September 2014 - Thinkers` Forum Pakistan

September 2014
September 2014
1.
Editor’s NoteEditor 3
2. From the Desk of Chairman
3. What it Means to be a Pakistani:
A Special Feature
4. Triumph of Democracy
ACM Kaleem Saadat, retd
4
Editor 5
Gen Mirza Aslam Beg, retd
10
Brig Asif Haroon, retd
14
5.
Democracy vs. AutocracyDr. Ikram Azam11
6. Divide and Rule Policy
7. “Gaza Resisted, Endured and Won” Gen Mirza Aslam Beg, retd
18
9. What Makes You Do What You Do
Bakhtiar21
11. New Idea - Pis-pis Door-handle
Bakhtiar26
8.
Moon SightingCol Riaz Jafri, retd20
10.Sixty Shades of GraySaba Stephen24
12.
AMS: ReportEditor28
13.
IDPs: ReportEditor29
14.30
15.31
16.33
17.38
Editor: Bakhtiar Hakeem
1
2 MM held on 28 June
September 2014
A Road in Riyadh, KSA; named Shahrah-e-Muhammad Ali Jinnah
TFP Spirit taken to HARAM
; everyone enjoys the dates
The title of account is TFP (Trust) Account No. is 0106 0100 00823 9
Bank: Askari Commercial Bank, DHA, Islamabad Branch
The cost of printing of this Issue is Rs. 60/- per copy
2
September 2014
Editor’s
Note
This Independence Day
National Crisis
Assalamualikum
My dear reader, how are you?
We were progressing all these years, I had believed so.
Ayub’s Martial Law was first and last, no; it wasn’t to be.
Yahya came in as the legal heir of the uniform; was that
the last tragedy…no, it was not. A terrible military defeat
followed, under a doped Yahya, and 54% of Pakistan broke
away. Was fall of Dhaka in that dark December the last
tragedy, no it wasn’t? Well, smaller part of Pakistan adopted
the name Pakistan. A new Pakistan was promised by ZAB.
PPP did many new things in Pakistan; both good and bad.
Civil rule (that of constitution, law, customs and traditions
of civility) could make a beginning; no it wasn’t to be.
Gen Aslam Beg gave a new turn to the history of Pakistan,
when he refused to take over after the accidental demise
of the last man in uniform and president, Zia-ul-Haq.
Two civil governments came in, in tandem, through the
power of ballot. Great, Pakistan had been put on to the
road to the rule of law of land, (hiccups notwithstanding);
developed and administered by the representatives of the
people.
Nay, Musharraf was still to come. Another one-man
rule, and its manifestations like Damadola, Bugti case,
Drone-attacks, Shamsi Base and division of Kashmir into
seven regions. Pakistan restored itself back, welldone
this resilient nation. Though BB had been assassinated,
PPP was able to manage a five years’ stint of civil rule.
PMLQ was in alliance and whatever was the level of
‘reconciliation’ and governance, it was a return for better
days.
Elections 2013 saw us covering another milestone, it was
an outstanding achievement. Four heads of state organs,
handed over the baton to the next incumbent, within one
year, as smoothly as possible. Pakistan was progressing
on the road of parliamentary democracy. Constitution of
1973, as amended from time to time was gaining strength
as the rock-solid platform with the passage of time.
Ms. Shireen Mazari wrote on 14 Jan 13, TUQ will be used
to have a non-representative government in Pakistan.
This August 14th, there was no fanfare, national songs
(taranas), the customary zeal or fervor. There was a
parade, a fly-past and a flag-hoisting ceremony. Yet a huge
apprehension hung in the air. What was going to happen?
No smile was real and none was at rest at heart. As these
lines are being written, COAS is presiding a special
meeting of the corps commanders. Last night hooliganism
of IK and TUQ was let loose, as mischievously planned.
The perimeter of Parliament was broken,
the PM secretariat was attacked and
armed protestors (with stones, batons,
wire-cutters and cranes to remove
containers) then moved on to PM House.
Resultantly about 550 were injured, two
out of them died today.
Absurd, ridiculous and lawlessness par excellence, as rated
by various scholars, commentators and analysts. None out
of Mufti Naeem, Mufti Muneeb, Maulana Tahir Ahsrafi,
Maulana Sajid Mir, Maulana Sami ul Haq and Maulana
Fazalur Rehaman, is siding with Shiekh ul Islam Dr. Tahir
ul Quadri. None out of 11 political parties represented in
NA is siding with PTI. And none out of Mr. Afsand Yar
Wali, Mir Hasil K Bizenjo, Mr. Aitezaz Ahsan, Asma
Jillani, and heads of any Bar Association including that of
Supreme Court, has supported the power of agitation and
resignation of PM under threat and duress.
Hats off to the PM and the COAS, they have shown
reconciliation and restraint so far. Mr. Siraj ul Haq of
JI, Mr. Khurshid Shah of PPP, Mr. Haidar Abbas Rizvi
of MQM, Mr. Mahmood Khan Achakzai of MPAP need
special mention. So, should the new CJ be praised and
eulogized. May their efforts save the situation, and save
the future of Pakistan.
Better future of our country lies in the rule of law and
faith in existing institutions, whatever be the level of
mismanagement, malice and the need to improve. A PM
was hung and two more sent packing by our judiciary; why
cannot MNS be sent packing in accordance with the law
or punished, if and when found guilty of misdemeanor?
Why cannot protestors, revolutionaries and liberators
wait for the due process to be completed?
A battle sparked in the Parliament between two belligerent
heavy weights. It was a non-issue, at least in this point
of time. Yet it had all the potentials of destroying the
harmonious and solidified stand of joint session of the
two houses. The size, stature and egos of both clashing
personalities were too strong, yet Pakistan came out
stronger. Final score; Ch Nisar Ali Khan 1:0 Ch. Ihtezaz
Ahsan.
Col Hamid G Anjum joins the comity of authors for Better
Pakistan. He is a second generation dedicated Pakistani.
A Ravian, an anchor-person, a directing staff at NIM, a
speaker and a writer who having served Pak Army for 27
years, is now serving TEVTA as manager operations.
3
September 2014
From the Desk of Chairman
The events since the beginning of
Inqilab and Azadi Marches have
been very stressful for all of us. As
always, nobody knows, who is the
chief sponsor of these characters
and their real purpose? Where is the
money coming from to host and feed ACM Kaleem Saadat
this rent-a-crowd for an extended
duration? The media has, as usual, played an insidious
role. The continuous coverage of cacophony from D
Chowk divided the nation at a time when we needed
unity. Every day, there were new revelations and
scandals, but soon the other side of the story surfaced
and the sponsors suffered reverses and severe blows to
their credibility. From one side, allegations and abuse
were hurled incessantly while the other side appeared
paralyzed. The state had disarmed the Police and thus
emboldened the protestors, none of whom were arrested
despite being clearly identifiable on TV screens. The
crowd was “peaceful” yet carried staffs, slingshots,
metal cutters and cranes to attack state functionaries
and buildings. There was the “Umpire” but it was
difficult to determine whether it was in the service of
the government or a sympathizer of the protestors? The
security forces did not allow ransacking of doors, walls
and windows of government buildings but looked on as
the protestors breached the fencing of the Parliament.
The protestors castigated the Police but applauded the
Army. Was it because of their respective perceived
hostility and sympathy toward the protestors?
When Pakistan Television building was attacked,
no arrests were made of the criminals responsible
for this activity. The rights of protestors superseded
everybody else’s including traders, students, workers,
and residents of the capital. The Saadiq and Ameen
on all sides continued to spread falsehood and fool
the protestors and TV audiences. Having entered a
cul-de-sac due to misjudgement, the protest leaders
continued to extend deadlines for the “anticipated” and
“promised” events, which sadly, did not materialize.
In the process, they travelled from Lahore to Kashmir
Highway to D Chowk making preposterous speeches
in desperation. The attempted and abortive march to
the Prime Minister’s House was designed to provoke
bloodshed and an intervention by the Army. This also
did not transpire. Thus the circus, for want of a more
4
expressive word for description of these events, goes
on. What has been gained from all this? In my view all
actors and institutions have been diminished due to their
misjudgement, arrogance and lack of clarity. What has
been evident is that there are huge egos all around and
there is an unending argument of the deaf. The fires of
the crisis have been stoked by the partisan media and
individuals like Shaikh Rashid and Chaudhry Brothers.
The latter could not accept the reality of the current
government(s) without they being ministers. Pakistan
is the biggest loser due to the images shown from
the venue to the world at large. The mirage of a rulebased polity remains just that, a mirage! The cause for
protest is right but the means have not been so! It is
difficult to understand why personal and institutional
agenda cannot be subordinated to Pakistan’s interests?
