| December 1, 2001 | Saturday | Ramazan 15, 1422 |
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Benazir’s utterances on Kashmir
Where is Kofi Annan?
The debt trap
Quranic lessons
Italian envoy’s mission
Attack on prison camp
Massacre at Mazar-i-Sharif
Misuse of loudspeakers
No rules for charged parking
Riding for a living
Wrong caption
Biharis in Bangladesh
Report on Lahore Stock Exchange
Hypocrisy
HOSTILITY towards Islam is rising in the light of the belief that Muslim groups comprise the main suspect list in the World Trade Centre bombings. Similarly, the war against terrorism has been perceived by many as a war against Islam. Understanding the Islamic stand against terrorism is important in dealing with this potential backlash.
According to the Holy Quran, justice is the highest ethical value ordained by God and that harming innocent people for any end, political or otherwise, is an unjust act. God enjoins justice and the doing of what is good and generosity toward one’s fellow human beings, and He forbids all that is shameful and all that runs counter to reason, in addition to aggression.
The traditions of the holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) stipulated the limits in rules of engagement, disallowing the soldier from harming civilians or even plants and animals.
The devout Muslim adheres to these Islamic principles, cherishing life and respecting the lives of others; while those who deviate are anything but Islamic. Yet we are bombarded by messages of “Islamic terrorism” and “radical Islamic fundamentalism”.
Tagging terrorism with a religious label because the culprits or suspects invoke Islam in their violent and mainly personal crusades against the US government is troubling for Muslims. In the case of the terrorist attacks in America, the view that this disaster represents a religious conflict is wrong. Many Muslims were victims of the Sept 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre.
Whosoever was behind the Sept 11 attacks had no regard for human life and did not act in accordance with any religion, even if they committed this atrocity in the name of religion. We make distinctions between Christianity and Christians who bomb abortion clinics or employ other methods of terrorism. We can measure Islam with the same yardstick.
The world’s one billion Muslims abhor violence and prefer to live in peace and security like any other community. The violent extremists, representing a fraction of this religious group, have caught the attention of the West, with violence gaining religious credibility, because Islam’s silent majority has no medium to articulate its perspectives.
Our inability to draw demarcations between fringe and mainstream, between populist and terrorist, between extremism and religious conviction, makes our struggle for non-violence more difficult. In the case of the World Trade Centre bombing and other terrorist acts, the criminals, not the religion, should be placed on trial.
MOHAMMAD AHMED
Karachi
PPP CHAIRPERSON and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has spoken her mind, and that too in India, over the Kashmir issue. Her words were music to Indian ears.
When she said that the “foreign groups” should be stopped from meddling in the Kashmir issue, and pointed to Lashkar-i-Tayyaba’s alleged links with Al Qaeda, for a moment it looked that an Indian was speaking.
With the Kashmir movement coming under increased spotlight and with Pakistan trying to draw a line between terrorism and the struggle for freedom, Benazir decided to side with the West, disregarding Indian brutality in the held valley, and disregarding Indian obduracy in not abiding by the United Nations resolutions.
While speaking the words the Indian want to hear, she forgot that she has been prime minister of Pakistan twice. She has uttered, in her official capacity, words that epitomize Pakistan’s policy on the Kashmir issue. Is she telling the Pakistani nation that she did not believe in the policy when she was prime minister?
In her quest for power, Benazir Bhutto has crossed all limits. She is cashing in on the rumours that the present government faces destabilizing threats over its Afghan policy, trying to present herself as the “candidate”.
She wants “power” on her back. She does not want to go to jail from the airport, but to the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad.
She has every right to wish for such a scenario, but she has no right to degrade the Kashmiris’ struggle for freedom against an oppressive Indian government.
She failed to act as a responsible person who had been given the highest slot to run Pakistan’s affairs. She failed to act as a politician. She spoke like an opportunist. The regional situation only makes her words more disastrous for Pakistan, Kashmir and their people.
Benazir has to make amends for this dangerous utterance. She must apologize to the nation and should take her words back. There is no other way out.
REHAN ISPHAHANI
Islamabad
THE award of this year’s Nobel peace prize to Mr Kofi Annan and the United Nations is the biggest joke of the year. The credibility of the Nobel Prize has been seriously damaged due to a lack of proper judgement shown by the Nobel Prize Committee in respect of this award.
The events of September 11 and the declaration of war by America on Afghanistan have jolted the whole world. Prominent world leaders have either visited this region or have at least held consultations with the coalition partners. Mr Annan has thought it sufficient to appoint Mr Lakhdar Brahimi as his Special Representative on Afghan affairs. He has neither visited the refugees from the war-torn Afghanistan nor has he played any mediation role.
It is more than evident that Mr Annan is the most inactive Secretary General in the history of the UN.
