| 09 February 2004 | Monday | 17 Zilhaj 1424 |
South Asia's nuclearization
WMD phobia and fundamentalism
Unattended civic problems
Redefining the global village
'The dangers of privatizing education'
Juvenile justice system
Declining OWBV population
Travelling on battered roads
PIA jobs
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This refers to the recent letters in this space concerning the decision by the French state to ban scarves for Muslim women in state schools.
Although every bourgeois state is free under bourgeois law to protect its constitution and its values, one always has to see what is the class context of the decision taken by the bourgeois state and which classes it will favour and oppress.
France has long been an upholder of secular, liberal and anti-clerical values. Let us not forget that France was the place where the first and probably the greatest ever bourgeois revolution took place in 1789, putting an end to the decadent, feudal and reactionary regime of the Bourbon dynasty, and it is from the intellectual ferment fostered by the French revolution (with its emphasis on putting an end to feudalism and clerical rule) that we have our modern ideas of rationalism, enlightenment. It realized its potential in the form of the greatest humanist philosophy of all time, Marxism-Leninism.
France was also a great colonial power, and one cannot forget the terrible war waged by French colonialism against the Algerian resistance in the latter part of the 1950s and early 1960s, killing one million of its bravest citizens, before finally being defeated by the heroic resistance of the FLN under the charismatic Ben Bella.
Today, more than one-third of the people living in France are immigrants, including many from France's former North African colonies. The decision to ban the headscarf will only seek to alienate the Muslim citizens of France further from the reactionary state apparatus. They might as well stop associating France with the principles of 'liberty, equality and fraternity', one of the rallying cries of the French revolution.
This decision will also encourage racial discrimination and shoddy populism on the basis of ethnicity. A great improver in the last elections in France was Jean-Marie Le Pen who is the leader of the National Front. He will only use this slogan to further drum up his reactionary agenda and try to get the support of disgruntled Muslims.
The decision to ban the headscarf is a gross travesty of the so-called lofty principles of secularism on which the French republic was founded in 1789. Secularism means that religion and all symbols associated with it are the exclusive purview of the individual, not the state; the French state has no right to force Muslim women to forgo the headscarf.
The headscarf these days is more a symbol of identification among Muslim women than a religious symbol to flaunt religious convictions. In fact, even secular Muslim women wear the headscarf.
The decision is, thus, a reactionary decision and confirms the fact that under capitalism the so-called secular values are merely a foil for covering up the class oppression of the state over the peasants and working classes. It is the duty of the French working classes to join together with their Muslim counterparts to oppose and condemn this decision.
RAZA NAEEM
Lahore
South Asia's nuclearization
The argument of Mr Ayaz Amir ("Pakistan agonites", January 30) that "the Americans were fooled and stayed fooled for a long time" on our centrifuge programme is not compatible with the then political -strategic situation of South Asia when the US policy-makers carried, with greater zeal, their guiding principles of Cold War and a new manifestation of Afghanistan versus the USSR.
They knew about Pakistan's plan to achieve nuclear capability but ignored it because the Cold War factor was more important to them. They even knew about the extent and scope of nuclear proliferation and, later on, about strategic defiance.
The Russians already had an edge over the US because of the Vietnam episode. The entry of Soviet forces into Afghanistan gave an opportunity to the Americans to even up. Thus, in the heat of such a quest to defeat the Soviets, the US policy-makers put every other issue on the back-burner; and Pakistan's nuclear programme was definitely one such subject. That was also the main reason that issues like non-proliferation and the Symington/Pressler amendments started shaping up, before the Soviet troops retreated from Afghanistan.
Before his downfall Z. A. Bhutto had started voicing his fears about the role of a major power and its involvement against him because of some of his plans and policies. The year was 1975 (29 years back) while our claim is that our covert nuclear programme started 30 years ago. Certainly, our nuclear project was a big achievement, but let us not forget that our Afghan card played a decisive role in being our nuclear-capable. It simply kept the US pressure on the sidelines, though temporarily.
In the world of intelligence, many issues never get publicized. Some foreign intelligence communities must surely have opened files and folders from the day one when some of our scientists landed in Karachi with their belongings.
Mr Amir has mentioned almost half a dozen times since 9/11 that our policy-makers have hastily changed their mindset after a call from Secretary of State Colin Powell. There may be many versions and theories about this, but the fact is that in case of any refusal or hesitation, the present history of South Asia could have been different.
Iran and Libya were regarded as highly independent nations. How they have yielded to the Americans on the nuclear proliferation issue is to be seen in our own perspective.
President Musharraf is not only vital to the unipolar world, but also valuable to liberal Pakistanis, a silent but powerful majority of the country. Just imagine for a while the scenario if one of the two attempts on the president had been successful. It might have been a doomsday situation for the country and the region.
If today we are apologetic, it is because of our heavy but past jihadi and other baggage in Afghanistan, Kashmir and elsewhere, even in China.
