Tin-pot dictators of a Banana Republic
So, the people of Pakistan have been spared a “state of emergency” for the time being. Perhaps this may be the calm before the storm. I hope you could sense the sarcasm in that statement? A “state of emergency” would mean denial of basic civil liberties to Pakistani citizens and a de facto Martial law across the land. So why am I treating this apparently good news with suspect and the proverbial pinch of salt?
With the enforcement of “emergency” the citizenry loses out on basic rights, which basically translates into the draconian situation where every citizen becomes a threat whom the military can abduct and prosecute on mere suspicion. It goes without saying that such a scenario is never favorable to the people at large. So, in theory, one would deduce that General Musharraf and his clique would have had a change of heart due to public opinion on the matter.
However, leaders of the Muslim world today are least bothered with public opinion. Our leaders have become so American-centric in their policy chalking that they even put their own skins on the line to accommodate the powers-that-be in the ‘land of the free’ – freedom obviously being an exclusively American right these days.
This reversal came about not due to the public opinion – don’t fool yourselves, dispel the thought – but because of 2 phone calls made by that drop-dead gorgeous secretary of state, (ana)Condolezza Rice and our trigger-happy Texan, George “Dubya” Bush. When asked if Ms Rice’s telephone call had influenced General Musharraf not to declare a state of emergency, Mr. McCormack (spokesman for the state department) said: “I'll leave it to Pakistani officials to describe President Musharraf's thinking and how that thinking may have evolved.” You can see the whole article here.
God save us from such pusillanimous leaders!
Tailpiece: Just as I had closed the file on this post I came across this. Sigh, I rest my case!
With the enforcement of “emergency” the citizenry loses out on basic rights, which basically translates into the draconian situation where every citizen becomes a threat whom the military can abduct and prosecute on mere suspicion. It goes without saying that such a scenario is never favorable to the people at large. So, in theory, one would deduce that General Musharraf and his clique would have had a change of heart due to public opinion on the matter.
However, leaders of the Muslim world today are least bothered with public opinion. Our leaders have become so American-centric in their policy chalking that they even put their own skins on the line to accommodate the powers-that-be in the ‘land of the free’ – freedom obviously being an exclusively American right these days.
This reversal came about not due to the public opinion – don’t fool yourselves, dispel the thought – but because of 2 phone calls made by that drop-dead gorgeous secretary of state, (ana)Condolezza Rice and our trigger-happy Texan, George “Dubya” Bush. When asked if Ms Rice’s telephone call had influenced General Musharraf not to declare a state of emergency, Mr. McCormack (spokesman for the state department) said: “I'll leave it to Pakistani officials to describe President Musharraf's thinking and how that thinking may have evolved.” You can see the whole article here.
God save us from such pusillanimous leaders!
Tailpiece: Just as I had closed the file on this post I came across this. Sigh, I rest my case!
posted by al-republican at 1:56 PM
40 Comments:
Shame, such a beautiful country, with heritage, food, culture and such giving people - and a leader who cannot treasure or care for it all.
Pray, things eventually work out for the benefit of the nation.
Rosh! Thanks for dropping by :)
I wouldn't have it any other way! My favorite non-muslim e-brother comments first!
Hello, hello! Might I gain respect as the first female commenter since this special-green blog opened up?
Banana Republic probably grows its clothes in P-Republic: new content for a post? :)
There are far too many things you refer to in this post for me to plunge my thinking-cap on: just know that if I might not comment, I am certainly reading, and taking notice.
Signed dearly: your number one fan of all-time :)
Awww thanks Al, very kind of you :)
All my friends from Pakistan are from Lahore & Islamabad. Two of my "soul" friends, whom I've know since we were in our mommies tummies - have origins from Lahore. A small group of us (from varied backgrounds) 've come thru thick & thin in life sticking to one another. I've been to Lahore & and a place called Maree (which is a slice of heaven) - once.
Love Banana Republic - easy to wear contemporary fashion for normal amigos. My closet is clogged with BR and Club Monaco :)
Rosh, you have to tell me more about yourself. I think you are ethnically Indian? How did you go to Pakistan with an Indian passport? But, good that you have been there and yes, marree is an amazing place!
