Internal security challenges of Pakistan

THE Supreme Court is disillusioned and disappointed at the failure of the federal government as well as the provincial governments of Sindh and Balochistan to maintain law and order by containing sectarian terrorism, controlling targeted killings, and apprehending organised crime mafias.

The Punjab government has not been able to rein in proscribed militant organisations or to check mob fury against hapless Christians in various incidents of religious intolerance, including those against other minorities.

Appeasement may result in the monster eating the appeaser last, but the diabolic nature ofthe threatcannotbe changed, come what may.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa politicians, even at the cost of some heroic sacrifices, find themselves constrained to follow the path of appeasement before the coming elections.

An olive branch is being extended to the terrorist outfits that do not recognise the constitution of Pakistan nor have faith in democracy.

The commanders of the armed forces, after a recent visit of their chief to Karachi and holding an urgent meeting in Rawalpindi, have conveyed their concern about the deteriorating law and order situation to their civilian commander-in-chief and president.

This also reflects the civilian-military disconnect in coming up with a concerted and joint strategy to deal with internal security fault lines.

The independent Election Commission is gearing up to hold a free and fair national election despite many handi-caps and road blocks from powerful political lobbies.

The mounting violence and mayhem is adding to the great challenges that it is facing in fulfilling public expectations.

Against this grim and gloomy backdrop, the caretaker governments, both in the centre and the provinces, are to be installed in a matter of days, to shoulder the onerous responsibility of helping the Election Commission hold free and fair elections in the country and providing adequate security by maintaining order and controlling violence in the run-up to the crucial polls. Internal security therefore will be the highest on the agenda of the caretaker administrations in the centre and the provinces. They would be well-advised to initiate a process of putting together an internal security policy framework that contains strong elements of a national counterterrorism and counter-extremism strategy.

To begin with, institutional infrastructure needs to be put in place to devise national security policy and implement internal security strategies. The following recommendations merit urgent consideration.

The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) comprising key federal ministers, military services chiefs, and heads of important intelligence agencies should meet every week with the prime minister in the chair to discuss national security issues.

A professional of impeccable credentials should be appointed national security adviser who should report to the prime minister and the cabinet. He should not only act as the secretariat of the DCC but undertake the task of putting together national security policy guidelines and a framework for implementa-tion by the federal and provincial stakeholders dealing with internal security.

The National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) should immediately put together an action plan on countering terrorism and religious extremism. Head of Nacta should report directly to the prime minister.

Heads of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and provincial inspectors general of police should all be carefully selected to comprise professionals of known integrity and competence, who can ensure the political neutrality of their respective departments.

Weekly intelligence coordination meetings should be held in the interior ministry with all the federal agencies like Nacta, IB, ISI, FIA etc.

under the aegis of the National Crisis Management Cell. Representatives of provincial Crime Investigation Departments (CID) may also be invited for sharing real-time intelligence and threat assessment.

The federal interior ministry and provincial home and police departments should take out and update the lists, maintained in the Fourth Schedule of the AntiTerrorism Act, of office-bearers and activists of banned militant organisations and those operating with new names for nefarious terrorist activities.

Fresh bonds for good conduct may be obtained from their leaders on watch-lists, the second-tier may be put under house arrest; and the bulk of activists and miscreants detained for three months under the Maintenance of Public Order.

Those men who trained in Afghanistan in the 1990s, around 5,000 in Punjab alone, need to be located as most ofthem have been sucked into militancy by terrorist outfits.

Proper surveillance of such groups is critical to defeat militancy.

Provincial CIDs, prosecution services and investigation officers must monitor the trial of all terrorism cases for successful prosecution and convictions. A close liaison must be established with the anti-terrorism courts whose performance is monitored by selected high court judges and a judge of the Supreme Court.

There should be zero tolerance for the display of weapons during the election campaign. Not only should bonds for ensuring peace be obtained from the candidates but the display of firearms in their presence should result in their disqualification.

Police should launch a campaign against illicit weapons.

Carrying of prohibited-bore licensed arms should also be banned.

The intelligence agencies should come out of their shells and dare to share information and actionable intelligence about the militants of proscribed outfits wanting to destabilise the country.

Similarly, the armed forces should be ready to render help to the entire state machinery including the Election Commission, the caretaker governments and the civil administration in ensuring peace and order for holding free, fair and transparent elections.

Finally, the grit of the nation will be tested in this hour of trial. Let people exercise their right to vote and foil the designs of forces that do not want to see Pakistan tread the democratic path to peace, progress and prosperity. • The 

By Tariq Khosa, a retired federal secretary and former DG FIA. 

http://dawn.com

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Deamolitiin of holy sites at Makkah, Medina & Expansion?

