pkpatriotic
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Blind wars
Saleem Safi
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Americans and their allies invaded Afghanistan for eliminating Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. But after ten years of war and destruction, the alliance is still groping in the dark and does not know what to show as an achievement. They have failed to nab Osama Bin Laden, kill Ayman al-Zawahiri or search out Mullah Muhammad Umar and his close circle of associates.
What the war has achieved is the loss of thousands of innocent Afghan and Pakistani lives. The Western alliance may count some success in barbarically attacking marriage ceremonies and burial gatherings for the victims of Western bombs. The nation-builders of the West have failed to reconstruct the war-ravaged Afghanistan, but have succeeded in turning the Pakhtun belt of Pakistan into another Afghanistan.
Former US president George W Bush started the crusade to make the world more secure. But, alas, after nine years the world has grown more insecure. Al-Qaeda has become a more lethal and dangerous organisation, while Taliban on both sides of the border are dreaming of occupying the seats of power in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Despite these dangerous results, the US still wants to persist with the war. It does not want to change the course and adopt a policy of addressing the root causes of terrorism. Had it been the policy, Obama would have declared resolution of Kashmir his priority as promised during the election campaign. He should also have concentrated on resolving the Palestinian question.
If the Americans and allies are fighting a blind war, their opponents are no better. These opponents were out to destroy Washington, Tel Aviv and New Delhi, but have instead turned Paktia, Paktika, Qandahar, Swat and FATA into terrorist hotspots. They fight a war with America but celebrate blowing up schools of Pakhtun children. They have not achieved their cherished goals, but are instead targeting Islamabad and Lahore. We hoped to reclaim the Cordoba Mosque and rebuild Babari Mosque, but have instead targeted mosques and monasteries throughout Pakistan.
Let alone getting Bush, our extremists have not even been able to touch Musharraf. But they have murdered towering religious scholars and intellectuals like Maulana Hassan Jan, Maulana Merajuddin, Maulana Noor Muhammad, Maulana Sarfraz Naeemi and Dr Farooq Khan. Our rulers claim that the US is our friend and does need us very much. It has declared Pakistan a frontline state in the war on terror. Obama was busy clarifying Pakistan's position in India. But, on the other hand, informed people have been insisting that India is creating troubles in Balochistan from Afghan soil. Similarly, the powers that be do not tire of convincing us about the necessity of military operations in Swat and Waziristan. But, on the other hand, it is insisted that we should raise voices of condemnation against drone strikes as they are counterproductive. Some well-informed people know that drone attacks have caused more damage to the TTP than to the Afghan Taliban. But this confusion and outright blindness is not the attribute of the war between US and its opponents.
Internally, we observe the same blind tussle between the MQM and the ANP in Sindh. Both parties and their leaders are on the hit-list of militants. But instead of becoming friends, they are busy targeting each other. Neither was the ANP able to get rid of the MQM leadership, nor has the latter pushed the ANP leadership out of Karachi. The leaders of both parties enjoy each other's company in the federal and provincial cabinets, but their supporters in the streets of Karachi are becoming victims of the venom spit by leaders. Similarly, Baloch nationalists rose against the establishment to snatch Baloch rights and turn Balochistan into heaven on earth. But they have neither been been able to hurt Musharraf nor secure Baloch rights. The Baloch wanted to get rid of Islamabad's authority, but have instead turned to Delhi, London and Kabul. Instead of targeting the killers of the Baloch, the militants are targeting the educated settlers who had taken up the task to spread the light of knowledge and education in Balochistan.
The militants are ruining Balochistan in the name of welfare and development of Baloch people. They are killing any hope of a prosperous Balochistan. On the other hand, the Pakistani establishment is squandering billions of rupees on military operations and corrupt Sardars in Balochistan, but is not ready to spend that amount of the welfare and development of ordinary Baloch.
Had the resources squandered on military operations in Balochistan for the last sixty years been spent on development in that province, there would now be no unrest in this part of the country.
In this part of the world everyone is fighting a blind war. Resultantly, we are being killed and also earn a bad name globally. Unfortunately, we have shut our eyes, ears and mouth. We don't try to get out of this abyss. Why have we grown indifferent?
The reason is that nobody has the stomach to bear with positive criticism. If the establishment is criticised, we are declared unpatriotic. If we criticise the religious leadership, we are dubbed agents of the US and of Jews. Similarly, criticism of militants endangers both life and faith. Any comment on the nationalists' policies qualify us as agents of the establishment. Questioning the rationale behind the policies of the political leadership earns the critics the name of democracy-bashers. Equally dangerous is criticism by the media.
The culture of intolerance has harmed us. But how long are we to tolerate intolerance? How long are we ready to become victims of blind wars and selfish, confused tussles? Let's think again.