Address to Civil, Naval, Military
and Air Force Officers of Pakistan
Government at Kahliqdina Hall,
Karachi on October 11, 1947 by
Quaid e Azam
…The idea was that we should have a
State in which we could live and breathe
as free men and which we could develop
according to our own lights and culture
and where principles of Islamic social
justice could find free play… ….Some
of them have been demoralized by the
happenings in East Punjab and Delhi, and
in other, the general lawlessness prevailing
in some parts of the country, has bred a
spirit of indiscipline. These tendencies, if
not checked immediately, will prove more
deadly than our external enemies and will
spell ruin for us. It is the duty of all of
you who have gathered here today to see
that this cancer is removed as speedily as
possible.
September 2014
What it Means to be a Pakistani
A simple question, but the reply may put you to a test. How have different men of
wisdom and pen responded to this probe about our identity; appears as a special
feature in this Issue. Please proceed, and then search for and develop your response.
‘A Pakistani’ has to know, the
values, traditions and the ethos of
the nation and his bounded duty
to defend those values, in the
same manner, one would defend
the honour of the family and the
tribe. The duty to defend means,
that one has to be a living example
of a “defender of the faith and General Mirza Aslam Beg
the socio-political ideology of the
country”. Quaid-e-Azam defined it in following words:
“Our system of governance will be based on the
foundation of basic principles of Islam, which will
be democratic.” – 23 March 1948, Chittagong.
So it is enshrined in our Constitution of 1973, and
defines our National Purpose. It has two main
features, Democracy and Islam, to follow and practice.
(Non-Muslim’s faith, inclusive). But unfortunately,
both, democracy and Islam in Pakistan have suffered.
Democracy has been high-jacked, from time to time, by
civil and military rulers, and is still passing through a
period of experimentation. Islam on the other hand has
been high-jacked by the Islamists, divided into several
religious parties, having no role in governance and
national policy making. They exist as a marginalized
group, known for their agitational socio-religious
activities. Surprisingly, the religiosity, which has
entered into our national life with such intensity, has
negative effects on religious education of our young
generation, which is gradually drifting away from
basic religious education.
The ‘basic principles of Islam’ which Quaid-e-Azam
prescribed for every Pakistani, now are being followed
more in form, than in practice, taking the nation
further away from the Faith. A recent survey shows
that over sixty percent of Pakistanis know nothing
about Islam; as such our ideological moorings are that
much fragile, giving space to secular elements, who
dominate our social order, creating a very dangerous
level of internal conflict, as of now.
The national resilience of the Pakistani people
collectively and individually therefore, will be
determined by the degree of their consciousness and
commitment to their quintessential values, traditions
and sense of honours, called ‘The National Purpose –
the raison-d’etre – which is sublime and sacroscent. To
prove my point, I would like to give the living example
of our Afghan brothers, and the sacrifices they have
made, defending their National Purpose:
After the USA occupied Afghanistan in 2001, we sent
the message to Mullah Umar that, “should they engage
in another war of liberation, it would entail much
bloodshed and destruction. It was therefore expedient
that they follow the American Plan and their promise
for democracy for Afghanistan, where the Pakhtun
majority would rule.” A few weeks later, we received
their reply:
“We have resolved to fight the occupation
forces till they are routed. When we gain
freedom, we would take decisions under a free
environment. It is unthinkable for the Afghan
nation to follow the occupation forces’ plan,
as it was not in harmony with our values and
traditions. We shall engage in war and Insha
Allah, we will triumph over the enemy and
win our freedom”. For the last thirty years,
the Afghans have waged a grim struggle for
freedom, now reaching a point of victory, as
ordained by Allah:
“You shall prevail, No doubt, you have suffered,
so have they” (Al-Imran-139). Very soon the
invaders will be forced to retreat, turning their
back on you (Al-Qamar, 45).
5
September 2014
I am 84, was 17 and a first year
student when Pakistan came into
being. I took part in the Pakistan
movement, saw, heard and even
photographed
Quaid-e-Azam
(and Miss Fatima Jinnah) when
Quaid addressed us, the students
of Edwardes College Peshawar on
Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
18 April 1948 and the next day at
Islamia College (now Peshawar University). I was a
proud – nay - a very proud Pakistani then. In 1950,
I joined the army when I could have easily become
an engineer, a doctor or a Civil Servant in a new born
country with abundant opportunities in all fields,
but no, the Army, with much lesser pay and many a
hardship, was the profession for the proud to serve the
nation. Fought three wars, became a POW, but still was
very proud of being a Pakistani. Then things started to
happen. On September 7, 1974, in order to appease and
placate the maulvis, ulema and mushaikh, Bhutto got
the Ahmadies declared non-Muslims through an act of
parliament. Imagine, whatever the reason the ba wazoo
and ba’shariat sacrosanct politicians giving, a purely
religious edict on Islam, by simply voting as to who
could be a Muslim and who could not be!! Friday was
declared a weekly holiday, only to be annulled soon.
Alcohol, gambling and races were banned, but in
reality all were and are still available aplenty. After
Bhutto Zia tried to Islamize Pakistan further but did
more harm than good to Islam. In the process he sowed
the seeds of venomous sectarianism in the country
that has divided the nation into Sunnis and Shias and Sunnis and Shias. If you ask me today after 67 years
what it is to be a Pakistani, believe you me I am one
hell of a confused person. First of all, I am not so sure
of my real heritage, identity and history any more. On
14 August 1947 all my cultural heritage and ancestral
roots were severed off from my past. Most of our elders,
not in the very distant past either, were non-Muslims
and, like it or not, cremated on the bank of some river
of Hindustan. But soon after partition, anything prepartition was Indian and sort of unpatriotic to associate
with. So much so that even the everlasting pre-partition
songs of Noor Jahan (Awaaz de kahan hai – Duniya
mere jawan hai) who was born, bred and now buried
in Pakistan were tabooed as Indian songs and not to
be broadcast by Radio Pakistan. Not that we divested
ourselves from the rich cultural and historic heritage
of undivided India only, we also refused to own the
past cultural heritage of the land now Pakistan that
fell to our lot and which is spread over the centuries
6
- starting from the pre-historic times to the present
day. It comprises of the most ancient Indus Valley
Civilization, the Gandhara Civilization and the PreIslamic Period. The world famous primordial cultural
treasures of Taxilla, Mohenjo-Daro, Harrapa, Takht Bai
(Mardan), Pursh Pura (Peshawar) the city of flowers and
capital of Emperor Kanishka and the Kafirs of Kalash
(Chitral) are all alien to us. Somehow our history halts
at 14 August 1947 and there from jumps straight to
Muhammad Bin Qasim (710 AD) leaving a chasm
of almost twelve centuries in between. From there
we bypass all the Ummayads, Fatimides, Abbasides
and connect ourselves to the Khulfa-e-Rashadeen.
Naturally, the Holy Prophet (SAW) is the ultimate but
the period before him (SAW) is Zamana-e-Jahliat and
we have nothing to do with it either. Thus our such selfproclaimed and -acquired history with gaps and yawns
is only 15 centuries old whereas the historians and the
archeologists rate our region (Pakistan) as one of the
most primeval historical lands of this globe. Then, am
I an Arab, an Ajam, a Semitic, an Arian, a Mongol –
ooops Moghal or a crossed Dravidian? At least not
an Arab as the Arabs simply do not accept a miskeen
Bakistani to be one of them. So much, for our history,
culture, civilization and identity.
Next, I am not very sure of my religion either. Am I a
Muslim or not? According to Justice Munir report of
1954, all 40 ulema belonging to different sects, who
appeared before the Inquiry Commission declared
every other sect Kafir and that his sect alone was
the only sect that was Islamic. Well, that was then.
But nothing much seems to have changed even now
after more than half a century, hat is six decades.
Enforcement of the Islamic Shariah is being demanded
not only by the Taliban, extremists and the terrorists
but also by all mainstream ulema and mushaikh too.
And, one of these days imposed it shall be. But which
and whose Shariah, that no one knows? This reminds
me of a published article by Lt Col. Moin Rauf a few
excerpts of which are reproduced here:
Quote:
1) According to mainstream Islamic Scholars, the
Punishment of Apostasy (Irtadad – reversion to
Kufr from Islam) is death. Since every other sect of
Islam considers the other as Kafir, every Pakistani
citizen would be liable to be killed in the eyes of
the other Pakistani.
2) Under the Shariah Law, the punishment for theft is
the severing of the hand. In Pakistan, only 0.9% of
September 2014
the population pays taxes, which indirectly means
that 99.1% of them are tax evaders in one way
or the other. Since tax evasion is a form of theft
against the government, Pakistan should get ready
to chop the hands of 99.1% of the population.