The destruction of sites associated with early Islam is an on-going phenomenon that has occurred mainly in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, particularly around the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The demolition has focused on mosques, burial sites, homes and historical locations associated with the Islamic prophet, Muhammad and many of the founding personalities of early Islamic history. In Saudi Arabia, many of the demolitions have officially been part of the continued expansion of the Masjid Al-Haram at Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and their auxiliary service facilities in order to accommodate the ever-increasing number of Hajj pilgrims. It has been argued that this phenomenon is part of the implementation of state-endorsed Wahhabi religious policy that emphasizes the Oneness of God (Tawhid). This interpretation claims that the demolitions reject the worship of divine proxies to God or practices and habits which they claim may lead to idolatry and polytheistic association (Shirk).

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Criticism of policy regarding religious heritage sites:

The last ten years have seen an increase in the demolition of sites in Mecca and Medina. As the annual Hajj continues to draw larger crowds year after year, the Saudi authorities have deemed it necessary to raze large tracts of formerly residential neighborhoods around the two mosques to make way for tourism-related infrastructure. Opposition to the phenomenon discussed in this stub has been limited but vocal. While many believe that the loss of the old-world character of the two cities is the inevitable result of progress and much needed modernization, others worry that the anonymous steel and concrete façade that is reshaping the sites is detracting from the cities’ spiritual purpose. With nearly 20 million pilgrims expected to visit Mecca in the coming years, developers are forecasted to spend an estimated $13 billion on the largest expansion project in the city’s history. While there is widespread agreement for the need of facilities that can accommodate greater numbers of pilgrims, the development of upscale hotels and condominium towers, restaurants, shopping centers and even two luxury spas has caused some to criticize the over-commercialization of a site which many consider to be a Divinely ordained sanctuary for Muslims (the very meaning of the Arabic word “Haram” is “sanctuary”). The rapid influx of capitalist investment in Mecca and Medina leads many to believe that money and economic growth are ultimately the bottom line for Saudi authorities. A proposition which critics argue works hand in hand with Wahhabi state policy that looks to impose a massive cultural and social deletion within the Holy Cities, erasing any elements that give way to practices that go against the Wahhabi creed.

Details of destroyed sites << click>>

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Islam's most holy relics are being demolished in Makkah

The authorities in Saudi Arabia have begun dismantling some of the oldest sections of Islam’s most important mosque as part of a highly controversial multi-billion expansion.

Photographs obtained by The Independent reveal how workers with drills and mechanical diggers have started demolishing some Ottoman and Abbasid sections on the eastern side of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.

The building, which is also known as the Grand Mosque, is the holiest site in Islam because it contains the Kaaba –  the point to which all Muslims face when praying. The columns are the last remaining sections of the mosque which date back more than a few hundred years and form the inner perimeter on the outskirts of the white marble floor surrounding the Kaaba.

The new photos, taken over the last few weeks, have caused alarm among archaeologists and come as Prince Charles – a long term supporter of preserving architectural heritage – flew into Saudi Arabia yesterday for a visit with the Duchess of Cornwall. The timing of his tour has been criticised by human rights campaigners after the Saudis shot seven men in public earlier this week despite major concerns about their trial and the fact that some of the men were juveniles at the time of their alleged crimes.

Many of the Ottoman and Abbasid columns in Mecca were inscribed with intricate Arabic calligraphy marking the names of the Prophet Muhammad’s companions and key moments in the founder of Islam’s life. One column which is believed to have been ripped down is supposed to mark the sport where Muslims believe Muhammad began his heavenly journey on a winged horse which took him to Jerusalem and heaven in a single night.

To accommodate the ever increasing number of pilgrims heading to the twin holy cities of Mecca and Medina each year the Saudi authorities have embarked upon a massive expansion project. Billions of pounds have been poured in to increase the capacity of the Masjid al-Haram and the Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina which marks where Muhammad is buried. King Abdullah has put the prominent Wahabi cleric and imam of the Grand Mosque, Abdul Rahman al-Sudais, in charge of the expansion while the Saudi Binladin Group – the country’s largest firms – has won the construction contract.

While there is little disagreement over the need to expand, critics have accused the Saudi regime of wantonly disregarding the archaeological, historical and cultural heritage of Islam’s two holiest cities. In the last decade Mecca has been transformed from a dusty desert pilgrimage town into a gleaming metropolis of sky scrapers that tower of the Masjid al-Haram and are filled with a myriad of shopping malls, luxury apartments and five star hotels.

But such a transformation has come at a cost. The Washington-based Gulf Institute estimates that 95 per cent of Mecca's millennium-old buildings have been demolished in the past two decades alone. Dozens of key historical sites dating back to the birth of Islam have already been lost and there is a scramble among archaeologists and academics to try and encourage the authorities to preserve what little remains.

Many senior Wahabis are vehemently against the preservation of historical Islamic sites that are linked to the profit because they believe it encourages shirq – the sin of idol worshipping.