AMER DESMUKH
Karachi
THEY carpet-bombed Afghanistan and turned it into rubble. Now they are planning its long-term reconstruction with 10 billion dollars. Virtually, every Western country is coming forward and is eager to rebuild this beautiful country turned barren by decades of in-fight following the proxy war of Americans against the USSR. But is it for the love of Afghanistan and the Afghans?
Perhaps Afghanistan was the only country in the world which had not borrowed from any international lending agency or from some other country and used to live with dignity. It will now live, forever, under the thumb of the developed countries who control the lending agencies and will continue to pay the interest for the use of borrowed money, for generations.
PROF DR. M. ASLAM PIRACHA
Islamabad
IN his column, “History’s hard lessons” (Nov 24), Irfan Husain contends that even for educated people “reason and rationality are in conflict with the fundamentals of religion. Indeed if they take scriptures literally, they may well be right.”
I wish he had quoted from the scripture (Quran) in support of his contention. In fact, the Holy Quran enjoins reason, rationality, rule of law and democratic values. It is against dictatorship, kingship, theocracy, oligarchy and aristocracy, as these forms of government are against rationality and reason. The life of the holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and the four rightly-guided Caliphs present ample proof that Islam enjoins on Muslims the best of conduct. The Holy Book enjoins mutual consultation in all affairs. Sura 42 (Al-Shoora) verse 38 enjoins mutual consultation and discussions in all matters. Similarly, it declares that the Muslims must practise equality and justice.
According to Allama Iqbal, the “Quran should be studied as a book which casts light on the creation of humanity, evolution and the end. ”
Among the theological literature, Quran is the first book on which humanity has been considered as a living collective system. According to Quran, man is bound by certain clear laws emphasizing in particular on moral principles”. While talking in London to the famous orientalist, Sir Edward Ross, Allama Iqbal said, ‘Islam is not a dogmatic religion. Its purpose is that the entire humanity should evolve into a single family.”
S. FEROZ SHAH GILANI
Karachi
IT has been reported that the Italian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Torquato Cardeilli, has embraced Islam. He has now left for Rome.
I hope that back in his own country, he will explain to his prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, why he decided to adopt Islam. It may be recalled that only recently the Italian premier had described Islam as inferior to western civilization.
I hope Mr Cardeilli will also clarify the misgivings that many in the West harbour against Islam and the Muslims.
HAMID RAZA WATTOO
Lahore
PERHAPS our foreign minister would care to enlighten us as to where ‘in the history of human conflict’ has a prison camp been attacked in a manner that all prisoners (more than 600) have been killed. He may also inform us as to how many times ‘in the history of human conflict’ has a prison camp been bombed repeatedly by air, 40 times in this case.
Jalianwallah Bagh pales before this latest atrocity at Qala-i-Jangi. In fact, never has a country so powerful attacked a weak country with such brutal force, on such flimsy grounds. And never has a country (Pakistan) done so much for another country (the USA) for so little.
ARSHAD AHMED
Karachi
THE massacre at Mazar-i-Sharif was clearly a war crime. It seems to have been stage-managed to suggest that it was a revolt by the POWs that resulted in the loss of so many lives. The incident raises a number of questions.
First, how could it be possible that the hard core Taliban were not searched thoroughly and disarmed by the Northern Alliance troops, when a day or two earlier, one of the Afghan Taliban had detonated a grenade while being disarmed?
Then, how did the POWs get such a stock of ammunition that they continued fighting the Northern Alliance for nearly two days?
And, finally, was there any tacit agreement between the Northern Alliance and their mentor to take these POWs to a place where they could be easily targeted by air?
It would be pertinent to ask the United Nations to investigate the whole incident through a neutral body to ascertain the facts and bring those people to justice who were responsible for this heinous crime against humanity.
BRIG ZAHIR SUHRWARDY (R)
Malir Cantt
THE other day, Shabab-i- Milli staged a demonstration and condemned the arrest of three prayer leaders booked in the airport area for misusing the loudspeaker.
According to West Pakistan Loudspeaker and Amplifier Act (1965), the loudspeaker can be used in places of worship at such volume that the sound is not heard outside the immediate premises of the building. Our prayer leaders are blatantly violating this law with our connivance, because we do not stop them.
On Fridays, children use the loudspeaker at full volume in a Rawalpindi mosque. Then the prayer leader makes speeches of political nature on Kashmir, Palestine and Afghanistan, through a blaring loudspeaker.
Noise is injurious to health and it must be stopped. We as citizens, should exercise our right of reporting this misuse to the police. The prayer leader of my mosque was committing this offence. I brought it to the notice of SSP Syed Kaleem Imam. He took prompt action and arrested the Imam.
We all are victims of loudspeakers’ noise. If do not act, it will increase both in volume and scale.
MUHAMMAD SHEHZAD
Rawalpindi
THE KMC’s charged parking mafia is now becoming a cause of frustration for the citizens of Karachi. No rules have been framed by the KMC for their parking contractors.