Saleem Safi
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Americans and their allies invaded Afghanistan for eliminating Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. But after ten years of war and destruction, the alliance is still groping in the dark and does not know what to show as an achievement. They have failed to nab Osama Bin Laden, kill Ayman al-Zawahiri or search out Mullah Muhammad Umar and his close circle of associates.
What the war has achieved is the loss of thousands of innocent Afghan and Pakistani lives. The Western alliance may count some success in barbarically attacking marriage ceremonies and burial gatherings for the victims of Western bombs. The nation-builders of the West have failed to reconstruct the war-ravaged Afghanistan, but have succeeded in turning the Pakhtun belt of Pakistan into another Afghanistan.
Former US president George W Bush started the crusade to make the world more secure. But, alas, after nine years the world has grown more insecure. Al-Qaeda has become a more lethal and dangerous organisation, while Taliban on both sides of the border are dreaming of occupying the seats of power in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Despite these dangerous results, the US still wants to persist with the war. It does not want to change the course and adopt a policy of addressing the root causes of terrorism. Had it been the policy, Obama would have declared resolution of Kashmir his priority as promised during the election campaign. He should also have concentrated on resolving the Palestinian question.
If the Americans and allies are fighting a blind war, their opponents are no better. These opponents were out to destroy Washington, Tel Aviv and New Delhi, but have instead turned Paktia, Paktika, Qandahar, Swat and FATA into terrorist hotspots. They fight a war with America but celebrate blowing up schools of Pakhtun children. They have not achieved their cherished goals, but are instead targeting Islamabad and Lahore. We hoped to reclaim the Cordoba Mosque and rebuild Babari Mosque, but have instead targeted mosques and monasteries throughout Pakistan.
Let alone getting Bush, our extremists have not even been able to touch Musharraf. But they have murdered towering religious scholars and intellectuals like Maulana Hassan Jan, Maulana Merajuddin, Maulana Noor Muhammad, Maulana Sarfraz Naeemi and Dr Farooq Khan. Our rulers claim that the US is our friend and does need us very much. It has declared Pakistan a frontline state in the war on terror. Obama was busy clarifying Pakistan's position in India. But, on the other hand, informed people have been insisting that India is creating troubles in Balochistan from Afghan soil. Similarly, the powers that be do not tire of convincing us about the necessity of military operations in Swat and Waziristan. But, on the other hand, it is insisted that we should raise voices of condemnation against drone strikes as they are counterproductive. Some well-informed people know that drone attacks have caused more damage to the TTP than to the Afghan Taliban. But this confusion and outright blindness is not the attribute of the war between US and its opponents.
Internally, we observe the same blind tussle between the MQM and the ANP in Sindh. Both parties and their leaders are on the hit-list of militants. But instead of becoming friends, they are busy targeting each other. Neither was the ANP able to get rid of the MQM leadership, nor has the latter pushed the ANP leadership out of Karachi. The leaders of both parties enjoy each other's company in the federal and provincial cabinets, but their supporters in the streets of Karachi are becoming victims of the venom spit by leaders. Similarly, Baloch nationalists rose against the establishment to snatch Baloch rights and turn Balochistan into heaven on earth. But they have neither been been able to hurt Musharraf nor secure Baloch rights. The Baloch wanted to get rid of Islamabad's authority, but have instead turned to Delhi, London and Kabul. Instead of targeting the killers of the Baloch, the militants are targeting the educated settlers who had taken up the task to spread the light of knowledge and education in Balochistan.
The militants are ruining Balochistan in the name of welfare and development of Baloch people. They are killing any hope of a prosperous Balochistan. On the other hand, the Pakistani establishment is squandering billions of rupees on military operations and corrupt Sardars in Balochistan, but is not ready to spend that amount of the welfare and development of ordinary Baloch.
Had the resources squandered on military operations in Balochistan for the last sixty years been spent on development in that province, there would now be no unrest in this part of the country.
In this part of the world everyone is fighting a blind war. Resultantly, we are being killed and also earn a bad name globally. Unfortunately, we have shut our eyes, ears and mouth. We don't try to get out of this abyss. Why have we grown indifferent?
The reason is that nobody has the stomach to bear with positive criticism. If the establishment is criticised, we are declared unpatriotic. If we criticise the religious leadership, we are dubbed agents of the US and of Jews. Similarly, criticism of militants endangers both life and faith. Any comment on the nationalists' policies qualify us as agents of the establishment. Questioning the rationale behind the policies of the political leadership earns the critics the name of democracy-bashers. Equally dangerous is criticism by the media.
The culture of intolerance has harmed us. But how long are we to tolerate intolerance? How long are we ready to become victims of blind wars and selfish, confused tussles? Let's think again.
