A Pulverised Muslim Leadership
By Dr Shireen M Mazari • Jan 3rd, 2009 • Category: Politics, Worth A Second Look • 19 CommentsOnce again the tragic pulverization of the Muslim leadership has revealed itself in the mumblings and fumblings that have followed the launch of the new Israeli military campaign to annihilate the Palestinian people that dare to seek an end to Israel’s illegal occupation of their lands – or even those that simply dare to exist with a modicum of self-respecting defiance of Israeli fascism. Over 400 people killed so far by Israel’s military machine, so carefully aided and abetted by the US and its European allies. So where are the voices of the Muslim world? Where is some action to show that they will not allow Israel to commit genocide of the Palestinians? A few muted declaratory protests are all that have come so far. Is the Muslim World really so helpless in the face of Israeli abuse backed by the US?
No. The helplessness of the Muslim world is a myth. The reality is that the Muslim leadership – primarily Arab in the context of Palestine – has chosen to be pulverized into submission to the US and its more belligerent western allies. After all, despite numerous incidents of aggression and abuse at the hands of the US and Israel, the Arab leadership – barring some exceptions like Syria – continues to rely financially and militarily on the US and Europe. Their weapon systems are from these parts and their financial assets continue to lie primarily in the banking systems of the west. Both these facts could, of course, be used as a source of pressure also but that would require a strong and defiant Arab leadership and that does not seem to be on the horizon. Yet just imagine what a withdrawal of financial assets from the west would do! And just imagine how many arms industries would feel the pinch, and maybe even go under, if the Arab states did not buy their weapon systems! And one has not even begun to see the already-demonstrated-in-the-seventies power of oil.
But none of these elements of defiance will come into play so the Israelis will have a free hand in killing Palestinians by the hundreds – unless some western states with a genuine conscience and commitment to human rights, like some of the Nordic states or Canada, move forcefully but their power is limited partly by politics and partly by their still existing guilt over the Jewish Holocaust at the hands of the European monster of Nazism. It is indeed a supreme irony that the belated rejection of this European crime is allowing states to accept attempted genocides today – be it of the Bosnian Muslims, the Palestinians or the Muslims of Gujarat.
Perhaps an even greater tragedy is that the Muslim leadership has lost its will to stand up against all this abuse. If the Arabs would have taken their resources out of the west and invest it effectively in the Muslim World, especially the poorer but more technically competent Muslim states, the global picture would have been different today. If the Arab world would have stopped hosting US armed forces, so many murderous global designs of this unilateralist imperial power would have been undermined. For those Arab states that have security fears from their neighbourhood, surely dialogue and security pacts with strong Muslim states could have been a more viable alternative. As for purchasing of western weapon systems, if they are truly needed and alternatives are not considered viable, the dependency works both ways and could be exploited by the purchaser also.
But all this is mere day dreaming or wishful thinking. Or is it? After all the uplifting example of Hezbollah’s success against Israel; the Iranian nation’s steadfastness against US bullying; and even Syria’s dignified and assertive reaction to one US bombing attack on its territory that should put a militarily much stronger Pakistan to shame. At another plane, there is the Mahatir economic miracle and political assertiveness. Again, at a time when Pakistan’s leadership continues to bow ever lower to the US, a look in the easterly direction of Malaysia would not be amiss. Of course, if we could only have learnt some lessons from our long standing Chinese friends, we would have perhaps traversed less tumultuous paths.
But today we have reduced the country into a place where the rich and influential break all rules; where their children defy any institutional standards or procedures for jobs; and where repression and power grabbing are the norms, with rulers wanting absolute power – be they in uniform or in civvies. Is it any wonder then that there is no spirit left to defend against external or internal threats to our existence? The powerful grab all and move back to their nests abroad while the rest turn in despair to prayer and the life hereafter in their pillaged state.
Coming back to the self-created helplessness of the Muslim world in the face of the incessant abuse and violence unleashed by Israel and the US, one may well ask where the UN is today. Clearly it’s Security Council has been reduced to an organization that is here to defend only the US and its allies and their agendas. That is why Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has been reduced to whimpering a protest against the latest Israeli attempt at genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza. First they starved them of all amenities including basic health, food and water and now they are moving in with military attacks while the US prevents any international condemnation through the UNSC.
