Adil Najam
There are times when it is not enough to feel outraged. One has to speak out. To express the outrage. To speak out, and to be heard, against that which is wrong. Indeed, there are times in life when it is difficult to determine exactly what is right. Reality, after all, is complex and nuanced. However, there are also times - more often than we think - when there is no ambiguity about what is wrong. Just plain wrong. Silence, at such moments - especially in the face of violence - cannot be justified. The least one can do is to call the wrong, wrong.
In the short life of this blog there have been many such moments. The disgraceful behavior of the police in pulling down the shalwar of a young man protesting his father’s disappearance. The killing of a woman minister in Gujranwalla just because she was a woman. Pictures of violence against women, including by so-called ‘celebrities’ like cricketer Moin Khan and squash player Jansher Khan. The criminal humiliation and murders of tailors and barbers just because they do not conform to some jahil maulvi’s misconstrued sense of religosity. The violence of self-righteous vigilantism. The brutality against lawyers and judges in the aftermath of the Chief Justice’s removal and subsequently since then. The Karachi carnage. The trampling of all political decency in the cause of personal ambition and thirst for power. And more.
If we, as Pakistanis, do not wish to be defined by the acts of the vile people who do such acts, define who we are as Pakistanis, then all of us must speak out in outrage against such acts. To speak with conviction and to speak as a prelude to action.
Now is time, again, to do. One hears now of renewed violence against Buddhist relics in the Swat region by followers of the maverick extremist Fazlullah who has been enticing violence in multiple forms.
The most blatant mutilation of the giant Buddha of Jehanabad was back in October, but since then there have been renewed calls and attacks by militants on Buddhist relics and there is a serious concern that while attention remains diverted towards Gen. Musharraf’s struggle for his personal power, these historical treasures may be lost for ever. As we have written here before, the area is rich in historical heritage of the Gandhara and Buddhist periods, and there is a history of previous attacks on Buddhist symbols in Pakistan, in fact in the Federal Capital Islamabad.
Reporting on the October 8 desecration of the Giant Buddha, Archaeology reported:
The turmoil in Pakistan, especially the situation in Swat, has scholars concerned about the safety of the country’s artistic and archaeological heritage. Relatively peaceful until recently, Swat was a tourist resort with spectacular mountain scenery. It also has a rich cultural heritage, especially Ghandaran art and Buddhist monuments. Adriana Proser, John H. Foster Curator of Traditional Asian Art, at the Asia Society in New York explains, “This area of what is today northern Pakistan was along a major route of the Silk Road. Gandhara was one of the major sites of the Kushan period (first through third centuries). The art of the Gandhara area is extremely important because it shows the impact of Hellenistic and Roman influence ushered in through the conquests of Alexander the Great. The stylistic impact of Gandharan Buddhist art traveled vast space and time, reaching places as far away China, Korea, and Japan. The Gandhara region became part of the Sasanian Empire (224-642), which preceded Islamic rule in Persia, and consequently the arts of the region also influenced artistic developments in the Middle East.”
The consequences of prolonged political infighting in Pakistan, leaving Taliban-like militants unchecked may have dire consequences for this heritage. On Monday, October 8, dynamite was used to obliterate the face of a of 23-foot-high seventh-century seated Buddha carved into a rock face near the village of Jehanabad in the Swat Valley. This was the second attack on the Buddha. In early September, militants detonated explosives placed above and below the Buddha, but only damaged the stone rather than the sculpture. It appeared, according to police chief Mohammad Iqbal in an AFP story, “to be the work of the local militants who condemn these relics as being un-Islamic. It looks more like a symbolic attack to embarrass the government internationally.” A witness in Jehanabad says that the armed group entered the village Monday evening and announced their intention to destroy the Buddha. According to Aqleem Khan, a provincial archaeology department official who spoke to Reuters, the militants drilled holes into the rock, filled them with dynamite, then set off the explosion the morning of Tuesday, September 11. Abdul Nasir, a curator at the Swat museum, known for its collection of Ghandaran sculptures, told AP that “Islam teaches us to respect other religions and faiths, but unfortunately some elements are disturbing the peace in the Swat valley.”
