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.
Very powerful words.
I am amazed also why there is no outrage at this. Do only the death of people in New York, Barcelona or Mumbai count. Where is the world’s humanity when Pakistanis die everyday?
We get hit by our Taliban enemies everyday and our supposed friends just tell us it is our own fault and we should stop worrying about “Pakistani” Taliban and help them clean up other country’s Taliban. THere is a helplessness amongst those of us who want to fight the Taliban and these new policies do not help.
As for these Indian gloaters dancing at teh graves of dead children. I will just ignore them. I hope not all Indians are as heartless as these.
1) @Sridhar, yes, I agree that Prof. Najam is being carried away by emotions in this topic but I don’t think Indians are quite innocent in all this. This you believe is coming from even the most ‘liberals’ of Pakistanis. Much can be written about as to why a weaker State like Pakistan had to resort to using the so-called ‘jihad’ against the Soviet-Indian nexus in Afghanistan of the late 70s. This is perhaps not the time and place for that. Suffice it to say, India may not be directly involved in this but India itches to take advantage of Pakistani problems. I suggest you go and read http://www.bharat-rakshak.com forum to see what educated Indians think and scheme about Pakistan.
2) Looks like violence in Pakistan is sadly getting to the level of what was Iraq in 2006. Not quite that bad but getting there.
3) Desperate situations require equally desperate measures. Pakistan has so many unemployed people that a large army of informers and spies can be build to infiltrate all these Jahil Madrassahs and training camps. Sure, there could be chaos, double crossings etc but, I think, there will be some progress in hunting down these barbarians before they strike.
4) Occupation of Swat was the high-point for these militants. It is downhill for them since then. Yes, ‘Pakistanis die, Pakistanis cry’, but Pakistanis also fight back. And now, due to the dominance of various conspiracy theories (lead by the likes of Zaid Hamid), Pakistanis are convinced of an Indian involvement and support for these militants and hence Pakistanis fight back with vigor.
5) There can’t be any peace in Pakistan until the issue of Kashmir is resolved to the satisfaction of most major parties.
First off, let me start off by saying that this is a cowardly act of terrorism. Targeting children is the lowest one can go.
Second, I feel cheated and disappointed. I used to think that at least Adil and this website represented sanity and calmness and thoughtfulness. Apparently not always. Perhaps these are emotions taking hold of reason. If not, it is depressing. Depressing to see yet another person falling prey to the “world is against Muslims” line.
I woke up in the morning to the NPR news as usual and the first thing I heard was about this attack. Perhaps that was not enough, but the fact is that attacks such as this generate attention the more important the target from the point of view of the observer and/or the more connected they feel to it. For instance, just yesterday, there was a suicide attack in Somalia that killed more than 20 people. How much media coverage did that receive in Pakistan?
If you wish to be noticed, for the world to share your grief and to sympathize with you
a. Increase your importance to the world. Not because you are the biggest headache to the world, the biggest reason for leaders to stay awake at night or because of the misery you have caused to others. But because of what you have contributed to the world in a positive sense.
b. Increase your connections with the rest of the world. Through trade. Through presence in Western societies. Through your educational attainments. Or sporting achievements. And so on.
Sixteen years ago, there were the first Mumbai serial bombings. At the time, it was one of the worst episodes of mass urban terrorism the world had seen. It hardly got coverage, since it was yet another third world city, teeming with people and with those wretched Hindus and Muslims at each others’ throats.
Switch to November 2008 – things changed somewhat. There was more coverage. More outrage. More sympathy. Not even close to what it would have been had it been in London or Paris or even Sofia. But more than what it was in 1993. Or 2006, when local commuter trains across Mumbai were bombed (with greater loss of life than in 2008). The importance of Mumbai (and India), its connectedness with the rest of the world and of course the nature of the attack were contributors in this change.
To sum up, stop wallowing in this – “world is against Islam and Muslims”, we are in this alone” kind of garbage. Do what is necessary to get yourself out of this state, or at least to stem further movement downwards. Recognize the demons you have created and nurtured over the last several decades and work hard to finish them off once and for all. The world will surely be by your side if you are sincere in these efforts.
Once again, sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones or have been injured in this dastardly attack.
Please, if all of you could prioritize your lists, it will be easier for me to follow all the reasons you all are listing.
Thanks in anticipation.
//Once again, Pakistanis die. Once again, Pakistanis cry. Alone.//
Expect another ‘ do more ‘ statement.
heart-wrenching.