I like BR as well and someone who means a lot to me sent me a really nice and very different cologne by BR. It's called "Black Walnut". You should try it perhaps.
Club Monaco, a friend of mine is a big fan of that outlet. He took me there about a month ago and I ended up buying a nice T-shirt from there. So I know you have good taste!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Aha, so you work for the ISI : )
I read your post on ISI, honestly didn't know what is ISI - thought it had something to do with cricket and I sort of read it with the intention to post an "anti-cricket" comment, hehehe : )
Re: ethnicity, am part, well maybe more than part Indian. My mom is Indian and dad part Indian (his mom) and part English (his dad was Caucasian) - I am born/raised in the UAE and've been to India on 7 trips and the UK, about a dozen times.
And nope, never had an Indian passport....perhaps must get one, now that I think about it....?
......did I give away too much info? must stop tying, must go to bed, yaaaaawwn - good night folks.
Yeh emergency kiya hotee hai ?
Oh ho, Baji! Why do you ask such questions in this age of google and wikipedia??
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government, may work to alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or may order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale for suspending civil liberties. Such declarations usually come during a time of natural disaster, during periods of civil unrest, or following a declaration of war (therefore, in democratic countries many call this martial law, most with non-critical intent). Justitium is its equivalent in Roman law.
You can read more on wikipedia where I pasted the above paragraph from.
Jhoot boltay ho app. When we were kids we were told different meaning of it ... Sharam nahi atee jhoot boltay howay ?!?!
Aree wutt iz thees?
Aree pudda mudda karain ga?
I like the effort Mr. Sid A Qua!
Hahaha Ehsam!
Yaar I was half asleep when I saw your comment! I am wide awake smiling East to West! :)
You better keep coming here often yaar! And PRAY tell me when you are coming to Dubai yaar?
Pagal insan, my parents arent around and THIS is the time to hang out with me here! Tujhe Dubai key hawa lagata hoon :P
Home Alone ?!!!?
Al-rep,
Are you knocking Musharraf by any chance? Don't tell me you prefer the corrupt Nawaz Sharif?
The military is -unfortunately-the safeguard of secular civilian rights in countries like Turkey, or Pakistan.
Or would you prefer a theocracy a la' Iran - Tum bewakouf hai?
Not exactly a fan of Musharraf myslef. I just meant he's the lesser of the various evils that populate your country's political landscape.
Nick, thanks for dropping by.
I think a lot of people forget that we are a country that has been in existence for only 60 years. Genuine democracy comes in a transitionary phase rather than the wave of a magic wand (military 'danda' in our case).
The military might hold up secular or even Islamic agendas (as did Zia in the 80s), but the fact is that institutions of a country erode when the military becomes a part of the political process. The military then finds its way into bureaucray, technocracy and most importantly goes above the law. This is the case in both Turkey and Pakistan.
As a nation we want institutions and supporting the army at the helm will never realize that dream. Neither will it realize the dream of checks and balances and rule of law. Turkey is so pissed off with its army that they have come a full circle and you can see how the Islamists have won overwhelmingly for a second time in a row.
It is all leading to a showdown and our armies are to blame. Benazir and Nawaz are equally (if not more) bad. But, just because they are worse doesnt mean I support another "lesser" devil.
We have able politicians in Pakistan - people like Aitezaz Ahsan, Imran Khan et al. Why not support these Angels rather than choosing between devils?
Al-rep,
I think a lot of people forget that we are a country that has been in existence for only 60 years.
Now where have I heard that again....AH! Got it. India!
How come that in India after partition democracy has done rather nicely without military intervention, whereas in Pakistan this is not the case?
And both countries have their fair share of backwardness to combat.
That's a million dollar chicken-egg question.
Is is the tribal mentality of large portions of the population, or Islam which brings about support for totalitarian systems, either military, or theocratic?
Nick-
The answer is simple: The Indian army has never been as adventurous as their Pakistani counterparts. It is the single most distinct feature as to why India has developed into a democracy of sorts while Pakistan hasn't.
You definitely can't blame Islam for it because there are successful Muslim democracies such as Malaysia and Indonesia to some extent.
