No kidding, please

TAKING a myopic view of ground realities in international relations today can be dangerous; it is lethal when it comes to US foreign policy. Look no farther than Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years, though the Middle East remains a festering wound of America’s fire-fighting diplomacy, which in the context sounds like an oxymoron. The revelations made by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, a self-proclaimed expert on Pakistan, before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, will put many well-wishers who want to further US-Pakistan relations in an awkward position if not to outright shame. Her recommendation that the PPP is doing a good job and that “we should give them the chance to do so”, while “Sharif has to be watched”, confounds the Bush administration’s position that the US is not micro-managing Islamabad’s democracy ‘enterprise’, as it were.

Nothing can be more childish than the argument advanced by the Congresswoman that because President Musharraf has experience in fighting terrorism and that the PPP sees the fine point from the same angle, Washington should continue to back him. The inherent implication of the argument is that Musharraf’s backing should continue even at the cost of alienating the people of Pakistan who have voted the majority of current rulers to power believing they were voting against his policies. Here’s a surprise for Ms Lee: the Pentagon and many in Congress also believe that Musharraf has done little to combat terrorism, supposedly emanating from Fata, hence the deference of payment the US owes Islamabad on that account. Also, a few saner voices on Capitol Hill have said that the US should back the democratic process and not an individual ruling Pakistan. Just who is Ms Lee kidding?

It is indeed tragic that the US should have supported autocratic rulers in the past as opposed to lending a hand in furthering democracy in Pakistan. Little wonder then that short-sighted US foreign policy objectives should remain wanting. By pressuring its new-found friend, Mr Zardari, into supporting unpopular political manoeuvrings to its own liking, the US will be repeating the mistake it has so consistently committed, and which has bred suspicion against it among Pakistanis. By voting secular parties into power, Pakistanis have shown that they have no love lost for the bin Ladens of the world nor any sympathy for any of the local extremists’ agenda. The US should see this as an opportunity to come out on the right side of the people of Pakistan; the ‘war on terror’ is very much Pakistan’s own battle as much as it is America’s as recent terrorist attacks in the country have shown. This war cannot be won by arm-twisting Pakistani leaders into acquiescence and alienating the people from their policies.

Stock market concerns

THE uncertainty that marks the political scene in Pakistan today has had its impact on the stock exchanges. The major factors that have pulled equity values down by eight per cent since mid-April, wiping out billions of rupees from market capitalisation and pulling the benchmark KSE-100 index down by 1,200 points, are there to stay, at least for the time being. One worrying issue is the alarming loss of 6.8 per cent in the value of the rupee in the interbank market since March 31, 2008 — from Rs62.75 to Rs67 to a dollar. The State Bank appears concerned and it has been working with the money changers to put a halt to the slide in the marginally higher open market. The other is the ‘uncertainty’ on the political front that needs to be dissipated. The overwhelming concern of stock investors is the fear that, unless things on the economic and political fronts change for the better, foreign investors would move out of the market with a flurry of sell orders. Already a net foreign outflow of $60m has been recorded since the start of the year. All through the current market downturn, local institutions remained sidelined and weak holders decided to unwind their long positions on margin calls from stockbrokers.

Pakistan’s economic indicators do not cut a pretty picture today. Trade deficit, the current account deficit and budget deficit are running high; foreign exchange reserves are falling and the country is experiencing runaway double-digit inflation. To make things worse, leaders at the helm of affairs in the finance ministry have been going about shedding tears over the economy, intensifying the fears of foreign investors. To complete the picture — not too rosy anyway — corporates unveiled unsavoury results this reporting season in April. Banks and cement companies took a big hit of 17 per cent and 65 per cent respectively on their bottom lines.

If stock markets are now cooling down somewhat after years of unending bullish runs, it should scarcely be surprising. The index touched an all-time high at 15,676 points earlier this year. As a rule, whatever goes up must come down. And Pakistan’s equity markets have been performing tremendously well in recent years, giving out a handsome five-year average annual return at 48 per cent. How do the happenings at the stock market affect an ordinary citizen? Shaukat Aziz’s government had concentrated more on the financial sector with banks flourishing the most. The country’s equity market also saw foreign and local investors pumping cash into the bourses with a staggering rise in equity values that left many gasping for breath. The surge multiplied the total wealth of a few, but given a low retail-investor base, the benefit of the market boom did not trickle down to the middle class.

