Ischaudry
I believe it is unity and reviving the true spirit of a Momin.
Amen brother/sister! But you also know that the Thaikedars of Islam are also waiting to hijack that bit of business -- that's how we got into the mess we are in now.
Catch-22. There is no way feudal interests can be outvoted.
In that case we have lost before we ever got started.
We blame extremists for a good bit of our problems, we blame politicians - but we must also acknowledge that these people have been successful because they have worked hard to bring society into acceptance of their ideas - they have built from the neighborhood up, if we are not willing to do that, lets not waste our time and effort, because that's what it takes -- there is no majic pill, no short cut.
In advertising there is a principle, a "tipping point", that suggests that once you can get 3% (threee percent) of the population to accept a proposition and to publically forward their position, you will begin to see a wave of sorts that carries the proposition forward - the same was true when Musharraf came to power, the same was true when the so called black coats carried the day.
Many in Pakistan imagine democracy as a ideal, a kind of religion that must be "perfect" - it's nothing of the kind, it's merely a way to organize so that transfer of power is bloodless, that is all it is; "Of the peoople, for the people and by the people" is rhetoric, not organizing principle, after all, what exactly does it mean?? Representative governance reflected in a elected Majlis of LAWMAKERS, by whatever other names and labels is found in a variety of countries we would not necessarily call "democratic" -- so, what is it that we seek for Pakistan??
It is not so called Westminster democracy, or a French 5th republic style or a US two party style or whatever, what we want is effective, responsive, accountable governance -- as Dung Shiao Ping has said, "what do we care whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice" or in our terms, "you care about eating mango or where the seed came from".
Our experience of goverenance is that it is entirely unresponsive and unaccountable, at least to us - but this is not the entirety of the situation, Pakistani governance is responsive and is accountable to those elements of society that can effect it - once again, Pakistani governance is responsive and accountable to those elements of society that can effect it.
All Pakistani readers should make it a point to read Dr. Mancur Olsen's "The logic of Collective Action" and "Peace and Prosperity: Outgrowing Communist and Capitalist Ditatorship" --- int he first book, you may arrive at some understanding as to why large groups nearly always FAIL and why small groups, "minorities" nearly always SUCCEED - in the second book you may arrive at a deeper understanding of state formation, the historic role of taxation and freedom understood as economic freedom. These are not challeneging reads, please read them.
You may also then, conclude that as in any endeavor, leadership, is key, even as you begin at the neighborhood level, even Lt.Generals begin sometimes as privates or LT's. The old truths about "Qatra Qatra Darya..." are just that, truths.
