| July 23, 2007 | Monday | Rajab 07, 1428 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
American contempt for Muslims
Substandard construction
Force is counter-productive
Urbanization in Pakistan
An ordeal of a hostage
Encroachments & traffic sense
Interest of Pakistan?
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
IN his rejoinder to the letter `Palestine: equitable approach’ (July 17), Col ( r) George L. Singleton has made two questionable assertions. First, Israel was created vide the UN resolution of 1947 envisaging two nation-states. Second, Tony Blair is a sincere and dedicated public servant and can be trusted, in the context of his new role in Palestine (July 17).
Let us be honest, Col Singleton: Israel was effectively created through the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and not by the UN in 1947 only because of the machinations of the two occupying powers, Britain and France, through their secret Sykes-Picot agreement. The US also went along with this unfair and forced deal later on. It is only because of their military might and the veto they exercise that such a dishonest move got fulfilled in a land where, even until the 1920s, the population of the Arabs (mainly Muslims and some Christians) was about five times greater than that of the Jews.
How would Col Singleton feel if some hyperpower came in from, say, outer space, occupied the United States and, before departing, forcibly created a separate country within the US for the Afro-Americans or the Hispanics and allowed hordes of them to immigrate from Africa / Latin America?
Also, I think it is a cruel joke to depict Bush or Blair as being sincere, dedicated or honest, after having seen what they have been doing to the Muslims in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. While their misdeeds in Iraq and Palestine do not need any elaboration, it may be of interest to cite some British ministers’ views on Lebanon.
In a comment, British newspaper Guardian recently noted: “A year ago Britain had a foreign secretary in Margaret Beckett who refused to call for an immediate ceasefire when Israel bombed Hezbollah positions in Lebanon (in obvious deference to the policies of Bush and Blair). Today, Britain has a foreign secretary in David Milliband who questioned the government’s silence at the time in cabinet.”
Apart from that, it also observed that their new international development secretary Douglas Alexander, who is another Lebanon rebel, offered some advice to US foreign policy analysts. He said that the US must prefer soft power (ie, the power to persuade) over military strength and that its foreign policy needed to be based on fundamental values rather than special interests.
From his many past letters, one has gathered that Col Singleton is supporting the likes of Bush and Blair only for ideological reasons, rather than on the basis of truth and justice. In common with these Christian fundamentalists, he, too, may want the arrival of the ‘Messiah’ to be facilitated through the creation of Biblical Israel. But, as some Orthodox Jews have themselves said, the Zionists have gone against divine will by creating Israel through force and bloodshed and are being punished for it.
Bush and Blair had even claimed to receive divine communications commanding them to occupy Iraq and Afghanistan, but the outcome clearly shows they were in error. One may be following any religion, but one can never attain to reality without being truthful inwardly and outwardly.
KHALID NAQSHBANDI
Karachi
IN her letter (July 16) Mrs Rahman has complained that an American channel abuses and defames Muslims non-top and recruits crusaders of Christ, whose number, it claims, is soaring every day.
While this is bad enough, but what has been revealed by Joshua Key, an American soldier who had fought in Iraq, in his book, ‘The Deserter’s Tale: The Story of an Ordinary American Soldier’ (Books and Authors, July 15) is truly shocking. Some excerpts are being presented here that would give a good idea of the contempt in which every Muslim is held by the American military machine.
– (At the training camp, I) felt myself swell with patriotism and pride when our commanders told us that Americans were the only decent people on the planet and that Muslims and terrorists all deserved to die.
One day, all 300 of us lined up on the bayonet range, each facing a life sized dummy we were told to imagine was a Muslim man.
As we stabbed the dummy with our bayonets, one of our commanders stood on a podium and shouted into a microphone: “Kill! Kill! Kill the sand niggers!”
We, too, were made to shout out, “Kill the sand niggers” as we stabbed the heads, then the hearts, and then slashed the throats of our imaginary victims.
