| February 25, 2003 | Tuesday | Zul Hijjah 23, 1423 |
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Curbing sectarian violence
Games children play
WITH the world’s attention focused on the unfolding Iraq drama, Israel has been pursuing its repressive policies towards the Palestinians with renewed vigour and ferocity. The latest example of its brutal strategy came at dawn on Sunday, when a convoy of tanks, supported by helicopter gunships, stormed into the town of Beit Hanoun in Gaza. The Israeli army demolished six homes belonging to alleged militants, and set about reoccupying the town. The action led to violent clashes in which six Palestinians were killed. On the same day, sporadic violence continued across the Palestinian territories, leaving five Palestinians and an Israeli soldier dead. The Israeli incursion into Gaza is clearly part of a policy aimed at reoccupying the Palestinian territories. Since the second intifada broke out over two years ago, the Israelis have pursued a policy of total repression, leading to the reoccupation of much of the West Bank, the demolition of entire townships and the killing of thousands of innocent Palestinians. They have refused to accept the Palestinian Authority as a legitimate government and have tried everything in their power to sideline and humiliate Yasser Arafat. It seems that it is now Gaza’s turn to face the brunt of Israeli repression.
The ultimate aim is to reoccupy Palestinian territories and beat the Palestinians into submission before offering some limited form of self-government to them on the Israelis’ terms. The illegal construction of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land is rapidly changing the situation on the ground in accordance with Sharon’s plans to put the Palestinian population under a perpetual siege in their own land. Meanwhile, developments on the political front suggest that any prospect of a dialogue with the Palestinians is fast receding. The Israeli Labour Party, which advocates talks with the Palestinians, has refused to join a government of national unity headed by Ariel Sharon because of its reservations about the possible inclusion of ultra-right National Religious Party in the next coalition. The NRP has a strong base amongst the Jewish settlers and is fiercely opposed to a Palestinian state or any peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Sharon is also interested in inducting into his government the extremist National Union, which calls for the expulsion of the Palestinians from Israel. With the government firmly in the hands of hardliners, Sharon can continue to bludgeon the Palestinians without worrying too much about domestic opposition.
The world community, meanwhile, is far too preoccupied with Iraq to pay attention to the tragic plight of the Palestinians. Sharon seems determined to exploit this situation to pursue his own malevolent agenda. What is most worrying is the total support he has been getting from Washington in pursuing his hardline agenda. It is this pro-Israeli tilt that has earned Washington the ire of the entire Muslim world. Neglecting the Palestinian issue has caused it a terrible loss of respect in this volatile region and continues to fuel anti-American sentiments at a time when Washington needs all the support it can get in its war on terror. It is a tribute to the courage and resilience of the Palestinian people that they have continued to bravely face the worst kind of repression without allowing their belief in the justness of their cause to weaken. The Israelis must realize that history is on their opponent’s side. No country, however powerful, can hold down an entire people through sheer force.
SUNDAY in Karachi saw angry mobs attending the funeral procession of the victims gunned down by terrorists in a Malir imambargah the previous day going on a rampage. The funeral procession turned into a violent protest rally as mourners set vehicles on fire, pelted stones indiscriminately, and ransacked private and public property along the Rashid Minhas Road. Just goes to show how mob hysteria drives people to take the law in their own hands, especially in view of the law enforcement agencies’ failure to contain sectarian and other forms of violence, including terrorist killings. A total of 194 sectarian incidents have taken place in Karachi alone over the past decade, leaving well over two hundred people dead and hundreds injured. Of these, only 123 cases have been arraigned, with only four convictions so far. Another 116 cases are still pending before various courts.
Even though sectarian madness has become a nationwide curse — mindless murders have taken place in cities and villages across the country — over the past many years, Karachi indeed seems to have had a disproportionate share of these. Last Saturday’s slaughter at the Malir imambargah has left the nation in a state of shock. Condemnations of the attack have been voiced by both Sunni and Shia leaders, and from across the political spectrum. The attack came ten days before Muharram, a time when sectarian passions, if not reined in by responsible religious leadership, tend to run high. Given the fragile internal security situation and the turbulent events unfolding in the region as prospects of an American attack on Iraq loom large, sectarian strife is the last thing Pakistan should be facing. The government must move fast, get in touch with leading figures of the two sects and secure their active involvement in a move to contain sectarian violence and strife. It is important to seek assurances from both sides that they would refrain from making inflammatory speeches during Muharram and ask their followers to practise tolerance, harmony and brotherhood. That said, the perpetrators of Saturday’s brutal killings must swiftly be apprehended and brought to justice.
A PHOTOGRAPH in this newspaper of a young boy in a black turban in a toy store in Quetta serves to highlight the pervasive role violence has come to play in our society. The child, who could not be more than five or six years old, is shown playing with a replica of a jeep carrying what seems to be a religious activist being surrounded from behind by a group of armed men in khaki. The reference to next-door Afghanistan, with the Americans in search of Al Qaeda and remnants of the Taliban is obvious. However, what is not obvious, at least not at first, is the effect such militaristic toys have on children. A random survey of toy stores in any Pakistani city will show that a disturbing proportion of the items has something to do with violence. In most cases, they are replicas of weapons, a favourite among boys.
As if this is not enough, a surge in demand for new computer games has meant that some of the most violent games found abroad have made their way to people’s homes, thanks to the completely unregulated video games market. Unfortunately, our society is one that puts a premium on aggression, where backing away from an unpleasant argument without resorting to force is often considered more a cowardly act than one of good sense or discretion. Since children usually have no say in what is offered to them in the form of toys or entertainment, it is only logical that the responsibility for the right choice lies with the parents and guardians. Children should be given toys and games that arouse their interest in the saner part of the world around them, help stimulate the right kind of interests skills, and generally help facilitate their innate sense of curiosity and fascination. The point to stress is that toys can be pretty exciting, meaningful and absorbing without having the taint, however obscure, of violence, aggression and self-above-all-else as a likely imprint on impressionable young minds.