The day after the terrible terrorist attack at Islamabad’s Islamic University that took the lives of eight innocent students, certain TV news channels ran a footage of a dozen or so angered students of the university pelting stones. The first question that popped up in my mind after watching the spectacle was, what on earth were these understandably enraged young men throwing their stones at?
So I waited for the TV cameras to pan towards the direction where the stones were landing. But that did not happen. It seemed as if the students were pelting stones just for the heck of it.
So I called a fellow journalist friend who was covering the story for a local TV channel and asked him about the protest. He told me the students were pelting stones at a handful of cops. Now, why in God’s good name would one throw stones at cops after being attacked by demented men who call themselves the Taliban?
The very next day another protest took place outside the attacked University in which the students, both male and female, were holding banners that said: ‘Kerry-Lugar Bill namanzoor!’ (Kerry-Lugar Bill Not Acceptable).
I could barely stop myself from bursting into a short sharp fit of manic laughter. It was unbelievable. Or was it, really?
Here we have a university that was attacked by a psychotic suicide bomber who slaughtered and injured dozens of students so he could get his share of hooris in Paradise. The attack was then proudly owned by the Tekrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. And in its wake, we saw enraged students protesting against the Kerry-Lugar act? What a response!
What did the Kerry-Lugar act have to do with the suicide attack? Wasn’t this remarkably idiotic ‘protest rally’ by the students actually an insult to those who were so mercilessly slaughtered by holy barbarians?
But then, some would suggest that in a society like Pakistan, such idiosyncrasies should be swallowed as a norm. And I agree. What else can one expect from a society living in a curiously delusional state of denial, gleefully mistaking it as ‘patriotism’ and ‘concern.’ It seems no amount of proof will ever be enough to dent Pakistanis’ resolve to defend the unsubstantiated, wild theories that they so dearly hold in their rapidly shrinking heads.
Take for instance the recent case of a famous TV anchorman who visited a devastated area in Peshawar that was bombed by a remote-controlled car bomb. He talked to about 10 people at the scene. More than half of the folks interviewed spouted out those squarely unproven and thoroughly clichéd tirades about RAW/CIA/Mossad being the ‘real perpetrators’ and that ‘no Muslim is capable of inflicting such acts of barbarity.’
A friend of mine who was also watching this hapless exhibition of the usual top-of-mind nonsense suddenly announced that he wanted to jump in, hold these men by the arms, and shake them violently so they could be ‘awoken from their dreadful sleepwalking state.’
Pakistanis routinely continue to deny the fact that the monsters who are behind all the faithful barbarism that is cutting this country into bits are the mutant product of what our governments, military, intelligence agencies, and society as a whole have been up to in the past 30 years or so.
Well, this is exactly what happens to a society that responds so enthusiastically to all the major symptoms of fascist thought. Symptoms such as powerful and continuing nationalism; disdain for the recognition of human rights; identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause; supremacy of the military; obsession with national security; the intertwining of religion and government; disdain for intellectuals and the arts; an obsession with crime and punishment, etc.
Have not the bulk of Pakistanis willingly allowed themselves to be captured in all the macho and paranoid trappings of the above-mentioned symptoms of collective psychosis. It clearly smacks of a society that has been ripening and readying itself for an all-round fascist scenario.
This is the scenario some among us are really talking about when they speak of ‘imposing the system of the Khulfa Rashideen’ or shariah, or whatever profound buzzwords adopted to explain Pakistan’s march towards a wonderful society of equality and justice? Words that mean absolutely nothing, or systems and theories either based on ancient musings of tribal societies or on glorified myths of bravado.
I felt bad for the few bystanders at that Peshawar bombing site who kept contradicting their more gung-ho contemporaries by reminding them that for months the shopkeepers where receiving threatening letters from the Taliban warning them that they should stop selling products for women and ban the entry of women in the area.
One shop-owner who said he lost more than millions of rupees worth of goods in the blast was slightly taken aback when the anchor asked him who he thought was behind the bomb attack. For a few seconds he looked curiously at the anchor’s face, as if wondering why would a major TV news channel be asking a question whose answer was so obvious. ‘What do you mean, who was responsible?’ he asked. ‘The Taliban, of course!’
Fasi Zaka wrote a scathing piece on the floozy response of some students who chanted slogans against the Kerry-Lugar Bill outside the freshly bombed Islamic University. He was battered with hate mail, even from those who did agree with him that it were the Taliban who bombed the unfortunate university. But these folks turned out to be even worse than the deniers. They are apologists of all the mayhem that takes place in the name of Islam in this country.