But the UNSC has become a highly contentious political body for some time now – especially in the face of the demise of bipolarity. After all, look at its absurdities on the terrorism issue. While the UNSC’s Committee on Taliban and Al Qaeda is Muslim-specific, the Counter Terrorism Committee is not. Yet one has seen no efforts to put the Hindu RSS and VHP violent extremist groups on the terrorist list. Nor has any thought even been given to state terrorism that the US is perpetrating in Iraq and Pakistan; that Israel is carrying out in Palestine; and that India is continuing in Occupied Kashmir. It is no wonder then that the UN feels under siege and has to barricade itself behind concrete in countries like Pakistan despite the fact that our soldiers die for the UN in the largest numbers and we continue to pay our UN contribution which helps pay the fattened salaries of the UN personnel that seem to regard Pakistan as a hostile land! Even the windows have been bricked up. What a farce! The UN may as well leave Islamabad since at the moment it is merely adding to our already many miseries. If it distrusts the people of Pakistan so much it should also look elsewhere for Blue Berets in the future.
But which Pakistani leader will have the national dignity to stand up for Pakistan? Where is the voice of protest on these counts by affected states like Pakistan? Our official voice is too busy seeking subjugation before the US grand design. That is why when US Secretary of State Rice calls India she calls her equivalent external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee (who seems to have discovered the true spirit of Islam suddenly); but when she calls Pakistan she calls the president directly!
Yes, like so many of the resource-rich and financially powerful Muslim states, the militarily powerful and potentially resource-laden Pakistan has also been pulverized psychologically into a state with a muted and whimpering voice. Despite the military capability, our leaders are not prepared to defend their people against the daily US drone attacks, that are shrinking the space for moderation in the country (the frivolities of our leaders was so clearly laid out by Farrukh Saleem in his last column, but even that was simply one part of a much wider absurdity gripping our leaders). How are we expected to effectively raise our voice for the Palestinians then? And is it any wonder that Muslim people are being massacred with impunity today?
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The writer is a defence analyst.
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Jinnah’s Pakistan Booms Amidst Doom and Gloom
Media reports from Pakistan often portray a picture of doom and gloom, with the IMF bailout of the economy, terrorist training camps, Islamic radicals, horrible governance, and corrupt and inept politicians making the headlines around the world. The adjective of “failed state” is often used to describe Pakistan. Is there more to the story than the big headlines? Is there hope for Pakistanis amidst the doom and gloom? On Quaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah’s 132nd birthday today, I think there is. The telecommunication, information technology, higher education, media and the middle class progress started during Musharraf-Aziz years continues to have its impact on the country founded by the Quaid-e-Azam more the 61 years ago. Here are a few things I found posted by a fellow blogger on Tech Lahore blog:
1. Pakistan is the most connected country in South Asia, with the highest teledensity. The Internet penetration in Pakistan is at 10% versus 5% in India, according to ITU.
2. Pakistan’s communications costs are lower than any other country in the region.
3. Pakistan has the world’s largest biometric database (NADRA); this system (not the data) is now being provided to allied countries.
4. Pakistan has the world’s largest WiMAX network.
5. Pakistan has one of the world’s most aggressive Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) rollouts.
6. Pakistan has one of the highest rates of cellular connectivity growth in the world (According to PTA 2007’s report the rate of growth in Pakistan’s mobile sector is fourth highest in the world).
7. Pakistan was the winner of the 2007 GSM industry association award.
8. The US is importing UAVs designed and built in Pakistan to protect America’s borders.
9. With WLL (CDMA), WiMAX, GSM and FTTH, Pakistan is pretty much leading the pack in terms of diversity and breadth of connectivity.
10. According to Gartner, Pakistan is a “first category” offshoring location; this ranking has grown by leaps and bounds.
11. Pakistani companies won several awards at Asia’s APICTA startup/innovation conference and were considered the most “interesting” and cutting edge in Asia.
12. The world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional is a Pakistani and so is the world’s youngest Cisco CCNA professional.
13. Pakistani students excelled in MIT’s global software talent competition.
14. Citations of Pakistani scientific publications are rising sharply.
15. Over two dozen Pakistani scientists are working on the Large Hadron Collider; the grandest experiment in the history of Physics.