Abuse of domestic workers

A REPORT in this paper about the mysterious deaths of three housemaids in Islamabad is a sad commentary on the absence of legal safeguards for one of the most vulnerable sections of the labour force. The International Labour Organisation may still be in the process of formulating a convention that exclusively protects the rights of domestic workers, but there is no reason why Pakistan should not immediately get down to devising a law that does the same. For decades, domestic help, particularly women and children, have suffered physical and mental torture at the hands of brutish employers. The latter have felt safe in the knowledge that they would not be held accountable for their actions as there is no mechanism in place to oversee the welfare of domestic workers. Thus long working hours, poor salaries, taunts and beatings, sexual abuse, even murder, have made life a living hell for domestic servants. With no forum to turn to for help and with little awareness of their rights as individuals and workers, domestic helpers continue to suffer in silence. Sadly, the absence of viable job alternatives has left them with little option but to remain with their employers.

With the induction of a democratic government — that includes a large number of women legislators who would probably find it easier to understand the problems of underprivileged women and child workers than their male colleagues — one hopes for action. Not only is legislation required, a sea change in attitudes is also needed if there is to be an improvement in the current situation of domestic workers who must be apprised of their rights. As a first step, it would be a good idea to start a model project to disseminate information about labour rights and to install forums that workers with grievances can easily approach, thus making it difficult for employers to evade accountability.

OTHER VOICES - Pushto Press

How the attack on Karzai was planned

Tolafghan, Kabul

TALIBAN spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid unveiled the plan of attack on Karzai while talking to the Al-Ammara website. He said: “At the behest of the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate, who directed the Mujahideen to initiate a multi-pronged and wide-ranging array of attacks on the security system of the puppet regime in Kabul, the Mujahideen started using various techniques to fulfill the command of their supreme leader.

As you know, the command for the operation against the puppet regime by the supreme leader is called Ibrat. One such action was the assault on the parade on the 8th of ‘Saur’. Preparations for the assault had been underway for almost a month with the cooperation of the mujahid people of Kabul. The objective of the assault was to prove to external and internal enemies, as well as the people of Afghanistan, that the puppet regime in Kabul could not safeguard their lives and interests and that its claims and those of its foreign supporters were false.

“The assault was planned coherently by two groups of Taliban under the leadership of Mullah Ilyas of Paktika. Other veterans who participated in the mission were Mullah Ali from Nangarhar, Mullah Hamza from Qunduz, Mullah Mohammad Ata from Kabul and Mullah Usman from Kandahar. One group of Taliban was to station itself some 30 yards from the parade stage and the other some three kilometres from the stage. The latter group, armed with both light and heavy weapons, was to start firing at and annihilating all traces of the security cover, thereby diverting the attention of the officials from the parade itself. The former group, ready to attack as soon as the mayhem was created, carried out a courageous assault at an opportune moment. The central command of the Mujahideen was in close contact with both groups.

“Both groups performed their assigned tasks with precision and in a timely manner. There was no gap in the actions of these groups. The mission was accomplished in a timely manner. Several high officials of the puppet army were either killed or wounded. The parade of the puppet regime was disrupted and the puppet had to be moved immediately to the presidential palace. He appeared on television after a while, pale and out of breath. The security system was disrupted and the people understood what we wanted them to understand.

The people of Afghanistan needed to know that the regime was too crippled to provide them with security. We selected the day of the parade specifically for this purpose, as the puppet regime was going to show its full military strength that day. We wanted to show them that they could not withstand the assault of the Mujahideen. Thus we achieved our objective.” — (April 28)

— Selected and translated by Khadim Hussain

No room for extremism in Islam

ISLAM and terrorism are as incompatible and as opposed to each other as fire and water or night and day. Even militancy is alien to Islamic culture. How can a faith condone terrorism much less foster it, when it preaches: “Not equal are the good deed and the evil deed. Repel the evil deed by one which is better. Then lo! He, between whom and you there was enmity (will become) as though he was a bosom friend?” (Pickthall: Fussilat 41:34)

Muslims continue to adhere strictly to this sermon. They revere the Prophets of the Old Testament and Jesus, son of Mary, as messengers of Allah just like Mohammad (SAW), “making no distinction between one and another of His Messengers” (Al Baqarah: 285).