3) According to the chief of Jamat-e-Islami and a
large percentage of Muslims, the only way a
raped woman can have her rapist(s) convicted is
by producing four eye witnesses to the act. Now,
unless a woman would have 4 witnesses which is
probably only possible if she gets raped in a market,
she should remain quiet. Or, she herself would be
stoned to death for making the confession.
4) Since the punishment of blasphemy of the Holy
Prophet (S.A.W) is death according to mainstream
Islam, and apart from 1.4 billion Muslims, all other
5.6 billion humans consider him (SAW) as (Tauba
Naoozobillah) untruthful and wrong, (or else, if they
take him (SAW) to be true it would be tantamount
to their saying Ashhado anna Mohammad ur
Rasoolillah and thus accept Islam), therefore, it
could be obligatory upon us to wipe out all such
blasphemous Non-Muslims from the face of the
Earth. What greater blasphemy could there be than
considering the Prophet as a (Tauba Naoozobillah)
liar? Unquote:
My oh my -- which one sect out of the 72 or 73
shall go to Jannah and the rest to Hell? Pray tell me
please and I would not waste a moment and without a
second thought jump in to join it. I am sure so would
all others do and that would weave us all into a one
nation of 200 million strong. Well, well , until then,
I would request all especially the clergy to please
spare us for a while and abide by the Quaid’s well
considered advice of 11 August 1947 that he gave in
his official capacity of the President of the Constituent
Assembly to the first ever Constituent Assembly of
Pakistan. He said, “You may belong to any religion
or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with
the business of the State..... , because that is the
personal faith of each individual”. Along with it, I
would love to see my very dear country making great
strides in the economic field and turn herself into an
economic giant. For, if money is there so will be there
everything else – be it the welfare of the masses, the
healthcare, education, communications, roads, bridges
and buildings, Travel, Airlines, Shipping and ship
building, industry & engineering, trade & commerce,
science and technology, art, sports and culture, food
and agriculture – you name it – would ALL be there
for ALL proud Pakistanis to enjoy to their heart’s
desire. And who knows with such abundance we also
become more tolerant and compassionate towards
one another.
Being born in a family of extremely
humble means and non-existent
awareness of sending the children
to school, I migrated to Pakistan in
my mother’s lap in 1947. My father,
a watchman in Railways, settled in
Lahore and acting on the advice of
one of our neighbor, I was assigned
to learn Quran in our mohalla Dr Ejaz Muhammad
mosque. By the time I completed
learning Quran, I and my colleagues had developed a
hobby of spelling and reading the Urdu signboards of
various shops and the wall-chalking which was then
an effective means of advertisement. Consequently,
as a decision of family-elders, I was admitted in a
primary school. Here, when I was in class three, my
teacher wrote in my progress report that subject to
hard work, I had the potential to get a scholarship in
class-5. The examination for scholarship used to be
conducted at the district level and was held in high
prestige. To cut the whole story short, these words
of my teacher infused and instilled in me as a sense
of accepting the challenges and competing to win.
The teacher also advised me to help my other classmates in their studies, after the school, in my home.
My teacher’s words proved prophetic and I remained
a scholarship winner in the 5th, 8th, 10th and 12th classes
with distinction.
I joined the PAF, in the Engineering Branch in 1966
and had the honor of serving there for 35 years. With
all the humility, it is mentioned that I have the unique
honor of being the first indigenous PhD qualified PAF
Officer. In fact, PAF sent me to the best institutions of
repute at great expense. So, I grew up with a Pakistan
where someone like me could walk up to his goals
with no support or SIFARISH and where merit alone
mattered. That Pakistan gave me values, taught me
sterlingness of truth and the confidence in the wisdom
of our founding fathers. The Pakistan which I find and
experience today is nowhere close to that Pakistan. A
7
September 2014
deep analysis of today’s woes has convinced me that
Pakistan degenerated because we have confined our
energies to earning bread and butter only. This selfcenteredness has denuded our capacity to caring for at
least one more Pakistani. Now, I teach in a university.
Every day I see a sample of new Pakistan in the guise
of my students. I feel my most sacred duty is to infuse
and instill the same message I received from my
class-3 teacher. My words, my body language and my
conduct in my environment shall, Insha-Allah make
a difference, however infinitesimal it may be. I must
continue to make my contribution towards the destiny.
It is a question about our and my
identity, and what does it imply. Of
course, it is the analysis, inferences
drawn and opinion of an individual,
but not about a mortal self. I do
not have tomorrow; Pakistan shall
live as a value, when it continues
to remain attached with the value,
called, ‘Two Nations Theory’. There was a Muslim
nation in Indian sub-continent, and it could not
live under the Hindu majority; going by the British
introduced democracy in late 19th century (Speeches of
Quaid-e-Azam to CA, Aug 11, and 14, 1947). And we
all know about Migrations to Habshah (Abyssinia) by a
tiny minority, and later to Yathrib (Medina Munawara)
by a little improved number (approximately 130 or
less) in the face of over whelming majority of Mecca’s.
All those who migrated, all their emotional, spiritual
and mundane needs were attached with the land called
Mecca and the House of God. Therefore a, Muslim
ideology implied:
a. A Chu-en-Lai living in north, beyond Himalayas,
a Karzai living in west beyond Koh Hindu Kush,
Mr. Rhouhani of Iran, a premadasa of Serendib and
Narendra Modi living in east, all are equal sons of
one man, Adam (pbuh), 4:1 Quran.
b. All natural resources of water, minerals, atmospheric
balance, fauna and flora; of men and material are a
trust (5:120 & 19:40); He is the owner. Test of an
Islamic state lies in its most and utmost judicious
and equitable utilization (6:165) of resources. And
to stand against any exploitation.
c. None is above other, red over black i.e. by race or
by regions, Arab over Non-Arab. Last Sermon of
8
last of His Prophet (given in three parts) refers.
This Sermon also laid down the basis of social and
economic justice. Better is the one who is better
for His creatures (98:7).
d. His Deen (Islam; 3:19) was same for Noah, Ibrahim,
Moses and Jesus (42:13). Muslim is the one who
does not differentiate in His teachings (3:84-85 &
6:159) and His prophets (4:150-152).
Based on above identity, Pakistan was strived for,
and founded. First formal document to be quoted
here is the Objectives Resolution (Article 2A of the
Constitution of Pakistan). It had seven objectives. I
do refer to observations made by Mr. Cowasjee, and
all the amendments therein. Drawing all the help and
guidance from all interpretations, made in good sense
and sincerity, Constitution of Pakistan, is the foundation
of my practical manifestation of my identity. We all
shall be loyal to Pakistan, and it is a matter of constant,
persistent and relentless exhibited behavior. And
there lies a huge test. It is keeping to the left on road,
saluting the flag and singing national anthem, paying
my public and social dues. It is rejoicing Aug14th, this
year 2014 and every year. May you listen, Imran Khan
and Tahir-ul-Qadri. Serve and do not Harm Pakistan.
We stand for Better Pakistan, as it is demanded by the
Constitution of Pakistan.
First of all, I am Pakistani and then I
am a Muslim or a Punjabi.
What distinguishes me from citizens
of other countries, Muslim or nonMuslim, is that I am a Pakistani. My
aim is to make Pakistan the most
respected nation on the globe. This ACM Kaleem Saadat
will come about when I conduct
myself in accordance with values universally accepted
as good and desirable and permitted by the code set
forth by Islam. I will behave with civility and courtesy
while at home, on the road, in public places, and
especially when I am abroad. I wish Pakistan to be
united, safe, peaceful and prosperous and undertake to
do nothing, big or small, that hinders the attainment
of this objective. I believe that humanity and its care
and consideration supersede being a Muslim, Christian
or a Jew. All citizens should be equal before the law
and get equal opportunity to succeed in life. Therefore,
September 2014
all minorities in Pakistan should feel safe, respected
and cared for without any kind of discrimination. This
is even more important because, in undivided India,
where we were a minority before Partition, we wished
the same. It is a travesty that after becoming a majority
we started persecuting other minorities in Pakistan.
The other community that needs protection in Pakistan
are the women folk. They need to be free from ogling,
oppression and harassment. They have the right to go
to schools, places of work or for recreation without fear
and have a say as to whom and when they marry. I want
all disputes, big or small; to be settled by reference to
law and at no time would I resort to violence to get what
I want. As a democrat, I will vote so that what I want
be done, but would also learn to accept and tolerate if
the majority decides otherwise. I want the creation of
a society in which both the citizens and government
are accountable and that the basic needs and rights
of the weak and the poor are guaranteed. I wish to
replace anger and hostility toward fellow citizens
with compassion, care and love. I promise to want for
others what I wish for myself. I want my practice of
Islam to bring me peace and salvation and, under no
circumstances, frighten and annoy others. I want my
religion to promote spirituality and not hostility.