The Wall Street Journal did a story in September 2007 on Pakistan’s start-up boom that said, “Scores of new businesses once unseen in Pakistan, from fitness studios to chic coffee shops to hair-transplant centers, are springing up in the wake of a dramatic economic expansion. As a result, new wealth and unprecedented consumer choice have become part of Pakistan’s volatile social mix.”
In the absence of any visionary and pro-active political leadership in the nation, Pakistan will likely continue to be heavily influenced by external factors and events in the foreseeable future. The change in Washington and potential change in Delhi in 2009 will likely have a far greater impact on Pakistan than anything Pakistani leaders say or do.
I am hopeful that people of Pakistan, especially the young entrepreneurial and the professional classes, will continue to do their best to help extend the positive legacies of Musharraf-Aziz years. I believe it can be safely said that the communications revolution (accompanied by dramatic growth in the vociferous electronic and new media) as well as a significant enlargement of the middle class in Pakistan helped sow the seeds of the end of arbitrary actions by President Musharraf. In other words, Musharraf pulled a Gorbachev (a la perestroika that unleashed uncontrolled energies) by enabling powerful resistance to his arbitrary rule. Some of these changes that Musharraf brought are durable and I hope will make our rulers more accountable. There will still be abuse of power but the media spotlight will hopefully shine brightly on it to the detriment of the abusers. Eventually there will be real participatory democracy to serve all Pakistanis with appropriate checks and balances imposed by a much larger and more powerful and aware middle class essential for true democratic governance in Pakistan, or anywhere else.
Here are two video clips of Pakistan’s progress in the last few years:
Related Links:
Pakistan’s Foreign Visitors Pleasantly Surprised
Start-ups Drive a Boom in Pakistan
Pakistan’s Telecom Boom
ITU Internet Data
NEDUET Progress Report 2008
Pakistani Entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley
Musharraf’s Economic Legacy
Should Pakistanis be Proud of Their Country?
When Shaukat Aziz took over as finance minister and later as Prime Minister, Pakistani economy was in shambles. In 1999 Pakistan’s total debt as percentage of GDP was the highest in South Asia – 99.3 percent of its GDP and 629 percent of its revenue receipts, compared to Sri Lanka (91.1% & 528.3% respectively in 1998) and India (47.2% & 384.9% respectively in 1998). Internal Debt of Pakistan in 1999 was 45.6 per cent of GDP and 289.1 per cent of its revenue receipts, as compared to Sri Lanka (45.7% & 264.8% respectively in 1998) and India (44.0% & 358.4% respectively in 1998). Read more about it here.
Most recent figures in 2007 indicate that Pakistan’s total debt stands at 56% of GDP, significantly lower than the 99% of GDP in 1999. It also compares favorably with India’s debt-to-GDP ratio of 59% and Sri Lanka’s 85% in 2007. From being the highest debtor nation in South Asia, Pakistan has, in fact, become the lowest debtor nation in its region and achieved economic growth rate of about 7% a year during the last 6 years.
The Economist magazine in its June 12 issue comments on Pakistan’s current and past Economic Performance as follows:” (The current) macroeconomic disarray will be familiar to the coalition government led by the Pakistan People’s Party of Asif Zardari, and to Nawaz Sharif, whose party provides it “outside support”. Before Mr Sharif was ousted in 1999, the two parties had presided over a decade of corruption and mismanagement. But since then, as the IMF remarked in a report in January, there has been a transformation. Pakistan attracted over $5 billion in foreign direct investment in the 2006-07 fiscal year, ten times the figure of 2000-01. The government’s debt fell from 68% of GDP in 2003-04 to less than 55% in 2006-07, and its foreign-exchange reserves reached $16.4 billion as recently as in October.”
The turn-around engineered by Shaukat Aziz was applauded around the world. A 2005 Bloomberg headline, as reported by China’s Peoples Daily, proclaimed as follows: “The world’s second-fastest growing economy after China is no longer India. It’s Pakistan.”
