Since when did you become an apologizer for the taliban?
Instead of playing the blame game, it is about time we think inwards... Dude you are from Jhang, you've had first hand experience how malignant jihadi islam can be and still refusing to see the writing on the wall?
I still don't understand this hand-wringing Pakistani attitude, even by the supposed liberals who know our salvation doesn't lie with the taliban. Nobody really acknowledges that its our own people wreaking havoc and our own intelligence agencies that have gone amok. Until WE realize this, I don't see a solution to this madness.
Hussain what do you suggest we do?
I am sure, you must have watched the Guardian video by now. Right from day one, I have always believed that all the ghastly, heinous and violent acts being attributed to them were actually being done by them. The problem is that when you start seeing the world through the myopic eyes of fundamentalism (be it Islamic, Jewish or Christian) you see everything as black or white. You end up loosing the perspective that most of the world is grey and justify everything by saying that religion and God is on your side. Whatever happened in Lahore last week, yesterday in Islamabad as well as for the last couple of years in FATA and Swat, I blame totally on Pakistanis. Of course they might have some foreign support and funding, but we need to acknowledge that its the chickens coming home to roost. Remember these guys are perfectly capable of wreaking havoc and violence to achieve their aims. If you want your memory refreshed, google up Pir Samiullah from Swat whose's dead body was exhumed, dragged through the streets and then hanged.
Now how do you explain such barbarism? Pure and simple. It is the pursuit of power. These guys obtain their power through striking terror in the hearts of their enemies as well as the silent majority.
These are dark days and when there is no hope on the horizon, its always easier to blame others instead of subjecting yourself to introspection and see the blackness of your own society. I don't profess to have solutions but I do believe charity begins at home. The first step would be to change our own attitudes. Justifying all the violence as a reaction to drone attacks is naive, hypocritical and dangerous. This double mindedness has to end and the public's perception has to be changed. Even today, our mass media hasn't made up its mind as to which side of the fence they want to sit on. They condemn and justify all in the same breath and i think that is the state of mind of the whole nation. I think that is where we need to begin.
Jihadi Islam? Fundamentalism? you are using black and white terms to tell the people to see the grey areas? pretty oxymoronic, I have to say. Islam does not exist without Jihad. If you want to get rid of "jihadi Islamists," the only way to convince the masses would be to tell them that "jihad" is not a part of Islam. Or at least the Jihad as conducted by the "jihadi Islamists." There is no solution to these problems. I choose to be passive. But best of luck on your efforts.
The term fundamentalism has all shades of grey in it... But where I don't see any grey is the blowing up of schools, burning down barbers' and music shops.... and the three suicide attacks last week in Lahore, Chakwal and Islamabad... I think its pretty black and white by now... We are being forced into a corner and its better to choose sides now than being caught unaware like a deer in the headlights...
Your ambivalence and passivity only serves to strengthen their hands...
@ Hussain: historically, such murderous elements have always existed and will continue to exist as long as mankind exists. There has never been a "utopian" nation where peace prevails, justice is served and everyone is cool and calm, as promised by the democratic Messiahs right before the elections. Even if such a place existed, peace truly cannot prevail in individual lives as the natural process of death of relatives, parents and siblings will stir turbulence in those extraneously imposed peaceful conditions. At least for me, and I believe there are many like me, death in a bomb blast is as natural as death by cancer or by any other disease or due to aging.
If you really want to get rid of these elements, my suggestion would be to tell the masses to unanimously define what Jihad is and what jihad is not so that a collective effort can be diverted to the correction of the situation at hand. Technically, such elements will continue to "use Islam" for their purposes as long as they see the land, Pakistan in this case, being infiltrated by what they perceive to be the West. If a consensus of the religious scholars is obtained regarding the issues of modernity then, and only then, one can expect to see the proper values of Islam helping the Muslims to attain their lost path of discovery.
@ hussain: regarding my ambivalence, I would add that if you find me that way then that is only because I am trying to become one with nature, the nature that harbors contradictions in every single aspect of reality that it penetrates into. I would welcome you to join the horde of nature mystics. :P
Commenting by HaloScan