Some Christians say offending things to denigrate Christ. For example, James D. Tabor in his new book, The Jesus Dynasty, argues that Jesus had a human father other than Joseph, mentioned in John 6:42. He claims that Jesus’ father was a Roman soldier named Pantera, quoting a Greek philosopher, Celsus. But Jesus’ virgin birth is an article of faith with Muslims. Others asperse on his relations with Mary Magdalene.

Similarly, an article in the March 5 issue of The Guardian, quotes Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as saying, “As far as Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don’t believe, or a legend, which I don’t believe either. Or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics.”

According to the professor, “Moses was probably also on mind-altering drugs when he saw the burning bush.” But for a Muslim, even a ‘terrorist’ one, such utterances would be blasphemous, even though Islam and its Prophet are made the objects of damning cartoons, defamatory movies and obnoxious literature.

Killing innocent people is an act of terrorism, even if it is not intended. But there is no concept of ‘collateral damage’ in Islam.

Therefore, where an innocent person is killed, such terrorist act is hit by the injunction “…and whosever kills a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he killed all humankind, and whoever saved the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all humankind” (Pickthall: Al-Maida: 32)

The above injunction is universal in application. It mentions just “a human being.” That human being may belong to any faith or even had no faith at all.

It is a reminder that as human beings, a believer and a pagan are equal before Allah, because He created all. He is rubb-il ‘alameen, the Creator and Sustainer of the Worlds.

A terrorist who claims to be Muslim is not a ‘practising’ Muslim. He is a disobedient Muslim like those who wilfully avoid offering prayers and fasting, paying zakat, or who drink or commit other major sins. He (or she) is at best a rebel against Islam, who acts in clear defiance of its teachings.

There is no difference between him and those Christians who put millions of non-Christians to death all over the world, in blatant disregard of Christ’s instruction: “And unto him who smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other…” (Luke 6:20)

Therefore, to blame Islam for the acts of those who wilfully defy its injunctions is as wrong as blaming Christianity for the excesses of its followers. Muslims are stereotyped as terrorists. But it is not enough to be content with condemning terrorists through an op-ed piece in a newspaper.

That is already being done more forcefully by others. Saudi Arabia has circulated a consensus fatwah and more recently a large, all-India congregation of ulema at Deoband, expressed similar views. The is need to find ways to combat and prevent it. That would require understanding the problem. The fact is that terrorism as indulged in by Muslims today has two aspects. One is political, the other religious.

Political terrorists like the Iraqis, Afghans and Palestinians offer some defence for their terrorist acts. Howsoever flimsy, yet it cannot be entirely discarded. Often it is the spontaneous reaction to the excesses perpetrated by the other side.

But for religious terrorism such as sectarian killings and attacks on each other’s mosques and funerals, there can be no excuse. These acts amount to wilful massacre of innocent souls and desecration of places of worship.

Moreover, whereas political terrorism is aimed at non-Muslim invaders and occupiers, religious terrorism is directed against Muslims. It is blatant fratricide, because, “the believers are nothing other than brothers.” (Al hujurat: 10).

Between the Wahabis and Hanafis the differences are almost like between Puritans/Protestants and Catholics. Once upon a time they, too, were at each other’s throats. But they put all that behind long ago. Differences exist but violence has ceased. By contrast Muslims seem still to be wallowing in the Dark Ages.

Sunnis, Shias, Wahabis, Hanafis etc., all are united on the belief in Allah, His Messenger Mohammad (SAW), Day of Judgment, Resurrection, angels, prayer, fasting, hajj and zakat. These are the basic tenets.

All else is supplementary and personal, for which every person is responsible to Allah alone. This is what the Quran repeatedly says: “No bearer of burden can bear the burden of another?” (Al-Najm: 38 and elsewhere).

Moreover, when even with regard to non-believers Islam asks Muslims to tell them, “To you your religion; to me my religion” (Kafirun: 6), and rejects compulsion in the matter of faith (la ikraha fid-deen), why should Muslims of one sect try to impose their interpretation and practice on their brothers of another sect with violence and bloodshed?

How can those who perpetrate such acts claim to be the followers of one whom God sent as Mercy for the universe (Rahmat-al lil alameen)? It is high time that people endowed with wisdom (ulil albab) reflected, imbibed and imbued others with the essence of Islam to receive Divine Mercy.

Fighting terrorism through tourism

THE enterprising chief minister of the NWFP, Amir Haider Khan Hoti, recently proposed a $4bn peace package for social development sectors as well as fighting the intractable jihadis in the conflict-ridden province. He has rightly spoken of the need to address the socio-economic needs of the population in order to heal the deep scars that terrorism has inflicted on the people and the economy.