Here’s an excerpt from a UN Economic Survey 2008 report: “Pakistan’s economy maintained its momentum in 2007, growing by 7%, slightly more than the 6.6% for 2006. Agricultural sector growth recovered sharply, from 1.6% in 2006 to 5% in 2007, while the manufacturing sector growth continued at 8.4% in 2007, slightly more moderate than the 10% for 2006. Services grew at 8% in 2007, down from 9.6% in 2006. But exports were sluggish in 2007, with economic growth largely driven by strong domestic demand. Investment overtook consumption, helped by a surge in domestic private investment and record foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. In 2007, investment in real terms increased by over 20%.”
The strong consumer demand in Pakistan drove large investments in real estate, construction, communications, automobile manufacturing, banking and various consumer goods. Millions of new jobs were created. By all accounts, the ranks of the middle class swelled in Pakistan during Shaukat Aziz’s term in office. According to Tara Vishwanath, the World Bank’s lead economist for South Asia, about 5% of Pakistanis moved from the poor to the middle class in three years from 2001-2004, the most recent figures available.
Dr Shireen M Mazari has said few interesting things and I need to tell you a story.
It was year 1956 and was not very long that Word War II had seen its end in 1945. Pangs and inflictions of WW II spread all around fresh and wounds were still bleeding. All the colonial powers in control of their subjugated lands especially in Muslim world had just completed their final phase of retreat. They were forced to leave their fiefdoms but with heavy hearts. The natives of the colonial subjugated lands were gleeful that all of a sudden they were let free; India and Pakistan were among them. The retreating U.S. Armed forces have not yet fully touched back US shores that President Gamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal sea route. But in order to secure the strategic route of Suez Canal; British’s along with France turned back and decided to unleashed a full fledged war against Egypt called 1956 Suez War to retrieve back Suez Canal. U.S. butt in to admonish Gamal Abdul Nasser. Gamal Abdul Nasser budged to the dictates of U.S. British’s as well as France were convinced by U.S. to stay away from Egypt as President Jamal Abdul Nasir had given enough of assurance of an accessibility to the Suez Canal operation. Both the allies agreed to it. Ever since; Suez Canal is—- that it is till date open like a free high way for all the western traffic and Egypt is also earning reason able revenue.
Egypt decision to budge and sit in the lap of United States America has proved to be such a hard n fast bindings rule that they even need not to change the U.S. installed Presidential government except that their Presidents are killed or they die a natural death.
The aim of telling you above story is that what all was said by the then President of United States; David Dwight Eisenhower on this occasion is worth pondering upon that it set the pace of Middle Eastern history. When asked that while western powers were to vacate now from the lands of Middle East; what should be done of Middle East?
His answer was; “Simply install the kings and princes here to act as Bobby on the beat to police the streets of Arab lands, with their Police Headquarter—- in Washington”.
That was the day and we are here today; there is no change in status quo. Needless to say that entire Middle East is practically under occupation by the west except this that all the facades around Kahba and Masjid e Nabvi as well as the palaces of other Middle Eastern kings princes and emirates are awashed and ornamented in gold. Does our God only wanted an eye dazzling tombs and minarets to build in the name of Islam? Is that the end of the story? Or merely the performing of our religious rituals like Hajj and Omeras are the only Islamic connections that Muslim are allowed to identify with the sacred land.
Fact is that creation of Israel in the Arab land is like dagger thrusted in the heart of Arabs with the aim to keep them bleeding—– always. Ever since Palestinians installed at the Arab front line, are bearing the brunt of Israeli savagery. The Arabs are enjoying their hay day at the cost of distinction of Palestinians in the bubble created of oil wealth and opulence which is but to burst now—-any day.
“Perhaps an even greater tragedy is that the Muslim leadership has lost its will to stand up against all this abuse. If the Arabs would have taken their resources out of the west and invest it effectively in the Muslim World, especially the poorer but more technically competent Muslim states, the global picture would have been different today.”
Indeed! thank god it didnt happen. empowerment of muslims would haev ruined teh world further, if its not already so. the Arabs are alrfaedy invetsign their resources to sponsor terrorism the world over… if they were to do more of it, the world will see a fresh bout of violence and massacre of all non-muslims. after all non-muslims are dead, they will kill each other - shiahs will kill sunnis and vice-versa.
@AOM: Phir bijli chali gai…….
