A Difficult 2009 ahead for Pakistan
By ZQalam
US
This article has been in the works for quite a while now but was actually begun late on December 25th. It is Christmas Day in the US and our Pakistani and Muslim American kids are celebrating it in their own unique ways. It is cold outside, from which one can shield himself or herself by sitting next to a fireplace roasting chestnuts or (halal) marshmallows in the process. Today is also the birthday of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and in addition to that we are in the midst of mourning the loss of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who was murdered one year ago on December 27th.
It is possible to shield a person from the cold outside but the inner cold that one feels is more difficult to manage. We know that our country of origin is in deep trouble and we feel powerless to do anything about it. Some but not all find refuge in prayers.
Jinnah Sahib would be turning over in his grave if he was made aware of the reality of Pakistan today. Schools are being blown up in parts of the country, led by Swat where natural beauty and educational pursuits used to reign. Now it rains bullets and bombs there. Pakistanis may have added a “Rahmatullahalai” to Jinnah’s name but they are not showing strength in even remotely keeping up with what he stood for. The intolerance of extremist forces that once used to impact the religious minorities such as Christians and Hindus has now intensified to prey on smaller groups within the folds of Islam itself. How and when is this going to stop? Would it be after the destruction of the state itself?
M. A. Jinnah was a brilliant legal mind. He would not stand for injustice of any sort especially at the expense of minority rights. He knew because he lived in India as a minority. Pakistanis need to ask themselves today about what happened to Jinnah Sahib’s vision of that country? On this his 132nd birth anniversary, his legacy is being threatened by people who wish to take the country back several centuries. These people use the religion card but practice very little of it (and much more politics). In the coming year the people of the country need to make a choice. Time is running out.
The other wound that many of us still feel is the assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto last year. The stupidity of declaring that day a national holiday is before us, especially because she was amongst other things a very hard-working person. Her legacy is as mixed as her father’s but few can question their joint devotion to Pakistan. Unfortunately, the person in-charge today just cannot muster the same devotion or following.
Benazir Bhutto was the most visible, beautiful and charming face of Pakistan in the West. Those that extinguished her life knew that better than anything else. With her died many hopes (and secrets) that could have helped to revive Pakistan again. Now that task is much more difficult but not impossible. The forces against the country are formidable. They know that a nuclear power can only be easier destroyed from the inside. That is the route that has been taken by Pakistan’s enemies, the first step being Bibi’s assassination.
The recent attacks in Mumbai were vile and sinister. They were carried out after two significant bits of news had just come out. The first was President Zardari’s open overture to the Indian people in which he went the extra mile to extend a hand of friendship. The second was the future US (Obama) administration’s renewed emphasis on a solution for Kashmir. Both these overt steps had to be countered by Pakistan’s enemies.
Mumbai’s attacks were their answer. Peace breaking out is considered a threat by them. They would like to see perpetual misery in the region so that they can recruit and thrive. They went the extra mile in Mumbai. It is not easy to find a Jew in that city of over 16 million. They really wanted to make sure that Jews were a part of the casualties.
The year 2009 is going to be significant for Pakistan. Some terribly difficult choices are going to have to be made. Two steps need to be taken in silence. The first is peace with all of Pakistan’s neighbors without fanfare. And the second is a full understanding between the civilian and military leadership of the country on how to tackle “religious” extremism without making Pakistan another Algeria. These Lashkars have to be stopped with superior ideas not just firepower. They thrive on an increase in societal misery.
Pakistan is being slowly asphyxiated by an extremist python being managed via remote control. Who its masters are is irrelevant. Only Jinnah’s vision and the Pakistan army stand between it and victory. Benazir Bhutto has been its most well-known casualty thus far. But her death must not become just another marketing tool for one party. The hyenas that killed her have to be found and exposed for the sake of Pakistan itself.