Our commanders told us that people who were not Americans were ‘terrorists’ and ‘slant eyes’ (an obvious reference to the Chinese and other Orientals). They said that Muslims were responsible for the September 2001 attacks on our country, that the people of Afghanistan were “terrorist pieces of shit that all deserved to die.”
– Iraqis, I was taught to believe, were not civilians; they were not even people.... (From our commanders we learned to call them rag-heads, Habibs, sand niggers and hajis) and they were not to be thought of with a shred of humanity. No wonder my wife and I thought... that all Muslims were terrorists and all terrorists were Muslims and the only solution was to kill as many Iraqis as possible.
-- (The experience in Iraq) got me thinking. How would I react if foreigners invaded the United States and did just a tenth of the things that we had done to the Iraqi people? I would be right up there with the rebels and insurgents, using every bit of my cleverness to blow up the occupiers.... I would lob all the mortars and rocket grenades I could buy.... If somebody blasted my home and terrorised my family... I would give the occupiers hell and keep at it until I was dead and gone, twice over.
Now that he had seen the facts, Mr Key’s conscience did not allow him to continue with his government’s terrorism against the Muslims, so he deserted the army and sought asylum in Canada along with his wife and four children. He reasoned that “I didn’t want to participate in an unjust war and (I also did not want to) become a prisoner in my own country for refusing to act like a criminal in Iraq.”
This should open the eyes of all those Muslim leaders who are trying hard to please the US by promoting its murderous agenda in the Muslim world, which is causing all the extremism. It also exposes the hypocrisy of Washington and its allies who have the cheek to label the Muslims as terrorists for resisting the occupation of their countries while they themselves are the real terrorists.
M.P. CHISHTI
Karachi
The report, ‘Concrete bridge beam proves wall of sand’ (July 18), reveals that 100 feet long concrete beam which was built in June 2007 on the River Tavi has collapsed due to its substandard construction and an inquiry has been ordered.
Such official investigations, however, proved more to be an eyewash than to bring the culprits to book. Sixty years of our history are full of such phony probes.
I may further add that since a cyclone of moderate size hit Sindh and Balochistan coastal belt, the print and electronic media are full of news bulletin showing ravages of storm and government agencies’ lack of anxiety to address the miseries of the affected on priority. It is, however, more surprising that almost entire infrastructure of roads, bridges and dams which were constructed with much fanfare during the last few years have been washed away.
Thus the cause of the present calamity was more of these sub-standard structures and edifices as innumerable villages and towns have been erased from the earth only because of outburst of dams and bridges, leaving hundreds of thousands inhabitant shelterless.
This calamitous happening has raised questions in my mind which I request the authorities to answer. The question is that the British (whom we loathe every day as colonisers) built infrastructure more than 100 years back such as cross-country railway line with more than 11,000 bridges, colonies, roads, irrigation network system, etc, and which despite of overage and lack of proper maintenance is still functioning, then why didn’t the newly-built structures sustain even a single blow of nature’s environmental hazard?
Secondly, did we even try to find out as to who are responsible for these commissions and omissions, specially en bloc destruction of government buildings, mostly public schools, killing more than 17,000 children when an earthquake jolted AJK and northern areas on Oct 8, 2005?
The collapse of any infrastructure before the period guaranteed is the sole responsibility of an engineer concerned and the one who oversees and certifies the work as satisfactory. Surprisingly we have yet to find any person responsible for these highly immoral and criminal acts due to connivance or complicity of organisations concerned.
I request the authorities to appoint in right earnest a high-powered committee of known independent-minded retired judges and senior engineers, as well as public representatives enjoying immaculate reputation, with definite terms of reference enjoying autonomy to initiate investigations into all such cases and fix responsibility and carry out chastisement without any let and hindrance.
Besides, it should be ensured that the system of checks and balances is implemented. These measures will not only cure but will also act as a prevention to this malevolence crept deep into the fabric of our civil society.
