Archive for Islamic Fundamentalism
Pakistan’s Achilles Heel
I came across a rather interesting article today on gopetition.com. Allow me to share with you the article and my thoughts on it.
The article was published by Nigah Zehra on Jan 29, 2009 and titled “Who carried out 2,148 terrorist attacks inside Pakistan” The topic suggested it would shed some light on the fundamentalists behind various terrorist attacks on Pakistan. But Lo and Behold! The Article was much more than I bargained for.
It quotes studies by Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies according to which in 2008 the country saw 2,148 terrorist attacks, which caused 6,825 casualties — 2,267 of them fatal. There are many more statistics but just this was enough to make me sit up.
The Author after quoting above mentioned and more such hair-raising statistics questions if the world is aware of Pakistan’s plight. According to the author America’s suspicions on Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terrorism and the “do more litany” clearly shows that America is not aware of “what the country and its people have been going through”. Immediately after this attention diverts to India. The Author vents out the rage at Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts post Mumbai terrorist attacks wherein though Pakistan presumably convinced the world that it was not responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attack, the efforts were characterized by diffidence (according to the author) and failed to show Pakistan’s anger on India’s baseless accusations.
The real Drama is in the next Paragraph where the Author questions if India has suffered as much as Pakistan has! The answer to that rhetoric question as per the Author is “No”. It evidently infuriates the Author to think that the World believes India has suffered more than Pakistan at hands of terrorism and instead mistakenly believes that safe havens for Taliban and other militants exits in Fata and elsewhere in Pakistan territory.
The Article made me think and this is what I think and what I would like to say to the Author and all those who think similarly:
1. If United States of America is not aware of the “Pakistani Plight” why has it been financially supporting it since before 1980s?
2. Is it not extremely thankless of an individual to curse America when he/she can eat the daily naan simply because America – “The Big Bad Brother” has been pumping in money in his/her country?
3. Notwithstanding accusations (supported by evidences in most if not all cases) of terrorism by various countries can Pakistan really close its eyes to the fact that extremism is growing in its land and that the terrorists who bleed the State are locally grown?
4. Can an honest Pakistani really deny that the Anti India sentiment is strong enough in Pakistan to blind its people to the follies of their government just because India brings them to light?
5. Can any Pakistani intellectual deny that Pakistan today suffers from a severe case of low self esteem (but immense Ego) and feels victimized by the World?
It is not my intention to insult Pakistan – a country this Blog has praised earlier for its tenacious hold on Democratic ideals despite various upheavals. However, it is the intention to point out that Pakistani “avaam” (people) needs to open its eyes and accept that:
• it has received ample international aid,
• its soil today is ripe with the blood of innocents and moderates and grows extremists,
• problems that Pakistan faces today are not creation of other forces but its own failing and
• the Anti India slogans can wait for a time when Pakistan has stabilized itself
Unless they do not accept these facts there is no hope for Pakistan. And it will be foolishness for any Pakistani to think that any country including India would want Pakistan to fail as a State. India watches Pakistan with abated breath and hopes that it will stabilize for the sole reason that a failed neighbour State ripe with Islamic Extremism and Fundamentalism will be a reality worse than India’s worst nightmares. Similarly no country in the World would want Pakistan to fail as a State as that will only give rise to terrorism, endanger international oil interests in Afghanistan, increase Islamic Extremism and maybe even make it easier for terrorists to lay their hands on nuclear arsenal that Pakistan so gladly and foolishly continues to increase.
Guerilla warfare against Democracy in Pakistan
Framers of Pakistan’s Constitution were visionaries who knew that Democracy (with all its flaws) was and would be in future the ideal form of Government for their beloved country’s progress and development. Their vision however did not anticipate recurring attacks on Democratic form of Government by the nation’s army. To give the Nation credit, after every Dictator’s rule be it Ayub Khan or Yahya Khan or Ziaul Haq or most recently Musharraf the Pakistani people have always brought their Nation back home to Democracy. This gives hope to all concerned about the well being of this State.
Recently however we have seen in Pakistan a new ‘Guerilla Warfare’ on Democracy. As the poison of Islamic Fundamentalism spreads from Afghanistan to Pakistan the fundamentalists have begun to challenge the “constitutionality” of Democracy as a form of Government for Pakistan – an Islamic Nation.
The preamble to the Constitution of Pakistan chooses Democratic form of Government “as enunciated by Islam”. The exact words are:
“to exercise its powers and authority through the chosen representatives’ who, in turn, are bound to fully observe ‘the principles of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice as enunciated by Islam”.
According to Maulana Sufi Mohammad founder of Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) an elected legislature is alien to Islam and therefore it can be argued in a ‘Constitutionally’ set up Court of Justice that Pakistan must renounce Democracy as an elected legislature is “Unconstituional”. The “as enunciated by Islam” at the end of Preamble works as a precondition to all that which the Preamble states.
This is definitely the most serious attack on Democracy that Pakistan has ever faced. The fact that Maulana Sufi Mohammad has some public support only makes it grave.
Note: Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) is a Pakistani militant organisation with Wahabi and Deobandi leanings that strives at implementing Sharia in Pakistan. In 2002 it was banned and declared a terrorist outfit.
