Adil Najam
The headline is actually a tweet that has been floating around since the attack on Mehran Naval Aviation Base in Karachi two days ago. As far as I can tell it originated from @thekarachikid. Short. Pithy. Poignant. Depicting a truth that Pakistanis can feel in their bones.
The power of the statement is that the sentiment requires no elaboration. However, it does invite introspection. And, maybe, one question: Everyday in Pakistan does now feel like 9/11. 26/11 and 7/7; but what about the day after everyday? Do Pakistanis react to the day after everyday, the way others reacted to 9/11. 26/11 and 7/7? If not, then why not?
Its funny how Lucman is interviewing Hafiz Syed as if he was Eidhi and PDF guys are pledging to kill NATO and Indians and Hamid Gul and other intellectuals are saluting Osama for being a great soldier of Islam- and you are weeping on terror attacks in Pakistan…
Give it some time and a part of your army will be figthing, other part of your army, Hafiz Syed’s of Pakistan will fight Salman Taseers and the Katrina/Shahrukh fan generation will be begging Kafir USA to protect them and the rest will make a line infront of wagaha border.
The time for pen and paper is gone.
Its really sad.
Stop the self-pity already. 9/11, 26/11 and 7/7 were notable because they were attacks undertaken by Islamic terrorists of foreign origin or sympathy in non-Islamic, democratic countries. These events cannot be compared to anything in the modern history of any of the affected countries.
Now consider the events in Pakistan. An attack by Islamic terrorists of native origin (or long resident foreigners) on an Islamic country. A country whose (mostly military) rulers cultivated Islamic terrorists as part of its security and foreign policy. A country that distinguishes among Lashkar-E-Taiba (good dog!), TTP (bad dog!), Taliban (good dog! go fetch some strategic depth!). Why should the world bother? You lit the fire, buddies. Now it threatens to burn down your own house.
Please don’t start shouting about injustices in Kashmir (and I agree, there are way too many) or Palestine (worth a few books) right away. There will be time for that later. Or whisper how Mossad and RAW (Mossad would be insulted by the comparison to RAW) were responsible for the murder of Liaquat Ali Khan, the attack on Mehran and everything in between.
Think for a bit and acknowledge that the monsters birthed by Zia-ul-Haq (with US aid) and nourished by his successors have grown out of control. Take a deep breath and decide if you really want a Pakistan that uses religious fanatics as tools of statecraft. Decide if the Army should cede control of security and foreign policy to civilians, no matter how corrupt the latter.
If you read this far, I’ll leave you with a few questions.
Should Islam be a part of State policies? Take a hint from what official endorsement of one religion did to people of a minority religion in your neighbor’s state of Gujarat. Alternately think of how the only European country with an Islamic majority has managed things so well.
Should the State decide who belongs to a religion and who has blasphemed? Ask the Brits, they have literally centuries of experience in this.
Should the State use religious fanaticism as a tool of domestic and international politics? If you want some ideas Google for “Indira Gandhi” and “Bhindranwale”.
Can Islam be relegated to the private sphere? At least, can religion be removed from the law books?
I hope that after the grief subsides you can have rational conversations about your country. I think that such conversations and actions borne out of those conversations, no matter how small, are the best way to react to the tragedy engulfing Pakistan.
PS: I hasten to add that I am an Indian before anyone accuses me of being one.
Our standards have gone so low that we dont even feel that we have a right to complain when something goes wrong or when someone breaks a law!
Time to stop counting on our government and other governments to fix our issues. When anyone say or does anything bad for Pakistan or Pakistani, dont laugh with them.
When someone makes jokes about our founding leaders, dont laugh with them. let them know that you are offended.
When someone breaks any law, report them to media and police. Continue to do so until they take action. If you give up, no one else will pickup where you left off.
Dont let jahil and mullahs put you down because you want to improve your living quality by your hard work, unlike their lazzzy asses sitting in masjids 24/7.
Dont let anyone put you down because you like to shave and use tooh brush and tooth paste to clean your teeth and not miswaak.
Appreciate made in Pakistan things when they are made good. Provide constructive feedback when quality is an issue.
Quation government servants when you see your tax money getting wasted.
Question political leaders when they take loans and aid from foreign gov’ts and dont use it for public advantage, that you ard your kids would have to pay back.
Rather them giving money to someone for one time meal, learn some kind of trade and teach it to others so they could feed themselves.
I think the question you end the post with is even more important than the headline.
The difference is that others learn from these tragedies, unite and act to ensure that this never happens again.
We Pakistanis bicker and fight and point fingers at each other and make up conspiracy stories.
How true, and how sad.