DR ALI AKBAR M. DHAKAN
Karachi
SOME reflection would show that the use of force against Muslims of strong faith has always met with failure in the last few decades. They are like a tennis ball: the harder you throw it, the faster it comes back. This was seen when the former Soviet Union attempted to force itself upon the Afghans. A few thousand mujahideen successfully reversed the occupation.
More recently, it has been observed in Iraq where resistance fighters numbering in the thousands have managed to get the upper hand against the combined might of the US, the UK and dozens of other countries. The small band of Hezbollah guerillas gave the Israelis a bloody nose last August, while Hamas is refusing to be cowed down by them. And, according to senior British generals, the military campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan is facing failure (July 16).
In Pakistan, the militants in Waziristan had forced the army to retreat. The clerics and many students in Lal Masjid fought till the end. Now, the local Taliban, who had given an ultimatum to the government to remove the army posts from the area by July 15, have threatened it with a jihad. Some militants have started attacking soldiers in the backdrop of the Lal Masjid standoff and scores of troops have already been killed by several suicide bombings and frontal attacks in a matter of days.
President Musharraf has learned no lessons from all this. He still appears to see force as the solution of every problem. Another difficulty is that his desire to stay in power at any cost has blinded him to the destruction he is causing to the country.
The country is now in nearly the same situation that Iraq was about a year after its occupation. Will the general quit only after tens of thousands of Pakistanis have died and irreparable damage done to the country? I yearn for peace in Pakistan and the Muslim as well as the non-Muslim world. Bullets are no solutions, whether they come from Bush and Musharraf or are directed at them.
The lesson for the West is that it should stop attacking the Muslim countries, the real underlying objective of which is to grab their natural resources, especially the oil and gas reserves.
A PAKISTANI
Karachi
THIS is with reference to Shahid Javed Burki’s article, ‘Problem of urbanisation’ (July 10). I recognise him as a scholar, particularly when he writes on economic issues. Perhaps urbanisation as a demographic phenomenon is not his field.
The statement that ‘it (urbanisation) has not been seriously investigated by academics in the country’ is not true. Pakistan geographers have done considerable work on ‘urbanisation in Pakistan’. He writes: “Majority of them (poor people) live in slums”. Majority of them live in kutchi abadis or shanty towns. Slums refer to deteriorated housing.
He writes: “Over the last six decades, Pakistan has been subjected to large waves of forced migration”. We are not aware of any such thing. The case of Afghans settling in parts of the NWFP was of a localised nature. It did not in any way affect the pattern of urbanisation in the country as a whole.
Further he writes that “in 1947 eight million refugees from India moved to the new state of Pakistan”. The fact is that Pakistan lost about five million Hindus and Sikhs while gaining six million Muslims over the decade, 1941-51. (See Mahmud Salim Jillani’s ‘Resettlement of Displaced Persons in Pakistan’, unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Chicago, 1962).
About Karachi, he writes: “It grew into an urban centre of more than a million people (1951 Census) from a small seaside town of 250,000 people (1941 Census).”
In 1941, Karachi had a population of 387,000 and not 250,000.
He writes: “For lower Sindh, the settlement of refugees from India contributed a net addition to the population. Hindus retained a significant presence in Sindh”.
This is not correct. Out of a total population of 4,605,934 in Sindh, Hindus numbered 134,101 only (See Census of Pakistan, 1951, Vol. 6).
He concludes the article in these words: “Pakistan, in other words, urbanised differently than other developing countries”. I beg to differ. The fact is that Pakistan like most other developing countries has urbanised through the process of rural-urban migration. The larger cities, however, have also received large numbers of people from smaller towns and cities.
DR QAZI SHAKIL AHMAD
Director of Research,
Pakistan Institute of International Affairs,
Karachi
AS always, Shahid Javed Burki has written an excellent synopsis of the problems of urbanisation.
