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The Wave of Terrorism in Pakistan
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By: Dr. Maqsood Jafri, New York
The column of Rubina Faisal of Canada
expressed her deep grief and agony of the terrorists' bloody activities in
Pakistan. She strongly condemned this inhumane killings and criticized the
government for not taking sufficient acts to contain terrorism. I appreciate her
sentiments for peace and non-violence, but I humbly submit that the present wake
of terrorism is like a flickering flame of a candle. It is no more than a
fluttering boat bound to sink. In unity we stand, and in disunity we fall. I am
confident that our valiant army will weed out all havens of the terrorists and
soon maintain peace in the region. An American general is reported to have said
that the suicide bombing is a lethal modern device difficult to contain. The
present civilian government and Pakistan Army are all out to crush the
terrorists in the large interest of the country. There cannot be two opinions
about the verity that Pakistan can only survive as a democratic, progressive,
and moderate state. There is not a shred of doubt that the founder of Pakistan,
Mr. Jinnah, desired to make a modern Islamic state. He was an enlightened
person, and so was Dr. Allah Iqbal. Both aspired for a Muslim state based on
freedom, democracy, and justice. They rejected obdurate theocracy and
radicalism. On the other hand, the religious lot, like Hussain Ahmed Madani of
Deoband and Attaullah Shah Bokhari, opposed the idea of Pakistan. On the
political front, the hard-liners, like Abul Kalam Azad, Allama Anayatullah
Mashraqi, Bacha Khan, Sheikh Abdullah, Abdul Samad Achaikzai, G.M. Syed and many
others, opposed Mr. Jinnah. It is very tragic that not a single Hindu political
or religious leader supported the genuine cause of the Muslims for a separate
Muslim state in the sub continent, but unfortunately some so-called Muslim
leaders, for their petty gains, sided with Gandhi and Nehru. Today the followers
of those people with the covert support of India are involved in the terrorist
activities.
Last week, I received an e-mail of Family of the Heart from Toronto in which
Anis Zuberi praised the political wisdom of Abul Kalam Azad who, in his
posthumously published book India Wins Freedom, predicted the
dismemberment of Pakistan. To my astonishment, I received the follow-up of some
Pakistanis supporting the political sagacity of Moulana Azad and criticizing Mr.
Jinnah for making a truncated state. These people forget that Pakistan emerged
out of the spin and sloth of the Hindus for Muslims. The political treacheries
of Nehru and Patel are the root cause of the creation of Pakistan. Lady Sarojeny
Naido regarded Mr. Jinnah as the ambassador of unity between the Muslims and
Hindus. How was it that the same ambassador of unity stood up and demanded a
separate Muslim state? The apt answer can be found in the recently published
book of the former foreign minister of India, Mr. Jaswant Singh. In his book, he
praised the great and honest leadership of Mr. Jinnah and blamed Mr. Nehru for
his indurating attitude toward Muslims. Mr. Jaswant Singh was expelled from BJP
for writing truth. The Hindu extremists caused the emergence of Pakistan. Their
hatred for the Muslims is still visible from their attitude. When the Babri
mosque was demolished, it was the exposure of Hindu extremism. Eminent Hindu
secular journalist Mr. Kuldip Nayyer, in one of his latest columns, accused Mr.
Murli Manohar Joshi, Mr. L. K. Advani, and Mr. Vajpayee for conspiring for the
demolition of Babri mosque. He writes that when he contacted Mr. Vajpayee and
asked him for his views on this incident, he replied that the construction of
the temple was necessary at the place of mosque. He even unmasked the false face
of Indian secularism by writing that the then Indian Prime Minister Mr.
Narasimha Rao, when contacted to issue the orders to stop this invasion on Babri
mosque, declined to talk to media. We were told, Mr. Kuldip Nayyer writes, that
the Prime Minister was busy in pooja (prayers). He was praying in a Hindu
temple while a Muslim mosque was being demolished, and his aversion gave his
silent consent to desecrate the holy place of the people of the other faith.
This is the real face of Hindu secularism. What did India do in Gujrat? What
about the incident of Somjhota Express? Hundreds of thousands of innocent
Muslims were butchered by the Hindu hard-liners. The predators even did not
spare the children and the ladies. What is India doing in Kashmir? It is all
bloodshed and bloodbath. Is it Indian democracy that the docile and defenseless
Kashmiris are being denied their innate right to self- determination?
So far as Moulana Azad is concerned, he remained the president of Indian
National congress from 1940 to 1946. His Urdu book Ghubar-e- Khatar is a
literary masterpiece. We cannot ignore his religious and literary status, but we
cannot admire his anti-Pakistan stance. In November 2008, in Islamabad, the
capital of Pakistan, the Academy of Letters arranged the book launch of my Urdu
columns, Chargh-e-Afkar, which in English means The Lamp of Thoughts.
