Adil Najam
Pakistan remains at war. Whether it is schoolgirls in Lower Dir or Shia mourners and those waiting outside Jinnah Hospital in Karachi. All Pakistanis everywhere are targets for these murderous enemies of Pakistan.
It may be true that we do not have many friends abroad. But it is certainly clear that our cruelest enemies are all amongst us.
Day in, day out, they kill and maim and terrorize Pakistanis all across Pakistan. No city is safe. No Pakistani is safe. The ritual is now well entrenched. We mourn our dead. We cry. And just as the tears begin to dry, we are called upon to mourn some more. To cry, again.
The tears are unavoidable, and maybe even necessary. But they are no longer sufficient.
Let us begin, at least, by refusing to tolerate any excuse, any justification, any argument for such violence. Denial must no longer be an option. Yes, there may be forces great and small that are against us. Yes, Pakistanis are being killed also by outsiders too. Yes, the world is an unfair and unjust place. Yes, the wheels of history are complicated. All that, and more, may be as it is. But it is our children who are doing the dying. Everyday. Everywhere.
Those who train themselves to commit such acts – in whose ever name and for whatever purpose they do so – make no excuses for what they do. No excuses must be made for them either.
Let us listen, once again, to how the enemies of Pakistan justify this murder and mayhem:
There is a fiery conversation on this post at the ATP Facebook Page. HEre are only a few threads and comments from that conversation that may be of interest of our blog readers. (You can follow the full conversation here):
– “These Taliban and other terrorists are trying to scare Pakistanis so that we stop fighting them. But they are the real enemies of Pakistan and we will not weaken our resolve to crush all Taliban and other religious fundamentalists. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD.”
– “they are fighting because American doing attacks.Its division.Why you are saying taliban are terrorist.Are you American? Taliban are not terrorist but they are made terrorist by Pakistani Govt.and Americans.
Your thinking is just dependent.”
– “we can do alot.We can shout and say enough is enough.No more American policies,We can stand with people who are against american Policies.We can send e-mails to American officials to stop killing our people.We can join anti war forums and blogs.We can convince our friends.We can write articles against American injustices.Many more things we can do.”
– “jab tak humari Govt thek ni hogi hum kuch ni kar sakty sirf apne ap ko jalne k hum logo ko to woh log kiry samjhty hain na humari jab Govt hi bik gai hai to kya karein ?Dr Afiya k liay kya kiya ?”
– “if you think govt.ko theek karna hay tu phir enter into politics.Use any plateform.Govt bi theek ho sakti hain agar hum chahain tu .Hum kuch nahi kar saktay ye mayoosi ki batain hain aur zinda qomain kabi mayoos nahi hoti until death.”
– “Fight back!
Main to kehta hon. join groups and forums u like ideologies of. Aisay individual naa raho. work in teams or in groups.
i have seen people who are proud to be neutral in political aspects. Being neutral is disease, i believe.
Koi to side pakro, either positive or negative.
Or Namaz se Madad hasil karo.”
– “eath to wahabism. blowing yourself up isn’t islam. its not even a human thing to do. i hope to see a wahabi/taliban someday in person. inshallah, chamri udhaair doon ga.”
– “blowing own self & taking life of others … wah wah , kia khoobi hy ….. kamal hy … y dont they blow themselves with their rascal followers .instead of killing inocent people .
i hate them , either they feel they r MUZLOOM … they r not muslims bcoz islam is peaceful religion …. if they think they wil go 2 JANNAT … they r living in world of fools .
they r not shaheed ,,, they r suiciders ,,,,, jannat is never 4 them ……. ”
– “I hate those who make them terrorist.I hate Americans Army who actually formed these people.”
– “kutch arsay pehlay ashura pe dhamaka hota hai, talibans kudkush hamle ki zimedari qubul kr lete hain. magar baad mein pata chalta hai k wo khudkush hamla tha hi nae.think deeply, what this means????? now, who says america is not involved in destablizing Pakistan??”
– “100% right k pakistan main terrorrism k liay taliban nahin blkay outsiders involve hain…(i dont wanna mention,coz every1 knows)
youth should unite to protest against terrorism.
May Allah protect us n our country.amen”
– “what incident are you talking where Taliban took responsibility but later it was found to be USA ? Stop believing in lies, its because people like you live in denial that terrorists can operate in Pakistan.”
