ARABS < IRAN UPRISING

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

ANOTHER IRON WALL IS CRUMBLING DOWN!

ANOTHER IRON WALL IS CRUMBLING DOWN!

Dr. Khurshid Alam. Khurshidalam44@hotmail.com

The fall of Berlin was celebrated throughout the world as the beginning of a long process that will bring down many walls, barbwires or lines erected or drawn by colonial powers to bring the divided nations together or remove the stooges of colonial powers who were installed to protect the interests of their ex-masters.

The Muslim world with exception of Afghanistan was under colonial rule. Algeria and few others fought for freedom. The others were given independence by their colonial master in a silver plate. It was in fact political and economical investment for the future by the colonial powers, as they could not maintain their grip any more after Second World War.

The Second World War though erased Japan, Germany and Italy to the ground but also break the back of colonial powers. In other words these three expansionists became the liberators of the colonies. But while colonial powers were departing they completely change the natural geographical boundaries and installed their faithfuls. Some countries were un-naturally divided, while some new were created like Pakistan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Havoc was played with Middle East. Saudi Arabia in its present form was the creation of British, Kuwait was carved from Iraq and Palestine was divided between the loyal Arab Sheikhs and Jews. Most of the boundaries were redrawn.

Palestine is still a bleeding wound. The rest Arab world were handed over to the cronies. Unlike socialist states where there was economical democracy but political dictatorship. On the other hand the capitalist countries had political freedom but economical dictatorship. The biggest Dollar dictatorship is in U.S.

In newly carved Middle Eastern countries had neither of the two. To be more honest it is applicable to most of the Muslim countries. To rule and strangulate their subjects they used religion as a lash. Terror was created.

In Islamic Republic of Iran Ex Prime Minister of Iran, Mr. Haveda was executed after two and a half minutes trial.

Mussadiq in Iran tried but was toppled by Americans and so Jamal Abdul Nasser was discredited using religion and King Faisal was propped in Saudi Arabia to counter Pan Arabism by religion.

These cronies blunted the Palestinians struggle. A Palestinian scholar in Dublin told me that a Democratic Nationalist Palestine is a threat to the Arab dictatorial regimens rather than Israel. He was of the opinion that if ever a Palestine state came in to existence these kingdoms will fall like house of cards one after the other.

In the same venue an American Film producer told me that it will take Israel less than 24 hours to completely capture Saudi Arabia bit it is not in American interest. It is easy to deal with Arab sheikhs to fix the price of petrol than to deal with Jews who are money minded.

They were right I believe Black September and occupation of Gaza by Egyptians were historical proofs that could not be defended on logic.

The sudden uprising in Arab world is the response to the wrong doings of colonial powers and decades long denial of human rights and freedom of speech. It was long overdue. Any how it is never late in human history as for the uprising against the tyranny is properly directed and peacefully sustained. Those who have been to these countries will support me that the masses after decades of suppression have done wonders to cross the barricade of terror and tyranny.

To every action there is equal and opposite reaction. Unless Americans and its allies hijack this revolutionary uprising it is bound to wash away these Tyrants. They deserve no mercy and should be dealt for their heinous crimes. They are pirate of humanity and they have brought shame for Islam.

In Pakistan this sort of uprising is least likely because of lack of trust between different nations but I would not agree with Mr. Ahsan Iqbal of Nawaz league that it is totally impossible and brushed aside. The corrupt rulers and impotent and purposeless opposition may rise suddenly and get rid of all existing political parties.

Iran has joined hands to prove that the Theocratic dictators are no different than totalitarian rulers. Tyranny is a common enemy.

The worrying factors is that this mass uprising in Arab world is not stolen by the theocrats as it happened after the fall Shah of Iran; Khalq was sidelined and eliminated.

The second worry is American. Gulf is strategically and economically most important for them. Israel worry speaks for it. They will try that this national tide is converted to some sort of constitutional changes to save the status quo. In Bahrain they tried and almost succeeded but probably the second thought of revolutionaries put the process back on track.

Unfortunately there is no political leadership to take this uprising to its logical conclusion. All the peace loving and democratic forces should support this movement with whatever at their disposal.

The history has cooked this wonderful opportunity and I sincerely hope and pray that it is not lost or diverted. Its failure will lead to a more tyrannical era, unimaginable in history. Let us prove that it is a global village in real sense and damage to one part can damage the whole village.

The men of words like Nelson Mandela and others should lend their moral support unconditionally.

Dated. 20/02/11