“Any destruction of archeological and artistic sites such as this Gandharan Buddhist relief are an enormous loss for all who treasure historical records and significant and rare works of art,” says the Asia Society’s Proser. The attack recalls the March 2001 destruction of two giant Buddha statues in central Afghanistan by Taliban militants. “The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas was a political act in religious guise, greatly increasing the reputation of the Taliban among its target audience,” says Archaeological Institute of America vice president John Russell. “The AIA calls on all governments, and particularly in this case the government of Pakistan, to protect our shared world heritage from groups that exploit heritage for political gain by destroying parts of our common past.” Adds AIA president C. Brian Rose, “Destroying icons in the name of religion has unfortunately been a component of human behavior since antiquity. In areas of conflict, archaeological institutes throughout the world need to work in unison to document and protect cultural property that is at risk.”
The destruction of the Jehanabad Buddha is on the direct call from extremist mullah Fazlullah who has been spreading his message of hate and violence across the region. We have written before about the jahalat (ignorance) and violence that he has been preaching in relation to his opposition to children being vaccinated against polio and his violent measures against anyone - including tailors who stitch trousers and barbers who shave faces - who dares to go against his xenophobic version of religosity. Fazlullah’s movement enjoys local support from the so-called ‘Local Taliban’ but does not enjoy any support outside of the immediate area.
Fazlullah’s organization is banned by the government and there is military action being taken against him and his followers. However, this campaign is not very successful and the military is suffering significant losses. This is partly because of his local support, but even more because the action is itself half-hearted and strategically misconceived.
Importantly, while Gen. Musharraf is exactly right in diagnosing movement’s such as Fazlullah’s as one of the greatest challenges facing Pakistan today, the General’s obsession with wanting to remain in power has distracted him from taking meaningful action against such criminal actions. While those who believe that simply removing Gen. Musharraf will solve the problem are clearly wrong, it is increasingly evident that his departure is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for meaningfully tackling this menace. It is now increasingly clear that even if Gen. Musharraf has the will to resist religious extremism, he no longer has the ability to do so.
There are, of course, many aspects to what is happening in Swat - not just related to Pakistan’s domestic politics but also to geo-strategic and global realities. My former colleague at Tufts University, Prof. Gary Leupp has written a thoughtful piece on the subject in CounterPunch, pointing out some of these aspects, drawing interesting chronological linkages, and pointing out that a disrespect for cultural heritage in times of war is by no means restricted to the Taliban. But none of this is or can be a justification for what is happening in Swat today.
The treatment of these religious symbols and artifacts in Swat is but a small indicator of the rot of extremism that is setting in, but it is an important indicator. It is important not only because the world has its own sensibilities and is paying great attention. It is far more important because it seems that Pakistanis themselves are not paying enough attention. We need to do so. We need to speak out. We need to stand up. We need to do so not simply because of what might happen to our past heritage if we do not, but more because of what might happen to our own future if we don’t.
At stake here is not just an image on a rock-cliff or our image abroad, at stake here is our own image of who we are and who we might become if we remain silent in the face of injustice.
STOPPING THE BLOODBATH OF PUKHTOONS
By Dr Adalat Khan
“It is sad. Many people have been killed by the Army and the Mullahs have also beheaded few soldiers. I hope someone stops these senseless killings”. This is what my mother told me when I enquired about my family’s safety in a village called Bedara in Swat where the current Military operation against Maulana Fazhullah and his supporters is taking place. “ We can not leave our homes and no one can run from the death” She replied when I suggested to her to move out to Karachi or somewhere else. I was also informed that many villagers have left the village for safety as Military helicopters are hovering and bombarding the area. There is no immediate solution and both the government and the Pro-Fazhullah supporters seem to have dug in for a long fight. If wisdom do not prevail both the parties will end up losing, as bloodshed, buildings and human carnage of our people can not being victory to anyone.
But people are asking questions? Who are these Mullahs, who created them, and how they emerged in control of the area. These are difficult and complex questions which needs honest answers.
