Muslim world: need for introspection

THROUGH these columns, I would like to ask my fellow Muslims the following questions:

— Why are maulvis in Pakistan so much against the presence of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and FBI agents on Pakistan’s soil when just over a decade back they were in alliance with the US army and the CIA against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan? The same CIA operatives who are now being called infidels and their presence deplored, imparted training to Mujahideen from within Pakistan and were termed close friends in a “holy war” with their funds and equipment being used lavishly to support the Jihad next door.

— Where were the human rights activists who are now rigorously protesting against the Guantanamo Bay camps and excesses by the US forces against the Iraqi population when the Saddam and Tablian regimes were butchering their own people? Why were demonstrations not being held with such fervour against those tyrants as seen now against Bush and Blair, well attended by Muslim groups, in London and other places around the world, including Pakistan?

— Why do the Muslims all over the world complain against Zionist and Indian persecution of fellow Muslims in Palestine and Kashmir, respectively, when they were silent spectators to the atrocities committed by Muslim troops in East Timor on Christian minorities or the gassing of Kurds in Iraq?

— With whom were the sympathies of the Muslim world when Iran and Iraq were at each other’s throats for nearly a decade? Why does the Ummah keep quiet when progressive Iranians are crushed by government-backed groups and Iraqis kill their own kin for supporting the US forces and to bring some stability to their devastated country?

— Why do our maulvis in the National and provincial Assemblies protest over the military action in Fata but remain silent over the horrific and evil honour killings, which are becoming endemic in our society? Why aren’t any long marches held against the gang-rape of women and children, when such actions are constantly being planned with enthusiasm to force the president to shed his uniform or to pursue the LFO issue?

— How come Muslims are first to point out that racism on religious grounds is being committed against them in western countries, when there is widespread religious intolerance prevalent within our own Muslim countries? Why is violent persecution on the basis of allegiance to different sects within Islam, which is commonplace within our Islamic societies, ignored, yet even a minor incident of inequality in a western country is used as an example of the West’s animosity towards Islam?

I think it’s time the Muslims identified their own shortcomings to mend their ways before embarking on a journey where we criticize everyone and everything that goes against us?

The first step towards curing an ailment is to identify the cause of a disease through proper diagnosis. Thus, the first step towards improvement of the Ummah is to come out of self-denial and accept the faults within our societies and mistakes that we have been committing for a long time.

DR SHAAZ MAHBOOB

Denham Lodge, Uxbridge, UK

Promoting information technology

THIS refers to Mr Aftab Mohammad Khan’s letter “Promoting information technology” (Nov 17). I agree that we have failed to represent Pakistan in the international market.

Does the ministry of science and technology have a formal plan targeted at representing the country at any of the global events that drive the IT industry? India, which is on the way to becoming a leading global centre for software development, just behind the US and Ireland at the moment, has represented itself at almost every international technology forum.

From siding with Bill Gates at Comdex, the largest IT event of the world, to addressing students across the US, Indian technology innovators are rapidly emerging as titans in the industry. The Indian IT policymakers have provided every possible incentive — from providing a sound IT infrastructure at the grassroots’ level and tactically raising awareness to assembling and representing the national top brass at every major international IT event.

The Indian government has carried out the process over the years so effectively that now companies are increasingly becoming self-driven. It would be a matter of months that one hears that an Indian software startup, initially raised and supported by the government, in representing its expertise internationally has cut a deal with IBM for a major ERP application.

Recently when I was going to meet a director at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, I was handed over a notice that an Indian technology representative would address the Wharton community on Global Software Outsourcing.

I can imagine how effective it will be his addressing students from the world’s leading business school. Many potential candidates for future Bill Gates from this highly intellectual community will be streamlined into the increasingly effective India-US technology channel.

It will not be longer before the Indian IT industry is the sole representative of the national economic indicators. The reason they are able to represent themselves everywhere is their government’s using every possible opportunity to expose them to the industry at the global level.

I will recommend the ministry of science and technology to re-evaluate itself. It has literally failed at every single implementation — from creating an effective academic plan for IT education and creating a sound infrastructure to dispersing a right vision for the software industry and supporting and representing them internationally.

ARIF AYUB

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Industrial zones

THIS is apropos of the news report “Massive industrial activity on the anvil” (Nov 13).

According to the report, the Karachi city district government, in collaboration with some organizations, is at the verge of launching various industrial zones in the city.

While appreciating the very idea, which undoubtedly is the requirement of the day, I very much wonder what the fate of these zones will be, as the defunct KMC too launched cottage industrial zones in Landhi and later in Orangi Township in 1995, with tall claims which were never realized.