– “I cannot understand how brainwashed people like Kamran Shafat, Ali Khan and others can even read what they are themselves writng. How can you dare to defend this enemies of Pakistan and these mrdrers. PLEASE EXPLAIN…. SO ACCORDING TO YOU THE TALIBAN ARE KILLING PAKISTANIS AND MUSLIMS ALL OVER PAKISTAN BECAUSE THEY ARE FIGHTING AMERICANS!!!! If they want to fight Americans why do they not fight Americans, why are they killing Pakistani and Muslim Children. All These murderers of Pakistanis are enemies of Pakistan as is anyone who defends the killers of Pakistanis. SHAME ON YOU.
PAKISTAN ZINDABAD. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD.
ALL TALIBAN SUPPORTERS MURDABAD.”
– “no one has said that talibans are right. They are the stooges of americans. They are funded by americans. But only pakistani talibans, not afghani. And even in pakistan, some are good there still”
– “YOU HAVE. AGain and Again. Read your own comments. You keep defending these enemies of Pakistan. If they are American stooges and you are so against America then come out and FIGHT AGAINST THEM. If that is correct then fighting the Taliban and every religious extremist will be the best way to get at the Americans. NO?
If they are indeed American agents then how is defending them like you do help Pakistan.”
– “Fatah hamesha haq ki hoti hai. Now see, NATO forces are about to be defeated in Afghanistan by those afghani talibans. They had nothing but faith in Allah. And this led them to their success”
– “you are defending the ENEMIES OF PAKISTAN again. All Taliban are enemies of Paksitan and take pride in killing as many Pakistanis as they can. Anyone who defends the Taliban is a traitor to Pakistan. How dare you celebrate and feel happy abot teh killing of young school girls in Dir or the 25 Pakistanis in Karachi. How dare you. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD.”
– “we are not defending Taliban but we are talking about truth.Who provided them weapons Is it Pakistani army or Indian army.They are just misused in the hand of some typical agents who have beards but working for International agencies.suiciders can not understand .One more things brainwashing is doing by vast media war.You can understand who is controlling media and ultimately who is doing brainwashing on large scale.We are just talking about root causes.”
– “OK, if you think they are agents of America and India, then why are YOU supporting them. Are YOU also an agent of America and India. If you really believe that these mullahs and taliban kiling my Pakistanis and killing children and killing Muslims are agents of America and India, why do you defend them? Why don’t yo speak openly against every Taliban against every enemy of Paksitan? Why are YOU defending these enemies of Paksitan? Are you also an Indian agent cheering on those who are killing Pakistanis?
PAKISTAN ZINDABAD.”
– “tell me why Taliban trying to destabilize Pakistan.?Pakistan always zindabad.Why you are not blaming Americans.?”
– “Army is handling the situation.But please try to understand that by killing these innocent fool we are destroying our-self.”
– “These innocent fool could be loyal with Pakstani Government if you can control these master minds.It can only be possible if you have courage to stand against Americans.”
– “I find it DISGUSTING That you will repeatedly use teh word “innocent” for those who are killing Pakistanis and feel proud of it.
Look at what these people that YOU think are INNOCENT have to say about wanting to kill Muslims and destroy Pakistan. http://bit.ly/95HIDF
They are not innocent. They are enemies of Islam and anyone who supports them is a traitor.”
– “Please NEVER call the killers of Paksitanis and Muslims innocent. Even if you think they are agents, lets start by rooting them out so that your so-called “master mind” has no one to do this killing of Pakistanis with. DEFENDING ANY TALIBAN IS NOTHING EXCEPT BEING A TRAITOR AGAINST PAKISTAN. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD.”
– “I am using the word Innocent fools.because they are killing himself also.If you killed your self then what i can say about your innocent fool because you do not know why you killed yourself.”
– “The Taliban are neither fools nor innocent. Calling them that is like defending them. They know exactly what they are doing and what they are trying to achieve. They want to kill as many Pakistanis and as many Mslims as possible and destroy Pakistan. They are raised by the same mullahs who tried to oppose Pakistan in 1947 and now they are actually destroying Pakistan by killing Pakistani muslims everywhere. Defending them is being a traitor to Pakistan”
– “Do u think Robert gaits was wrong that black water is working in Pakistan and u r right?? do u think CIA chief was wrong that blackwater is working in Pakistan and u r right????”
