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Posted by admin | General | Posted on June 30th, 2009

Rise of Taliban

Rise  of Taliban

Pakistan  Nationalism  in conflict  with Pan Islamism?

By

M.M.Khajooria

“Pakistan’s immense military power, the stunning intellect of its bureaucrats and the long tradition of accommodation and pragmatism among its politicians have all got together, but still can’t put humpty dumpty back together again. Wrote “ Mosharraf Zaidi  in hidspiece titled “Why are we losing war against terror? “This humpty dumpty of sporadic, but increasingly fortified violence from a global gang of cavemen ,” he went on “has fallen off the Durand ‘Wall’ into Pakistan and all over the NWFP. Yet Pakistan seems unable to resist and control its influence.” . “How could …Pakistan be so singularly incompetent in dealing with the virus of cavemen whose mantra is neither Islamic, nor tribal? Beheading journalists, blowing up in the middle of markets, and inciting young children to a black-hole life? He demands  and asserts “This appetite for mayhem and destruction would be unrecognizable to Maudoodi, to Hassan Al Banna, even, dare I say, to Sayyid Qutub – whose own rage was tremendous, but whose mastery over Quranic text would have made it impossible for him to endorse the barbarianism and insanity of a terror’ . Wise words  which, however tragically  went unheard  in the  loud boom boom of bomb blasts , shrieking  cries of the wounded .and breast beating and heart renting wails of mothers , sisters and daughters whose innocent  loved ones, breadwinners and future hopes were blown into the void

 And yet the Taliban  terror  wave was surging ahead submerging new and vital areas  of Pakistan  in  ever expanding pools of blood. The blasting  of the 0ne thousand kg explosives laden truck  bomb  driven by a Fidayeen at the entrance to the Islamabad  Marriot  hotel  on 20th September,2008   killed  40)on spot including  the Czech ambassador to Pakistan (death toll since gone to 53) and wounded  over  150  is still very fresh in peoples’ memory.. This terrorist strike in the capitol of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan  was rated as  one of the worst   in country’s history.  

The explosion  was set off  by a suicide bomber  close to the Pakistan  Prime minister’s house, where all the leaders of government  including the three Service chiefs and the Chairman of the  Joint chiefs of Staff were dining. President Zardari has claimed that he and other guests in the dinner hosted by the Speaker of Pakistan National assembly   were targets.  Those  targeted owe their lives to the   brave , vigilant and dedicated security staff ,( all civilians) deployed at the Security barrier to  the hotel . They valiantly  blocked  the entry of the  Dumper  to the hotel putting   their lives   on the line  This created   the buffer sufficient  to  place  the Prime Ministers’ house  and the entire civil and military leadership feasting   therein  out of harm’s way. Witnesses said security guards and their gate posts were buried under a mound of rubble . By their sacrifice  they  saved the entire civil and defence    leadership  of Pakistan from being blown into  oblivion.  

 In  a midnight address to the nation  on  the black  Saturday   itself ,  a visibly shaken Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari  declared  . “The government will continue to fight terrorism and extremism in all its forms and manifestations and such dastardly acts cannot dent the government’s commitment to fight this menace”. The million dollar  question was if,  how and when would  this resolve be translated into real effective action?

According   to  Abdullah Riar,  a former  aide to late. Benazir Bhutto. “The Marriott is an icon.  It’s like the twin towers of Pakistan..” He may be exaggerating but the fact remains that the Islamabad Marriott  was attacked by militants at least twice in the past, including in a suicide attack in January 2007 that killed a policeman.  Another reason for the hotel becoming a favoured target of the  terrorists was its substantial and semi-permanent  occupancy by Americans, many of whom were suspected to be CIA operatives. Coming in the wake of  bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan and the Serena Hotel earlier this year , another gathering spot for foreigners, the Marriott attack appeared to flash a strong and renewed  a  loud and clear message not just to Pakistan but to Washington and other Pakistani allies as well. Signal received but  how were  and when they going to respond to it?