But Dr Irfan al-Alawi, executive director of the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation which obtained the new photographs from inside the Grand Mosque, says the removal of the Ottoman and Abbasid columns will leave future generations of Muslims ignorant of their significance.

“It matters because many of these columns signified certain areas of the mosque where the Prophet sat and prayed,” he said. “The historical record is being deleted. A new Muslim would never have a clue because there’s nothing marking these locations now. There are ways you could expand Mecca and Medina while protecting the historical heritage of the mosque itself and the surrounding sites.”

There are signs that King Abdullah has listened to concerns about the historical destruction of Mecca and Medina. Last October The Independent revealed how new plans for the masjid an-Nabawi in Medina would  result in the destruction of three of the world’s oldest mosques on the west hand side of the main complex. However new plans approved by King Abdullah last week appear to show a change of heart with the bulk of the expansion now slated to take place to the north of the Masjid an-Nabawi.

However key sites are still at risk. The Independent has obtained a presentation used by the Saudis to illustrate how the expansion of Mecca’s main mosque will look. In one of the slides it is clear that the Bayt al-Mawlid, an area which is believed to be the house where Muhammad was born it, will have to be removed unless plans change.

The Independent asked the Saudi Embassy in London a number of questions about the expansion plans and why more was not being done to preserve key historical sites. They replied: “Thank you for calling, but no comment.”

Further reading

• Mecca for the rich: Islam's holiest site 'turning into Vegas'
• Why don't more Muslims speak out against the wanton destruction of Mecca's holy sites?
• Medina: Saudis take a bulldozer to Islam's history

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-photos-saudi-arabia-doesnt-want-seen--and-proof-islams-most-holy-relics-are-being-demolished-in-mecca-8536968.html

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Evil Henger for Power : Hasan Nisar

http://dunya.com.pk/news/authors/detail_image/2217_97679898.jpg

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One minute- 20 things happening

Every minute in world:

• 250 babies are born- 113 are born into poverty, 15 have birth defects.
• The average American household makes $0.096.
• Oprah Winfrey makes $523.
• The average person in the world makes $0.013.
• The average person in the Unites States with an IT career makes $0.13.
• The average person in India with an IT career makes $0.025.
• Someone working in a Nike factory in Vietnam makes $0.0014.
• Nike makes $36,505.
• 3 violent crimes are committed in the United States.
• There are 2 auto thefts committed in the Unites States.
• 55,757 barrels of oil are used.
• Lightning strikes the Earth 360 times.
• There are 5 earthquakes.
• 120,673 pounds of edible food is thrown away in the United States.
• 950,186 pounds of trash is thrown away in the United States.
• There are 9 new AIDS/HIV infections.
• There are 107 deaths- 18 die of starvation.
• What Zardari, Sharifs & co do ><<<<click>>>>>>
• <<<<<<Keep reading >>>>>>>>

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Imran Khan- Peshawar Historic Jalsa 10 March 2013

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• http://tune.pk/video/47562/jal1
• http://tune.pk/video/47507/Imran-Khan-Message-for-Pakistani-Youth-Become-Tabdeeli-Razakar-and-Secure-Naya-Pakistan

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International News Network See realtime coverage