I want to create and live in a society based on justice and
rule of law. I will pay my due taxes and zakat because
all I possess is given to me by Allah and Pakistan. I
would uphold merit and get wealth through work
and fair means. Thus, in conclusion, to be a Pakistani
means to be civil, compassionate, courteous, honest,
considerate, philanthropic, spiritual, fair, just and
without prejudice of any kind! Above all, my prime
objective would be to do good to others and Pakistan
and safeguard their interests!
MAIN THING
Make a continuous effort to know what
main thing is. No one should be able to
make you react to go off the main thing.
Main thing is to keep the main thing,
main thing. Names are never main thing,
whatever it is.
Bakhtiar
Triumph of Democracy
Our fledging democracy has been
able to ward off the threat posed to
national security, by consolidating
the political will of the parliament,
now in session. Writing about the
threat I had said a week earlier,
that “Politics will find a way out
of this impasse, and will uphold
the quintessential values of the General Mirza Aslam Beg
democratic order.” The parliament has asserted itself;
the judiciary has risen to the occasion, to establish
the rule of law; the armed forces having realized the
threat to their integrity and are ready to act, as the
parliament decides. All the political parties, including
the opposition have demanded that hard decisions must
be taken to clear the mess around the parliament. The
parliament has demonstrated such unity of thought and
action, never seen before, which indeed is Triumph of
Democracy over the undemocratic forces.
It is for the first time that “a popular political party”,
has joined hands with a maverick clergy and both are
tormenting the nation with such behavior, so repugnant
to our national sensibilities. Imran Khan has chargesheeted the judiciary without producing any proof, and
has blamed it as being partial and biased. He is pinning
hope on the assumption that the Umpire – would
intervene to dismiss the government, hold elections and
hand over the power to him. Unfortunately for him, it
was not to be. The ‘Umpire’ promising regime change,
but did not act, and cheated both, Imran and Qadri,
and has brought disrepute to our national institutions.
May be there was the need for such jingoism, as
entertainment for the oppressed Pakistani nation,
same as WW wrestling provides, where you find male
chauvinism at its best. Thanks Imran and Qadri.
But “the real threat” to national security is the hidden
agenda. Therefore there is a need to discern the threat
in its true perspective. A prominent political analyst
writes:
“Five years back ,the Americans and the
Canadians decided to unite the two schools
of Islamic thought under Tahirul Qadri’s
leadership, as a counter to the emerging
Deobandi and Salafi alliance in Afghanistan
and Pakistan prior to the draw-down from
9
September 2014
Afghanistan. Qadri was picked up for this
job and sent on promotional tour of Europe,
Denmark and Iran, where he recruited many
activists to his cause. The book Kwarji
Threat was published and circulated in
thousands. (Kwarjis were the one, who
fought against Caliph Hazarat Ali (KW),
in the battle of Nehrwan). Armed with this
support Qadri visited Pakistan, where the
foreign intelligence and the NGOs helped
him develop his contacts into our media,
security establishments, institutions and
the politicians. Thus the maverick Minhajul
Quran clergy, was launched in 2013, to
sabotage the coming general elections but
failed. He returned to Pakistan this year,
further bolstered by his Masters’ support
and the support of the newly recruited
Pakistani activists, to dislodge the elected
government.”
No wonder, Qadri and Imran consistently
called for the Umpire to give the final
decision but the Umpire was not in Pakistan
but far away, who chose to turn a deaf ear to
their calls, because they dare not challenge
the “National Political Will” which has
asserted itself.
Another conspiracy, aiming at our socio-political
values, was highlighted by me in my recent article
titled: “Our Long March Politics”:
“I have the feeling that there is a hidden
politico-ideological
agenda
of
the
movement. What happened in Algeria and
Egypt in the recent past, to replace political
Islam with Secular Islam may well be the
objective of the movement in Pakistan. To
recall, Qadri's last visit to Pakistan in 2013
was aimed at forestalling the elections,
which Nawaz Sharif was sure to win,
but withdrew after negotiations with the
PPP government.” And that is the double
jeopardy, behind the hidden agenda.
There are always two sides of a picture – the good
and the bad. We have seen the bad side of the picture
during the last few months and there is the good side
10
that must be discerned to fortify democracy, because
these are the weaknesses and the hard realities, this
movement has highlighted, demanding immediate
corrective measures:
● The electoral system is defective and needs to be
corrected on priority.
● Holding early elections to establish the credibility
of the system is necessary.
● The present “dynastic plutocracy” must be replaced
by liberal democracy, representing the middle and
lower middle classes, in particular.
● A pool of experts must be created to advise the
government on all matters of national life.
● “There is no real threat to Pakistan, but definitely
there is the need to change our attitude” Senator
Haasil Bizenjo.
These are the defining moments, which have taken a
positive turn, as the parliament asserts itself to correct
the course of democracy.
A white young man, as if
unaware of the racial conflicts
that tore apart America in the
60s, stopped to help her.
He conducted her to a safe
place, called a mechanic and
hailed a taxi for her. The
woman seemed too much in
a hurry, but did not forget to
thank him and take down his
address on a piece of paper.
Continued to p 24
September 2014
Democracy vs. Autocracy
George Orwell and Pakistan: 2014
Introduction: The
Crisis: August 2014:
Critical
According to the Pakistan
Observer, Islamabad, dated
Thursday, August 28, 2014,
the PM refuses to resign: “It’s
a question of democracy”:
Really? Or is it one of egotistical
autocracy?...
that “modern man was inadequate to cope with the
demands of his history” –– past, present and future. His
most popular fiction are the following two futuristic
novels:
i. Animal Farm (1945).
ii. Nineteen Eighty Four. (1949).
Dr. Ikram Azam
Pakistan has become, increasingly, an extremely
difficult country to govern by a single individual
or political party. Henceforth, it will have to be
managed by a National Consensual Bipartisan
Islami Government and Opposition, both of which
are completely committed and sincerely dedicated
to serve together collectively the Islami National
Ideology and Interest, as Pakistan’s National
Consensual Government and Opposition.
The Pak. Armed Forces:
Without its patriotic valiant Pak. Armed Forces, Indian
Hindutva Jingoists will crush Pakistan to nuclear ash
–– Allah forbid! Even as the business “bunyas” on
both sides sing the toxic litany of “amn ki ash” (peace
pipe dream), Bharat’s Hindu extremist Shiv Sena
Party’s top leader Uddhav Thackery threatens Pakistan
with his “jung ki basha” –– war mongering.1*
The Relevance of George Orwell to Pakistan Today:
George Orwell (1900–50) is the pen name of an English
author, Eric Blair, who was born in British Indian
Bengal in 1903. He was educated at Eton (England).
After that he served with the Indian Imperial Police for
some time, to return to Europe, earning his livelihood
by Creative Writing- novels and articles. Orwell was
basically a political writer about his own and future
times. Because he hated totalitarianism intensely,
he was against Communism, regarding himself as a
Socialist. He fought alongside the Loyalist forces in
the Spanish Civil War. Despite being a literary critic,
himself, he despised intellectuals for their phony
snobbery, as well as cant, hypocrisy, lying, cheating,
corruption and cruelty, both in life and letters ––
literature. George Orwell died at age 47, of a neglected
lung disease, leaving as his legacy, a great reputation
for his great work, and the thoughtful conviction
Both portay his pet theme: Anti-Authoritarianism,
and project his conscientious conviction against SocioPolitico–Economic Evil, in terms like the following,
as in his novel 1984:
“War Is Peace
Freedom Is Slavery
Ignorance Is Strength”. (p.7);
“Down With Big Brother”; (p.19);
“Thought-crime does not entail death:
Thoughtcrime Is death”; (p.27);
“Power elite”; “mobile truth”; (p.263);
“Truth. Reality”; (p.263);
“Double think”; (p.264);
“Double speak; (p. 265).
It is noteworthy that all of the above arise from cant
and hypocrisy. Let us see how these concepts apply
to Contemporary Pakistan, as discussed below:
The Pakistani Position Today: August, 2014:
Democracy, Autocracy or Dictatorship?
There has always been much politico-socio-economic
Orwellian “double think –– doublespeak” cant and
hypocrisy in Pakistan, ever after the death of its FatherFounder, the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,
on 11th. September 1948. In fact, for his successor
wily petty politicians, “Islam and Democracy are in
Danger” – perpetually. It was a sinister slogan to suit
their power politics elitist vested interests –– rather
than the abiding Islami National Ideology and Interest.
