Adil Najam
The headline screams out that more than 40 people are dead after a heartless and soulless suicide attack on a mosque in Rawalpindi. The story under it tells us that more than half of those butchered are children.
Numb. Enraged. Without words. One stares into space.
How many such headlines have we seen? How many more are we destined to see?
Carnage. Bloodshed. Callousness. Hatred.
These are not things that anyone with a modicum of humanity can become used to. Yet, the world passes us by. Its not even news for the rest of the world. They are too busy worrying about “their” Taliban, to care about what “our” Taliban are doing. In the crazy world that we have manufactured, not every death is created equal. And certainly not every life.
Once again, Pakistanis die. Once again, Pakistanis cry. Alone.
Once again, Pakistanis stare into the darkness of nothingness, looking for answers. There are few words of sympathy from those who claim to be our friends. There are only sneers and jeers from those who are our enemies.
Why, one asks, why? Why do they hate us so?
In this video interview one would-be suicide bomber speaks up. It is harrowing. Listen, if you will, to the voice of hatred. Listen, if you can, to what Pakistan’s enemy sounds like.
@Calculating Misfit
You don’t speak for the world.
Obama speech was the end of the American war in Afghanistan and the beginning of American withdrawl, which will begin in 18 months. Already Obama admin officials are talking about negotiating with some “moderate Taliban” and that Taliban is always going to be part of Afghanistan. Their last Hooah effort will not make any big difference.
Hence Pakistan focus should be on its problems and its external policies geared towards the day when Afghanistan returns to its old status in 1992: multiple muscular factions in control of parts of Afghanistan, with the Taliban among one of them, and with nobody in the world caring.
The US has failed in Afghanistan and is going to leave the region in a mess, just like in 1989.
@Aamir Ali
“You have now had your pleasure at Pakistan’s expense and there is nothing new in your posts or solutions to Pakistan’s problems. Rather they are diverting the discussion to what India wants.”
Correction that is what the rest of the world wants. Most people here are blabbering about why the world does sympathize with Pakistan. I merely gave the accurate response. How exactly India fits into the argument is beyond me. The Afghan Talibs are not the ones primarily threatening them.
“Back to discussion its important that Pakistan as a state keep enhancing its capacity and keep the focus on the Pakistani Taliban, who are causing this whole mess.”
You really think the Afghan and Pakistan Talibs are that different?? Who do you think is harboring the Pakistani Talibs? They are brothers in arms (albeit with different initial targets).
“With the US announcement that they are withdrawing from the region, there is no need to further enlarge the battlefield to include Baluchistan and end up in 3 years time a shattered country, with US/NATO gone and the Taliban in control of large part of Afghanistan.”
Sorry to burst your bubble (and you were so happy). The 3 year time frame was not a deadline. It was at best an estimate, the US will not leave with a chance the Talibs will get back into power:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/05/ftn/main 5906817.shtml
Terrorists don’t have a religion. They are the enemies of humanity and therefore all of us irrespective of our religion, nationality, caste, creed or colour have to come out against this menace. Whether they are Talibans or Al Qaida or RSS or Zionist fanatics of the East Coast, they are in essence one and the same. Days of selective outrage must be over if we have to win this war.
@calculating misfit
You have now had your pleasure at Pakistan’s expense and there is nothing new in your posts or solutions to Pakistan’s problems. Rather they are diverting the discussion to what India wants. Please leave.
Back to discussion its important that Pakistan as a state keep enhancing its capacity and keep the focus on the Pakistani Taliban, who are causing this whole mess. With the US announcement that they are withdrawing from the region, there is no need to further enlarge the battlefield to include Baluchistan and end up in 3 years time a shattered country, with US/NATO gone and the Taliban in control of large part of Afghanistan.
@Tariq
“yes, sure. And the Taliban came out of thin air. You must be so right.”
They certainly did not appear out of thin air. They are around because of the narrow mindedness of individuals who had no problem working with a bunch pyschopaths in exchange for “strategic” depth.
“Keep going. Gloat on children’s death if it gives you pleasure.”
Oh come off it, I already said it is reprehensible to wish for the death of any innocent. And the rants of a few net warriors hardly represents the whole.
“I find the arguments about how Pakistan has “brought it on itself” to be exactly the same.”
Pakistan brought it on itself not because it made mistakes in supporting the Talibs prior to 9/11 but because it continues to igonore/shield/support factions of Talibs that are in its “strategic” interests. No one in the world will sympathize with Pakistan with that kind of attitude. Why do you think there is such antipathy from virtually all of Pakistan’s neighbors?
Think about it, would Pakistan be in this position had Mushy and Co. had gone after the Talibs in 2002-07? Instead he dithered, made peace deals with the psychopaths and threw the billions given to Pakistan somwhere into the abyss. I don’t expect anything different today. The military will half ass it and will not target “friendly” Talibs (who btw have no problem shielding “bad” Talibs).