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
Karachi
WMD phobia and fundamentalism
The scandal of top Pakistani scientists proliferating nuclear technology has once again brought Pakistan in the less-than-desirable limelight in front of the world. Principally the scientists are not wrong in sharing their knowledge with other Muslim states. Why shouldn't weaker countries in the face of a powerful aggressor have the tools needed to maintain their defences? This being said, the timing of the incident is unfortunate. With the western mindset on the practice of might is right, with Muslims being considered the lepers of the modern civilized world, and with the world on a phobic trip on WMDs, Pakistan, the only Muslim nuclear country, is in the cross-hairs.
It is true that to change biased minds bent on harbouring ill-will towards Pakistan is very difficult, but the resolution of the problem lies at home. When the western media portrays Pakistan in its newscasts, scores of bearded men acting with barbaric fanatic fervour are always displayed. There is nothing more that enhances paranoia in western homes than the news about the Pakistani madressahs. Even most right-minded Pakistanis cringe at the thought of having extremists running the country. The extremism practised by this faction is known to all of us. They reject all modern sciences and any progress.
The root of this fundamentalism lies in not having proper educational institutes available to the poor. Like any parent, poor parents want their children to be educated. With the scarcity of educational institutes they send their offspring to local madressahs. This practice is not new. It is old enough that now a whole generation of madressah-going youths is set to become the army of jihad. What they fail to understand is that they are fighting the fight in the absolutely incorrect way. How long did their inspirational brethren the Taliban stand against the West? How long did the Iraqis? How long did the Lebanese? Having your young blowing themselves up is hardly success.
Our ultimate survival lies in curbing this extremism, bringing about true education, and learning that you can kill more flies with honey than with vinegar.
FAISAL GHAURI
Chicago, IL., USA
Unattended civic problems
The drainage system in Karachi's PECHS and the areas surrounding it is in a shambles and has been purposefully left like this, though a hefty sum of money is collected each year for its maintenance. The residents of PECHS may soon have drinking water mixed with sewage if the problem is not immediately attended to.
Some localities have already started facing this crisis, but no one has moved and the problem is spreading fast all over the city. Manholes usually remain choked as they are without lids. Overflowing gutters inundate roads and lanes with sewage, but no one seems bothered.
The lack of concern among the people of Karachi about their dirty surroundings is a matter of great worry. Thus, the authorities take them for a ride. Various authorities set up by the government, specially the inspection teams of the governor and the chief minister, are least concerned about social and civic conditions of the city.
This is one of the problems which directly affects the common people. There are many more problems and all these cannot be tackled at one time. So it is advisable to solve them one by one, within a pre-defined timeframe.
It is believed that someone is primarily in charge of maintaining the sewerage system of an area like PECHS. Likewise, there is someone responsible for the conditions of roads. These are the two persons who should be taken to task for neglecting duties and failing to provide the required services to the people of their area.
Such civic authorities should be made to understand and know their responsibilities, and their performance should be monitored and evaluated on a quarterly basis. It should be made clear to them that if they fail to perform their duties diligently, they will have lose their jobs. This method, if adopted, will help improve the system which is thoroughly plagued with red tape and traditional bureaucratic work style.
The city nazim is requested to solve this issue on a priority basis. Improvements in civic services can only come when people join hands together.
M. ASIF DAR
Karachi
Redefining the global village
In times of serious international tensions, the role of diplomacy becomes critically important. A diplomat should try to negotiate a best deal he can, but he must realize that if he fails, the threat of undesirable deals might succeed in which both sides might lose.
Thus, the post-Saarc summit scenario demands that conspirators from outside be kept at bay. For this the media must do their best to educate public opinion to persuade the leaderships in both countries to guard against such intruders.
By now the world must have realized that 'unilateralism' has failed to deal with self-created terrorism by the hyper-powers. To many, terrorism stems from gruesome injustices inflicted upon the Third World nations by the known colonial/big powers. The US in particular, which is virtually ruled by the Zionists of Israel, has given birth to terrorists in many parts of the world through its unjust policies.
The CIA and Mossad brought terrorists from every nook and corner of the world during the US war against the USSR in Afghanistan in the 1980s, trained them, provided them with all the needful means and are continuing to employ them wherever they need them. They hunt with hounds and run with the hare. An environment of mistrust and apprehensions prevails across the global village.
If the UN charter is not revised soon enough, the looming catastrophe will be hard to avoid. The UN General Assembly must act as parliament of the global village. No one should have the stupidity of 'veto'. The ICJ should act as Supreme Court of this village. States should become federating or confederating parts of the global village.
All decisions should be taken by the General Assembly with consensus. The ICJ judges should be selected with consensus. The Security Council should be used to implement the General Assembly's and the ICJ's orders, and it must have most powerful forces at its disposal to ensure world peace and security. You will see terrorism will disappear in no time.
If this is not done, it will mean terrorism is being used as an instrument by the US and its allies to capture and exploit the Afro-Asian resources. The US needs its 'arms bazaar' to flourish at all costs. They just say that it's a global village, but never act to ensure that it indeed is the one practically too.
