Adil Najam
Taliban murderers are at it again. An increased rampage of suicide bombings and blasts in Peshawar, in Lahore, in Nowshera, in Hangu, and all over Pakistan. As the operation against them intensifies in the Swat region, they are bringing more terror to the rest of Pakistan. From their statements, they take responsibility for and seem quite proud about killing Pakistanis, murdering Muslims, targeting Mosques, spreading mayhem.
Does this signify an act of desperation on the part of the Taliban, or an act of expansion?
Yesterday it was a blast at a five-star hotel in Peshawar. Today it was the targetted murder of a major anti-Taliban religious leader in Lahore and the destruction of a mosque in Nowshera. But these are just two data points in a continuum of killing Pakistanis, destroying mosques, and massacaring Muslims who disagree with their doctrine of hate that has accelerated recently and is likely to increase even more.
There is little pioint in repeating the gory details of these bouts of murder by the Taliban. We know the details already. And what we know will change soon enough. And more bombs will be added.
It is clear that the Taliban know exactly what they are doing. They are spreading mayhem. They are breeding fear. They are terrorizing Pakistanis. They are doing all this for a reason. The real battle is for the hearts and minds of Pakistanis.
They made the religious argument and that seems to be working less and less for them today. Now they are threatening our daily existence in the attempt to break the will of the public.
The question is: Will they succeed? Will we give in to their terror? Will they be able to scare us – the people of Pakistan – into retreat? Will we bow to their venom and murder?
These are not easy choices for those who actually live where the bombs are blowing up, where limbs are flying, where children are dying. This was always a war on Pakistan that Pakistanis themselves would have to fight. the Taliban are making it ever more personal for ordinary Pakistanis, every day.
The Taliban are hoping we will make the wrong decision. That we will side with our personal safety rather than our national security. Will we?
Only a mind far distanced from reality would say something nutty like: “Majority of you live in western world, and hate their prosperity.” Contrarily, we love this prosperity resulting from the opportunities to do our best, the freedom to practice our faith without being on the receiving end of judgments passed by the ‘oh so religious’ bigots, and the right to express our opinions. Granted it is not a perfect society but it is a lot better than the alternatives.
We (those who call the ‘western world’ our new home) still love the homeland that imparted education and upbringing to be competitive. We are hurt by the miseries of our compatriots ‘back home’ and support all efforts to pull it out of its mess.
Those who live in a society (or its prosperity) that they hate should gather the courage to pack up and move to a place they won’t hate, unless ‘hate’ is all they can do.
I appreciate all view points. You are all highly intellectuals. Please ask one question to yourself. Majority of you live in western world, and hate their prosperity. None of us want to go back. Why? It is lack of social justice. We can solve all the problems of Pakistan, if we all stop hating each other political views and work towards giving SOCIAL JUSTICE for every pakistani, no matter who that is.
CAN WE MAKE THE COMMITTMENT TODAY. Instead of voting C+ for The corrupt Iftikhar Chaudry, we should take charge of Justice System in our hand, we the Pakistanis living abroad. Tell me are we willing to take initiative. If we do, we should approach OBAMA, and do it. Believe it the solution is only in Social Justice, not in politics or religion.
I hope that some one will understand my point.
Desperation!
It is rightly said here, “it’s a cancer”
These criminals are the outer face and most extreme form of MULLAism. The most important fact, which is always ignored, is… THIS IS THE OUTCOME OF 12 CENTURIES OF THE SO CALLED ISLAM, SHARIAH AND IGNORANCE.
This is a transition from ignorance to pure Quranic ideals. When the ignorance so deep rooted, covered by hundreds of layers of miss perceptions and triggered by greed, lie, hate and narrow-mindedness… it produces such criminals!
No one can stop this transition, in fact, these criminal acts accelerates the process!!!