Thus, so-said “Democracy” in Pakistan has always
been Autocratic, Authoritarian and Dictatorial, as:
i. Rigged elections.
ii. The Three Ps Syndrome: Personalism, Partisanism
and Parochialism/Provincialism. Its antidote is
the 4th P: Pakistan –– Pakistani Patriotism and
Nationalism.
iii.Massive Capitalistic Corruption coupled with
extremist incompetence.
1 * The Pakistan Observer, Islamabad; dtd. Wednesday, 27/8/2014.
11
September 2014
cum-Colonialism and Corporate Capitalism in the
garb of Globalism (Ideology) and Globalization
(Reality) –– as their Indigenous Counterpart.
Currently all sides are given to a shrill cacophony of
and for Democracy, for three main reasons, which are:
a. To defend the decadent status quo of driftwood
ad-hocism.
b. Out of fear of military intervention and the
imposition of Martial Law, for the fifth time –
sixth, if you include Z.A. Bhutto’s interregnum
of “Civilian Martial Law” as its “Political
Chief Martial Law Administrator” –– P:
CMLA.
iv. Playing and pandering to the West.
State Barbarism Beyond Terrorism and Gun
‘Triple–Butt’ Politics:
Current State Terrorism in Pakistan has beaten all
bounds with the mass massacre in the Model Town,
Lahore, in June, 2014. The death and injury to all
by State Terrorism has turned into Barbasrism by all
means, fair and foul. It is far worst than the British
Indian Gen. Dyer’s Jullianwala massacre, because
he killed for British Colonialism, while the Model
Town Massacre is for Indigenous Imperialism-cumColonialism by the Govt. of the Punjab, of which the
current Govt. of Pakistan is also collectively culpable.
Judged by the truly Democratic Spirit, Norms,
Traditions and Precedents, both the Federal
Government and the Punjab Provincial Government
are collectively culpable of this crime against fellow
Pakistani Muslims. On that count, alone, both the said
two governments should resign as a matter of Moral
Principle and Conscientious Policy –– not just the
Chief Minister of the Punjab, and Prime Minister of
Pakistan, personally.
The sound –sensible reason for this Democratic Spirit
and Tradition is that the State and Government
are the Collective Custodians of National Peace:
Defence and Security, Law and Order – not their
deliberate, willful and habitual breach.
Systemic and Leadership Failure:
Pakistan’s decadent and dated Political System is
based primary on the following antiquated tottering
tripod:
i. Alien and alienating Western Democracy;
ii. Extremely exploitative Indigenous Capitalism as an
instrument and agent of International Imperialism12
Western Capitalism, like Soviet Communism, has
collapsed by implosion.
iii. Fully ferocious Feudalism.
The Civilian Bureaucracy has become a pliable political
handmaiden as banal Bureaucratism. The Military
Bureaucracy stands guard, independently, triply on:
a. National Defence and Security, as well as Internal
and External Peace.
b. The Perennial Islami National Ideology; and
c. The Perpetual National Interest.
The Cyclical – Spiral Relationship:
The unbiblical nexus between the State-Social System
and its Collective Leadership, is both Cyclical, and
potentially Spiral. If it is decadent, being both corrupt
and incompetent, it becomes Cyclical, moving in
the same old ruts and groves of disabling repetitive
failure –– thus proving that no lessons are learnt by
the Failed Leadership, either from National History,
or its own experience in failure. Learning from the
Wisdom of Human History is a far cry. But if the
Collective Leadership learns from its own experience
as well as History, National and Global, it then
transforms the entire State-Social System, peacefully,
and consensually from the grass–roots, upwards and
outwards. Then the System becomes Actively Spiral
and Peacefully Progressive and Futuristic.
Pakistan’s Present Dilemma:
It is the tragi–traumatic Collapse both of its System
and of the Collective Leadership. The fault is of
the Leadership. A Visionary – Futuristic, Wise and
Incorruptible Leadership can work successfully
even a mediocre system, like Hybrid Democracy
and Borrowed Capitalism. But unfortunately, even
the best System is bound to fail in the hands of a
corrupt, hypocritical and incompetent Leadership.
That is what has already happened in Pakistan.
The British left us a fully functional System suited to
their needs. We could have easily adapted it to suit our
present – continuous and foreseeable futuristic needs.
But we mauled and butchered it to complete breakdown
and utter failure ––total irrevocable collapse.
September 2014
The Salvation: “Islam Raj”: Securing a Sustainable
Future:
This essentiates, most critically, a return to our Islami
Ideological Spiritual Roots and Moral Moorings.
Pakistan’s Founders were, as Islami Pragmatic
Visionary Futurists, men and women of Islami Thought:
“Muffakir”, as well as Islami Action: “Aamil”. For
them ever modern – futuristic Islam is the Perennial
Peace Paradigm and Muhammadi Moral Model. They
visualized Pakistan as an Islami Welfare State, Society
and System, the core defining quality of which is True
Islami Justice in Sovereign Strategic Self-Reliance
and Fraternal Freedom. That means, simply, truly and
sincerely:
“Islam Raj” (Rule) For Good Governance.
The Key to Tomorrow is:
The Objectives Resolution of Pakistan’s present
1973 consensual Constitution.
But Pakistan’s Westernized Materialistic Sensate
Secularists turned self–styled hypocritical Saviours,
are scared stiff of this conscientious concept: “Islam
Raj”. They are thus pandering to their Western patrons
and pay-masters, while posing publicly in Pakistan
to be true Muslims. May Allah Almighty guide them
aright!
Pakistan: Zindabad,
Abadabad!
Paindabad,
Tabindabad––
PREJUDICE
Fill in the two blanks, with one out of the
four values, every time, and then read the
sentence. The values are:
[Justice, Love, Charity, Liberalism]
________for some and for some period
of time, or one-time_______, and/or
using different set of laws and criteria for
different people.
Bakhtiar
Divide and Rule Policy
The British Empire during its
prime days held sway over almost
a quarter of the world. A large
numbers of countries in Africa,
Asia and Pacific were colonized.
The largest empire in the history
retained control over its colonies
through its cunning policy of
divide and rule. It played a key
Brig Asif Haroon Raja
role in dismembering Ottoman
Empire and ending the system of Caliphate. Once the
British Empire declined after the 2nd World War and
process of decolonization began, the US filled up the
power vacuum east of Suez and decided to continue
with the British policy of divide and rule and to neocolonize the liberated colonies.
In order to consolidate its hold over oil-rich Middle
East, the US helped create Israel in 1948 after
dividing Palestine and armed it to the teeth to be able
to bully the Arab States as well as Palestinians, who
were rendered refugees. Within the Arab world, proAmerican dictators and monarchs termed as moderates
were backed and anti-American rulers dubbed as
radicals were demonized. Revolutionary leaders were
marked for assassination. Israeli Defence Forces (IDF)
were provided satellite guidance to trounce united
Arab armies in the 1967 war, which enabled Israel to
annex West Bank, Gaza Strip and Sinai and thus gain
control over whole of Palestine. Satellite technology
helped Gen Aerial Sharon to exploit the gap between
the 2nd and 3rd Egyptian Armies and cross the Suez
Canal in the 1973 War to counterbalance gains made
by Egyptian Army across Barlev Line. IDF invaded
Lebanon in 1978 and again in 1982 to destroy PLO and
kept the southern part under its occupation till 2000.
Henry Kissinger was the architect of Camp David
Accord in 1978 which led to signing of Egypt-Israel
peace treaty in 1979, which broke the unity of Arab
Armies pitched against Israel. Egypt has since then
been provided $1.5 billion annual assistance by
Washington to keep it on its side. Today, the US is
supporting Gen Fattah al-Sisi’s regime in Egypt which
ousted democratically elected Morsi’s regime aligned
with Hamas and took over power in July 2013.
13
September 2014
After taking care of Egypt, Israel started viewing Iraq
as the biggest threat to its hegemonic ambition of
becoming the uncontested power in the Middle East.
Theodore Heizi, the founding father of Zionism, had
floated the idea of ‘Greater Israel’, encompassing
territories between Rivers Nile and Euphrates. His plan
was published in Israeli journal on June 13, 1982. In
reverence to Heizi’s master plan, Odid Yinon chalked
out a roadmap of balkanization of Arab States in 1984.
It envisaged subdivision of Iraq on ethnic/religious
grounds. In his scheme, Iraq was to be fragmented into
three States of Kurds in the north, Sunnis in the west
and Shias in the southeast. Yinon’s plan also called
for breakup of Syria and Lebanon and dissolution of
North Africa with focus on fragmentation of Egypt,
Sudan and Libya.