– “Then why are your trying to change the subject always from the Taliban and defending them. You really think Paksitan will say no to US and these murdering enemies of pakistan will stop. Really? Its as simple as that. STOP DEFENDING THE ENEMIES OF PAKISTAN. The tactic is now well rehearsed.Instead of talking about the people actually killing Pakistanis and actrually killing Muslims we try to change the subject to blackwater or Gates or whatever. FIRST LETS ROOT OUT THESE TALIBAN AND LETS STOP DEFENDING THEM.”
– “we are not trying to change subject. what we are talking about is directly linked to the subject. u can’t terminate this terrorism until u kill its roots and that is America. tell me, why everything was all right before this so called war against terrorism was started??????”
– “First, everything was NOT all right before. Remember the “hathora group” or the bombings all across Pakistan as the Taliban were rising. They have ALWAYS been enemies of Pakistan.
So, please Don’t change the subject. Who is killing Pakistanis today. Who is killing Muslims today. More Muslims have been killed in Paksitan by the Taliban than by the Americans. Fight both, but why are you continuing to defend the Taliban and the enemies of Pakistan.
These Taliban are killing so many Pakistanis and Muslims today because we have let them kill Muslims and Paksitanis since the 1980s since the time when that otehr enemy of Islam – Gen Zia ul Haq – started creating these enemies of Islam. Yo keep asking who supports these Taliban. I will tell you. YOU DO. By your words and by your defense and by your support for them you support them. That is why we have to stop defending them.”
– “I have the same views on the Americans that I have on the Taliban. Anyone killing Pakistanis is an enemy of Pakistan. When the American drones hit Taliban that is good for Paksitan but their indiscriminate strategy must be stopped and resisted by Pakistan. But what is clear to me is that the Taliban and the religious fanatics are killing FAR FAR MORE Pakistanis and Muslims than teh Americans are and they are a much bigger enemy of Pakistan. I defend only the people of Pakistan and I am against all enemies of Pakistan and everyone who defends these enemies of Pakistan.
PAKISTAN ZINDABAD.”
Lets all be honest, the violence in Karachi is a complicated phenomenon. This blast is awful, but just as many, and if not more have been murdered in target killings for days now. Karachi is being held hostage by a certain political party. Why can’t the media and government say this out loud? If anyone lives or has relatives living in Karachi know exactly what I mean.
If the law enforcement agency had a free hand then maybe they have a chance. But that is not going to happen anytime soon.
As for Aafia Siddiqui I found it amazing that people on this blog, whom I assume believe in human rights and the process of law fail to understand the significance of this case.
I suggest people who couldn’t care less, examine the history of this case. If my sister was kidnapped off the streets of Pakistan with her three children, tortured in an unspeakable manner and two of her children become missing, I would do everything in my power to find out the truth.
Once the media spotlight is on the case, she mysteriously wonders onto the streets in Kabul and becomes embroiled in a shoot out, leaving no finger prints on the gun.
She had not been charged with terrorism. Her defense were not allowed to admit in evidence her whereabouts for the last 7 years.
I suggest people who find it insignificant that no due process in extradition or human rights were followed believe abduction by the ISI, CIA or any other agency is ok. Who knows maybe a few of your postings may result in you not seeming ‘entirely’ innocent. Good Luck next time you take a train.
Another courageous piece. We really ned to stop making excuses. I also think we need to stop idolizing would-be bombers like Aafia Siddiqui. She was preparing to do the same. Lets please stop supporting these fanatics whose goal is to destroy Pakistan.
The greatest tragedy is that the people cannot agree on who is committing these murders. If our security forces had any semblance of credibility, we would reach a national consensus and hit the perpetrators back immediately.
It makes me sad to see the obsession with the case of Aafia Siddiqui, who by most accounts certainly does not seem clean or innocent, when at the same time, we are paying zero attention to the terrorists who are murdering completely innocent people.
Yes it’s evil and evil is there, but one must look at the root causes of the evil, and not just keep shedding tears and drying them, although expression of emotions is a natural response. Searching for causes of this evil is not the same as making excuses. We must do something to identify the causes, and accept that they are among the causes, even if they’re not popular with Pakistani/Israeli mainstream opinion, and prevent the evil by removing those causes (yes, multiple causes – you can’t blame just Umreeka or imposed democracy or or Zardari. Each and every factor must be thwarted to begin the end of this evil. And it will take time, because, due to the tremendous injustice that has been there for so long, even if everything is done right starting today, old scores will be settled before the dust finally settles.