Adil Najam
The news is developing by the moment. But the bottom-line is clear. The security forces have taken control of the Lal Masjid from militants after a severe gun-battle. But the story is far from over.
It will continue to unfold. There are too many unanswered questions. They will certainly be asked and discussed threadbare; here at ATP and elsewhere. But the real story of tomorrow remains the same as the real story of yesterday. Can a society that is so deeply divided against itself learn the lessons of tolerance? This question will continue to haunt us well into the future, in multiple shapes, in multiple forms, in multiple contexts.
This is a question that we at ATP have confronted from our very beginning and will continue to confront. But now is not the time to ponder on this. Even though what has happened had become inevitable over the last many days, I am too heartbroken to be able to do so.
Right now I can think only of Muzammil Shah (photo, from Associated Press, above). This photo was taken as he waited for his son who was inside the Lal Masjid. I do not know whether his son was there voluntarily, or as hostage. But I do know what the look of Muzammil Shah’s face means. The more important question is whether his son came out alive or not. I pray that he did.
Analysts – me included – will discuss what happened at length. They will try to understand the meaning of all this. What does this mean for Pakistan politics? What does this mean for Gen. Musharraf’s future? What does this mean for Islam? For Democracy? Does the fault lie with Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his militant supporters for creating a situation that could only end this way? Why did he not surrender? Is the blood of everyone who died not on his head for his stubboness and arrogance? Or, maybe, it is the government that is to blame because it did not act earlier? Act differently? Waited just a few days more for a negotiated solution?
Right now all these questions seem really petty and small. This is not the time for scoring cheap political points. This is not the time for spin.
Moreover, there are too many questions to ask. To answer. The head hurts as you think of them. But the heart hurts even more as you look at the face of Muzammil Shah.
Maybe the only really important question is the one that you can read between his wrinkles: “Why? Oh God, why? Why must things happen this way?”
Umar this is so true and sad, no wonder why we have an image problem around the world. Do you know Zia was labeled as Waliullah by the Mullahs in 80s?
I think there should be a change in our public and foreign policy. Who creates these policies in Pakistan bytheway?
I dont know, somehow I feel its about time we change the name of the country. Its not just this incident where there r villains on both sides, its the whole era and generation of our and our forefathers who left us a mammoth sized poverty stricken population, devoid of any human rights.
Too much napaaki in Pakistan.
Its a huge tragedy for us as a human beings, as a nation and above all as a Muslim.Its aftermaths would be more horrific than the operation itself.
Several posts and discussions on ATP over Lal Masjid issue were about worst outcomes if issue is not dealt properly. Alas! the outcomes of the operation are worst than our predictions.
More killings from both sides, the injuries, the trauma and the sufferings of the neighborhood in G-6 and above all nation is in the state of melancholy.
Personally, I believe that the window of negotiations should not have been closed so quickly as both parties agreed to framework (safe passage) and the only DEADLOCK was on modalities which would have been finalized by some give and take to avoid big tragedy.
The lesson which we need to learn from this tragedy is that by using FORCE one cannot bring extremists to surrender their cult or implement shariat in society.
Unfortunately both parties in this case staunchly believe in the the use of FORCE to achieve their goals.
Saner voices warned about this WAY back in 1972, when Gulbadin Hikmatyar and Ahmed Shah Massoud (future enemies), barely 20 years old, were given a room in Peshawar and funds and arms to start a rebellion in their own country against Sardar Daud Khan, because he promoted the idea of Pakhtunistan… since then, the army supported Hikmatyar and co. against the Soviets, Zia butchered PLO fighters in Jordan, the army sponsored militant groups in our country to slaughter our own Shia compatriots, sponsored the phony Jihad in Kashmir, created the Taliban, interfered in Chechnya, interfered in Central Asia, and even interfered in China’s Xinjiang province… so much for Pak-Cheen dosti… the list is endless… no surprises that the fire we have set to the neighborhood now engulfs us…
Time to not only set our own house in order, but to promise never to interfere in our neighbours’ affairs…
Well I think u guyz would do better analysis of this case but plz keep in mind that who are those Foreign Militants? I think that some high profile terrorists are involve in this issue who actually command Adbul Rasheed (I will not use word Maulana with him coz I personally think that Maulana means “Parha Likha” but he prove himself an Idiot,sorry to say). Lets hope that this story comes out by any means.