"Pak's jihadi policy threatening its own existence: ICG," From India's 123bharath, with thanks to Skeetstreet:
[World News] Washington, A recent report published by the International Crisis Group (ICG) has said that the Pakistan government's policy of supporting the country's religious and fundamentalist sections of the country to counter the civilian opposition has reached such an alarming proportion that the religious extremism has started to threaten the very foundations of its existence.The Daily Times quoted the ICG report as saying that the co-option and patronage of religious parties by successive military governments has led to the country's Islamisation and the subsequent marginalization of the country 's democratic, with the result that jihadi groups and madarsaas have started flourishing like never before.
"Instead of empowering liberal, democratic voices, the government has co-opted the religious right and continues to rely on it to counter civilian opposition. By depriving democratic forces of an even playing field and continuing to ignore the need for state policies that would encourage and indeed reflect the country's religious diversity, the government has allowed religious extremist organisations and jihadi groups, and madrasas that provide them an endless stream of recruits, to flourish," the paper quoted the report as saying.
The report states that the Constitutional provisions to Islamise laws, education and culture and the official dissemination of a particular brand of Islamic ideology not only militate against Pakistan's religious diversity, but also breed discrimination against the country's non-Muslim minorities.
It states that allowing Islam to be used as a political tool not only promotes an aggressive competition for official patronage between the various Shia, Sunni factions, but also leads to a scenario with the clergy of the major sects and the sub-sects fighting among themselves to build up their political parties, raise jihadi militias, expand madrasa networks across the country.
The report states that the Musharraf administration has also like all other military governments weakened the country's secular and democratic forces. It says that the crackdown against jihadi organizations in Pakistan has failed to dismantle the terror infrastructure and all banned extremist groups persist with new labels, adding that not only is jihadi media flourishing, but leading figures of extremist Sunni organisations are freely preaching jihad...
It is time for some honesty today. A visitor visiting Pakistan today could be excused for asking why muslim virtues (of peace, tolerance and love) are somewhat absent from our society. Why, is the rhetoric of the religious parties so full of hate and venom?
What, for instance, would this visitor make of this recent news:
1) "NWFP minister threatens to throw people planning girls' marathon into Kabul River"? A number of armed men led by an MMA member of parliament attacked a women's 'mini-marathon' event in Gujranwala, the incident made headlines around the world reinforcing the image Muslims have acquired in the West.
2) The MMA turning non-issues such as the religious column in passports into burning issues.
3) Hijacking the school education system with Madrassas springing up out of proportion to normal schools.
It seems that for the conservative mullahs, there should be no progress, no scientific enquiry, men should have unkempt beards, and women should be locked securely indoors. Whatever happened to the gentler, more tolerant version of Islam elsewhere in the world; where progress is seen as something to strive for where education is not seen as an adjunct of Islamic studies.
Pakistan, today is still having growing pains…..agonizing over the meaning of Pakistan: Pakistan according to Jinnah or according to the maulanas and their various schools of thought? Is this debate religious fervour? No, shameful as it for me to admit….. it is out-and-out political failure. The more elusive democracy (about 3 weeks in 56 years) and economic progress prove, the greater the temptation to seek refuge behind the screen of Islam.
Political failure from our rulers (not government) leads to grave sermons by the rulers on how Islam is a progressive and enlightened religion,taking advantage of Allah (swt) like this what hypocrisy, what hi-jacking.
Musharraf has become increasingly disappointing. Enlightenment in his Pakistani context only means the army's return to its primary duty of national defence.
Musharraf is hesitant - neither removing the army from the political sphere thus hampering the 'mainstream' parties, the PPP and the PML-N - he is proving to be the biggest benefactor of the religious parties, thriving in the vacuum he has created.
Gen Zia was an avowed Islamicist, part of his political strategy the conscious effort to cultivate a religious constituency. But what even he couldn't achieve through pro-activism Musharraf has achieved unwittingly, the religious parties more powerful now than at any time under Zia.
Now, you can't blame the holy fathers of the MMA (the religious alliance) for being so single-minded in pursuing their agenda. They are doing what comes naturally to them: utterly convinced they serve the cause of Islam when denouncing 'obscenity', attacking women marathon races, turning non-issues such as the religious column in passports into burning issues.
The religious parties thus are not to be blamed for trying to make an issue of non-issues. They feel strongly about them and if the government itself is giving them space, they would be foolish not to use it.
The debate/struggle between extremism and modernity has started with earnest.