I wouldn't even blame the rut on tribalism because the pashtun tribal system is actually the only true guarantor of rule of law in the entire land.
Pakistan's challenges are very unique and it calls for a unique solution. The Pashtuns have had their form of governance for millennias and the Baloch joined the republic of Pakistan pretty late. It is very unlike India, America or any other European country, which is why the challenges are more complex.
Pakistan is represented by different ethnic people. You know what is the good part? They all share the same religion. Religion will (and should) play a KEY role in the future of Pakistan. In my humble opinion the two most important things to bring about this ideal future are: (1) Independence of the Judiciary (and thank God we are on this path already); (2) A major revamp in our education syllabi.
We have too many parallel education systems going around in Pakistan (from American to British to Arabic to religious to you name it!). The net effect of this is that there are too many groups with too many different ideologies.
the pashtun tribal system is actually the only true guarantor of rule of law in the entire land.
That may be factually correct, but what kind of law are you talking about?! The law of 'village elders ordering rape, or justifying honour killings' (which have been ruled as un-islamic as you correctly pointed out somewhere else)?
You know, the law of Hammurabi was also a law, and the Nazis had thr Nuremberg race laws.
Just because something is a 'law' doesn't mean it is just and equitable.
You may be right in that Pakistan is unlike India or America, but historically Europe was pretty much like that in the Middle ages up to the French revolution. And it was not religion per se that brought about democratic developments, but it was in fact reformation.
If it were true waht you say about everybody sharing the same religion I would concur that that's a good thing - because it would open up possibilities of 'reformation' as it were. Alas, there's no unity in Islam, as little as there exists a religious authority.
As long as there are Shia, Sunni, salafis, wahhabis all claiming the truth you won't even have religious unity to base any concept of polity on.
Conclusion:
The definition of Islam as way of life is too wide and open to a myriad of conflicting interpretations. This creates obstacles to consensus on basic rights and freedoms onto which to base a civic constitution. The only way left is then a totalitarian system.
I ventured my opinion before - only if you take religion out of the political equation you can concentrate on politics.
Nick-
It's good to see that you know so much about our part of the World! It is also refreshing to see that you seem concerned and want to "help" us out of our rut.
I would like to clear up a few misconceptions that came up in your last comment:
1- The law of Village Elders. You seem to be confusing the Pashtunwali/Loya Jirga with the Panchayat system or the Balochi law. What you mention (ordering of rape, honor killing etc) is NOT what the Pashtun's follow. These practices exist, yes, but in Punjab, Sindh and parts of Balochistan. These laws of these regions are derived from old Indus traditions.
The Pathans follow mostly Islamic law and hence there are no such rulings. Before the Pathans embraced Islam, they were mostly Jews. Islamic and Judaic laws are very similar so the transition was not too bad or hard.
2- Sharing the same religion. The fact of the matter is that Pakistan is made of 5 distinct nations: Sindhi; Pathan; Punjabi; Balochi; Muhajireen. The Muhajirs are basically from separate parts of India who settled mostly in Sindh.
All of these groups are pre-dominantly Sunni. They all follow the same school of thought (namely, the hanafi school). Therefore, it is very easy to unite all of these nations under their common principles. Culturally, they all can be poles apart and religion is the only common thread between them. Since all of them follow the same school, it follows their interpretations are exactly the same. Is it any wonder then that pre-partition era the muslims of this entire region lived peacefully for over a thousand years?? Clearly the fault is in the PRESENT setup.
3- Separation of Religion and State. This point is debatable, but I will say this much that dont EVER think that there is only ONE solution or way. Separation of religion and state may have helped the West, but it is already showing fault lines, which will crack open somewhere down the road. You may read one of my earliers posts on this topic (Understanding the West).
This last point you raise will require another thread and I may just write about it in the future.
Tobah! kitna boltay ho !
No, creation. Why do you ask?
Al-rep,
1.
The law of the village elders etc. doesn't go away, though. It may be limited to certain regions, and be transfered even to Manchester or Bradford via immigration - but it still is a problem amongst (but not limited to) Pakistani tribes and as such one your country must deal with.