1m youth to spread PTI's message of change: Imran I PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, while addressing a historic and mammoth gathering here on Sunday, announced the launch of "Tabdeeli Razakar Programme" comprising of one million young volunteers. ESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, while addressing a historic and mammoth gathering here on Sunday, announced the launch of "Tabdeeli Razakar Programme" comprising of one million young volunteers.  "Under the programme, one million enthusiastic youngsters would go from door-to-door to convey the party’s manifesto of change to the common people to pave the way for o positive change in across the country. Besides this, the volunteers would also perform duty at polling stations across country on the polling day to thwart any bid of rigging during polling process by wicked and crooks who want to steal away the destiny of the people of Pakistan," said Imran Khan while addressing a charged and emotional crowd during the historic public gathering here. PTI leaders Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Arif Alvi, Jahangir Khan Tareen, Dr Asad Umar, Asad Qaisar, Shaukat Yousafzai, Murad Saeed and Begum Nasim Hayat also addressed. Referring to his political opponents criticism and back-to-back surveys claiming decline in the PTI's popularity graph, Imran Khan asked his political foes to look at the mammoth gathering to know that the PTI's victory in the upcoming elections was a writing on the wall. "Those claiming that tsunami has subsided should themselves see this tsunami of the youth. They should know that the tsunami is rather getting more aggressive by the each day passing as the polls are nearing. Those who are afraid of the PTI's tsunami would have to suffer another shock on March 23 when they would have to see a flood of the people of Lahore and it would not be a mere tsunami but it would be a ‘tsunama’, which would help sweep away all the corrupt forces in the forthcoming elections," Imran Khan said. Imran Khan said that the PTI would also unveil its new manifesto which would address all the woes and issues being faced by the people of Pakistan on the streets. “On the election day, the people of Pakistan would have to decide whether the politics of money, greed and interest would prevail or the PTI's vision and ideology and passion of youth would stand triumphant,” remarked the PTI chief responding to the slogans of the charged crowed. Referring to the intra-party elections of the PTI, Imran Khan said that the party workers were busy in intra-party polls at the time when other parties were preparing for forthcoming general elections, because the PTI firmly believed that for bringing a revolution in the country it was a must to bring revolution within the ranks of the party itself, which other parties can only dream for. The PTI Chairman, while terming the participants as "lions and tigers" said that the intra-party polls had made life hell for leaders of the family-limited political parties as now the workers of those parties were raising questions and were pressing them for holding intra-party elections following the footsteps of PTI. "These parties did not give genuine leadership to the country by making nominations instead of electing people and rather they had made their parties family-limited outfits because their workers lacked the courage to question their leaders as there was no accountability system within their ranks. He said that in case of the PTI, every individual whosoever was accountable and the elected representatives could pull him out if he or she if any case of wrongdoing was proved against them. Imran Khan said that PTI had given the chance to its workers to elect their leaders and closed the door for Imran Khan’s sons and relatives to become head of the party like in other parties. “Nawaz and Bhutto’s suffix are a pre-requisite if you want to become leader of PML-N or PPP and that is why Bilawal Zardari had to change his name and added suffix Bhutto to become chairman of the party, which never to be happened in the PTI,” Imran Khan vowed. “I even could not think to make my son, Salman Khan a leader of PTI, because leaders could not be made by adding family suffix," he said and added that the PTI has taken up the gauntlet to eliminate the hereditary and dynastic politics from the country forever. Flaying the attacks against people of different communities, Imran Khan lashed out at the Punjab government, stating that had it not made an electoral alliance and seat-adjustment with the terrorist outfits, the gruesome incident at Badami Bagh in Lahore would not have taken place. "Those making false claims of good governance in Punjab should tell why the police had allowed a mob to ransack and set on fire around two hundred houses of the Christian community. The Punjab government should be ashamed of it". The PTI Chairman said that corruption and tax evading were the major ills that brought the country to a verge of collapse and leadership of the two major parties were mainly responsible for this, because they transferred their wealth to abroad by plundering the national kitty. Imran Khan warned them that though they had made record corruption of the history, they should bear in mind they would have to face a historical accountability when the PTI assumes power. The PTI Chairman made it clear that a coward, plunderer and selfish never become a leader, as for a true and genuine leader it was a must to be brave, honest, upright and selfless. Coming down hard on Maulana Fazlur Rehman on holding All Parties Conference (APC), Imran Khan questioned him why he had convened the APC when the tenure of the incumbent government was almost over. He said that the PTI had the solution of the unrest in tribal areas and on-going wave of terrorism and these issued would be resolved immediately by involving the tribal people and police if PTI was voted to power, as the ruling junta neither had the will nor the courage to deal with the issues. Imran Khan vowed that the PTI would along other issue had the solution for the prolonged and unscheduled power outage, which the other parties did not do even ruling the country for the last three-decade. RelatedImran Khan »

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Distortion factor

 The ruling classes have always feared being depicted in history as corrupt, or of being tyrants or despots. Hence, they have always adopted the policy of controlling history writing so that their misdeeds are either eliminated or misinterpreted to suit them.

Historians are especially employed to write history that highlights the achievements of the rulers, while burying their crime and misdemeanors. In the past, rulers and monarchs appointed court historians who recorded all events of the court, flattered the ruler and painted him as most generous and just.

Timur (1336–1405) would summon his historians in the court every evening and order them to read what they had recorded. It was impossible for them to write anything against the king as he only wanted to listen to praise and admiration of his rule. However, there are instances in history when historians who were not reporting directly to the king were able to truthfully record history of their time.

During the reign of Akbar (1556-1605), Abdul Qadir Badayuni, the author of Muntakhab al-Tawarikh challenged Akbar’s religious views.

The book was circulated in secret and by the time Jahangir (1569–1627) found out about the book, it was too late for eliminating facts. It is a rare document depicting the reign of Akbar, as it was not written by a court historian but a private person instead who recorded events of which there is no official version in history.

Aurangzeb (1618–1707), after 10 years of his rule dismissed court historians as they were not allowed to write about his rule. He was, perhaps, afraid of history.

In Pakistan, the subject of history is treated in a poor and dismal manner. As corruption breeds across the society, historians are not allowed to record crimes, fraud and lies. Official institutions have been established to control history writing in textbooks which are in a way being victimised. The National Curriculum Board decides what historical matter should be used and what should be discarded. Textbooks change with regimes, while history is distorted and falsified to give dictators and usurpers, dignified and exalted images.