Some Mullahs are insecure knowing that if they are not educated in any meaningful sense, that if their ignorant followers acquire a real education, they might well question the authority the mullahs have gained. Islam recognizes no church, no over lordship of any religious leader or party. Each believer prays directly to God without any intermediary. So in a way, the authority of our clergy rests on very shaky foundations.
Religion should a matter of faith, it is woven into the tissues and sinews of the believer, part of his blood, of the very air he breathes. How can you change such a thing by debate or disputation? Isn't it best then to practice tolerance and let each person stick to the faith he/she professes? Live and let live and get on with the business of the world. I think this is no reflection on religion, only on the mischief so often perpetrated in its name.
So what is to be done by Musharraf. For a start, don't just talk 'moderation' or 'enlightenment'. Do something about them. Be true to the Constitution and the rule of law, practise self-restraint, curb your hunger for power, study history and the causes of the rise and fall of empires.
Change the education system so that it has real meaning, curb the ridiculous population explosion and let the Mullahs have education in tolerance etc.
I hope that potential political failure on his part does not lead to deflections and a war with India. I believe that India doesn’t want it, instead Musharraf needs to have the strength of character to modernise and moderate Pakistan, our very existence will depend on it, Pakistan must have strength enough to bear the weight of tensions, the next few years will test the very existence of Pakistan.
As a final point Dubya can best support us by words of wisdom, possibly some aid but not 2 dozen F16s which we cannot afford, our threats currently are not in the skies.
Naseem...Thank you for your evaluation of Pakistan as it is today. I dont know that much about Pakistans internal problems, but I know that Islam is a threat to the current structure. Armed with nukes and a potential three nuke subs( I read where they have two already and are expecting a third), Pakistan simply can't fall into Islamic hands. This would be a disaster for almost everyone. I also read where 2500 complaints of sexual abuse in Pakistani Madrasas,against children, were registered in 2003/4. The head guy of the school system said that 200 had been investigated. No arrests or charges were filed. Pakistan seems unstable and volital, with one foot on a bannana peel and the other foot in trouble...bears watching...
Ramaz, you leave me Absolutely unsure which side of this you are on.
btw, you may as well add the Sierra club to your 'hate' list:
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/11352474.htm
And like the other two, you still manage to get it wrong.
*gets back to work*
Pakistan...truly the neighbor from hell. They've clung to this fanatsy that 'Islam is the answer' since before independence...well sahib, where has it gotten you? Their history of dictatorships, aggresion and religious fanatricism speaks for itself, no. Just look at India...for all our problem a country with real hope in a progressive future. My only 'hope' for Pakistan is that it doesn't drag us down with it while it walks the road to hell.
Ramaz:
Your post implies that a woman's right to privacy includes the right to end her pregnancy but that this same woman has no right to engage in consensual sex with another adult woman...wow, thank you for reminding me of how irrational homophobia can be.
Nasseem: Is that really you?
Are you still a muslim or are you on the liberation trail, I mean mentally?
Ramaz, I don't know what you're smokin' but whatever it is, I'm not sure it's good for you...
Kali-
I'm all for a woman having consensual sex with another woman.
(As long as it's on video.)
As for abortion, it depends on whether you agree with the ancient idea that the 'soul' does not enter until the (born) child takes its first breath ('in-spiration'), or not.
Or whether you think the 'soul' is 'inserted' at the moment of fertilization (single cell stage) by a deity.
Or if there even is such a thing as a 'soul'.
Or, if the 'soul' only 'enters the fetus' when it becomes 'viable'.
Or when enough of the brain is formed to 'house' the 'spirit'.
Since there are so many possible answers, it appears that the present set-up in the U.S. is as good as such a clash of essential concepts can manage.
If the fetus can survive in a 'premie' incubator at 24 weeks (or so), then it can no longer be aborted, except to save the mother's life. It is then a 'viable' human being. And, 'soul' or not, it comes under Constitutional protection ("life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness").
Ramaz-
Who would choose homosexuality, when all they get is grief for it?
And, if it not chosen, but their natural state, how can you deny them human rights?
('Marriage' is not a 'right' [you can't marry your daughter, or your brother, or two people, or animals, etc.], which is where I veer off from their demands for 'equality', and wish them to be legally free to have 'civil unions', but not to undermine a 'natural union-of-opposites' tradition that built Civilization.)
One of my nephews is gay. I taught him to play the guitar. He'll never have to worry about having an abortion.(Be thankful for small favors.)