The terrorist  reach  was now fast extending far beyond the confines of Fata, Swat and Waziristan.  NWFP Governor Owais Ghani  has warned Punjab  that militancy was gaining strength in its backyard. “Militants in the tribal areas of the NWFP have established firm networking (with jihadi groups) in southern Punjab and most fresh recruits for suicide attacks were coming from there. Militant leaders and commanders were also coming from Punjab. The militants’ field commander in Swat too was from Punjab,”  he claimed. .He said that  it would  be a grievous and costly error  to treat the terrorist challenge  emanating  from the tribal areas as  the NWFP specific problem . “It will be ill-advised to think that the militancy will remain confined to the NWFP. Militants’ activities have already shifted to the settled areas and Punjab and they have established strong links with south Punjab. It’s a national issue, a question of survival for (entire) Pakistan”. he asserted. 

The  fierce clashes between rival Shia and Sunni  tribes in different parts of Kurram Agency  have added another worrisome dimension to the conflict. For obvious reasons, it would be unrealistic to expect  Iran to remain a mute spectator  either to the persecution of Shias in the so called settled areas of  Pakistan  or now in Khuram agency ana adjoining areas  According to reports 18 days long  clashes upto 24 August, 2008 had  cost 400 lives. The efforts of the Hangu peace jirga  led  by District Nazim Haji Khan Afzal   failed to broker a cease-fire. Six Sunni tribes — Para Chamkani, Masozai, Ali Sherzai, Zermusht, Mengal and Sunni Bangash – withdrew   on the pretext of  discussing  the ceasefire proposal  with their people and then  convey their point of view to the jirga .

Pakistan  was created as the home land for Muslims  of the Indian sub continent. Religion was the very  basis of its  existence.  This was enshrined in the   constitution of the the Mumalkit-I-Khudad , the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The mantra of nationhood   taught to every Pakistani child in the school   had become the national epitome  On the other hand, the  chain of  Madrssas  which churn out armies of  students each year nearly   bypassed the  Pakistani national narrative   but  subjected the students to  a heavy over-dose  of the Islamic chronicle. The products  of the madrasas  were  therefore driven by the larger Islamic concept which defined the whole Muslim people as one nation , the Ummah.   In the process the Pakistani  nationalism was  diluted and  dwarfed by Pan-Islamism. The conflict between the Pakistani identity and that of an indivisible  worldwide  Ummah    caricatured  , to put it mildly   a  split nationalism in Pakistan It is this fractured vision of  nationalism which  is tearing the nation and the country apart. . Today Pakistan’s  divide   encompasses not only   ethnic entities , sectarian groupings  but infests  the  country’s  Islamic   fabric  itself

The  on-going war on terrorism impacts  the   national identity crisis  in two ways. .  Firstly, a large number of Pakistanis oppose  the governments’ policy of aligning with the USA and its allies in   what they perceive as  the  Christian   war against Islam . Secondly,  the ruling elite  who have committed Pakistan to the international anti terror coalition.  and  the leadership of the security forces   are   consequently obliged to wage war  against their own kin in the terrorist ranks. This creates a dilemma for an average Pakistani.  whereas  a Pakistani soldier felt  no hesitation  in     shooting at   an Indian or an Afghan unmindful of  religious denominations  , he had  serious  mental reservation  in  fighting   his own people  in Swat, Bajaur or Waziristan.  The dilemma was particularly  unbearable when he was required to kill those claiming  to be  Mujahids  fighting for the sake of  Islam. Remember , the Pakistan army    itself  is groomed  as an Islamic force! . And then there were  nagging  doubt ( sometimes more that doubts) about the sincerity and  commitment of  sizeable and powerful  segments of military hierarchy  especially the  ISI ,believed to still be working in cohorts with Taliban on both sides of the Durand.