Every time the barbarians set themselves off taking innocent men, women, and children with them, these apologists suddenly emerge to write letters to newspapers and try to dominate internet forums explaining the intricate ‘socio-economic problems’ that are turning men into terrorists. Or worse – as is expected from reactionary news reporters like Ansar Abbasi – they will start giving details about the infidel targets that the terrorists were really after at the place of the attack.
Zaka told me that he got letters suggesting that the Taliban attacked the canteen of the Islamic University because ‘women students were not behaving and dressing according to Islam.’ The state under Ziaul Haq had the Hudood Ordinance for such ‘loose women,’ but now the Taliban have bombs for them. And mind you, those who were trying to justify the bombing in this respect at the University were ‘educated’ young men and even women.
Recently, we also heard about a hijab-clad female student at the prestigious and ‘liberal’ Lahore University of Management Sciences, who bagged her 15 minutes of fame by capturing images through her mobile phone of students indulging in ‘immoral activities’ on campus. Of course, the same lady’s ‘concern’ and righteousness ends at becoming a self-appointed paparazzi for the reactionaries, whereas it was young women (in hijabs) and men with beards who died so senselessly at the Islamabad Islamic University campus.
Pathetic, indeed.
Nadeem F. Paracha is a cultural critic and senior columnist for Dawn Newspaper and Dawn.com.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
NFP – what a knocking article. Wish you were Indian.
Never mind, I have a request for you, you must write on Pakistani Muslim versus Indian Muslim arguments. I am myself married to an Indian Muslim girl but we had to move to a western world for obvious reason that we were not being allowed to live peacefully yet practice our beliefs. My wife would not allow me to even try to talk to a Muslim for her good reasons.
Recently, in a charity dinner for a good cause, in Washington DC, we ran into a Pakistani diplomat’s wife. She argued with my wife over India versus Pakistan and Islam etc. It was fun to watch ladies fight over it, but it went awash as soon as I got introduced to the lady. Then I realized some Pakistanis think Indian Muslims need support from them and their are lot of misconceptions. I am sure you will love to pen it. I will wait to read it.
Take care.
Dear NFP,
Get rid of Mullaism, and this nation of sleepwalkers will wake up.
Nusrat Pasha
I somehow dont agree with a few things, but its great anyways.
Dear SQ Khan,
I agree that the single greatest problem afflicting Pakistan today is Mullaism and the involvement of religion in matters of the state. But where I would respectfully differ is on laying the responsibility of this mess on Jinnah. My disagreement is not due to any bias in favor of Jinnah, but simply due to the very obvious historical fact that Jinnah’s entire philosophy was secular. Those who succeeded him dragged religion into politics.
As far as your observation regarding the state of Muslims in contemporary India is concerned, to the extent of Bollywood they seem to fare well. But on the larger canvas their state is not all that enviable. We cannot ignore the coercive suppression of Muslims in Kashmir. Their plight in Gujrat is also worth considering. In fact, if anything these facts have only vindicated Jinnah’s stand.
Dear MG Indian,
As far as partition goes, its responsibility cannot be confined to political leadership. It was the vote of the people that counted most. We have to set the record straight and yet look forward.
Mr. S.Q. Khan –
After reading your comments I must say that Pakistan is not completely a nation of sleepwalkers. I do not think Jinnah alone was responsible for the partition but it was also Nehru who should be equally hold accountable. Compromises could have been made but our former politicians just failed to make them and rather chose to sacrifices the lives of millions of ordinary people. History cannot be undone but the problem is here that in our both countries we still have people who have blind faith in their leaders and who ignore their irrationalism. Jinnah, Nehru both were undoubtedly great leaders but that does not mean they were incarnations of God who never made any unfavorable decisions for their people. Until we have majority of rational and clean politicians, we cannot see the progress in our countries that western countries have made in terms of quality of life for a ordinary citizens. I can see on the Indian side the change is happening however, I do not see or say the same about Pakistani politics based upon the material I read here on Dawn.
p.s. I am the Indian who originally asked to rationalize Jinnah’s statement about the politics and religion.
@ S Q Khan
You pointed to wrong person, its not Fatima’s views but pure Muslim’s.
What is the opinion of the students, who justified the bombing in Girls cafeteria, on the bomb that simultaneously went off at Imam Abu Hanafia Block (Law & Sharia dept) of the Islamic University.