I myself was a successful applicant for the Orangi Township cottage industrial zone, but despite the laps of almost eight years I have not even been unable to trace the department responsible for it.

May I request the authorities concerned to ensure that the new industrial zone plan, whenever launched, becomes successful?

ANWAR KHAN

Karachi

Ban on polythene bags

IT was quite pleasant reading the news item “Polythene bags to be banned” (Nov 12) which says the Karachi city district government has decided to permanently ban the use of polythene bags from June 30, 2004.

Albeit late, it is a positive step in checking pollution in the city. In this context, I would like to suggest that awareness should be created through the media about proper garbage disposal.

Most of our garbage can be recycled. All old newspapers, glass bottles and tin cans can be sold. All biodegradable stuff can be turned into compost. The result is less domestic garbage, a cleaner environment and extra money.

Although very little, money thus generated could make a difference if donated to charity by individuals. People living in apartments too can make compost if they cooperate with each other and allocate some space in their compounds where rubbish can be put to rot and turned into compost.

L. SHAFI

Karachi

Bugging of high commission

THIS refers to the article “Big Brother is busier than ever” (Nov 19) by Omar Kureishi.

It sure is an enigma why MI5 etc. would bug the Pakistan high commission in London using outdated methods. Given the nature of today’s unbelievable electronic devices, could this be an attempt to hide other much more diabolical and sophisticated techniques of surveillance that are being practised every day?

For example, it is widely known here that there are passive and hidden hardware circuits (embedded or placed) and software (e.g. terminate and stay resident-type programmes) in everyday common electronic devices and appliances such as television sets, cable setup boxes, phones, cell phones, computers, cars (tracked by GPS) and even refrigerators. All these devices can be switched active since they have sources of electricity within to power tiny hidden listening/recording circuit devices and transmitters.

The challenge for these guys is how to monitor the whole world. So, needless to say, it is probably done on a very selective echelon level (e.g. Castro’s morning breakfast and burnt toast.)

Common sense dictates that when you are having a confidential policy meeting, you should do it in a room without these electronic devices. Isolate your confidential LANs form the Internet. When you are doing surfing on the Internet, make sure to physically unplug the phone/cable line (I don’t think they have yet invented means to establish connections over unconnected wires. I am sure these guys are working hard at it).

Finally, have some fun by purposely planting misleading information, counter-information, excessive info and buzz words that would probably keep them awake at nights.

I agree that nobody cares about the sanctity of the Vienna protocols any more and, therefore, what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

IMRAN

California, USA

‘A little clear thinking’

THIS has reference to Mr Khan A. Shamshad’s letter under the above headline (Nov 15).

The writer’s assumptions seem to be grounded on sentiments rather than ground realities. He is wrong when he says that our intellectuals advise only our government to reduce the defence budget. He overlooks the efforts that intellectuals, writers and parliamentarians have lately been making in their visits to both countries and through the media. They forcefully call upon both governments to initiate a dialogue with a view to grappling with the Kashmir dispute.

It is very essential that the relationship between the two nuclear neighbours normalizes without any further delay so that they can reduce their defence expenditure mutually and the funds thus saved can be spent on development projects and other necessities of life such as education, health sports, cultural and economic activities.

SYED IMRAN ALI

Karachi

‘A quiet revolution’

IN his recent op-ed “A quiet revolution” (Nov 18), Shahid Javed Burki envisages that Pakistan can, by replicating the formula of certain East Asian nations, take advantage of its young population and become as economically strong as they are.

He has, however, missed the following factors which no country can afford to ignore if it has to become an economic powerhouse.

1) A country needs very good universities for at least two to three decades to produce intellects who can contribute to the development of science and technology. Pakistan has no such university as can be compared to Harvard or Yale or MIT. India took 40 years to reach that stage and its institutes of information technology and some universities are even better than MIT, according to Americans. What Pakistan is producing are mainly IT labourers.

2) A society cannot grow and develop on its own. The United States, Britain and Japan are examples where they allowed immigration, attracted the best brains of the world and thus prospered.

Pakistan is, however, a closed Muslim society; hence the non-Muslims’ reluctance to settle there and contribute to its development. In other words, qualified people from other religious groups are not coming to Pakistan. If Pakistani society accepts others, its people can make scientific and technological advancement. The country needs to change its social and political structures.

3) Foreign investors are afraid to go to Pakistan in the current political and social atmosphere in the country. Unless Pakistan society and its economic culture open up to all, it is highly unlikely that the country can boost its economy, let alone become an economic giant on its own.