AS the time passed the very concept of a nation state constructed    on the   foundation of religion proved a mere mirage., But leaders  mostly Military Dictators  who imposed themselves on the luckless nation refused to learn the lesson. Musharaaf , the last Dictator did  resort to  some  half hearted course  correction measures  after he  dumped the Afghanistan Taliban and jumped on the USA driven anti terrorist band wagon. His simultaneous patronising of Islamic fundamentalists at home and abroad  with a view to fuel the terror in Jammu & Kashmir , however  placed  him in the  precarious position of simultaneously  riding two boats with  predictable consequences . His legacy  – the economy  in shambles, the polity fractured , social structure torn asunder by  poisonous sectarianism and a  power vacuum at the top   where the  grave responsibility   for the custody  and operation of the nuclear button resides- stares the nation in face . To add to the misfortunes of  Pakistan  at this critical juncture in its  history, a strong coalition  between PPP and ML(N) which ousted Musharraf came un struck  earlier than expected Line

The creator of  Pakistan ,Quaid-J-Azim Mohd Ali Jinnah himself recognised   this  reality  in his inaugural speech on 14th of August, 1947  to the  Pakistan Constituent Assembly.  If  any  further proof was needed to establish that ethnicity not religion  provided  an enduring  adhesive that kept a nation in tact and  on the  move , it was conclusively provided by the break up of  Pakistan and creation of Bangla Desh .But Jinnah’s  assorted  successors  kept on parroting the discarded theme. Their  hypocritical adherence to the  rule by Islamic edicts   (translated by the fundamentalist in to their peculiar version of Nizam-1-Mustpha)  was accorded official recognition by Zia ul Haq , The “Mullah in Khaki”. It   was now being exploited by the Taliban  with significant success. The  deadly brew  was  not only creating operational  chaos but also poisoning   the minds and hearts of the  people   .

The cobwebs need to be cleared  from  minds   and a positive  religious and cultural inputs   hearts of the Muslims  of Pakistan provided. The former dictator and  retired  General Mushaaraf  had taken a good initiative by focussing on the Sufi vision and practices of Islam  which predominate in the sub continent. He himself became the Patron  of the Sufi Promotion Council and involved electronic media and cultural organizations  in the campaign in a big way This was the only available and viable counter to the fundamental extremism..  The present dispensation will do well to carry forward the campaign in a more innovative and forceful manner. Once the  people    recognise the extremist interpretation  of Islam  as alien to their traditional beliefs and time honoured practices , they were bound  to  reject both the  Taliban  and fundamentalism.  The  realization that  they were  fighting a home-grown terrorist minority  holding the entire nation to ransom, and recklessly  inflicting  death and destruction  in their quest to  impose its will by force   must dawn before they can be mobilized  to not only out rightly reject . the Taliban but also massively participate in  the war against terror .  Therein lies the hope   for the   nation and  the nation state of Pakistan..

About the Author

Former Director General Of Police ,
Security Annalist and
Political Commentator
M.M.Khajooria

Erik Petersen – Every Town Will Celebrate

B.I.Y.: Brew It Yourself! …

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Posted by admin | General | Posted on June 30th, 2009

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where does the name brewer come from

Posted by admin | General | Posted on June 30th, 2009

When the Wheels Come Off

I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s when parents still told their kids to go outside and play. My friends and I would spend all day in the yard and when we got hot and sweaty enough we’d run to the back patio, open the water spigot on the side of the house and get down on our hands and knees so we could get low enough to turn our mouths up for a drink of water that splashed all over our faces and down our necks. In the evenings I remember seeing my parents shaking their heads as they watched the oil crises in the 1970’s unfold on the nightly news. Gas prices skyrocketed to 73 cents a gallon! “Turn it off,” my mother would say to my dad. “Good grief! The wheel’s are coming off but they make it sound like the world’s ending.”

Like me, as a child you probably hoped for a life that would exceed your dreams but as those dreams collapsed along the way you’ve simply wished for a soft wing of hope but instead have gotten life in a culture of ungrace. That’s not a word but it should be. If you don’t know what ungrace is just listen to most people who didn’t vote for any sitting president, watch how fast Hollywood turns on a star who no longer sells at the box office or turn on the news anytime during the day. Ungrace pulsates in our workplaces, communities, and in the media and tells us that regardless of what has happened we must do better, look better, and make ourselves better. But to love and accept someone regardless of their flaws and failures is a breath of hope in a world that turns more upside down than right side up. That is the gift of grace. It’s being dirty and smelly and turning your face up under the spigot. Sometimes the wheels need to come off and you need to get pretty low before you appreciate grace.

