Before we start let me unreservedly and wholeheartedly condemn this attack on humanity in Paris.
Even though I believe that followers of Dai’sh/ISIS are modern day Kharjites who have twisted a religion of Peace into a bloodthirsty savage subhuman cult. Nevertheless it cannot be denied that there is considerable support for Dai’sh ideology in all strata of the Muslim Ummah.. From the various posts, one would infer that there are some members of this very forum holding very similar religious views.
In my humble opinion, ISIS will not be defeated by bombing alone. In fact ISIS/Dai’sh leadership would like to be heavily bombed primarily because this would generate sympathy in the Muslim countries for their cause. Besides, many moderates, after their property is damaged and loved ones killed by the bombs, would probably side with the ISIS. Afghanistan was bombed with ‘Daisy Cutters’, did it eliminate Taliban?
I am not saying that no action should be taken, perhaps selective targeting of ISIS leadership and their supply depots using drones would be more fruitful than the knee-jerk bombing of Raqqa carried out by the French last night.
It has to be a coordinated multifaceted approach. The proper way to defeat the ISI S must also involve changing the mind-set in addition to the carrot & the stick approach. Since this is the PDF, let’s discuss Pakistan first.
As a start, IDPs resulting from Zarb-e Azb need to be rehabilitated as soon as possible to reduce resentment among the Waziristan Tribals. Should it be beyond Pakistan's resources, GOP should seek foreign aid.
Yesterday, I heard Foreign Secretary claiming in his Press Conference that Dai’sh does not exist in Pakistan. I have seen ‘Dai’sh’ wall chalking in Karachi during my recent visit in September. Are Ch. Nisar and the home Ministry staff blind?
IMO reason for this state of denial is that the political parties currently in power in the KP and in Punjab as well as in Islamabad are sympathetic to the extremist ideology. Soft spot for the TTP in the PTI leadership as well as in their JI allies is well-known (hence the nickname Taliban Khan). Links with LEJ & SSP and PML-N thru Rana Sana- ullah are also an open secret. In which country except in Pakistan can a Mullah of a Gov’t financed mosque (Lal Masjid) threaten the State with impunity without any action being taken against him?
Regret to admit that many prominent journalist & TV anchors also carry soft corner for the killers that terrorise in the name of Islam. Urdu columns published in the Jang of today by Ansar Abbasi & Hamid Mir represent the media personnel who condemn the Paris bombing & explain its justification ( Why West kept quiet about acts of terror on Muslims in Palestine & in Bosnia etc.) in the same breath.
Until such time that Nawaz Sharif & Imran Khan demonstrate their resolve and their unreserved condemnation of Taliban & LEJ without any Ifs & Buts; and tighten the screws on pro-Taliban/Da'ish Madrassahs such as Lal Masjid/Jamia Hafsa; Zarbe Azb success would be no more than a ‘Pyrrhic’ victory. Pak Army High Command realises this fact, hence the recent ISPR release moaning lack of good governance.
Without doubt, the West & the US in particular; need to mellow their unreserved support for Israel. Irrantional support for the Zionist Netanyahu regime irks even a moderate liberal Muslim such as me. However two Wrongs don’t make a Right. Speaking as a human being only, I cannot explain away murder of innocents in Paris because US is supporting Israel or the West turns a blind eye to the Indian excesses on the Kashmiri Muslims.
A destabilised country is a fertile ground for the extremists. We have already seen the chaos in Somalia, in Iraq, in Afghanistan and in Libya. Israel and Saudi Arabia have to decide as to which represents the greater danger; Assad regime & Iran or the spread of the ISIS?
If the West & rest of world is serious about eliminating ISIS; at least for the time being Assad regime should be left alone. Understand Dai’sh is already entrenched in large part of South Yemen which is Sunni majority area; therefore Saudi led military adventure against Yemen should be also aborted forthwith. Simultaneously, Modi regime should be pressurised to put her Hindutva agenda and her attempts to destabilize Pakistan on the back burner and cease providing financial support to the exiled TTP & the Baluchi separatists.
Regrettably Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Gulf States are the main sources of funds for the terrorist organization. Steps to cut-off financial and moral support to all extremist organizations such as ISIS, Al-Qaida, LEJ, TTP and sectarian madrassahs should also be taken right away. Any country, organization or individual found providing covert or even moral support to any of the above should be subject to international censor.
At a time where 'Realpolitik' is name of the the game; would any of the above actions be taken? I seriously doubt. Innocent Frenchmen have been killed in Paris, more innocents (this time Muslims) will suffer in consequence.
An article published in the News is noted below which indicates that at least a few journalists in Pakistan hold similar views.