Historians who served military dictators in the past glorified their rule and presented them as saviours and deliverers of the nation.

However, as the regime ended, the true picture of their rule was brought to light. Many facts went missing though, as historians had no access to official documents.

Besides dictators, politicians and bureaucrats, army generals are also afraid of history, because they are involved in corruption so massive that it can bewilder the imagination of the common man. The builders’ mafia grabs and sells land illegally at high prices. Sometimes one plot is sold to two or three parties who after the forged deal, wander from court to court seeking justice in vain Adulteration and forgery is rampant at all levels in society. Teachers would rather use their teaching skills in private tuition centers instead of classrooms and mint money. Private educational institutions are busy exploiting parents and students by charging phenomenal fees without imparting a decent standard of education. Physicians and doctors are becoming better known as butchers. Lawyers cheat their clients and students shamelessly cheat in examinations.

Religious parties are busy exploiting religion to achieve their political designs. Religious sects create hatred against each other leading to bloody violence. Intellectuals and media people shamelessly sell their knowledge to their paymasters. Political parties continue to mislead people in order to come into power while leaders treat their parties as private property and their families monopolise and manipulate their leadership.

Being deeply entrenched in corruption, all of them are afraid of history. Sadly, there are no historians who have the courage to bring the truth to light, nor to document the prevailing corruption in the society. Without historical record, there is no way to understand the problems or trends of the society and the crimes go unpunished in history.

By Mubarak Ali: http://dawn.com/2013/03/10/past-present-distortion-factor/

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Islam demands good treatment of minorities

DAWN.com

'Blasphemy' revenge: over 100 Pakistani Christians homes set ablaze Over 100 homes owned by Pakistani Christians have been set ablaze by  thousands of angry Muslims in the eastern city of Lahore. Police said the  violence was prompted by derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed, allegedly by a Christian resident. [This is against teachings of Islam] -------------------------

In communities which base their civil rights on brute strength, the weaker go to the wall, and public opinion expects nothing else. Even in modern democracies of the saner sort, it is often told that it is the fate of minorities to suffer; strength of numbers here becomes the passport to power and privilege. Islam, while upholding sane manly views in general, enjoins the most solicitous care for the weak and oppressed. The minorities in every way-in rights of property, in social rights, and in the right to opportunities of development. The non-Muslim living under the protection of a Muslim state is referred as Dhimmi, a free non-Muslim subject. They are exempt from duties of Islam like military service and zakat but must instead pay jizyah (poll-tax). It guarantees them full protection and security of the State including freedom of religion. If the State cannot protect those who paid jizyah, then the amount they paid is returned to them. Muslims are encouraged to act towards all the non-Muslims living in Islamic state kindness and equity. As per Qur’an; "As for such (of the unbelievers) as do not fight against you on account of your faith, and neither drive you forth from your homelands, Allah does not forbid you to show them kindness and to behave towards them with full equity. Indeed, Allah loves those who act equitably"(60:8).There are numerous Hadiths, which encourage Muslims to be kind to other religious communities, especially those who constitute minorities in the Muslim State. 

Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves. The rights of minorities are well protected in Islam. 

The Prophet said, "Whoever killed a Mu'ahid (a person who is granted the pledge of protection by the Muslims) shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise though its fragrance can be smelt at a distance of forty years (of traveling)."(Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, 9.49, Narrated by Abdullah bin Amr).

The second Caliph Umar (after he was stabbed), instructed (his would-be-successor) saying, "I urge him (i.e. the new Caliph) to take care of those non-Muslims who are under the protection of Allah and His Apostle in that he should observe the convention agreed upon with them, and fight on their behalf (to secure their safety) and he should not over-tax them beyond their capability." (Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, 4.287, Narrated by Amr bin Maimun).

The Christians and Jews are called People of the Book. Muslims are asked to call upon the People of the Book for common terms, that is to worship One God, and to work together for the solutions of the many problems in the society. Christians and Jews lived peacefully with Muslims throughout centuries in the Middle East and other Asian and African countries. “Those who believe (in the Qur'an) and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures) and the Christians and the Sabians and who believe in Allah and the last day and work righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.”(2:62)

When the 2nd Caliph Omar took Jerusalem from the Byzantines in 634 C.E, he insisted on entering the city with only a small number of his companions. Proclaiming to the inhabitants that their lives and property were safe, and that their places of worship would never be taken from them, he asked the Christian patriarch Sophronius to accompany him on a visit to all the holy places. The Patriarch invited him to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but he preferred to pray outside its gates, saying that if he accepted the invitation to pray in church, later generations of Muslims might use his action as an excuse to turn it into a mosque. A mosque was built on the spot where Omar prayed. The Christians entrusted the Muslims, and as such the key of the Church in Jerusalem is still in the hands of the Muslims. 