In fact, the province is trapped in a Catch-22 situation where extreme poverty breeds desperation, thus leading to extremism. To get rid of extremism, we need a long-term and a multi-pronged approach. Should the ‘war on terrorism’ proceed as usual or should peace be given a chance?

Peace and prosperity are interlinked — as are desperation and terrorism. Therefore, reversing this vicious cycle by generating economic opportunities and exploring meaningful livelihoods for society’s desperately deprived sections is a rational way out. It appears that sanity is dawning on the architects of the previous gung-ho policy.

Besides hydel power and tobacco, tourism is one of the NWFP’s major income-generating industries that has been seriously hit by terrorism. Incorporating 70 per cent of Pakistan’s renowned tourist spots, the province has seen a 90 per cent decline in foreign tourists since 2001.

The Sarhad Tourism Corporation (STC) has demanded a relief package worth $40m as compensation from the federal government for the loss of revenue from the billion-dollar industry that has suffered incalculable losses.

Mr Azam Khan, the STC’s dynamic managing director, who sincerely wants to improve matters, recently wrote a memorandum to the provincial government: “Our mountains, valleys, plains, green forests and lush meadows, our historical monuments and lofty traditions were known for their beauty and as recreation for visitors from all over. They never were meant to be day in and day out in the news for terrorism and militancy. We need your active participation to bring back and highlight the lost lustre of this land and its people. Would you make your contribution to changing the current perception of the world about the Frontier — from being a land of hostility to the original theme of a land of hospitality?”

To remedy this distorted image, the STC has already planned a year-long activity schedule throughout the province to boost domestic tourism, generate healthy activities and competition and to highlight the region in terms of its positive aspects rather than in terms of terrorism.

The Sarhad Conservation Network that has been lobbying for the conservation of the natural and built heritage and healthy lifestyles since 2002 was honoured to be taken on board on this initiative.

Many cultural, literary and tourist activities are under consideration in partnership with the STC in the current year. On May 10, the first cultural evening is being planned at the historic Sethi House.

Located deep inside the old walled city of Peshawar, Mohallah Sethian is a living monument to the provincial capital’s glorious past. More than 150 years old, its interconnected houses were built for the Sethi family, one of the great business dynasties of the subcontinent. Hidden inside these houses, covering their ceilings and walls like a mantle, is decorative woodwork of exquisite quality and chandeliers dating to the era of Tsarist Russia.

Peshawar’s rich and variegated cultural and architectural history can be traced through a galaxy of pre-Islamic, Mughal, Sikh and even British motifs. The proposed event will help to revive cultural tourism in the walled city, bring about general awareness and also help in the conservation of old heritage sites as envisioned under the plan of the provincial cultural department.

This historic house was acquired by the NWFP government’s directorate of archaeology and museums in 2006 after hectic lobbying by civil society against its sale to a big proprietor who wanted to demolish it in order to erect a skyscraper. This pilot project is meant to identify important cultural/heritage landmarks and traditions of the city and to turn them into regular tourist spots.

There is a plan to arrange for a kehwa khana inside to serve Kashmiri tea along with traditional snacks and traditional music in the backdrop. Story-telling by heritage experts to narrate the history of the Sethian houses, expert information to throw light on its architectural beauty and the printing of souvenir pictures/brochures to illustrate its history are planned.

Azam Khan argues, “I would venture to say that one of the ways to defeat terrorism/militancy is through the ‘dry the swamps’ approach, and the swamp in our case is poverty and unemployment. Tourism has a multiplier effect in the target area.

It leads to multi-sectoral employment and generates multi-dimensional economic activity. Thus while terrorism/militancy is definitely a damper on tourism, struggling to develop tourism against all odds could well cut at the very roots of terrorism/militancy by diverting the manpower feeding it towards more productive gains. In any case it is better than doing nothing and waiting for Godot. Don’t you think?”

The SCN concurs with this perception as we desperately need robust institutions as well as individuals of magnanimity and acumen to take further the great cause of peace, happiness, celebration and laughter which as a nation we seem to have lost in the tangle of national tragedies and adversities. We need to mobilise our collective psyche for service and the collective good. So let’s begin now.

The writer is general secretary of the Sarhad Conservation Network

scn_pk@yahoo.com