Adil Najam
Today, former US Secretary of State possibly the best know living US military general, Colin Powell, endorsed Barack Obama. His decision was probably not a surprise, although it is clearly another blow to the Republicans. But what is important is not his endorsement, but what he said in making the endorsement. Take a listen to the entire thing, but especially to the portion after minutes 4:28 onwards when he talks about the charges about whether Barack Obama is a Muslim or not, and if so what does that mean.
This is really not about my liking Barack Obama (I do). This is not about my generally respecting Colin Powell (I do). This is not about my having grave concerns about many mistakes that Colin Powell has made, especially while Secretary of State (he did). This is not about me being a Muslim (I am). All of the above is important, but irrelevant to the reason why this clip is important and why what Powell says minute 4.28 onwards is absolutely important. Important to Pakistanis and to Pakistani Muslims, but far far more important to all Americans. Indeed, important to all students and practitioners of politics, everywhere.
To stand for principle, and to state that principle clearly even when it is something that is not popular is what statesmanship really is. What we saw today was not just an endorsement. It was statesmanship. So let us cherish this moment of statesmanship, because it is not often that one witnesses this very often in politics anywhere. Not in America and certainly not in America.
I fear that we will get a barrage of comments about America and American politics in response to this post. That is too be expected. And so be it. But I hope that at least some of you will think, and think hard, about what this makes you think about Pakistan and Pakistani politics. What if there was an Obama-like political star in Pakistan today? What if that politician’s father was, say, a Christian or Sikh or Hindu, with a corresponding middle name from those religions? What would be the tenor of the political conversation around this issue then in Pakistan? And who would have been the Colin Powell to have stood up and say what was said today?
I do not know what might have happened in such a case. I would like to believe that the hysteria and bigotry that some in the US have been exhibiting would not be seen in Pakistan. I would like to believe that. But, quite frankly, I find it very hard to do so. And so, today, I think about exactly this. Even as I celebrate not just what Colin Powell has done, but what he has said and how he has said it.
Editorial Note: We have had and will continue to have a very firm rule in the editorial policy of this blog. This is a blog on Pakistan. Here we discuss ALL Things Pakistan, and ALL we discuss is things about Pakistan. We have followed this rule very very stringently, and this post notwithstanding, we intend to continue doing so. Pakistanis have interests in many things – for example, in Indian films, in Russian politics, in various religions including the many that many Pakistanis follow – but this is not a blog about these things. It is a blog about Pakistan. This above all is the principle that has guided our choice of posts. Today may seem like an exception. We do not believe it really is, but even if it is, it is going to be exactly that – an exception, and not a rule. If it is an exception, then it is one that we believe is very well worth making.
First off, the name “Barack” is misspelled again, as it is has been in previous posts on this topic.
Second, I don’t think anyone doubts the character of Colin Powell; he is an extremely rare figure in politics, probably throughout the world….so much so that even people who are vehemently against the Iraq war and strongly believe that the evidence for it was fabricated are willing to give waive his responsibility (he made the official case to the U.N.). Personally, I think he was given wrong information, but I’m afraid he should have known better; after all, he was a top commander not too long ago.
Third, I don’t think Obama has the political courage you described. Some of his earliest support came from not African Americans (remember they were actually not voting for him in majority in the earliest primaries) , but from American Muslims. But as his election campaign gained momentum, he hasn’t touched Muslims with a ten-foot pole, and has outrageous things such as bombing Pakistan and making Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel.
Now, I know that he is not naive enough to think that; I’d even hope that he has the character to not be so strongly biased. But the fact remains that he feels he needs to make such statements in order to appeal to the mainstream, i.e. the mob. And this will not end on election day, it will continue.
As far as how Pakistanis would react to someone like him locally, I think you are underestimating our character.
Is this all a joke?
Who all here believe that Kareem Sultan Khan did a noble deed by killing fellow Muslims on behalf of America? Certainly NO possible interpretation of Islam allows this. How can anyone here possibly agree with Powell when we disagree on the basic premises that Kareem Sultan Khan did a noble act? Are we deluding ourselves?
@Brown and Proud
Well I stand by my view that Colin Powell is endorsing Obama primarily because Obama is black, which is also the main reason African Americans are voting for Obama. If you think African-Americans are voting en bloc for Obama because of his policy stands, you are fooling yourself.
btw….Pakistanis in the US have almost always voted Republican, with exception of GW Bush 2nd term, because Republicans promise of keeping taxes low, and being more friendly to Pakistan.
I admire Colin Powell for his clear statement followed by a reprimand of some of his party colleagues regarding the question and rumors of of Obama’s Muslim heritage. I wish his views were commonly shared among fellow Americans. And I also wish that Obama would say something along the lines of what Powell did in his endorsement. But, unfortunately, the fact is that Obama himself and his campaign have practically treated the Muslim label as if it were an epithet.
Let’s acknowledge that it is easy for Powell to be “statesman-like” when he has nothing to lose. It is much harder for someone like Obama to do what Powell has just done.
There is a lot of talk about “Profiles in Courage” in America these days. Some even extol Obama as a Messiah. The reality is that the politicians of all stripes, including Obama, can not stand up to the powerful lobbies in America, right, left or center.
This is the same guy who made those famous, _mobile_ WMD manufacturing units argument at UN security council, which fell flat on its own face after the Iraq invasion.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/feb/05/iraq.u sa
That single speech at the UN destroyed the respect he had garnered internationally.