Jews fled from Spain during the Inquisition, and they were welcomed by the Muslims. They settled in the heart of the Islamic Caliphate. They enjoyed positions of power and authority. It is one function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. Muslims during their rule granted freedom of worship to all religious communities in the Holy City of Jerusalem. Throughout the Muslim world, churches, synagogues and missionary schools were built within the Muslim neighborhoods. These places were protected by Muslims even during the contemporary crises in the Middle East. 

As per Qur’an;  “…Did not Allah check one set of people by means of another there would surely have been pulled down monasteries churches synagogues and mosques in which the name of Allah is commemorated in abundant measure. Allah will certainly aid those who aid His (cause); for verily Allah is Full of Strength Exalted in Might (Able to enforce His Will).”(Quran;22:40) 

Islam is not exclusive. Social intercourse, including food and inter-marriage, is permitted with the People of the Book. “This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them.  (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers but chaste women among the People of the Book revealed before your time when ye give them their due dowers and desire chastity not lewdness nor secret intrigues.  If anyone rejects faith fruitless is his work and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).” (5:5). Any man or woman, of any race or faith, may, on accepting Islam, freely marry any Muslim woman or man, provided it be from motives of purity and chastity and not of lewdness. As always, food, cleanliness, social intercourse, marriage and other interests in life, are linked with our duty to Allah and faith in Him. Duty and faith are for our own benefit, here and in the Hereafter.

Islam has justly looks after the interest of non believers, the good deeds of non-believer will not be wasted, Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said about reward for a non-believer, that  he would be made to taste the reward (of virtue in this world). (Sahih Muslim Hadith, 6739,Narrated by Anas ibn Malik). The children of minorities (non-Muslims), are similar to the children of Muslims with respect to their entry into Paradise. An-Nawawi said, "This is the sound view held by the eminent scholars, and it is supported by Allah's words, 'We will not punish anyone until We have sent a Messenger.' (17:15) Now if an adult is not punished for the reason that the truth did not reach him, it is far more reasonable to assume that a child will not be punished." A report by Ahmad from Khansa, daughter of Mu'awiyah ibn Sarim, states that he related her aunt's following account: "I asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! Who will be in Paradise?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Prophets will be in Paradise, martyrs will be in Paradise, and babies will be in Paradise'." Al-Hafiz said that this hadith has a sound chain of narrators.  (Fiqh-us-Sunnah,Fiqh 4.89a).

There are other social courtesies which Muslims are urged to extend to non Muslims: like the respect is to be extended to the non Muslim deceased; Sahl bin Hunaif and Qais bin Sad were sitting in the city of Al-Qadisiya. A funeral procession passed in front of them and they stood up. They were told that funeral procession was of one of the inhabitants of the land i.e. of a non-believer, under the protection of Muslims. They said, "A funeral procession passed in front of the Prophet and he stood up. When he was told that it was the coffin of a Jew, he said, "Is it not a living being (soul)?" (Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, Hadith 2.399, Narrated by Abdur Rahman bin Abi Laila). Condolences are desirable, even if the deceased was a non-Muslim.  It is permissible for a Muslim to visit a sick non-Muslim person. In the chapter, "Visiting a Sick Polytheist," Bukhari says: It is narrated on the authority of Anas that "a Jewish boy, who used to serve the Prophet, peace be upon him, once fell ill. The Prophet, peace be upon him, visited him and invited him to Islam, saying: 'Submit to Allah's will.' So he accepted Islam." Similarly Bukhari narrates from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab that he reported from his father that "when Abu Talib (the Prophet's uncle and an idolater) was on his deathbed, the Prophet, peace be upon him, visited him."(Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Fiqh 4.5).The strong emphasis placed on the need to behave with equity towards minorities has been heeded by Muslims throughout the ages. Minorities in the Muslim State have always enjoyed a fair and kind treatment by the Muslim majority. On the personal level, there is nothing to stop any Muslim from forging a friendship with non-Muslims who harbor no ill intentions against Islam or its followers.

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Prophet Muhammad’s [pbuh] written Everlasting Promise with Christians

“مكتوب من قبل نشطاء ارتكاب التجديف [عليه الصلاة والسلام] مخالفة النبي محمد وعد الآخرة مع المسيحيين” According to tradition of St. Catherine’s Monastery, in 628 AD, a delegation from St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, came to Prophet Muhammed [peace be upon him] and requested his protection. Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] responded by granting … Continue reading »

Do Muslims hate Christians?