Senator Akram Zaki, the former Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry of
Pakistan, who happens to be a good poet and scholar as well, presided over the
function. In his presidential speech, he said that, after the Ghubar-e-
Khatar of Moulana Azad, Charagh-e- Afkar of Maqsood Jafri has
impressed him as far as the literary style is concerned, but as far as the
novelty of thought is concerned, Maqsood Jafri is the Voltaire of our time. It
was his greatness to say that. Afterwards, I said that I would never like to be
compared with Moulana Azad who was only a show boy and a toy in the hands of
Nehru.
While discussing the present wave of terrorism in Pakistan, I am naturally
driven or drifted towards India. It is my considered opinion that the so-called
prophecies associated with Moulana Azad's book posthumously published are fake.
They have been included in his book by the Hindu publisher intentionally just
to cast him as a sage and a seer and to deride the political wisdom of Mr.
Jinnah. Moulana Azad by faith was a Salfi. The Deobandi clergy opposed the very
idea of Pakistan. Moulana Hussain Ahmed Madani was one of them. Dr. Allama Iqbal,
in one of his Persian poems, addressed him and refuted his views. Some of the
neutral political analysts are of the opinion that when the Pakistani students
go to Deoband for studying religion, they are approached by the Indian
Intelligence Agency RAW. They are brainwashed by the purchased mullahs. These
elements unconsciously play into the hands of the mischief mongers. Some
analysts suggest that the government of Pakistan should stop the visit of
Pakistani students to Deoband if it wants to wane the religious extremism in
Pakistan.
Indian sane leadership must prevail on the policy makers that the destruction of
Pakistan will eventually destroy India. Both the countries need peace and
harmony for the better future of their coming generations. The people of both
countries are prey to disease, illiteracy, poverty, and backwardness. The
disdainful attitude will never serve the purpose. We are neighboring countries,
and we must live like good friends. The intelligence agencies of both countries
must not be involved in terrorist activities. The Kashmir issue must be resolved
amicably under the UN resolutions. India, with the collaboration of Israel, is
planning to dismember Pakistan. If, God forbid, Pakistan is dismembered, then
the Indian solidarity will be also at stake. Thirty-eight movements of
insurgency are in India. Pakistan and India must learn a lesson from our past
bitter history. I strongly appeal to the intelligentsia of both countries to
come forward to save the poor people from agony and plight.
The military rulers of Pakistan brought misery and destruction to Pakistan.
After the death of Quaid-e- Azam and Liaqat Ali Khan, our civil bureaucracy
seized the power. People like Ghulam Mohammad became our rulers, and then
General Zia pushed our country into the dyke of destruction. He wanted to linger
in his unlawful rule and unnecessarily involved our country in the American and
the Russian tug of war in Afghanistan. Daud Khan had a slight tilt to
America. Russia got annoyed and alarmed. It was entirely the internal matter of
Afghanistan. General Zia should have desisted from poking his nose into their
affairs. It is he who has to be blamed for religious extremism, sectarianism,
and terrorism. To date, we are bathing in our own blood. Pakistan is under
attack. Daily our cities are bombed. The innocent people are targeted. Under the
circumstances, the present government is sincerely crusading against the
terrorists. What else could be done? The patriots should give suggestions to
control the situation. It is unfair to criticize the law enforcing agencies.
Pakistan should talk to the American government in clear terms about the
India/Israel collaboration to damage Pakistan. Pakistan should also ask America
to stop Indian interference in Pakistan via Afghanistan. The Indian Consulates
in Afghanistan are supporting the insurgents. If America really wants to crush
the terrorists, it will have to seal the open border between Pakistan and
Afghanistan. The intrusion of China to contain the terrorists can be very
helpful for Pakistan. China is the tested friend of Pakistan, and we must take
her into confidence to contain terrorism and to stop the war threats from India.
America should have no objection to seeking help from China. The goal is
common. We have to purge the world from the extremists and terrorists. We are
the stake holders. We are suffering. We are bleeding. We need international
help. We have to knock at all doors. It can only be done by democratic
governments. Any move or conspiracy to finish the present democratic government
will bring irreparable loss. The army cannot succeed in this noble mission
without the support of the people. Let us join all to eradicate the roots of
extremism and terrorism with the power of a democratic and constitutional
government. The pitfalls, loopholes, shortcomings, and the weakness in the
governance can be eliminated by suggestions and support, not by undemocratic
maneuvers and conspiracies. |