SAM BAIDYA

Toronto, Canada

Ruet-i-Hilal committee

THE government is trying its best to portray an image of Pakistan as a forward-looking, progressive Muslim country. It is very heartening to note that Nov 26 has already been announced as the Eid day, based on scientific information. That is how it should have always been.

I would like to suggest that the government discontinue the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee. The members of the committee should be given more time to further increase their knowledge in the time made available to them, for the benefit of the common man who seeks guidance from them.

JAMEEL HUSSAIN

Via email

A request to US envoy

IN his speech on Nov 6, President George W. Bush condemned countries that do not have proper democracies (this sounds very good). How about paying attention to the military- controlled democracy in Pakistan, for a start?

Will the US ambassador to Pakistan kindly forward this suggestion to the US president?

YAQOOB KHAN

Karachi

New audit policy

THE initiatives taken by the new auditor-general of Pakistan to change the focus of audit paras towards operational functioning of the organizations have been appreciated by all concerned. Both the auditors and auditees are optimistic that this policy will increase the productivity of the Pakistan Audit Department and prove to be a significant step in the overall accountability process which was initially the constitutional duty of the auditor-general of Pakistan but was later taken over by other institutions formed due to political expediencies and where opponents were targeted more than the culprits.

Until now the audit observations were mainly checking the drawing and disbursing officer’s (DDO’s) accounts which, in most of the cases, were not even half of the total operational transactions carried out. This was where corruption existed, specially in semi-autonomous government corporations.

We are all aware that a time came when nearly all such public sector enterprises, including PIA, were making losses jointly to the tune of Rs100 billion annually and were countless times referred to as ‘white elephants’. The new audit policy, it is believed, will play its due role in setting things right in the best interest of this nation.

Both the auditors and auditees will now focus on the issues instead of one producing reports just to show that they have made certain numbers of paras and the other taking full opportunity of this shortcoming in the audit work. The auditors will now have to work more and should remember, ‘No pain no gain’.

MALIK JIBRAN KHALIL

Islamabad

Richard Armitage’s logic

US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage after talks in Cairo with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mussa rejected that a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would stop a wave of global terrorism. “Palestine issue is not root cause of terror. You would have to note that it was only (lately) that Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda leadership could even find it in themselves to mention the word Palestinian” (Dawn, Nov 12).

It is about time Mr Armitage got his record straight. In 1989, after the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan and the end of the Cold War, Osama condemned the atrocities against the Arabs and the Muslim world. Again in October 2001, in a recorded video message broadcast by Al Jazeera TV network, he promised that America “will never again know security before Palestine knows it and before all the infidel Western armies leave the (Islamic) holy lands”.

Ayman Zawahri, a top Al Qaeda man, said in a statement aired in Dubai (November 2001) that Jihad would not stop until all “American Jewish” troops had been expelled from Muslim states. “The Palestinian cause, or more precisely the Israeli-American crime in Palestine, will remain axis of the struggle of the Muslim world and the main motive for Jihad against America.”

About two years ago, Iranian President Khatami told The New York Times that the Israeli government itself was “founded on terrorism and killings”.

Israeli army chief Lt-Gen Moshe Ya’alon recently commented that “Sharon’s hardline tactics are helping terrorist” and he exposed deep division between the military and Ariel Sharon by branding the government’s hardline treatment of Palestinian civilians counter-productive. He also said the policy intensified hatred and strengthened the “terror organizations”.

According to a new UN report, most Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank are eating only one meal a day, leading to malnutrition at levels found in sub-Saharan Africa. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Occupied Palestinian Territory found that the Israeli barrier would cut off 14.5 per cent of the Palestinian land from the rest of the West Bank. It would have severe humanitarian consequences for 680,000 Palestinians, a third of the Palestinian population in the area. About 400,000 of these Palestinians living to the east of the wall will need to cross (the wall) to get to their farms, jobs and services.

Last week, after 23 people got killed when two of Istanbul synagogues were bombed, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom reacted by urging the international community to fight against “the forces of evil. No country in the world is immune to terrorism. That is why all states should fight against the forces of evil.

“We hope the international community will not be content with condemning what happened in Istanbul, but will take vigorous action against terrorism, which is a global phenomenon.”

What a shame! Israel turns a deaf ear to the UN resolutions for withdrawal from Palestinian land, and gives two hoots for the repeated calls by the world community to dismantle settlements and stop the construction of infamous wall on the Palestinian soil.

PROF (DR) P. NASIR

Gujrat