Apart from the recent fatwa on honour killings and the Muktharam Mai (sic?) case a couple of years ago which wasn't exactly handled in an exemplary manner (ban her from travelling abroad -WTF??); as a simple Joe Bloggs in the West I cannot see much effort there to curb this stone age behaviour.
At least you acknowledged that the Pathans, and their Afhgani forebears are the lost tenth tribe of Israel. Not many Muslims want to know. *hat tip*
So, anyways, you may not like it, but as a Muslim you have to deal with wrongful perceptions and cliches that are being associated with your religion. Be it tribal laws or radical interpretations of the Koran, hadith etc.
-
Nobody will sort out these discrepancies in the daily application of Islam for you.
Nobody from outside can impose religious unity or clear direction.
But if you, and I understand, many Muslims all over the world complain about being thrown together with Islamic extremists then you better do something about it. There is clearly a need for clarification.
Just trying to be a good and peaceful Muslim won't do, even if that is all that is required from you.
Silence is acquiescence.
And that's a legal precedent.
2.
It didn't look like the religious community in Pakistan is all that homogenous.
There are clearly lots of madrasas like the red mosque in Islamabad, full of weapons and ready to go off any time. They clearly have a not so peaceful agenda. It may be 'diverse', but I can't see that as very democratic. Unless you tell me that THAT is the intent of Muslims in Pakistan?
3.
Separation of religion and state.
I am sorry, but there is only one way. A state is either laicist, or not. Religion or other belief systems may foster and encourage values and moral behaviour, but that doesn't mean it should be forced on people as a state religion.
Yes, there are fault lines, there is an erosion of values that used to be associated and instilled by religion in the West - but at the same time there is a renaissance of a freely defined moral codex divorced from religion.
You may find that incomprehensible but we in the West rather like having the freedom to choose whether or not to follow any religious moral codex, without any bearing whatsoever on one's status as equal citizen.
Nick:
You only have to read Islamic history to know that we have ALWAYS found a way out of our miseries, thanks be to God.
What you mention as reformation, we actually have repeatedly gone through REVIVAL. The problem of militant Islam today is because of geo-political crises in the Muslim World and the inability of the Muslim governments to (1) reflect public opinion; (2) offer us a tanglible solution to our problems; (3) do anything decisive in terms of military engagement.
Terrorism as we know it today sprung up in the Islamic World after the slap upon slap the Muslim world got thanks to our leaders. From the 6-day bashing at the hands of the Israelis to the tragedy of 1971 in Pakistan and now in 2003 when the entire Islamic World (read, governments) stood there watching with bangles in their hands as America and the "coalition of the willing" came flying to bomb us.
All of this is going somewhere and I am sure yours and my grandkids will sit back and read in their history books how all this ended.
Al-rep,
All I can say is: Every people has the leaders it deserves.
Nick:
Agreed!
I like BR as well and someone who means a lot to me sent me a really nice and very different cologne by BR. It's called "Black Walnut".
Shame on you brother for supporting western outlets which we are trying to boycott. Till we are totally non-dependent on the infidels, there's no honour for us.
Anon 12 Aug, 9:16pm
Quite right, too!
I think Al-rep should really only wear good Islamic eau de cologne.
Maybe the one Sheika Lubna created.
Or 'Ravishing Raghead'
or 'Muslim Musk'
or 'Sunni senses'
or 'PBUH'
Hahaha nick and anon! You bloody haters! :)
Nick:
Well, my agreement with you is actually a catch-22 for you as well.
If you are American, George W. Bush represents you. If you are British, Tony Blair and the Queen (ugghhhh) represents you!
So we are on the same boat here :P
Al-rep, sorry to disappoint you.
I am neither American nor British...which is great - I can sit on the fence and point fingers and never have to defend my government.
Al - Nick's an Aussie or perhaps an Irish eh?
Rosh:
Hehe, yeah, try all the white combinations :P
I like BR as well and someone who means a lot to me sent me a really nice and very different cologne by BR. It's called "Black Walnut". You should try it perhaps.
That someone was ME yay! I am glad you like the smell hehe.
And I should be your #1 fan of all time! :P
M4L:
But you HATE it when I blog! :(
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