After 9/11 the world responded to the challenge with unprecedented concern, but some greedy countries hijacked the pure sentiments to defy with contempt the longstanding UN resolutions. Now, therefore, the world must have the new definition of freedom struggle, struggle for the right of self-determination, and what in fact is 'terrorism'.
After that a global village media conference should send its recommendations to an 'anti-terrorism convention'. Now, these recommendations being clear of destructive conceptual and semantic confusion should be accepted by all UN members, except those who are genetically prone to terrorism and it is they who should be termed and treated as terrorists, unitedly by the entire global village, if the catastrophe in the offing is to be averted.
Humankind is one and the global village must be made in 'unity in diversity' to ensure peace and tranquillity in the global village. Diplomats ought to feel the pulse of time and move from regional to continental and world levels for the completion of the edifice of the real global village as it should be, soon enough.
COL M. ZAMAN MALIK (RETD)
Abbottabad
'The dangers of privatizing education'
This refers to the article by Mr Kamal A. Munir, titled "The dangers of privatizing education" (January 18).
It is a reality that leaving education in the hands of market forces will not yield the results developing countries like Pakistan desire for strengthening their economies. The impacts of doing so are rather visible in the form of social segmentation and a commercial explosion of market forces in the world of education. The market forces are creating a situation where the fee is becoming a main requirement in several areas of education and associated facilities.
There are several examples in Asia such as Taiwan and South Korea where state-run educational institutions have shown impressive performance, productivity and competitiveness. Rooting the nation to the concepts and system of the WTO, the World Bank or American and European market forces has not proven to raise the standards of society and economies in developing countries. They are rather susceptible to introducing social segmentation and limiting the quality education facilities to the few. Consequently, experimenting Pakistan for such an educational system opens the door for valid reservations described in the article referred to above.
The much talked about and advocated idea of quality from private education at the expense of fees has been achieved by the state-run schools in China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, etc. Experience has shown the absence of significant exercisable control, pressure and performance measures on state-run schools in Pakistan. An increasing emphasis and move in this direction would produce quality education without sacrificing social harmony in the country.
DR FAHEEM UDDIN
Karachi
Juvenile justice system
This refers to Ms Nadira Rehman's letter "Juvenile justice system" (February 5).
I want to inform the readers of these columns that juvenile offenders are being confined in a "Youthful Offenders Industrial School" situated in the premises of the Special Prison for Women at PIB Colony, adjacent to Karachi Central Jail.
The "prison" is a model industrial school. Offenders below 18 years of age are kept there separately from adult convicts and under-trial prisoners.
I have visited the school several times and found inmates getting training on vocational and useful work like furniture polishing, car mechanics, sewing and tailoring. In this way, they will be rehabilitated rather than becoming hardened criminals.
S. AHMED ALI ABIDI
Karachi
Declining OWBV population
This refers to the news-item published in your newspaper (January 31) about a research conducted jointly by the Ornithological Society of Pakistan and the Institute of Pure and Applied Biology of the Bahauddin Zakariya University for finding causes of the declining population of oriental white-backed vulture (OWBV) in Punjab.
As these birds ate dead domestic livestock, majority of them died owing to renal failure because of consuming NSAID for a longer period of time. That particular NSAID was identified as diclofenac, the brand which is available in the pharmaceutical market in the form of more than 100 generics, thus prescribed as the leading non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
After knowing this fact, something concrete should be done to analyse this generic and, if required, it should be removed from this market as it might be the leading cause of an alarming increase in the kidney ailments in Pakistan.
HAIDER QURAISHI
Karachi
Travelling on battered roads
For many reasons travelling by bus is not an easy job in Karachi.
Every day I travel from Garden to Kharadar on a road which is in a miserable condition. After crossing Lawrence/ Nishter Road, every bus on the route has to take the right turn to reach Haji Camp. As the bus takes the right turn, we, the passengers, have to sit very cautiously because the road is full of awful surprises (potholes).
This is the point from where we battle to remain seated and simultaneously feel a great sensation in our backs as if somebody is smacking them. This is because the road is unmotorable and makes the bus jump too frequently, as well as forces the driver to apply brake frequently. A constant hammering at the back is already proving dangerous for the spinal cord. The elderly people suffer the most.
The same is the condition all through the journey which takes us through Spencer's Eye Hospital, Kharadar, Lea Market, Napier Police Station, etc. At times passengers change their seats with one another to adjust their body position for a little relief. In my case, by the time I reach my office I am crushed.
Will someone in authority order road repairs on this route and earn our gratitude?
SALMAN PASHA
Karachi
PIA jobs
In July-August 2003 PIA invited applications from young persons with master's degrees in business administration. It has been seven months since then but no one has heard from PIA. Applicants still hope that they will get jobs in the prestigious national airline.
The bureaucratic mindset in our national institutions causes so much agony and frustration among young people that their faith is totally shaken in the principles of merit and fair play. What can prevent them from concluding that only those with connections are given jobs and the rest suffer?
ASLAM A. SAEED
Karachi
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