Rethinking Islam with Sultan Shahin

Islam,Terrorism and Jihad

03 Jun 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Could the Taliban Win?
	The guards we see outside mosques are a reminder of just how often bombers have struck, and of the particular risk faced by Shias and now also Barelvis. We must accept that the Taliban and the mindset that allows them to thrive are largely our creation. We must also turn away from rhetoric and hypocrisy and accept the fact that they could be winning. The consequences of this would be terrifying – but such an outcome can be avoided only if we learn to look at the truth – however hard it may be to accept – and acknowledge that growing distrust of Pakistan in the world is the result of actual events within the country as well as the acts of Pakistanis outside it, and not just bias directed towards a country where terrorist groups have somehow been able to thrive for many years. -- Kamila Hyat

Could the Taliban Win?

By Kamila Hyat Since the US raid in Abbottabad on May 2 this year, over 150 people have already been killed in ‘revenge attacks’ staged by the Taliban. Our most important naval base was taken over by a handful of militants who were able to create havoc during the 17 hours it took to overpower them. Amidst all this a kind of hyped-up anti-Americanism continues even as tens of thousands of Pakistanis seek visas that would allow them to live and work in that country. As things continue along a familiar path we must ask ourselves a crucial question. Is it possible that the Taliban could win the war that is currently being fought? Could we find ourselves a nation run by barbarians who think nothing of beheading people who stand in their way or whom the Taliban deem guilty of ‘immorality’. This is a future scenario that we must force ourselves to face. We must also keep in mind that it is our own hypocrisy and lack of willingness to face up to the truth that has brought us to this dangerous point in our journey. Today, our journey has become a struggle for survival. We face a monumental challenge should we hope to retain even a degree of civilisation in our state and to advance beyond the conspiracy theories which seem to have bound us in a tight net made up, almost entirely, of fantasy. We have, for instance, heard all kinds of accounts emerging from people who should know better, of events at PNS Mehran having been staged by the US in some effort to grab our nuclear assets. Similar conjecture about other issues has also been heard in the past. We have heard prominent scientists argue that the floods of 2010 may have been the result of US experimentation with new kinds of weaponry. More rational scientists have quickly ruled out the capability of any devices using radio waves to create earthquakes, floods or other natural disasters by moving giant tectonic plates. Additionally, after Faisal Shahzad tried to bomb the Times Square in New York last year, the incident was presented by many TV anchors as a deliberate plot against Pakistan – followed by profound silence once Shahzad rather proudly confessed to his involvement in the plot. Dr Aafia Siddiqui has meanwhile been adopted as a national hero for reasons that are almost impossible to understand, and we hear almost constantly, a flood of criticism directed at the US for its acts of discrimination against Muslims. There is plenty to criticise the US for. It can never be forgiven for the horrors it inflicted on the people of Vietnam in the 1960s, those of Iraq several decades later, and for its efforts to impose dictatorial rule in many places to suit its own interests. But, looking at things more realistically, we should also look down at our own hands and see if they are entirely clear of even the smallest speck of blood. That of millions of former East Pakistanis covers the palms of some; the blood of young Balochis stains those of others. When we speak of the risks faced by Muslims living in the West, we must also ask if they are safer there than in a country that was established in the name of Islam. The guards we see outside mosques are a reminder of just how often bombers have struck, and of the particular risk faced by Shias and now also Barelvis. Ahmadis of course, cannot even call themselves Muslim. And while acts of racism and bias occur everywhere, for the most part Muslims in the UK, US, Canada, India, and elsewhere, are able to pray with greater assurance that they will emerge back out of the mosque alive and unhurt. As our state tumbles into greater and greater chaos, and episodes such as the discovery of Osama in the middle of a garrison town spawn a series of cartoons that mock Pakistan, the possibility of a Taliban victory looms larger. In some ways they have already won. The force appears to have infiltrated our security set-up. The unfortunate Mehran incident could not have happened without inside help, nor could Osama have remained hidden for so long in a conspicuous bungalow without anyone knowing. The fact that over 75 percent of our people believe – according to a survey conducted by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre – that laws should be based on religion, also marks a Taliban victory. We have lost the ability to look at ourselves dispassionately and instead, much like an unhappy child, inhabit a world of make-believe to persuade ourselves that all is well. This makes it more likely that the Taliban - and other extremist forces – will capture ever-increasing space in our strangled society While it is true that many, indeed most, people dislike the violence of the Taliban – especially in the tribal areas where they have established control over the lives of people – it is also a fact that opposition to them is somewhat ambiguous. The feelings of hatred for the US and its control over the country, fuel this ambiguity. It is clear that the degree of intervention we see from the outside needs to be cut down drastically and more control needs to be established over the country by our own leaders who must also work to reduce the degree of animosity that exists for the West. They must also help people break free of the conspiracies promoted by the media, by word of mouth, and by carefully designed propaganda. We must accept that the Taliban and the mindset that allows them to thrive are largely our creation. We must also turn away from rhetoric and hypocrisy and accept the fact that they could be winning. The consequences of this would be terrifying – but such an outcome can be avoided only if we learn to look at the truth – however hard it may be to accept – and acknowledge that growing distrust of Pakistan in the world is the result of actual events within the country as well as the acts of Pakistanis outside it, and not just bias directed towards a country where terrorist groups have somehow been able to thrive for many years. Source:The News, Pakistan URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamTerrorismJihad_1.aspx?ArticleID=4763