In accordance with this sinister plan, Iraq was coaxed
to attack Iran in 1980. The purpose was that the two
Muslim powers should decimate the military and
economic strength of each other. The war was purposely
prolonged for eight years by providing intelligence
of deployment of opposing troops in Fao Peninsula
to both sides at critical stages of the battle and thus
disallowing any side to achieve clear-cut victory. The
conspirators however failed in their mission since the
war made the two combatant armies more robust and
battle-inoculated. While Iran completed its cycle of
Islamic revolution, Saddam didn’t lose his charisma
among the Iraqis. In the 1980s, John Garang led
rebellion in South Sudan was fully supported by the
west through Ethiopia to fail Gen Numeri’s Shariah and
make Christian/Animist heavy province independent.
Drawing inspiration from Yinon’s plan, an eightmember team of neo-cons (Dick Cheney, Richard
Pearle, Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, John Bolton,
James Colbert, David Wurmser and his wife Meyrav)
hatched a plan in 1990 how to weaken Iraq and topple
Saddam regime. After enticing Saddam to invade and
occupy Kuwait, the US led western forces funded
by Saudi Arabia and Gulf States attacked Iraq in
1991 and gave a crippling blow to its defence and
economic structure. This was followed up with harsh
economic sanctions. Failing to invoke internal revolt,
Iraq dismemberment plan was rehashed by the same
team in 1996 and it was decided that another invasion
to overthrow Saddam’s Baathist regime, holding the
ethnically diverse country together with an iron hand,
14
had become essential. During this period, civil war was
triggered in Somalia in 1992, where the situation still
remains unstable and anarchic. Intifada by Palestinian
teenagers in occupied territories of Israel was defused
by signing Oslo Accords in 1993 envisaging two-State
solution, which Israel never wanted to implement.
9/11 gave an opportunity to George W. Bush led neocons to implement the gory plan of denuclearizing
and balkanizing Pakistan, dividing Afghanistan on
ethnic lines, capturing the resources of Central Asia,
realigning the boundaries of Middle East and Africa, and
dominating the world by applying divide and conquer
policy. The plan envisaged targeting eight Muslim
countries in phases. All this was to be achieved under
the cover of terrorism. Exploiting ethnic polarization,
soldiers of non-Pashtun Northern Alliance were used
for ground offensive to capture Afghanistan ruled by
Sunni Pashtun Taliban in November 2001. India which
had been made a strategic partner in 1990 was tasked
by USA to deal with Pakistan using covert means from
Afghan soil.
After their initial success, the US led forces assisted
by Iraqi Shias and Kurds invaded Iraq ruled by Sunni
regime of Saddam Hussain and toppled it in May
2003. Well-trained Baathist Army was disbanded
in 2003 and in its place Iraqi National Army (INA)
was raised and trained for the purpose of conducting
counterterrorism only. Over $ 20 billion was spent to
train/equip 800,000 strong INA/paramilitary forces,
not to fight external enemies but to deal with internal
threats. After hanging Saddam to death through a
kangaroo court, a new constitution was formulated in
2005, and Nuri al-Maliki led Shia regime empowered
in 2006, which persecuted 5-6 million Iraqi Sunnis and
gave them a raw deal.
After neutralizing Egypt and emasculating Iraq, Lt
Col Ralph Peter published a map in Armed Forces
Journal in June 2006 which was an improvement of
Yinon’s plan of redrawing the boundaries of Middle
East and Africa. In this, kingdom of Saudi Arabia
was confined to holy cities of Mecca and Medina
only, Herat in Afghanistan was made part of Iran
and Balochistan was shown as an independent State.
Balochistan figured out because of strategic Gawadar
Port providing access to Arabian Sea for the envisaged
energy corridor emanating from Central Asia. These
September 2014
plans and maps indicated a burning desire of USA to
break up the targeted countries along sectarian/ethnic
lines so as to overcome Israeli and Indian security
concerns, and make them regional powers of Middle
East and South Asia respectively.
Iran under pro-US Reza Shah Pahlavi ranked very
high in the US security paradigm and was given the
status of policeman of the Persian Gulf to guard Strait
of Hormuz. Arab-Iran rivalry suited US divide-andrule policy and its designs. This happy arrangement
ended with the coming to power of Imam Khomeini in
March 1979 and the two erstwhile allies became bitter
enemies. While Iran described USA as the chief Satan,
George Bush made Iran part of axis of evil. Much to
the chagrin of US and Israel, Iran under Ahmadinejad
increased its influence in Iraq substantially. Al-Mahdi
Army in Iraq was militarily supported by Iran. Iran’s
secret weapon program became another upsetting
matter for Israel, USA and Gulf States. Hezbollah in
Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza Strip became the cat
paws of Iran-Syria alliance which checkmated Israeli
expansionism. Iran-Syria-Hezbollah alliance posed a
serious threat to Israel.
A way out had to be worked out to break the burgeoning
alliance and also to speed up implementation of Yinon’s
plan. For the execution of the plan, the tools of proxy
war and propaganda/psychological war were to be
employed while sectarianism, ethnicity and religious
differences were to be exploited to let the Muslims
fight among each other to death. The CIA brewed up
Syrian Sunnis’ insurgency in Syria in February 2011
and provided all out support to the rebels to topple
Shiite regime led by Basher al-Assad. Saudi Arabia,
Qatar, Jordan and Turkey also supported them. The
idea was to divide Syria into three States with a Shiite
Alawi State along the coastline, a Sunni State in Aleppo
region and another Sunni State hostile to the former
in Damascus. Fall of Assad would have rendered Iran
vulnerable. While the civil war in Syria was raging,
CIA fomented an uprising in Libya in 2011. The full
support to Libyan rebels allied with al-Qaeda by the
NATO helped in bringing down Qaddafi’s regime. In
the same year, Sudan was partitioned by making oil rich
Christian/animist-heavy South Sudan independent.
Unlike the quick and easy regime change in Libya, the
US couldn’t depose Assad regime in Syria because of
Russian and Iranian support but it did manage to win
over Iran. Obama-Rouhani telephonic call in September
2013 followed by P5+1 nuclear interim deal with Iran in
November 2013 helped in melting the ice. Syrian civil
war has however brought strains in Hamas-Hezbollah
relations on account of sectarian differences. Hamas
supports Sunni rebels while Hezbollah supports Assad
regime. Situation became complicated after Syrian
Free Army, Al-Nusra Front and Al-Qaeda started to
fight among each other in northern Syria. Islamic State
of Iraq & Levant (ISIL) formed on April 9, 2013 also
joined the fray and clashed with al-Nusra wanting to
proclaim a new Emirate in Syria.
The security situation took a dramatic turn in the wake
of ISIL gaining an edge over other militant groups in
Syria by capturing Ar-Raqqa, Idlib and parts of Aleppo
Province and then entering Iraq and seizing Fallujah
in January 2014. After acquiring training/arms in
Jordon in camps established by CIA; seizing territory
in Syria and consolidating gains in Fallujah, the ISIL
led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi advanced forward like
a tornado in first week of June 2014 and conquered
several provinces in the northern and western Iraq
including second largest city of Mosul and largest oil
refinery within days. It is now knocking at the gates of
Baghdad. Baghdadi declared himself as the Caliph on
June 29 and renamed ISIL as Islamic State (IS), which
includes captured territories of Syria and Iraq with
Mosul as its capital.
The US is finding itself handicapped to come to the
rescue of Maliki’s regime since its military is over
committed holding military bases all over the globe and
55000 troops pinned down in Afghanistan struggling
to move out safely. Ongoing crisis in southeastern
Ukraine has posed a big challenge to the US and
NATO. Besides the US, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia
are most worried about IS and are contemplating how
to deal with the threat. INA which the US had trained
and equipped from 2003 to 2011 is crumbling. The
US would prefer Iran dealing with it duly assisted by
Shias in Iraq and has asked it to do so, but the problem
is that both the US and Israel view Iran aligned with
Iraqi Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army Shias as a bigger
threat than Sunni radicals in Iraq. Worried about the
security of Shia holy places in Najaf and Karbala which
Baghdadi has vowed to dynamite, Iran has agreed to
15
September 2014
the US request to augment the strength of Iraqi Shias
and also provide arms.
Hezbollah fighters that are already engaged in Lebanon
and Syria’s Shia-Sunni conflict have also entered Iraq
to confront IS. Their dispersal and getting killed in
various battlefronts go well with Israel. The US jets and
drones have now started striking IS selectively after
it killed hundreds of Yazidis in Sinjar. Airstrikes are
aimed at preventing fall of oil-rich Kirkuk and Arbil,
capital of Kurdish region which houses US Consulate.