@ the commenter above: Chill out and come to your senses…
Dear Dr.Shireen Mazari,
1. Can you kindly explain the term to readers of TPS ” MUSLIM LEADERSHIP”?
2.Also your comment ” in this context the Arab leadership”?.what is the difference?
3. You are equating RSS and VHP to TALIBAN AND ALQUEADA. Has the RSS/VHP ever killed any Pakistani in pakistan or Arabs in Middleast or Afghan in Afghanistan? It has killed Indian Muslims in Gujerat who burnt 50 Hindu pilgrims, Indian christians in Kandhmal who killed a 85 year old Hindu swami and 5 of his disciples with AK 47s.
4.You know the price of crude was 27 dollars per barrlel during 2004 and it surged to $147 a barrel during entire 2008. You can calculate by ordinary maths , how much money Saudi Arabia,Kuwait,UAE and other oil exporting countries earned during this period. Then Why Saudi arabia (socalled benefactor of Your SOCALLED PURE ISLAMIC NATION PAKISTAN) didnot even sanction $4billion for petroleum facility of your country when your President went with begging bowl. Only china gave $ 500 million.finally it is IMF which doled out your financial system by giving $7.5 billion.You know IMF is a US sponsored UN lap dog.Why not your self respecting Muslim nation reject this offer? Or why not your socalled MUSLIM LEADERSHIP save YOUR pure islamic country from this humiliation? Even the Pakistani Taliban which carried out Mumbai attacks showed more wisdom by delaying its Mumbai attack from 27th sept to 26/11 till IMF loan is sanctioned!!!!!!!!
If you have any intellectual Honesty , you must ask the SAUDI ARABIA LEADERSHIP WHY IT HAS NOT ALLOWED ITS CITIZENS TO TRAVEL TO YOUR COUNTRY while allowing them to go to India,Bangladesh,China etc?
Shireen,
Why don’t you advise Hafeez Saed, Maulana Azar, Saluluddin et al to give up terrorism instead of preaching the Muslim leadership to take cudgels on so Israeli attack. You very well know that Israel attacked Hamas for firing rockets on innocent Israelis.
[...] leave a comment » A Pulverised Muslim Leadership | The Pakistani Spectator. [...]
A minority of Pakistanis actually participate in acts of terrorism, but the majority of Pakistanis support that minority with money, logistics, and are generally happy with events such as 26/11 in Mumbai and elsewhere in India.
Every country, where Muslims are in the majority, is an Islamic state. In others, where they are in the minority, they cause trouble.
Look at Saudi Arabia, where even educated natives don’t open their mouths to social injustices and brutalisation by the state. Nor do they talk of equal participation in the governance and polity. When a Pakistani goes to work in Saudi Arabia or any Gulf country, he is treated as a second class import there. Can the mullahs and clerics in Pakistan say double standards!
No reply will be given to the questions posted above. people like shireen will just **, wag their tails, get accolades from other like-minded ***, and go away into the darkness. reasoning was never an option with these fanatics and ignorants.
@Johann: Read this first..http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arundhati-roy/9-is-not-11_b_150637.html Then come and ask these questions. You must also do one more thing and that is go save your missiionary friends who are being butchered in your country..or just sit tight in your house they will come to you soon.
@Anon: With your so elloquently put comment you have yourself demonstrated who is the real barking dog or a fanatic is. Keep it up and we will keep on patting on your back like we do with our dogs.
@mk
You too must go and save ur SHIA FRIENDS……..AHMADI FRIENDS……..
what the aom wrote is all well and good but what about all the rest of pakistans masses who are so poor that recenly a woman comitted suicide with her kids off a bridge, i had never heard of that before and that in the news as well, the rich get richer and the poor well they just die. The only way out of this hell hole is for muslims to return to the teachings of the koran, becos we have lost our way, which is why we have been given corrupt leaders and we are being massacred on a daily scale, not even one innocent person deserves to have their life taken away from them but its happening in majority of muslim countries, we must ask the question why? rich or poor we will all be asked on the day of judgement what did we do to help the helpless and innocent.We must all rise up and take back our rights, the muslim ummah is angry at what is taking place but our leaders have sold us all out in the name of “War on Terror” I hope and pray we awaken our sleeping hearts and minds and Allah gives us strengh and guidance.
