Stamping out the Scourge of Terrorism
By Syed A. Qaisar
Walnut, CA
General Musharraf has done more than anyone else to combat terrorism. Pakistan has been the worst victim. Its border with Afghanistan is porous and has been uncontrollable historically. The terrain is unforgiving. The tribes have been fiercely independent. The British ruled over the sub-continent for two centuries, but they failed to subjugate the tribes. They left them to manage their affairs through the Jirga. The acceptance of this system is an expression of their cultural values.
Why have the mujahadeen, once our allies, turned against the West? There is a perception of a lack of fairness and a double standard, whether it is correct or not. Frustration has given rise to the surge of suicide bombings - not only against the West, but also against their ally Pakistan. Hundreds of security staff and civilians have lost their lives, including Benazir Bhutto. General Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, and Sherpao have had miraculous escapes.
Islam forbids the killing of any innocent person. Those who do so shall burn in hell. Five hundred Islamic scholars have issued a decree. Some in the media continue to malign the good name of Islam.
In order to effectively combat terrorism, we must put our heads together and analyze the root cause. This should be based on objective analysis - not on double standards. We have seen that attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq have not yielded positive results. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost - not to mention the terrific drain on our resources. In spite of this, the threat of suicide bombings has increased and not abated.
The framers of the Constitution were not only patriotic but also visionary. Would they be in peace at the flagrant violation of the constitution on one pretext or the other? The United States should try to regain the lost ground through even-handed policy and respect for its constitution. That will be a new page and herald a glorious future.
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