The coming days will indicate how far the US will go
to eliminate IS threat.
Many analysts in the US and western counties are
selling the idea that IS or ISIL is CIA creation and is
US backed to break up the Iran-Iraq-Syria-Hezbollah
alliance. Mike Whitney, Michel Chossudovsky and
several others are among them who say that ISIL
aided/guided by USA and funded by Saudi Arabia
and Qatar is mounting direct pressure on Baghdad to
force Maliki to quit. Baghdadi is dubbed as US agent
trained in Tel Aviv. They say that the Muslims are
being conned by a sophisticated scheme drawn up by
Zionists to fragment Middle East and pave the way for
establishment of ‘Greater Israel’.
Another view is that the US wants weak Maliki to
step down and give way to someone else since Obama
is cross with Maliki for not agreeing to his proposal
of keeping a residual force of 30,000 troops in Iraq
beyond 2011. Saudi Arabia and UAE also dislike
Maliki. Western lobbies suggested the name of
Ahmad Chalabi, the blue-eyed boy of the neo-cons
who had sold the idea of WMDs in Iraq, as a possible
replacement of Maliki. Other names in circulation
were Adel Abdul Mahdi and Bayan Jaber, all three
from Shia sect. Although Chalabi had helped the war
mongers to build a case based on utter lies to attack
Iraq in 2003, why should the US bet on him who has
earned notoriety and disrepute, particularly after he
changed sides and got close to Iran? And why should
Washington gamble on other unknown/untried horses?
Although Iraqi President has named Haider al-Abadi as
Maliki’s replacement and urged him to form a broadbased government to stem communal bloodshed,
Maliki is not likely to accept the change.
Pro-force lobbies voiced their concern as to why
16
Washington remained hesitant for so long to send
weaponry including drones, and didn’t use airpower
against IS to prevent it from capturing large swathes
of Iraqi territory? They inquire as to why Obama
was unwilling to use force in Iraq when he felt no
compunction in using excessive force in Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Yemen, Libya and Somalia and even
authorized drones against American nationals? Unless
the IS is effectively checkmated, Baghdad is likely
to become the scene of bloodiest battles in coming
weeks/months.
While the Muslim world is a house divided, the overall
situation in the Middle East is getting grimmer and
perplexing with every passing day, which suits the
conspirators. The impotence and state of helplessness
of the Arab League, OIC and Muslim world can be
gauged from its deafening silence over the genocide of
Gazans at the hands of Israeli beasts. In the five-week
air-sea-ground offensive which commenced on July 8,
2014, Gazans suffered over 2000 fatalities and injuries
to 10,000. Two-thirds of fatalities and injuries were
of unarmed civilians, mostly women and children.
Greater part of the strip, which has remained under
Israeli/Egyptian siege since 2006, has been reduced
to a ruble. Brutal offensive is aimed at breaking the
unity between Fatah and Hamas and eliminating
Hamas, which has valiantly resisted and failed all the
offensives of Israel since 2008. Instead of playing
a role to stop the slaughter, Saudi Arabia, Jordan,
the Gulf Sheikhdoms and Egypt desire riddance of
Hamas since they consider it a future threat to their
monarchies/military rule.
Bold stance taken by leaders of Latin America and
Sayeeda Warsi on Israeli brutality should have shamed
the Arab rulers, but so far they are in deep slumber.
Tunnel-vision and luxury-loving Arab leaders refuse
to admit the existence of Indo-US-UK-Israeli nexus
busy weaving a web of intrigues and bent upon
further dividing and weakening the Muslim countries
and then ruling the resource-rich Middle East like a
colony. They consider them to be their friends and
well-wishers and are complacent that their turn will
not come. Hezbollah, Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood,
Syria and Iran challenging Israel are seen by them as
foes. Intriguingly, neither any militant group operating
in Middle East is poised against Israel or its western
September 2014
backers, nor any Arab country funding dozens of groups
to fight Shiasm/terrorism is diverting any group to come
to the rescue of besieged people of Gaza. Muslim world
has sunk to its lowest levels.
Shifting the periscope from Middle East towards
Pakistan, one finds the same nexus feverishly working
upon an agenda since 2002 to disable its nuclear
program and then fragment it. Its repeated assaults and
conspiracies have been successfully warded off by the
armed forces. The political storm built by PTI and PAT
aimed at bringing down the elected government may
be part of the foreign agenda since timings of long
march raise many questions. Operation Zarb-e-Azb has
reached a critical stage in its momentous battle in North
Waziristan to control the menace of terrorism. One
million IDPs rendered homeless need full attention.
Rangers-Police operation in Karachi is busy reining in
target killers and extortionists. Separatist movement in
Balochistan has not been controlled.
Azadi march is being launched on 14 August on which
the whole nation will be celebrating Independence
Day. It is being launched despite government’s sincere
efforts to steer the country towards the shores of
prosperity and showing impressive results within its
14 months rule. Mega projects have been launched and
foreign investment has begun to pour in. All economic
indicators have started moving from negative to
positive. Impatient Imran and Tahirul Qadri are bent
upon impeding the progress and creating chaos and
instability merely to grab power at whatever cost. Both
sides have girded up their loins, one trying to disrupt
and the other to maintain order. This lust for power
under the unconvincing pretext of rigging in May 2013
elections will put to rest the impression that the Army
generals are power hungry and didn’t allow democracy
to grow.
“Gaza resisted, endured and Won”
- The Parliament
The Israelis waged war against
Hizbullah in 2006 and suffered
a shameful defeat. Now they
have launched the most barbaric
assault on Hamas of Gaza, who
are besieged and isolated, yet
are determined “to resist, endure
and win”, as declared by their
parliament, which embodies the General Mirza Aslam Beg
will of the people. The name Gaza,
itself means, ‘the unsurmountable”. The courage and
determination of Hamas to fight against such odds is a
landmark achievement of the contemporary times.
In fact this is the war of survival for Israel, as was the
war of 2006, they fought and lost. Each defeat thus
has led them closer to their ultimate destruction. Noam
Chomsky rightly comments: “Israel by now has little
recourse, after having adopted policies that turned it
from a country that was greatly admired to one that
is feared and despised, policies it is pursuing with
blind determination today in its march toward moral
deterioration and possible ultimate destruction.”
This ‘self-destruct barbarity’ by Israel was aimed at
defeating the “coalition of the nations – Iran, Syria,
Lebanon and Gaza, threatening Israel.” Israel first
struck Hizbullah in 2006 and failed. Then decided to
break the coalition through intrigue and conspiracies.
Led by United States, sectarian hatred was fomented
by demonizing Iran, which accentuated Shia and
Sunni differences. Resultantly, Saudi Arabia and the
GCC intervened in Bahrain in 2009 to quell the Shia
uprising. Shia and Sunni countries now are face to face
in Syria, and the country itself stands devastated.
The enemy has placed Hamas in a very precarious
situation. Their coalition partners stand divided and
would not help the Sunni Hamas any more. Secular
Egypt will not help, because of the Ikhwan-Hamas
politico-religious affinities. Saudi Arab and the GCC
countries, want Hamas destroyed, much as Israel
Author of each article and study owns, and stands by his/her opinion and collection of facts and figures.
TFP as a body does not take responsibility and may or may not agree with a particular viewpoint. In fact,
TFP would welcome to hear from those who differ with what has been written herein.
17
September 2014
desires, because the emergence of ‘political Islam’
there is considered detrimental to the interests of Israel
and the Arab rulers, so was the political Islam in Egypt
and Algeria. For the same reason “Pakistan and Turkey
also fall in the line of fire.” The “present political
turmoil in Pakistan is the beginning of the movement
through revolution and regime change,”
Israelis have besieged Hamas; have also isolated and
made them friendless, but could not break their will
to resist and endure the severest punishment at their
hands. Hamas possess the indomitable will like the
Afghans, whose “shadow armies led by committed
believers, have defeated the mightiest of the mighty”
- M.J. Akbar. Israel-Hamas conflict is an asymmetric
war. The Israelis have one of the finest armed forces
of the world and have mobilized a force of over six
infantry divisions supported by their naval and air
forces, yet have found themselves unable to match the
Hamas soldiers. Thus having failed to achieve the war
aim, they have resorted to the depraved and cowardly
Dahlya Doctrine, which is the most inhuman act of
punishing the innocent men, women and children,
by destroying more than 110 mosques, 83 schools,
27xhospitals, 3300 residential buildings, several IDP
camps, funeral processions and water and power
supply networks. In fact Dahlya Doctrine has created
the conditions of a holocaust, yet it could not break the
will of the Ghazans to fight.