Thank you for stating the truth. It is hard for some to believe that Taliban is a serious challenge for Pakistan. If Pakistan is going to become a modern democratic state, she will need to get rid of the hardcore elements soon and pacify the rest. This can’t be achieved without having a very public debate to discredit the Taliban for their violent and oppressive tactics. Every educated citizen has a responsibility to thwart Taliban propaganda. I can’t believe there are no charismatic leaders/politicians to mobilize the country against Taliban where common man will refuse to support them. I do recognize that taking on Taliban is fraught with danger. This Taliban monster can only be destroyed by Pakistanis themselves. It doesn’t have to be violent. For example, a few like minded religious, civic, and political leaders supported by wealthy individuals, corporation, educational institutions, artists, mass media, and government can organize peace marches across the country. These peace marches can be accompanied by social, health, educational, or building projects that are beneficial to people. Each project provides means to communicate a modern vision for Islam and Pakistan, and demolish the Taliban’s claim to legitimacy. This is quite an effort and will need to be financed and sustained for six months to a year. It is time for Pakistan’s peace loving religious and civil rights leaders to step up to this challenge!
I have been an ardent follower of NFP, and a fan of his courage. He has been constantly poking the truth right in the eyes. I feel chill and sad.
Mar khap jayegi yeh zindagi samajhne mai,
kisko khatil kahaen aur Kisko maseeha janen.
Dear Nusrat Pasha Sir,
We have not achieved not even 1% of our countires supposed objectives, because of our over emphasis on the religion, Our country is ruled mostly by religious fanatics in uniform imposing their far right radical Islam in all forms on the entire socieity. Making us one of the most backwardly moblie one in the world. Most of our democratic leaded are either exiled or hanged or assassinated. Even our democratic leaders have instigated hate and anti India feeling to cling to the power converting the nation mindset filled with hate. If you look at the facts of the day Indian muslims are far more intergrated to the Indian culture and they are extremly doing well in their country. They are in all spheres of life, in politics, bollywood, industry everwhere. I don’t see any supression from Indian Hindus and Christians for that matter. So its difficult to undestand Mr Jinnahs fears of economic isolation by the Hindu majority for an excuse to carve a nation out. He was simply playing of the fears of mind to meet his personal agenda. Politicians or so called statesmen can play any cards at any point of time to meet their goals. Our country has been played upon by external and internal forces as our mind set was blinded by hate. We must break from the past if at all we need to see a united pakistan.
Dear Fatima. Very sad to hear your views. We are first human being then Muslim. Why you need to “kill” someone by Jihad to save our country? is this the attitude of our civilians or the Taliban? so where is the difference lying ? or the psych of Taliban invaded in the intellectual mindset as well ? No nation want to kill any its a few Individual at the top want. People like you will instigate more Iran/Mumbai attacks and bring bad name to the country.
If the self blast blow up attacks are so proudly owned, then why the confusion about some “real perpetrators”?
i think we are first muslim then anything else we should think about islam and fight for the right. All these things happening in Pakistan are sponsored by agencies but don’t worry our jihadi will not lose they will kill these people and one day there will be terror free Pakistan.
We must get together for the best future of country. Because if we do not become united, our country can’t be progressive. And We must also get Islamic knowledge specially Quran and Sunnah.
Freedom of Religion or a Secular Pakistan is a misnomer and a contradiction. How can a country which was established for “Muslims” be equal to all other religions?
Bad news is they believe Islam will lead them away from disaster. It’s unfortunate for India, we can’t change our neighbor. And an unstable neighbor is bad for everybody. India of course the most cause all “Hindus” are Kafirs! Oh well.
Pakistan Painabad!
S.Q.Khan’s resentment towards the pro-theocracy profile of the present constitution of Pakistan as well as the present theocracy-conducive environment of the country is perfectly understandable. But in all fairness this cannot and should not be attributed to Jinnah. In fact, if anything this situation owes its existence to disregarding Jinnah’s advice and will. Jinnah’s address to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, on 11 August 1947 conclusively proves his SECULAR vision for the nation he founded. The Objectives Resolution was not Jinnah’s idea. Attaching the undeserved prefix of ‘Islamic’ before the country’s name was not Jinnah’s idea. Jinnah had requested a Hindu poet Jaggannath Azad to write the country’s national anthem, justifying his choice by stating that he wanted to sow the seed of secularism. Let us be fair to Jinnah. Let us not attribute to him the mistakes committed by others. Jinnah was beyond being a politician. He was a statesman. Those who willfully chose not to benefit from Jinnah’s wisdom and statesmanship should bear the discredit of the country’s latter drift towards its non-secular outlook,not Jinnah.