The origin of most of the extremists can be traced back to the war in Afghanistan against Russia. The American CIA in collaboration with Pakistani intelligence agencies started recruiting civilians mainly from Pukhtoon areas of NWFP and tribal areas and brain washed them to fight against Russians. The same strategy was also used to fight a proxy war in Kashmir. Civilians Pukhtoons brainwashed into believing that the war in Afghanistan was a Jihad (Holy war) against infidel occupying forces enthusiastically fought. As a freedom and Islam loving people this was not the first time Pukhtoons had fought against occupiers but during the last 300 years they had/fought against British colonial powers. It was also in 1948 that the Pukhtoon freedom fighters took a major chunk of Kashmir from Indian occupation which is now known as Azad (Free) Kashmir in Pakistan.
However September 11, 2001 saw a complete reversal in Pakistan policy as USA directed the Pakistani administration to about turn and reign in the Jihadis (Freedom Fighters). The U.S. attacked Afghanistan and later Iraq) which according to an average Muslim is a war against Islam and not on terrorism as claimed. This sudden turn of events and the lack of a coherent strategy on the part of both American and Pakistani Administration on how to deal with these fighters created a negative vacuum. The problems were further execrated with the subsequent attacks by U.S. forces inside Pakistan as well as Military operations by Pakistani Army in Tribal Areas as well as the Lal Masjid Episode in Islamabad.
So far we have only discussed some of the issues but the real causes of the problem can be further elaborated. The real problems are not apparent specially to the Pakistan and US government and without their solutions the problems can not be solve.
Extreme corruption, un-employment, the lack of justice and high inflation is one of the key reasons which have led to the present Mayhem. Mistrust of the government agencies and lack of economic specially job opportunities have created cadres of unemployed youth who will catch at every straw offering hope of improvement. Fed up with these problems to the people especially to the disgruntled youth the Mullah such as Fazlullah offered a ray of hope even if it is false. Many youths and disillusioned people joined these groups for possible solace. To tackle this issue the government instead of bombing the people must solve these underpinning problems and only then the problem can be solved.
Another reason which is one of the factors leading to the current turmoil specially in Swat is the promise of the government to impose Shariah laws. It may be remembered that Fazlullah is the relative of Sufi Muhammad who was the chief of Tehrike Nifaze Shariat Muhammadi or T N S M as probabarly known. It may be noted that this movement had struggled to impose Shariah law specially in the Malakand Division where Swat is located. An agreement was reached between the T N S M and the government where the government had agreed to the promulgation of Shariah in the Malakand division. However up-to now that promise have not been fulfilled. People tell us that the Mullahs feel cheated and have thus resorted to the current extreme tactics. The majority of the people in the area also want Sharia laws in the are. In fact before 1969 when Swat was a semi-independent state Shariah was the law of the land. As such the application of the shariah laws to the territories will do no harm but solve this insurgency. However, the government must ensure that true Shariah and not a distorted version of Islamic laws are introduced as some of the Mullahs are confusing pre-Islamic pagan (Jahilia) laws with the enlightened law of Shariah.
One of the other key reasons for overall turmoil in the country is the illegal rule of the Military. With the latest imposition of emergency rule the country is being led to an uncertain future if not self destruction. This will further fuel anti-government sentiments and in the times to come more bloodshed will take place. The usurp of the judiciary led by the chief Justice Ifhikhar Ahmad Choudhry and forceful replacement of judges have yet again dashed the hopes of a disillusioned nation. People are not going to sit idle rather it is feared that the whole nation will revolt against the illegal and unconstitutional military rule. This process will further fuel insurgencies.
Pakistan is going through the worst of times as illegal rule, terrorism, intra-conflicts and hopelessness have engulfed the whole nation. As if the problems of poverty, unemployment, inflation and lack of a access to justice were not enough terrorism, emergency rule and internal bloodsheds have further exacerbated the problems of the nation. The carnage of Pukhtoons is in full swing and if wisdom and strategies are not adopted the country many disintegrate. The key players which oversaw and played a role in the destruction of the country are the military and its allies, religious extremists as well as our external enemies which are abundant. There is an urgent need to steer away the country from disaster and disintegration. If these challenges are not met, however, the military will have only itself to blame for the troubles, and the disasters that could be lying ahead.