The wheels are coming off for my friend Lisa. She’s the owner of a beautiful clothing store for women. She’s put her heart and soul into the store but then the economy tanked and people ran scared (even those who still had jobs and owned their homes). Trouble is, she did everything right: paid her mortgage, creditors and bills on time so she doesn’t qualify for help. The wheels are coming off for my friend Jacob. When he took his vows he never envisioned this animosity, anger or separation. The wheels are coming off for my friend Gerri. She finished chemotherapy and is beginning nine weeks of radiation for breast cancer. It wasn’t her dream but she’s added it to her daily schedule: go to work, get groceries, go to hospital for radiation, do laundry, make dinner.

When we plan our lives no one ever says, “When I grow up I want to get a divorce, maybe two!” Or, “When I grow up I want to lose my house, my business and my life savings!” Broken dreams are never part of anyone’s plan. We tie our plans up with ribbons and bows and aim for the mountain top but end up in the valley. In Finding Grace (St. Martin’s Press, March 2009) I relate a story of walking with my second grade class to the library when a sixth grader spit on me. He didn’t intend to spit on me but I was fortunate enough to be the one to pass at that exact moment. My teacher Mrs. Brewer cleaned me up but when I looked down at my maroon polyester blend turtleneck I could see the white tissue particles clinging to where the snot had been. “He blindsided you,” Mrs. Brewer said. “That’s how it goes sometimes.”

At some point, life blindsides us with something far greater than a giant loogie. The diagnosis, abuse, foreclosure, broken marriage, death, or financial collapse brings us to our knees and though we try to clean ourselves up the best we know how we’re still left with the stain of it all. “That’s how it goes sometimes.” True. But isn’t there more? The beauty of grace says yes. There’s more love after the infidelity, more joy after the diagnosis and more life after the financial ruin. Chris Gardner, the bestselling author of The Pursuit of Happyness was once asked how he and his son were able to overcome the shame of homelessness. Gardner said, “We were homeless, not hopeless!” Chris knew he was living on the streets but he was still living. That’s grace. Grace is always present and always near but it’s easy to miss — things aren’t always as they appear. I just returned from Winnipeg where The Christmas Hope is being filmed in a house. In previous months the homeowner fell off a ladder and broke several ribs. During x-rays it was discovered that he had cancer. That break-up, closed door to a job, or fall from a ladder may not be as devastating as you think but an act of grace that will save your life and help you discover higher dreams.

In a country of excess we suffer from a deficit of grace. In the last few months I’ve watched two stories on the news of men losing their jobs then killing their entire families and themselves. In another story a man lost his job after twenty years. “It’s heart wrenching,” he said. “But I still have my family and we’re all together.” That’s the hope of grace speaking and it beats the alternative any day. Last week my friend Lisa liquidated merchandise and said, “It kills me to close this store but I know God still has a plan for me.” That’s grace at the end of a shattered dream. My friend Miriam’s husband was devastated over their loss of money in the stock market. “How much do we have left?” she asked. Embracing and recognizing what is left is grace at the end of an economically depressed rope. There is life-altering power in that.

I once attended several Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for research. A man said, “I was a drunk for fifteen years. I lost my wife and son because she couldn’t take it anymore. One day I woke up and said, ‘What the hell am I doing? I need to live.’” For fifteen years the noise of his life drown out the voice that said he was worthy, needed and loved but then came the day that he finally heard it. That wake-up call to life is a gift from God. With what strength that man had left he turned his face up toward that spigot of grace and let it splash all over him.

Finding grace in a culture of ungrace seems an impossible task but it is present, it is real and it is an indomitable gift that has the power to change your life. It does come with one condition, though — like any gift you have to reach out and take it.

©2009 Donna VanLiere, author of Finding Grace: A True Story About Losing Your Way In Life…And Finding It Again.

About the Author

Donna Vanliere, author of Finding Grace, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Christmas Hope series and Angels of Morgan Hill. She lives in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband and three children. For more information please visit http://www.donnavanliere.com

Trey Brewer interview pre Nationals 2009