Jinnah did not pursue a separate country in the name of Islam. The Muslim-majority states, as a conglomerate, were confronted with the threat of being economically subdued by the relatively more consolidated Hindu-majority states. What Jinnah pursued was neither an ideological state nor the fulfillment of anybody’s dream. What he pursued was a secure economic future for the inhabitants of the Muslim-majority states, which had become patently threatened in an undivided India.
However, I agree with S.Q.Khan’s argument that in the presence of a state-religion there cannot be equality. Inter-faith as well as inter-sect harmony, both are lost. The moment you declare Islam as the state religion, all non-Muslim citizens, who in Jinnah’s will were meant to be “equal citizens of one state” with Muslims, are instantly reduced to Class 2 citizens. And there goes inter-faith harmony. On the other hand, the moment you declare Islam as the state religion, extremists from all the Muslim sects, along with their mutually conflicting views, rise to monopolize the interpretation of the law. And there goes inter-sect harmony. Both scenarios are a disservice to Islam.
S.Q.Khan’s resentment towards the pro-theocracy profile of the present constitution of Pakistan as well as the present theocracy-conducive environment of the country is perfectly understandable. But in all fairness this cannot and should not be attributed to Jinnah. In fact, if anything this situation owes its existence to disregarding Jinnah’s advice and will. Jinnah’s address to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan,on 11 August 1947 conclusively proves his SECULAR vision for the nation he founded. The Objectives Resolution was not Jinnah’s idea. Attaching the undeserved prefix of ‘Islamic’ before the country’s name was not Jinnah’s idea. Jinnah had requested a Hindu poet Jaggannath Azad to write the country’s national anthem, justifying his choice by stating that he wanted to sow the seed of secularism. Let us be fair to Jinnah. Let us not attribute to him the mistakes committed by others. Jinnah was beyond being a politician. He was a statesman. Those who willfully chose not to benefit from Jinnah’s wisdom and statesmanship should bear the discredit of the country’s latter drift towards its non-secular outlook, not Jinnah.
Jinnah did not pursue a separate country in the name of Islam. The Muslim-majority states were confronted with the threat of being economically subdued by the relatively more consolidated Hindu-majority states. So what Jinnah pursued was neither an ideological state nor the fulfillment of anybody’s dream. What he pursued was a secure economic future for the inhabitants of the Muslim-majority states, which had become patently threatened in an undivided India.
However, I agree with S.Q.Khan’s argument that in the presence of a state-religion there cannot be equality. Inter-faith as well as inter-faith harmony, both are lost. The moment you declare Islam as the state religion, all non-Muslim citizens, who in Jinnah’s will were meant to be “equal citizens of one state” with Muslims, are instantly reduced to Class 2 citizens. And there goes inter-faith harmony. On the other hand, the moment you declare Islam as the state religion, extremists from all the Muslim sects, along with their mutually conflicting views, rise to interpret the law. And there goes inter-faith harmony. Both scenarios are a disservice to Islam.
Apparent cause for the creation of Pakistan as is being told was religion but in fact it is a misnomer. The actual cause of separation of Muslims from Hindus was economical. Muslim traders and businessmen could not compete Hindu traders and businessmen in Mumbay so the idea of establishing their own monopolistic trade empire in a separate state emerged which also got the nod of British for their own political motives to build a religious wall to stop expansion of communism. Unfortunately we are told lies throughout. It is on record that Jinnah was strongly opposed to mixing religion with politics how come he wanted a country dreamed out by Allama Iqbal which would be a home to religious extremists.
This article was a great disappointment to me. If search well you will find out to whom the students were throwing stones.
”ISLAMABAD – Interior Minister Rehman Malik narrowly escaped the wrath of angry students of Islamic University who were in a mood to finish him as they chanted slogans against him besides pelting stones on his bullet proof vehicle.
Had the Minister’s guard not whisked him away, the furious students of the ill-fated varsity would have given him a lesson over the security failure.”
I think it is the duty of the media to print the facts not start a propaganda against Muslim. A very poor article by Mr. Nadeem
Nusrat Pasha sir , Politicians will use all kind of word jugglery to convince the masses. Our Ideology of creation of our country has nothing to do with secularism in true spirit. Ofcourse it was not meant to be theocratic one but definitely an Islamic state. The very word ” Islamic ” In front of our country wipe out the “Equality ,Justice and Fair play” theory. We are segregating the people who born here breath the same air in the name of religion. How do you expect non muslims to be comfortable in a country which has Muslim denotation on that ? Have you gone through our constitution ? do you know that a non-muslim can never become the president and prime minister of our country ? where is the equality we are talking about ?. Its all nothing but hypocrisy aimed to please the west. Jinnah was very fascinated by west and wanted to be friends with them. He must have used all these talks to establish that. Our country can never ever be free and secular until we do away with the religious obsession from the politics and stop swearing by god for all reasons.
