and dangers Pakistan is facing, is presented primarily from Pakistani sources - PLease don't feel the need to defend Pakistan, it's armed forces are quite capable of looking after it. Honestly, this world is not full of enemies to defend from, rather it is full of friends to win, if we would only tell our story truthfully, we need to do that as much as for ourselves as for others.

I think every one will take your point about the Islamist to heart, but reality is that the state is aware of their threat and in instances, complicit with them (You will have noted the abadon of principle with regard to the religion column in the Passports - all anyone who wants to realize the role of the state in the promotion of radical Islam and in the denial of rights to muslims of minority sects, has to do is examine the passport application and the evil oath all must swear to) - please don't explain away things by suggesting that it's the same in other countries, IT IS NOT! - In Which other nuclear power are sectarian, religious lunes positioned such that God forbid the state itself may fall to them? In which other nuclear power, have Islmist members of the armed forces, duty bound, attempted to assasinate the CnC of the armed forces and President?? And in which other nuclear power are religious minorities, by ammendment to the constitution, excommunicated?? - Yaar, please don't get me started, especially as know that not a single of the points I can express can be countered unless we once again go into the islamist ideology for justification - in which case, there will not be any need for any more examples to expose.

Please, please, give us and yourself a break - we are not enmies of Pakistan or islam or whatever - things will neither get better nor will other people in the world understand the challenges we face, if we cease being critical and instead become clueless cheerleads of the policy of the day.

Shi'ah - Sunni sectarian strife 1200 years old - hogwash!! As we experience it today in Pakistan, it is a entirely modern creation, one in which the state itself is complicit - yes, it began with excommunicating a insignificant religious sect, now with Saudi funding, it is a war on all Shi'ah and their institutions - you say it's just like in other countries, really?? Catholics are machine gunning Protestants while they pray?? Does the fact that it happens in other countries suggest that it's really no big deal or no big problem??????

My congratulations to Mr. Kiani, we wish him well, he is no longer 14, whats the excuse of those since long have not been 14? - in anycase, gentle friend, how is this an example of moderisation? If one comes to the realization that the horse they have chosen to ride in a particular race is not a winner, and seek to switch horses, does that mean that they race in which they seek to participate has changed?? No, sir, simply switiching horses and not abandoning the race itself, suggest tha the lessons learnt were all the wrong one; the equivalent of the Islamist using modern technology to disseminate his ideology of hate and rejection of the present.

Plat, If you want understanding and praise for the good and hard work the Pakistani state under Musharraf is attempting to do - yes, we all understand it and we appreciate it - but just like the thinking amled has proposed in the "Good, bad, right, wrong" thread, under no circumstance is appreciation of doing the job it is one's duty to do, translate into "do not view us with a critical approach" - that's just not gonna happen, I can say with absolute assurance.

tarek

Why does the Pakistani regime not eliminate terrorism from it's roots? it continues to engage the MMA knowing ful well that they are the mask of Al-Qaida - all Pakistanis know this, the rest of the world knows this, so why does Musharraf keep the masquerade going?


Tribal leader shot dead in Wana

WANA (AFP) - A tribal politician with close links to Afghan President Hamid Karzai was shot dead in a drive-by attack by suspected Al-Qaeda militants Wednesday, officials said.

Shahlam Khan, 50, whose brother is Pakistan’s Ambassador to Qatar, was blasted by masked gunmen from a moving car in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan.

Bullets struck Shahlam, the leader of a Pashtun party, in his chest and shoulder and he died on the way to hospital in t Peshawar, a senior administration official said.

Authorities were investigating whether Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents were behind the attack. Shahlam had been receiving threatening letters from them, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Shahlam’s Pushtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party is known for its stance against Taliban and other militants.

Thousands of troops have been sent into Waziristan to hunt down the insurgents.

He was also known for his friendship with Karzai, who is from the same ethnic group. ‘ Shahlam had close ties with Karzai and had received threatening letters from militants earlier,’ tribal elder Malik Behram said. Shahlam’s brother, Ayaz Khan, is serving as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Qatar, he said.

The murder comes six days after another deadly incident involving a tribesman in northwest of the country. On Thursday a tribal leader’s son was killed by a bomb blast a month after the elder handed over two young Uzbek militants to authorities in volatile Makeen region, near Wana.

Ray

Aga Khan is a very respected person in India and he has done a lot of social work and he has to the best of my knowledge never criticised any religion or sect, at least in India.

In fact, the link below would indicate his secular credential. While not abandoning Islam, the Aga Khan foundation has done great philanthropic work and have been in the forefront of education and health services. Further, this link shows that the Ismailis adopt the way of the country they are in.

That is true, because when I was in Mumbai (Bombay) as a child, I could never make out what religion they were from. In fact, I thought that a different religion from all types of religions in India!

http://ismaili.net/news/781208.html

Therefore, Tarek's post surprised me a bit.

Since it was categorically stated earlier on this board that all is well for the Shias and there is no sectarian problems in Pakistan, I was more surprised that the progressive Aga Khan group has been targeted. I reckon the Ismalis are after all Shia since Aga Khan is the 49th Imam of the Shia Imani Ismailia Sect of Islam as per the link.

In our country, where the Moslem sectaraian violence amongst the Moslems sects, especially during Mohurrum, was more of a rule than exception, it was most refreshing to be educated that it was misguided religious fanatics are work. which may still be true. Providentially, the Mohurrum hassle in India is no longer there since education is reaching out to more and the rump elements are kept under check by a strict police bandobast. There still remains a bit of difference, but it does not erupt.

Therefore, the targetting of the Aga Khanis (as per the post above) was extraordinary. It made me wonder if the Ismailis in Pakistan were also in the realm of sectarian violence. It does affect India, since it could also manifest itself here.

That was the rationale for my question on the Shia - Sunni problem.