I was surprised to note that he chose to make a very careful 'post-Hindu' reference to Peshawar and knowing his excellent scholarship I am sure this was no accident. I quote: "Peshawar, the capital of the Pathan majority province of the North-West Frontier Province and that draws its name from a Persian word, had become the centre of the resistance to the Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan."
Actually, Peshawar was formally renamed as such by Akbar who gave it the Persian name. Before that it was known as 'Purushapura' -- founded by the Kushans -- and existed for well over 2,000 years, before the arrival of the Mughals, as Purushapura. There are references going even further back in Hindu literature to this city but I will stop at the point where 'recorded history' stops.
It is disappointing to see even an eminent scholar such as Mr. Burki falling prey to wishful thinking and denial of Pakistan's history before the advent of Islam.
B.K. VASAN
Chicago, USA
AFTER reading the ordeal of a hostage, `Kidnapping victim slams misuse of cellphones (Metropolitan, June 15), I fully endorse M. M. Khan’s views and suggestions, `Misuse of cellphones’ in these columns on the same day.
The victim of the reported incident, a doctor, was kidnapped while going home after attending his professional duties. He remained chained in the captivity of abductors for 25 days.
During this long period, he was taken to various places to avoid some showdown. Throughout this period, the hapless doctor found the criminals, who had a bagful of mobile phone SIMs, which they were changing after every call to avoid detection, making different contacts.
The nightmarish tribulations of the victim and the members of his family had gone through this long period of 25 days cannot be measured with any standard. Moreover, such occurrences are not isolated incidents but have become a routine matter because the callers cannot be identified because of easy availability of SIM, thanks to mobile companies’ competition.
The authorities should implement the suggestions put forward by Mr Khan for the greater good of the people. At the same time the victims in such a case should be compensated by cellphone companies which are earning fabulous profits at the cost of people’s security.
ISHA M. KURESHI
Karachi
KARACHI’S traffic problem is increasing day by day. A lot of road projects have been undertaken to solve the city’s traffic problem but they will prove futile unless the authorities concerned address the problems of encroachment and people’s driving sense.
The whole city is a haven for land encroachers, whather they are motor vehicle dealers or motor mechanics, painters, restaurant owners, fruit or vegetable vendors and a lot of other cart owners. There is a need to take strong action in removing these encroachments permanently.
As time passes, the number of cars grows in the city and people become more erratic and forget traffic rules and laws.
They don’t even know how to park their cars properly. The traffic police are unable to solve the problem because of their limited resources and manpower.
We have to introduce massive traffic reforms as well as a new traffic system, without which the situation will be out of control.
AHMED I KHALID
Karachi
THIS has reference to Senator Sanaullah Baloch’s article regarding the NFC award ( Economic and Business Review, June 25). Although the points raised in the article are unlikely to be considered by the authorities who matter, these would considerably educate the people.
It appears that as issues stand today the present government won’t take any decision and will rather pass on the matter to incoming setup. The senator has lamented that the NFC award has been pending since 2002, which amounts to a breach of Article 160.
If one looks deeply into the affairs of the government, there are certainly innumerable Articles of the Constitution which are being violated day in and day out. Please let me say that the president and the huge cabinet for quite some time have been only reading the clauses of the Constitution which relate to the re-election of the president and completion of the tenure of the assemblies.
On further examination, it appears that the entire government machinery is busy searching for ways and means to retain an individual in the highest position, and the prime duty of the ministers is to convince 160 million people that if this scheme does not materialise, the heaven is going to fall and the country is likely to perish. Thus, save the king.
If this is the state of affairs, let people like the senator cry against NFC injustice. Incidentally, he is not alone, the finance ministers of three small provinces, while presenting their budgets, echoed the same vehemently.
May we ask the president most honestly as to what is in the best interest of Pakistan: true democracy or the present fake one?
KHWAJA GHULAM RABBANI
Karachi
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address: letters@dawn.com
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.