Adil Najam
To view such a video and assume that all of Pakistan is against the Taliban would be as delusional as the proposition that all of Pakistan is for them is deceptive.
The point of this video is not that all Pakistanis are opposed to Talibanization. It is that not all Pakistanis are for them.
The distinction between the two is subtle, but vital. The video puts to a lie the notion that anti-Taliban sentiment are to be found only in the so-called “liberal” and “elite” classes. Indeed, the empirical fact is that the people who the Taliban and other religious extremist forces have been killing in Pakistan are (a) nearly all Pakistanis, (b) nearly all Muslims, and (c) none of them are either very “liberal” or very “elite.”
It should not be a surprise, then, that at least some, probably many, and possibly most, “non-liberal,” “non-elite,” Pakistani Muslims would be against the Taliban and the war they are waging on Pakistan, Pakistanis and on Pakistani Muslims. The tragedy is that too many Pakistanis remain agnostic on the Talibanization threat and even more who are afraid of or reluctant to raise their voices against them.
There is clearly a need to counter the propaganda of those who would have us believe that the Taliban are opposed only by a few “liberal elites.” But equally important – even more important – is the need to acknowledge and somehow deal with the deep fissures and divisions within Pakistani society. Indeed, if there is any one unambiguous truth about Pakistan today it is that we are a deeply divided society. Deeply divided on many of the most existential questions about the country’s past, present and future: Including on questions of what the Taliban represent and how they should be dealt with. It is this division that the Taliban are exploiting. Until these societal fissures are somehow addressed neither military action, nor political strategy, nor international intervention will make any difference whatsoever.
@ Mazhur…
I replied to you on PTH as well…it seems that stupiduty and lies are not only terminal in your case but contageous to other forums as well…
I will not attempt to discredit your stupid post but I will pick out 2 main things:
1. Had we not Muslims was there any chance for Jinnah and others to gain a
@Mazhur:
“They are all out to blame Islam and progress in terms of lack of education, scientific and economic progress, denial of freedom (the western type of freedom sought, infact), terrorism and failure to perform in it existing shape. This is a misconception.”
It is as far from truth as it could be.
Liberals are not against Islam. For that matter, they are not against Christianity, Hinduism or Sikhism either. They are against mixing religion with the business of state. In the ‘liberal’ view, religion should be a matter of personal beliefs. State should be neutral on the issue of religion.
“The bottom line is that the so called billowing against Talibbanization is not purely aimed against them but Islam itself.”
As I said earlier, it is against mixing of religion and politics. It is nothing about Islam per se.
“Had we not Muslims was there any chance for Jinnah and others to gain a
The question is not if ALL Pakistanis oppose Taleban or if ALL Pakistani support Taleban. In any society never ALL people agree on one point. Also to say that only the upper middle classes are threatened by the advent of Taleban and therefore are against them will not be correct either. Some and perhaps many in the lower middle classes and within the poor classes are also opposed to Taleban.
But there is no doubt that Taleban DO enjoy certain degree of support from the society. The question is that which section of the society the Taleban come from. Which section or sections of the society support Taleban and why?
I’m from NWFP and can not forget the city of Peshawar where I studied. All this Taliban culture is gift of Zia, he never thought what he will do with these so called Jihadis after finishing the Afghan war. He jumped in America’s war at that time and same thing was done by Musharaf again.
I also blame the planning & stretigic policy of Army who helped America in splitting Russia but never think of Pakistan’s position in scenario of One supe power instead of two.
This new version of Islam is just to make this religion controversial and from where they r getting money and high tech equipment to butcher the poor and innocent people of Pakistan
>> Salman Khan says: May 3rd, 2009 3:00 pm
>> …
>> Pathans never voted any Maulvis, maybe just once
>> when Maulana Diesel with the help of Musharaf
>> was able to fool some voters.
>> …
In 1973-74 the NWFP government was headed by Maulana Mufti Mehmood, father of Maulana Fazal ur Rehman. It was a coalition government between JUI (Jamiat-e-Ulamae Pakistan) and NAP (National Awami Party) that lasted for nearly a year. The NWFP government resigned in protest when Mr. Bhutto, who headed the central government, illegally removed JUI/NAP government in Balochistan, headed by Saradar Ataullah Mengal. All of them had come to power as a result of the elections that were arranged by General Yahya Khan before the break up of Pakistan in 1971 and are generally considered to be the most transparent and honest elections in our history.
Incidentally, the resignation of Maulana Mufti Mehmood’s government was one of those rare incidents in Pakistan’s history when some one left power on a matter of principle.