Aashique of Musharraf,
I am surprised to learn that “Internet penetration in Pakistan is at 10% versus 5% in India” (India is about 3.5 million sq. km, while Pakistan is about 800000 sq. km.), and inspired to know that “Pakistan has, in fact, become the lowest debtor nation in its region” (By September 2008, Pakistan had squandered more than $7 billion of its foreign currency reserves in 10 months, and its budget deficit had reached its highest level since the late 1970s. Much has been blown on arms, with the military accounting for some 15% of government spending. For Pakistan, international concessions are literally about keeping the lights on; industry and households alike are already struggling with lengthy power cuts, which in turn curb economic activity.)
Because of your claims alone, I am going to dump India and embrace Pakistan. I have lost all respect for India after reading your insightful post. From now on, the standards of education and living of your countrymen will be my sole judge of quality in all walks of life. Not!
Hi MK,
I asked one simple question to Dr.Mazari. Who is the “”Muslim leadership”" she is referring to?.If she cannot answer can you answer them please?
Hi Johann,
I can certainly not speak for Dr. Mazari as it will both not be appropriate to try and preampt her mind and also not feasible for me.
As for some of your questions I think it is easier to ask them but difficlt to answer them. You are a writer on this portal. I invite you to write your own mind on these issues if you think what Dr. Mazari is saying is contradicting common logic or truth. You can pick up a pen and write can’t you so do it. I am sure the editors of this blog will welcome your point of view.
And i am sure you must be aware that Hindu religion is a majority religion in mostly India and Nepal and therefore your favourity terror groups RSS/VHP can only kill muslims in india and christians in India. But unlike this Muslims are a majority populaiton in 51 or 52 countries of the world. so i think your question three is redundant.
Also it seems from your comment that you are a proponant of extra judicial killings and justice out of court as you put forward the justifications for butchering of muslims in india by the hindu extremists. I would certainly be interested in finding out your opinion in detail if you would like to write about that too in one of your posts.
And i would suggest some restraint in jumping to conclusions as to who is behind Mumbai. Dont fforget it were people like you who jumped the media band wagon on train bombings as well but then never talked about your colleague peruhit. Do you think your colleague peruhit is a hero or a criminal? Please enlighten us all with a post.
MK,
What about the other points mentioned by Johann, like the people who killed Hindus and Christians in India?
Do you have answer for that? If you can call RSS and VHP in India as terror groups than what are JuD and other such groups in Pakistan that support terror in Kashmir and other part of India.
The only question that I want to ask you is why are you so much bothered about Muslims in India getting killed or tortured or whatever. Has a single Indian Muslim did any act in Pakistan seeing his other Muslims brothers dieing of hunger and not getting necessary education.
If you are so much worried about your Muslims friends then why don’t your so called extremists go to Israel and kill a few Jews over there. Why you only have to spread this hate in India, why not in any other part of the world.
Also on the current thing that has happened India has proof that the people came from Pakistan and your investigation agency has all found that out now. Then why your country is still in denial mode and not taking action against them.
Till when will Pakistan continue to do this and support people like Lakhvi, Hafeez Saed, Maulana Azar, etc.
Till when India have to suffer from this policy of Pakistan?
You also need some lesson on using correct names it not peruhit but it is Purohit. Did you go to school? I guess not are you are not good in writing a proper sentence without a mistake.
I would like you to write something in proper English, but only if you can.
@ MK
The 2006 Samjhauta train blast was traced to a serving Indian Army Colonel “peruhit” and three others — there was no organised militant group involved, and the initial blame on Pakistan based groups was simply due to the fact that EVERY TERRORIST ATTACK in major Indian cities until then was the handiwork of ISI trained and funded terrorists. The Samjhauta attack was the FIRST of its kind EVER to have been carried out by a group espousing Hindu nationalism.
The above fact does not absolve Pakistan in its complicity in terrorism in India. It is like saying that since there were two Hindu terrorist attacks, this disproves ninety eight other Pakistan sponsored terrorist attacks in India.
Only a pseudo-intellectual like yourself will spin such half truths to justify their support for a terrorist state like Pakistan. Pakistan’s support for international terrorism is well known and acknowledged by western intelligence experts, too.
great information indeed