The perception that the “Muslims hate Christians”; is one of many fallacies created over centuries of propaganda by the hostile Christian clergy, because they consider Islam as an ideological and theological threat to their doctrines which, are even questioned by many Christian theologians throughout Christian history. The doctrinal differences apart, Qur’an, the holy scripture of Islam uses tolerable and kind words for the Christians: Continue reading »

Blasphemy law and conviction in Pakistan: 

Pope Benedict XVI has called on Pakistan to repeal its blasphemy laws, which can carry a death sentence for insulting the Prophet Muhammad [pbuh].He said the laws served as a pretext for acts of injustice and violence against religious minorities. The Pope referred to Pakistani governor Salman Taseer, whose assassination last week was blamed on his … Continue reading »

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Who says countries are permanent?

We should know this more than others. The Pakistan of 1947 is not the Pakistan which exists today, one half of it having broken away to form another country. I served in Moscow in the seventies and nothing seemed more solid or permanent than the Soviet Union, a mighty power which cast a shadow far and wide. Who could have thought that in a few years’ time it would fracture, leaving a trail of small, independent republics behind?

Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall was two countries. Now it is back to being one. Czechoslovakia was one country then. Now it is two. In the UK, of all places, the Scots, or a goodly part of them, are demanding independence. A referendum is set to decide this question in 2014.

After the fall of the Soviet Union it seemed as if American pre-eminence was an assured thing, lasting for the next hundred years. Bright-eyed scholars announced not just the closing of an era but the end of history. As hubris goes, this had few equals. There were other Americans who said that reality would be what America wanted it to be. Yet American power has declined before our eyes, nothing more contributing to this than the wars President Bush ventured upon in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Clash of civilisations was another phrase current just ten years. Something of the sort has happened but not in a way that the US could have intended. Wouldn’t the Taliban, wouldn’t Al-Qaeda, define their struggle as a clash of civilisations?

Ten years ago in a Jamaat-ud-Dawaah mosque in Chakwal (not far from my house) I heard one of their leaders talking of America’s eventual but sure defeat in Afghanistan. I thought his rhetoric too fanciful then. It sounds much closer to home now.

I have just read a longish review of Norman Davies’ ‘Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations’. This book should be required reading for anyone concerned about the future of Pakistan. For the lesson it emphasises is that history does not promise progress. All it promises is change. Nothing is fixed, all is movement, nations rising and falling, the old disappearing to make way for the new, the new in turn becoming the old and morphing into something else – the philosophy of Heraclitus and Hegel, even of Marx.

Applied to nations this can be a slightly unnerving philosophy, more so for nations or states which have had their share of trauma, or whose existence for various reasons continues to be fragile. Canada could countenance a referendum on Quebec’s independence, the UK a referendum on Scottish independence, because these are self-confident societies not threatened by such questions. But when the Baloch speak a language which sounds strange to our ears we feel threatened. When the people of Kashmir give voice to their aspirations India feels threatened, huge population and geography notwithstanding. Ours are not very confident societies.

Forgetting the larger canvas, we must look to ourselves for our problems, mostly self-created, are immense. Far from becoming more cohesive and overcoming the problems of the past, Pakistani society seems afflicted by a strange death-wish. It is not just that sectarianism and violence are tearing this society apart. Our minds seem closed and we seem to be living in a different world. Those who care to think are probably concerned about this state of affairs. But at the level of government, at the level of the governing class, civil and military, this concern, or the right amount of it, seems to be missing.

Fires are burning everywhere. We know the list of problem areas. We know where terrorism is striking. But are we getting the import of this message? Are we girding up for the future? Are we getting ready for the time when the Americans are finally out of Afghanistan and the forces of Islamic radicalism have the field to themselves?

I visited Kabul for the first time in 1974. What a beautiful city it was. Then I returned in 1978, soon after the Taraki coup. Although it was still a beautiful place one had a sense of the shadows over it. By 1989 when the Soviet army had withdrawn it was a different place, the old Afghani elite having disappeared, scattered to the four corners of the globe.

In 1930, to take a random year, could anyone then living have imagined the horrors that would unfold in Punjab in 1947? In 1947, or even 1965, could anyone in Pakistan have imagined the emergence of Bangladesh in 1971? We are living witnesses to this history. We, the children of the first post-Partition generation, grew to adulthood in a Pakistan which seems so strange compared to the Pakistan of today.

This is not mere nostalgia. Things were actually different in Karachi, Lahore and ‘Pindi. The atmosphere was not sinful – there is probably more sin now than then, despite our descent into a fake religiosity – it was secular. Despite the curse of military authoritarianism, the atmosphere was more rational.

The warning signs were there. The Jamaat ruled the campuses, promoting amongst the youth of that day its own brand of intolerance and bigotry. And without really knowing why, we stepped into the minefield of the 1965 war. The only good to come out of that disaster were the war songs of Madam Noor Jahan. But we took no heed of those signals. The walls went up in our minds, militarism received a boost and the intelligentsia of East Pakistan began thinking hard of the merits of staying within the confines of Pakistan.

