Monday, September 21, 2009
Pakistan
Clearly, we must work to erode the credibility and legitimacy of Pakistan's armed forces establishment whose very reason to be is its festering animosity towards India. Islamic fundamentalists are the second group to be opposed. It is not mere coincidence the two are aligned in vicious opposition to India and subvert by coordinated, violent means any move to improve bilateral relations.
IMO: George Bush himself allegedly threatened to bomb Pakistan back to the stone ages if they did not co-operate. They didn't, but he didn't, some would now say regrettably. Probably a decent air strike now against the Pakistan nuclear facility could at least temporarily neutralise Pakistan's nuclear problem which is by now as much an internal problem as an external problem. It seems that even the Israelis offered to do this at the time of Indira Gandhi.
But we must remember the other side of Pakistan. the public sex of the burkha-clad Wahabi women on the beach in Karachi - at least as alleged by journalist Mohammed Hanif - and all the rest of it.
IMO: I once considered Wahabism seriously but I must say that side of it was not represented to me, and whilst it seems annoyingly typical of one section of Islam, is probably more representative of some Pakistanis than of Islam.
Then there is the Pakistan of the rising middle class which wants modernisation but equates it with neither westernisation nor Islamisation. They are as horrified as we are at a video showing Taliban goons caning a woman and yet like us do not want to succumb entirely to the Coca-Cola culture. The sufi and pir traditions to which prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and brave journalists, judges and lawyers belong are also part of this Pakistan. The small, almost inconsequential section of westernised, 'liberated' men and women is yet another Pakistan. There is also the Pakistan of the Mohajirs who see themselves as increasingly marginalised and resent that. Finally, there is the Pakistan whose political leaders represent growing popular aspirations for freedom and rule of law.
IMO: Like many conservatives, I see a sensible Sufism is being perhaps one potential saviour of Pakistan. Gilani comes from a sufi family, is a thorough professional with well-established credentials for integrity. He is seen as distinct from his president who comes from a completely different background and perhaps with his own agenda. Gilani represents the aspirations, weaknesses and strengths of the Pakistani middle class. So, it could be worse even if it could be much better.
The Times of India says "India must continue to make bold attempts to improve ties and strengthen Pakistan's elected leadership to give it the wherewithal to begin confronting religious fundamentalists and resisting the armed forces establishment, the two worst enemies of the Pakistani people. At Sharm el-Sheikh, India gave away nothing in real terms. It only provided Gilani an opportunity to claim a breakthrough with his own hawks. If the strategy works, we would have an interlocutor with credibility and some capacity to resist the two groups most inimical to our interests."
IMO: George Bush himself allegedly threatened to bomb Pakistan back to the stone ages if they did not co-operate. They didn't, but he didn't, some would now say regrettably. Probably a decent air strike now against the Pakistan nuclear facility could at least temporarily neutralise Pakistan's nuclear problem which is by now as much an internal problem as an external problem. It seems that even the Israelis offered to do this at the time of Indira Gandhi.
But we must remember the other side of Pakistan. the public sex of the burkha-clad Wahabi women on the beach in Karachi - at least as alleged by journalist Mohammed Hanif - and all the rest of it.
IMO: I once considered Wahabism seriously but I must say that side of it was not represented to me, and whilst it seems annoyingly typical of one section of Islam, is probably more representative of some Pakistanis than of Islam.
Then there is the Pakistan of the rising middle class which wants modernisation but equates it with neither westernisation nor Islamisation. They are as horrified as we are at a video showing Taliban goons caning a woman and yet like us do not want to succumb entirely to the Coca-Cola culture. The sufi and pir traditions to which prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and brave journalists, judges and lawyers belong are also part of this Pakistan. The small, almost inconsequential section of westernised, 'liberated' men and women is yet another Pakistan. There is also the Pakistan of the Mohajirs who see themselves as increasingly marginalised and resent that. Finally, there is the Pakistan whose political leaders represent growing popular aspirations for freedom and rule of law.
IMO: Like many conservatives, I see a sensible Sufism is being perhaps one potential saviour of Pakistan. Gilani comes from a sufi family, is a thorough professional with well-established credentials for integrity. He is seen as distinct from his president who comes from a completely different background and perhaps with his own agenda. Gilani represents the aspirations, weaknesses and strengths of the Pakistani middle class. So, it could be worse even if it could be much better.
The Times of India says "India must continue to make bold attempts to improve ties and strengthen Pakistan's elected leadership to give it the wherewithal to begin confronting religious fundamentalists and resisting the armed forces establishment, the two worst enemies of the Pakistani people. At Sharm el-Sheikh, India gave away nothing in real terms. It only provided Gilani an opportunity to claim a breakthrough with his own hawks. If the strategy works, we would have an interlocutor with credibility and some capacity to resist the two groups most inimical to our interests."
# posted by uv : 5:41 AM
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