ARAB, IRAN MASS UPRISING AND PAKISTANI PRESS?
Dr. Khurshid Alam. Khurshidalam44@hotmail.com
The ongoing uprising in Arab world and Iran is a welcome sign. The decades of strangulation has at last found its voice and barricade of terror has been broken. Every mass uprising must be supported, though some will be a bit cynical as we yet to know the direction it takes. But the rise against despots and tyrannical regimen in itself is a step forward in a right direction symbolising public awakening. Awakes cannot be misled easily and if they go wrong it is easy for them to rise again and correct their direction. All the oppressed nations and democrats must support it.
There are many fears in the minds of our people like it may be hijacked by a group of thugs or the international vested interest will force them to compromise for their own vested interest in this oil rich land.
The fear is visible in American’s double standards pleading dialogue in Bahrain, Yemen and Jordan and total change in other countries. The Norwegian Foreign Minister was right to say that unless the western counties should have uniform attitude to all democratic uprising and armed intervention on the ground.
I am strongly of the view that all those who have committed crimes against humanity must face the international court. A uniform criterion must be formulated for this too. USA and UK must be dragged to face international court. Bush and Blair must face the court if we want to do justice to the innumerable civilians Iraqis, Afghans and others. Those who are no more with us they should be tried post humus .
These fears have their valid reasons but to keep quiet will further increase these chances and disheartened the masses. After all to break this vicious silence is a step to be adored and supported.
These despots were trying to convert authoritarian and totalitarian regimens in to kingdoms. They succeeded in Syria and that is exactly what Hosni Mubarak and Kaddafi wanted to do. There is hardly difference between the two. Centralization of authority and intolerance to opposition are common features of both systems but it will push the humanity 100 years back and will be a great setback to human evolution.
It is not understandable that the so-called free press of Pakistan is completely mum on such a historical change in a vital region. It points out to one fact that our press is also being controlled by outside forces like other institutions. The same press adopted the same attitude during Vietnam War where there was carpet-bombing and even the British press could not resist to say that Hanoi is surviving in the caves.
Our journalists are beating the drum of free press but in my view it is a sold commodity. Their freedom ends in political assassinations. It is the only forum that the members of a political school are dubbed as independent political analysts. They have never read that those who are sold cannot be buyers as Bacha Khan said. The more I think about them the more I justify myself to call them electronic Taliban.
It is also surprising for me that none of our political parties spoke a word of support or condemned the genocide by the Qazafi and his ruthless son, the heir to the throne.
The situation between Egypt and Libya is totally different. Egypt has a disciplined national army who owe their loyalty to the country while Libya has thugs of criminals and mercenaries who are paid to be loyal to his authority. In his authority is their survival. In genocide is their life. It bears the similarities with the thugs in Afghanistan and Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa of Pakistan.
If other parties are keeping mum at least the party of Bacha khan should loudly speak out. He fought for freedom and nonviolence through out his life. It will be the only to universalise his teachings. Wherever there is a drop of human bloodshed that should be the centre of the world. If one sees the tyranny and ceases to speak that is the beginning of his death. As Stalin said one death is a tragedy, many deaths are statistics. Let us condemn the tragedy and raise our voice instead of shedding crocodile tears or moan on statistics.
It is a crime to confine Bacha khan to one nation. He is the property of humanity. We must be loud and clear. We know that Pakistan is being given petrol free of cost for its Navy and Air Force but they must realise that we do pay a big price by providing protection to the Arab kings and sheikhs and provide training to their personnel.
It was our mercenary army who massacred Palestinians just to protect a Hashemite king and again it was our forces to kill scores of Muslims inside holy Kaaba and still our forces are spread all over Arab world to protect the totalitarian regimens.
There can be another explanation for the silence of Islamic Ideologists of Pakistan that only kings, sheikhs and despots are Muslims and the general public are not included in Muslim Ummah. Those who can give us some charity should be defended according to Islam but no voice should be raised if these slaughter others in cold blood.
Our national values are much more expensive than to please Saudi. We owe our respect and survival to the martyrs of Khudai Khidmatgar who sacrificed their lives, to give us the right to live with honour. If we have lost that honour it is we who have surrendered it.
We must support them morally and diplomatically. The tiny input that can be made is to take out processions and through available means convey them our support. The electronic Taliban should shift their attention to that strategically most important and economically more crucial area.
Dated: 24/02/11