A nightmare in Paris
Ghazi Salahuddin
- Sunday, November 15, 2015 -
Across separate time zones, the world was awakened from its sleep on Saturday morning by the thunder of the terror attacks in Paris. And this horror is bound to have implications, particularly for immigrants who live in France and in other European countries. But in the immediate context, everyone is shocked and wondering what it really means. President Obama has called it an attack on all of humanity.
We, in Pakistan, remain too engrossed in our own national affairs and our media’s coverage of the world, in terms of a thoughtful discussion of what is happening, is deplorable. In fact, the main news bulletins on our news channels have forsaken all principles of serious journalism. This does not, of course, mean that the terror attacks in Paris will be underplayed in any sense. But the main issue for us is to come to terms with it in the context of our own experience of terrorism and the genesis of such barbarian passions.
Yes, the major development this week was the discord between the army leadership and the government on how the ongoing operation against terrorism and extremism has progressed and whether the government has taken appropriate “governance initiatives” to comply with the National Action Plan. It is instructive that shortcomings have been indicated in dealing with the the madressahs.
In that sense, the suicide attacks in Paris have some relevance to how we analyse the situation that has evolved in Pakistan and in Afghanistan in recent years or decades. The politics of jihad and the sinful flirtation with the Taliban need to be taken into account. Irrespective of what has happened, the big question for us is: has the mind-set that had governed our strategic and national security policies changed?
This was the question to be posed in December last year, after that abominable attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar. In a month, we will observe the first anniversary of that unimaginable atrocity. We know what is happening on the ground. The resolve of the establishment to deal with terrorist and extremist elements is not to be doubted. But many questions about how our formulations about national security have changed are unanswered.
I had referred in this space last week to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s remarks that our future lies “in a liberal and democratic country”. In his address to the Investment Conference in Islamabad, he also said that “our goal is to create a progressive society where our children – boys and girls – can go to school and get educated”.
While these observations were not really celebrated by the media, the obscurantists did make some noise. The Islamists saw this as an act of sacrilege and it was difficult to tell them how silly their arguments were because of the prevailing environment of intolerance and extremism. Besides, we have no idea about how the prime minister, seen as a right-winger, proposes to advance in the direction of a liberal and progressive society.
This is the time for him to act. Unless he was just being rhetorical, the challenge to make a paradigm shift in Pakistan’s ideological leanings is very real and it has a bearing on our survival as a nation. Look at the world at large and look at the threats that are posed to modern, civilised nations. Look at Paris. Try and understand how this terrifying outrage will influence the developments in the Middle-East and in rest of the world.
What I dread to think is that our society has, over the years, become so intolerant in its behaviour and so irrational in its outlook that it may have lost the capacity to look at itself and the world in any realistic and logical manner. The collective mind is afflicted with ignorance and vile prejudices. We live in a society in which Mumtaz Qadri can be deemed a saint and a former chief justice of the Lahore High Court is his proclaimed defender.
I had another indication of this hopeless situation this week when I read that the president of the All Pakistan Private Schools Federation has written a book titled ‘I am not Malala, I am a Muslim, I am a Pakistani’ because “Malala is the darling of the west and Shiv Sena, the same people who created al Qaeda and the Islamic State”. Ah, you may soon have an assertion that the Paris attacks were a conspiracy hatched by the government of France.
We have recently witnessed the onslaughts in India of Hindu nationalists. Our religious militants would not admit that they are the same in their primitive passions. That is how the militants in the two countries work for each other. On the other hand, our intellectuals do not have the same influence that they have in India. Actually, the story of intolerance in India is not as important as the reaction of the Indian civil society.
Against this backdrop, what has happened in Paris on the night of Friday the thirteenth should be carefully assessed by our rulers and our political leaders. Again, we are unlucky to have the leaders that we have. They are woefully deficient in their intellectual abilities and their character. So what can we learn from the living history of a world in turmoil?
For the moment, however, we grieve for Paris and the loss of life in multiple terror attacks and suicide bombings. I have been watching CNN and the BBC and there is a lot of talk about the Islamic State and Islamic radicalism. One analyst on the BBC likened the Paris killings to the Mumbai attacks. Leaders of western countries have vowed that they will go after the terrorists with determination. They see this as an assault on their civilisation and values. The president of France said that “our fight will be merciless”.
A very large number of people in every part of the world must be recalling their own personal encounters with a city of love and culture. One is reminded of novels, films and songs that are sent in Paris. It is certainly one of the most enchanting cities of the world. More than with love, I associate Paris with philosophy and with artistic creativity. There is no other country like France, and Paris is its jewel. I feel personally disturbed because Paris is where I always want to go and have been fortunate to do that a number of times. But going anywhere with a Pakistani passport is not a pleasant experience.
Paris, we can be sure, will soon recover. Terrorists can do great damage. But their exploits will remain suicidal – in more ways than one.
The writer is a staff member. Email:
ghazi_salahuddin@hotmail.com
A nightmare in Paris - Ghazi Salahuddin
