Jamaat Ud Dawa and its Humanitarian Work
The crackdown on Jamaat Ud Dawa continues as over 71 workers having been arrested and 124 placed under house arrest. But while this continues no one seems to care about the consequences of this action or the real questions. Does Jamaat Ud Dawa have anything to do with terrorism and Lashker E Toiba at all or has it just been dreamed up by the Indian media and politicians? How credible are Indias claims considering Hemant Karkare's investigations suggested that it was not Lashker E Toiba that was responsible? Why is Pakistan taking action against Jamaat Ud Dawa one of the largest charities in Pakistan serving over 80000 people when there is no proof that it is involved in terror related activities. Despite this why are we taking action on JuD. A person must be guilty if we are to take action against him.
The government of Pakistan not only continues with the policies of its predecessors but has gone several steps further than them, dangerously oblivious to the alienation and sense of deprivation that the people of Pakistan have begun to feel over their actions and the massive level of rage and frustration that is building up due to unparalleled corruption and poor policies in all fields. It is the view of the common man that the identity and sovereignty of Pakistan has been completely sold. The ban on Jamaat Ud Dawa has given further rise to such feelings and many people now think there is absolutely no hope.
As a result of the unjust ban on JuD there is a feeling that any Pakistani can be framed anywhere in the world for doing nothing and the Government of Pakistan does not in anyway care about the people of Pakistan or the interests of the Country and will therefore do nothing in order to protect these Pakistani citizens. On paper and in their speeches the officials always seem to stress that the interests of the Pakistani people reign supreme and there will be no compromise on our sovereignty but they do not follow up with actions on their words. This scenario and the governments tall claims have been exposed with the ban and many people ask how stealing the bread of 80000 people just for the benefit of Indian blame and propaganda going to benefit us? How does taking action against a charity serve the interests of Pakistan? Even if the organization was banned is there any alternate arrangement for the 40000 students it served?
Jamaat Ud Dawa was a large humanitarian organization in Pakistan. It had over 160 schools, 143 medical healthcare facilities and also fed many people two times a day. As a result a total of 80000 people were being served by the charity in total. 40000 of these were students and many of these could not afford the education and it is uncertain as to what will happen to their future. They were the first to react to the Kashmir quake.
USA and India have failed to answer the question of what terror group indulges itself in this kind of charity work and is helping the common people rather than terrorizing the World? Do the terror groups such as Ansar Ul Islam, Jaish E Mohammed, Al Qaeda, Taliban or Indian Mujahideen all do charity work? It seems that Jamaat Ud Dawa is more of a scapegoat than a “terrorist organization.”
Not only the humanitarian aspect of this organization has cast a shadow of doubt over the allegations but also the fact that all the benefactors of this charity were not Muslims and many were Christians and Hindus as well. It was only a month ago several poor Sindhi Christians and Hindus who had been supported by the organization rose in order to support it claiming that the organization was innocent and had nothing to do with terrorism or with Lashkar E Taoiba. Several protestors questioned how this organization could be a front for a terrorist group when it had helped them despite being Muslim.
Almost all the development, relief and humanitarian work in Pakistan is done by charity organizations and especially in this time when the Pakistani economy is in a crisis the common mans reliance upon them is much greater. The government itself admits that over 40% of the development and relief work in Pakistan is done by humanitarian organizations like Jamaat Ud Dawa, Edhi and Ansar Burney Trust. The government also admits that whenever it tries to interfere or take control of the organizations they are overwhelmed by corrupt practices and criminal elements being given positions who are rather there for their own or their parties benefit rather than humanity. Knowing this it is natural for us to question what the government was really thinking when banning an organization on which so many are dependent on. This action is forced upon us and by going along with it the government is putting its own position and independence at risk.
Plus on what flimsy proof are we banning Jamaat Ud Dawa? Do we know for sure they committed the act or had any relation to it? What about Hemant Karkare's convenient murder on the first few hours of the Mumbai attacks, the same man who was investigating the Malegaon and Samjhauta Blasts cases. Do we really have a firm grasp on the truth or are we still stumbling in the dark? The biggest question is can the government really manage the health care units and schools it is taking over now or can we soon expect the teachers and doctors not to be paid their salaries and the schools and health care units becoming ghost schools and health care units?
Even if JuD is fanatical and an Islamist organization there has to be a roadmap, or some arrangement by which its schools and clinics can still operate. Hafiz Saeed can be arrested but at least don't kill an organization simply on the basis of suspicion.
The government really needs to set independent decision making as a top priority. Humanitarian activities should not be hurt in the fight against terrorism.
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