Islam is not a problem in Iran. It is not a problem in the UAE, the fleshpots of Dubai existing happily within the bosom of a strict Islamic society. Why have we made it into a problem in Pakistan? We who could have been a beacon for others, the cross-roads of east and west, starting point of a new golden road to Samarkand, why did we allow ourselves to become almost the leading example of a promising experiment gone hopelessly wrong? We should have been a laboratory of Islamic modernity. What evil star turned us into a laboratory of CIA-directed and Saudi-financed jihad?

But since we have travelled down this path, and what is over is over, isn’t it time now to change direction, if at all we are interested in saving what remains? The Taliban are a symptom of a larger problem. The economy is one facet of a larger situation. Before all else we must look to the causes of things and change our old ways of thinking.

We don’t have to proclaim the birth of a secular republic. That would be to court an unnecessary backlash. But if Pakistan is to become a going concern, and extremist fires are to be doused, and the challenge of the Taliban met, then we will have to get rid of all our past shibboleths.

The army remains a prisoner of the past. It will have to break those shackles. The political parties could begin by reading Norman Davies book, which will tell them that nothing can be taken for granted. Ordinary people, I think, are ready to explore new frontiers. But will anyone show them the way?

Iqbal and Jinnah, giants among their Muslim contemporaries, were right for their times. Each epoch of history brings forth its own challenges. Pakistan stands direly in need of an intellectual revival, discarding the old and adopting new ways of thinking. If any better destiny awaits it, it may then be in a position to fulfil it.

Tailpiece: Hugo Chavez is dead. “Quiet consummation have, And renowned be thy grave.” He was a soldier. What is it in the Latin American air which can produce someone like him? What is it in our air to produce only dyed-in-the-wool reactionaries?

By Ayaz Amir: Email: winlust@yahoo.com
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-9-164105-Who-says-countries-are-permanent

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General Gorbachev of Pakistan? http://pakistan-posts.blogspot.com/2013/03/general-gorbachev-of-pakistan.html

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Revolution or Evolution or Reformation? تبدیلی بتدریج آتی ہے

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Politics Pak Style - An Indepth but brief analysis

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The fragile state

History shows that a society can tackle political, religious, and economic crises with an active and intellectual response. Passivity and lack of intellectual energy could cause the collapse of a society.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Europe faced political and religious issues which seriously affected the social and financial structure.

In the Thirty years’ War of religion, fought between Catholics and the Lutherans in Germany, 30 per cent of the German-speaking people lost their lives.

In the 17th century, England was involved in the civil war between the king, the Anglican Church and the parliament which mainly comprised the Calvinists or puritans. When religious strife and conflict had exhausted the European society, an intellectual response emerged in the shape of Thomas Hobbes’ (1588-1679) book, the Leviathan.

According to this English philosopher, every sect believed that God was on its side while the others were infidels. Each sect emphasised on salvation of the soul and heaven being man’s eternal abode as they believed that life in this world was temporary.

Hobbes analysed that people were concerned more about the next world because anarchy and disorder made them pessimistic about the world and its affairs. In these circumstances, he figured that the basic instinct of human beings was the fear of violent and accidental death.

In the absence of a politically strong organisation to control the society, there was no law, authority or system to protect life and property.

He concluded that only a strong state could defend the country from foreign invasion, and provide peace and prosperity to the people. Once the people had material benefits, they would care about this world rather than worry about the hereafter. He also suggested that state and religion should be separated, while a secular and democratic society should be promoted which would inspire people to pursue happiness. In his opinion, only a secular society could get rid of religious intolerance and sectarian strife.

Thomas Hobbes believed that a strong government was important for maintaining peace and order in the society. It was essential for people to pay taxes to make the government efficient as only a strong and well-organised state could deliver security to people.

How are Thomas Hobbes’ views relevant to Pakistan and its society in the present day? We confront the same problems that the European society did in the 17th century. Sectarian conflicts intensify as each sect believes that truth is on its side and forces the other to convert to their faith. This leads to bloody clashes among different sects with the followers ready to die for the cause of their faith and become martyrs.

In the absence of a strong Pakistani state, the society is in a situation where there is no law and order but the law of jungle prevails.

According to Hobbes’ views, corruption and non-payment of taxes renders the state of Pakistan weaker. People do not pay taxes but spend money to protect their life and property by hiring private agencies in their defence against crime.

Since Hobbes clearly pointed out that human beings desire peace and security and are not in favour of living in insecure circumstances; similarly, the Pakistani society is also desirous of a strong, incorruptible government which would restore peace and order, provide opportunities to people to enjoy prosperity and to die a natural death after living a happy life.

By Mubarak Ali: http://dawn.com/2013/03/03/past-present-the-fragile-state/

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