Dr Adalat Khan is an international columnist who is based in Malaysia and can be reached at dradalat@gmail.com
Adil, this is a powerful article you have written. Please have it published in Pakistan newspapers also. We need to have students in schools read sentiments like this from true Pakistanis instead of the messages of hate that they listen to now. May Allah bless you for your honesty and courage in all your writings.
how many people now rememeber red mosque? how many remember bhutto’s hanging? the same nation followed Zia the hoax of reds coming to the arabian oceans? u all are upset abt bhudda get upset about people who are dying,if army as an organised institution cant then just say “God bless Pakistan” actually as a nation we never cared for building any thing! all what we did was “grab and make money” how many of us have tried to stay back? i know many bloggers on this room talk while sittin in USA UK or mideast!ask em to go back to paksitan and make some difference then? they will say they cant alone make any difference?they forget Jinnah and forget him even they cant even see Edhi!Its so easy to be living in great homes driving cars writing in blogs while lissenin to ur fav music than to face the crooks and by crooks i mean THE ARMY! as if politicians did bad what the hell army did? loose half of the country? and no accountability? y didnt they hang all the politicians but what they did was? shake hands u eat and let us eat as well! these people who are blowing bhudda statues are trained by ?the Opium nexus provides the funding for ISI ! keep on writing in blogs nothing is goin to happen nothing as we lost half of the country my father who was a POW in india said had it been no ayub pak wud have never divided!
All the brains from pak is trying to get visas going out! become a captain in army ull get all the incentives (with a oretext that u fight on borders LOL) and become a doc u used to get Rs 3580/- and then they raised it to 6200/- LOL! when petrol is 50 Rs+ liter! and engineers dont have jobs! they give GRE get a scholarship and fly away! so in these circumstances the army staying there is doing”sarhadoon ki hifazat” “allah u akbar” 23 March parade all galore and truth??? nothing!build a 2500 Acres GHQ as we need it LOL go to pindi cantt and ull be amazed who the hell they gonna move outta there! and ask if how will they build it? the Army Major wud tell u “army is spending their own money” LOL! if such is the notion,no fight just take a flight u dun even need to cry!just watch it.now there will be 4 years of civil rule an assembly wud be broken another general will come new PCO same old s-it same old statements “mere aziz hum watno”
We dont need to write it here we need to get our selves there and challenge em! if we want something many of us will loose much but may be the nation will get to track as 60 years everyone including us have just looted! and if not have supported the looters and equal crime!Bhudda statues blown doesnt ring a bell actually does is NO BODY GETS HANGED FOR THEIR CRIMES! they are pardoned by the same general,the others is flown out,then dictated to get him back by none other than the Saudi Kings!this is “Ghairat mand Kaum led by a Patriotic general” one had come for reds he has come for red mosque!
What actually shameful is the negative image we are giving to the world as nation. Further we ourselves are bringing bad name to Pakistan and Islam just by serving the vested interests of a small segment of people who want to ruin Pakistan and its solidarity.
Pakistan is being exploited in the name of religious extremism, this is whole designed conspiracy. Lets help in mitigating it.
The female Mrs. Zil-e-Huma Usman who was killed by a religious extremist was a generous and hard wroker, she was victimized for no reasons.
Qandeel: “The region may be teeming with jahiliat but this is not just about a retrograde interpretation of religion. The caveman’s catharsis, if you will, is part of something bigger.”
Many here cannot bear too much reality-based perspective or for that matter the cause-effect analysis or even connecting of dots as Gary Leupp try to do objectively.
Unfortunately, the caveman’s catharsis maybe too heavy for worldly folks – maybe a TV soap-opera will suffice – Soo soothing, sooo simple!
I liked the article by Gary Leupp; it goes beyond mere denouncement of the attacks and asks how it came to this in the first place:
“Anyone advocating U.S. strikes against Pakistan (a number of neocons have done so over the last nine months) will mention all these things in order to emphasize the enemy’s caveman otherness. But we should ask such people: Why are the Mullah Fazlulahs on a roll right now? What is the cause, what is the effect?”
The region may be teeming with jahiliat but this is not just about a retrograde interpretation of religion. The caveman’s catharsis, if you will, is part of something bigger. Gary Leupp’s article should be read more carefully.
Zeitgeist part 3 of 3 from Google Video
(The story behind the story…)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4972518193 35380093
bhitai: I’m referring to this. A Bohra friend was griping, too, about how high-handed the Saudis act regarding Shia-specific sites. Having Iran as a check and balance is not a bad thing at all.