Great Article, great narrations, great verbs, great propaganda, great views ,great insight but no weight in the story all seems fictitious because the next day I searched the youtube and I found out that the students were throwing stones at Abdur Rehman Malik. The video clearly showed him entering the building with his bodyguards covering him from the stones being pelted at him. MR Paracha, What is brewing up? Where does this lead us to? What are we supposed to think? Ans ”MEDIA PROPAGANDA”. I read that black water was offering thousands of dollars to media people to?
Mr Paracha how naive can one be? What a drama story.
NFP:
Great article. But can you please give a source for your statement “The attack was then proudly owned by the Tekrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.” I thought this was one of the attacks they had not owned.
Jinnah emphasized that if the state could operate on the principles of “EQUALITY, JUSTICE and FAIR PLAY “, the state would for all practical purposes be functioning on Islamic principles. A republic does not become Islamic merely by placing the prefix of “Islamic” before the country’s name.
In contrast to a theocratic setup, a secular state does not take into account the religious identity of a citizen, thus treating all citizens equally, thereby ensuring equality, justice and fair play for all citizens. Therefore a Secular State, both by definition and by nature, is the best form of an Islamic state.
In any case the only way forward for Pakistan, is to revert to the vision of a Secular Pakistan, the vision presented by THE FOUNDER of Pakistan.
Jinnah emphasized that if the state could operate on the principles of”EQUALITY, JUSTICE and FAIR PLAY”,the state would for all practical purposes be functioning on Islamic principles. A republic does not become Islamic merely by placing the prefix of “Islamic” before the country’s name.
In contrast to a theocratic setup,a secular state does not take into account the religious identity of a citizen, thus treating all citizens equally, thereby ensuring equality, justice and fair play for all citizens. Therefore a Secular State, by definition and by nature is the best form of an Islamic state.
‘very few Pakistanis agree with the diagnosis, thus NFP has to keep hammering away’
The majority agree and those who do not agree are unlikely to come and read the author’s blog either. Repeating something ad nauseum serves little purpose. There is a reason why Pakistan has no Martin Luther Kings and John F. Kennedy’s. And that is simple: there is no dearth of self-styled ‘critics’, who happily assume the moral high ground, yet do not do any practical work to help alleviate the wrongs they rant about.
“The disease afflicting the country has already been diagnosed”
Very optimistic of you, Ikram. But the truth is, very few Pakistanis agree with the diagnosis, thus NFP has to keep hammering away. It is required.
With due respect to Jinnah I must say he was too a politician. Pakistan is formed only due to his fear that he is not going to get right representation in the Indian government. He used the Muslim sentiments for that. Politicians use all that possible to get their work done. I don’t see any meaning in the words of Jinnah beyond it. We have all Islamic Symbolism in allover the country in works and deed, in words and spirits and we claim that we are created as a secular country. If it was meant to be one secular country then why we could not inspire millions of Hindus and Sikhs left this country during partition? What Jinnah was doing then?. Why he failed to get those people in his fold? there is no guidelines in it. Mixing religion and politics is a deadly cocktail. Any nation which does this cannot live in peace. We must denounce religion from all sphere of life and move forward
Why most NFP’s articles always appear similar? I have tremendous respect for the man but I don’t think he is doing enough justice to his true caliber or intellect by make the same points again and again.
The disease afflicting the country has already been diagnosed. Can we now look forward to some treatment?
Someone once commented about Islam which I’d like to mention here.
However, I doubt if it will go well with Muslims and especially Pakistanis.
However, there’s not an iota of lie in it.
“Islam being the youngest of all major religions is undergoing a rough phase which every other religion has gone through at one point or the other. And like all other religions, Islam will emerge stronger.”
Once upon a time, in India people believed that if a widow doesn’t jump into the pyre of her husband, something bad will happen (Even though it never appears in Hindu literature), not anymore.
Today, some Muslims believe that by blowing oneself up and killing Khaffirs, a Muslim will achieve martyrdom and all the prizes associated with that.
I’m sure it will change One day. Sooner the better, as too much blood is being wasted.
Nusrat Pasha has put things in perspective.
But, that’s a very idealist view, which cannot be achieved.
The least (and possibly the best) that Pakistan can do is to follow Iran’s model.
One very interesting fact to the people out there.
In spite of all the hostility between Iran and Israel, Iran has the highest number of Jews in middle-east outside of Israel.
And guess what, they’re not persecuted and quite a lot of them are not even zionists.
Now, that’s a good secular state.