On a Sunday, when I parked my car at Saddar in front of the Cooperative Market, the parking guy immediately came and asked for money. I told him that it was Sunday and that he could not charge on a public holiday. But he adopted a threatening attitude and so I was forced to pay.
Similarly, when I went to Tariq Road on Sunday night at around 11:30 pm, I was again forced to pay although the charged parking timings are only upto 8 pm.
I want to ask the concerned authorities and the Nazim of the city to please look into the matter. If the contractors have been allowed to charge on Sunday and also late in the evening, the city administration must let it be known through the newspapers.
WAQAR SAMI
Karachi
THE story ‘Riding for a living’ (Nov 25) was hair-raising. It gave a vivid description of the children being smuggled for use in camel races in the Arab countries. It is hoped that this will stir the conscience of the concerned authorities both in Pakistan and in the UAE and they would do something to stop it.
It is unfortunate that poor parents are lured into letting their kids go. It is also surprising that though international agencies show great concern about child labour, they have so far taken no cognizance of the cruel sport that at times takes the life of the kids in this race.
The child traffickers need to be given a stern punishment. The countries from where the children are being smuggled should tighten their emigration laws and keep a strict vigil at the airports and other points from where the agents find an exit.
I wonder if the OIC could exert its pressure on member countries to outlaw the camel races. Alternatively, only mature professional jockeys should be allowed to ride the racing camels and not the children. The necessary shrieks that are produced by the scared children, could better be produced by the professional jockeys through electronic devices in their hands, to make the camel run faster.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
THE photograph of polo players (Nov 23) carried a wrong caption. The player in a black shirt is Bilal Haye and not Shah Qublai Alam whereas the player in a yellow shirt is Raja Amer Khan and not Malik Atif Yar Tiwana. The player at the back (partially visible) is Ali Riaz.
While the coverage given to polo by Dawn is highly appreciated, it is suggested that proper verification be made before giving names of players in photographs or else a general caption should be used.
AZHAR ALI
Lahore
THIS refers to the report (Nov 24) that the younger generation of the Bangladeshis of Bihari origin has decided not to remain hostage to the 1971 syndrome that created an identity crisis for them. Though the older generation of Biharis still rejects the option offered to them by all the successive Bangladeshi governments to obtain nationality, it seems that the Bihari youth, most of whom were born in Bangladesh, have decided to accept the offer.
The self-appointed sympathizers of Biharis must realize that it is time to let the younger Biharis settle the question of their nationality with the Bangladeshi government.
In the past, the issue was internationalized by intense campaigning and fund-raising for their proposed settlement in Pakistan. Seminars were also held in this regard. The sponsors of these seminars would be rendering a great deal of service to the stateless Biharis if they could persuade them to opt for the Bangladeshi nationality instead of looking towards Pakistan.
MUSTAFA MAHESAR
Karachi
THIS refers to a report (Nov 25) about the Lahore Stock Exchange (LSE). Unfortunately, the reporter was content to carry the point of view of the management which had implied that the changes proposed to the LSE Articles of Association were in fact for the good but that the majority of the members had rejected them.
The views of the members present in the General Body Meeting were given no place in the report. Dawn. will be doing an injustice if it does not carry the views of those who had rejected the changes.
The decision to reject the changes was not made lightly. All proposed changes in the Articles were circulated among the General Body 21 days before the meeting. These were read, carefully studied, interpreted and debated for days. It was after a great deal of deliberation that the members of the LSE came to the General Body meeting. They had rejected the changes. It was their right to do so.
All changes are not “reforms”. The changes that were proposed would have deformed the LSE rather than reformed it.
We have had a massive reform programme implemented no longer than two-and-a-half years ago. The structural reforms are in line with the recommendations of the Asian Development Bank after a study carried out by NASDAQ of the US and Arthur Anderson of Canada. Some of the other reforms such as real time information dissemination, establishment of (dematerialization of share certificates), computerized trading, introduction of the T+3 settlement system have been already implemented.
Establishing a national clearing and settlement system is in an advanced stage of completion and shall become operational soon.
It is imperative that the reforms already launched be allowed to take root, their results observed and properly analysed. Then and only then should any more changes be contemplated.
The changes should be made if justified by need. Change for the sake of change or for the sake of claiming that “we were the first to do so” is merely juvenile. This will not work in a serious institution like the LSE.
GROUP CAPT (RETD) NAEEM A KHAN
Ex Vice-Chairman, Lahore Stock Exchange
Lahore
WENDY Chamberlin is fasting. Bush is hosting Iftar dinners. And, at the same time, the US bombing of Muslims kneeling in Taraveeh prayers or kept as POWs, goes on. Hypocrisy thy name is America.
M RAFIQ MALIK
Rawalpindi
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