Hamas is facing the brunt of Israeli military might with
only Alaqsa and Alqasim brigades each with a strength
of about 7000-8000 well trained and hardened soldiers,
supported by another 10-12 thousand para military
forces. They also have a Special Operation Force
Group which has carried out several operations across
the borders. They have no heavy weapons in support,
no Airforce or Navy. But do have some shoulder-fired
anti-air, anti-tank missiles and an array of short and
medium range free flight, ground to ground rockets
and have used them with effect. Hamas claims to have
killed over 150xIsraeili soldiers and wounded over
400.
The Hamas have fired many free-flight rockets into
Israel territory, but only a few, out of these, have been
intercepted by Israeli patriot missiles, which form the
“Iron Dome” National Air Defense Shield for Israel.
The Iron Dome Shield, thus has proved ineffective and
vulnerable against Hamas rocket attacks, forcing the
18
Israeli infantry to neutralize Hamas missile-firing-sites
on ground, but failed, something similar to what had
happened in 2006, when Hizbullah defeated the Israeli
army, trying to neutralize their missile sites.
Despite such losses, Hamas is determined to fight
the war to its bitter end, because, a ceasefire would
mean living under perpetual siege by Israel, who have
usurped their land and want Hamas to be eliminated
while Hamas stands friendless and isolated. The war is
going to be a grim fight between the two opposing and
in-equal forces, yet the one with stronger will would
prevail. Divine Justice favours Hamas, while Israel is
being condemned by the world at large. Uri Avnery,
the noted Israeli scholar writes:
“Let’s admit that our present enemy is fighting
with great courage and inventiveness. That,
almost miraculously, their civilian and military
command structures are still functioning well.
That the civilian population is supporting them,
inspite of immense suffering. That after four
weeks of fighting against one of the strongest
armies of the world, they are still standing
upright.”
Israel war aim was to “to destroy Hama's civil and
military command structures and their hard core
fighting brigades,” but the Israeli armed forces have
failed to achieve even ten percent of their objective,
which in military terms means defeat. Hamas has
won, because the ideology of the resistance movement
cannot be defeated.
The Israeli forces have started pulling out and soon
they will beat a full retreat. The Ghazans would be
free, but shattered from within, but life must continue
to flow. “There are only two economic routes for life
to flow back to Gaza and given the bitterness of this
conflict, the route from Israel will not be the main one.
Egypt holds the key to Gaza’s economic integration to
the rest of the global economy. Open the Rafah crossing
and the need for the tunnels disappears. To the world
this forlorn, impoverished and totally battered society
has become a byword for impossibility and despair.
But nobody has told Ghazans. I found them full of
hope.”Paul Mason.
Egypt has been a party to the crime. Providence has
offered them the opportunity to redeem their honour.
Missing the opportunity may prove to be a greater
September 2014
tragedy for Egypt itself, and we may witness emergence
of another ISIS from the soil of Gaza.
Post Script
Lady Sayeeda Warsi, the British Cabinet Minister
has resigned because: “Government approach and
language, during the current crisis in Gaza is morally
indefensible. I can no longer support this policy, so
that, I am able to live with myself.” Our complements
Lady Sayeeda, for shaking the conscience of the
Muslim World, in particular.
Moon Sighting
Maulana Popalzai has done it once
again and has given rise to the same
controversy that we have been
living with almost ever since the
inception of Pakistan. That is, to
start the month of Ramzan a day
earlier than the rest of the country
and consequently celebrate the Eid Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
ul Fitr also a day or two earlier than
the rest. Ironically, it is such a simple problem to tackle
if we make use of the modern science and technology,
which we are unfortunately prohibited by the clergy to
make use of in matters of religion!
The whole problem arises out of our insistence
on Shahada by the naked eye which to my mind in
this space age when we can calculate precisely in
nanoseconds and millimeters the movement of not
only the earth but also of other heavenly bodies looks
a little comical to find out whether the moon would be
appearing on a given horizon or not on a given date and
time!! Incidentally, the Hindus have been predicting
the Lunar and Solar eclipses since eons and that too
very accurately down to the seconds!! The Muslim
scholars, mathematicians, astronomers and astrologers
also did not lag far behind and propounded many a
geophysical and astronomical theory that hold good
even today. I don’t know why then we can’t make
use of the modern scientific means and technology
in sighting the moon? One sees all the members of
the Ruet e Hilal Committee trying to sight the moon
through the binoculars from the highest building of
Karachi. Does the sighting of the moon through the
binoculars or for that matter even through the ordinary
spectacles not conflict with the condition of seeing it
with the Naked-Eye Shahada concept? If the moon
could be sighted with the aid of modern and scientific
glasses and binoculars then what comes in its way
to spot it through a, say, Radio Telescope and see its
full image on the computer screen? It will determine
exactly its presence or otherwise in a most certain way
on a given horizon at the given time. As most Ulema do not see the moon themselves with
the naked eye and depend upon the Shahadat of a few
Saleh persons – oooops Saleh men only (no women
--), then why must they (Ulema) be the only ones to
announce its appearance or otherwise? It is again a
19
September 2014
known fact that unfortunately our ulema do not easily
accept the supremacy of one aalim over the other. If the
‘sighting’ is to be announced only then why can’t it be
entrusted to some person of authority in the government
who would not be controversial (sect or belief wise) as
was the practice before Ayub Khan instituted the Ruet
e Hilal Committee, probably to seek the favours of the
clergy. My second point is, “Is it really necessary to announce
the appearance of the moon?” We all know whether it
is the Ruet e Hilal Committee or some other authority
the local cleric is going to have the final word. So let’s
take a little closer look at the issue of the start or the
end of the lunar month on different days in different
regions of the world. Our poor Ulema are having
sleepless nights in working out a formula to unify the
entire Ummah on celebrating the event on the same day
not only within a country but also all over the globe. Firstly, it is geographically NOT possible to have the
event on the same day all over the world. There has
got to be a time difference at different longitudes of
the globe. I need not go into the details. We all know
that the earth rotates around its axis and completes
one such rotation in nearly 24 hours (actually in 23
hours, 56 minutes, 4.0916 seconds). As such at any
given time during its rotation hal! f of the globe is in
darkness and the other half lighted with the sun. There
is always a place on this earth where the sun is either
rising or setting at ANY given moment and second.
Then we have long and still longer days at or near the
poles. Not in the very far off future when the space
travel will be as common as the jet travel is today,
imagine what would one do when he/she is orbiting
the earth every 20 minutes or so? There will be a sun
rise and sun set every twenty minutes !!!!! To cut the
long story short, it is just not possible to have an event
on the same day all over. Half of the world would be
having the night and not the day. For them it has to be
the next day. PERIOD.
Now, as the religious scholars seldom believe in the
scientific facts and arguments, allow me please to give
them an argument of their own to understand what I
want to say.
Is it not a Hadith that if you arrive at a place where the
people are celebrating Eid and you were fasting, you
should also break your fast and celebrate the Eid with
the locals? (And vice versa also).
20
If it is there, then my dear Ulema, work it out yourselves
how far could these two places be from each other
where the people at one place are fasting and the people
at the other are having Eid on the SAME day. Take all
the probabilities into account. What time the fasting
man started journey from his place - immediately after
Sehri or after some time – how far after, a few minutes
or a few hours? What mode of transportation he used,
horse, ass, camel etc.? What time did he arrive at the
place where people were having Eid - after a few hours
at the most? What could, therefore, be the distance
between the two places, 10, 20, 30 miles? Now if
during the life time of the Holy Prophet (SAWAW) two
places hardly 30 miles apart could have two different
stances about an event – Eid – why can’t we have them
also here in Pakistan? Why must everyone from Landi
Kotal to Gwadar (1500 miles apart) start their fast or
have the Eid on the same ONE day? It was clearly
NOT done so during the life time of the Holy Prophet
(SAWAW), in the context of above Hadith?
So, my dear Ulema and Aalims, please, do not create
complexities or complications for you in practicing a
very simple and most practicable religion of the world.
No Qiamat would fall if KPK observes fast a day
earlier than the rest of Pakistan, or, if all of Pakistan
observes it one or even two days after Saudi Arabia
does!!!!
September 2014
What Makes You Do What You Do
Never have I dealt with anything more difficult than my own
soul, which sometimes helps me and sometimes opposes me.
Imam Al-Ghazali
How does the title sound like?
Simple, or mysterious, or really
enthralling, taking you through
a fascinating exercise of selfdiscovery. Or taking you through
the intricacies of psychology of
exhibited behavior. There are two
parts of the following individual
workshop on self-discovery-cum-self-improvement.
An effort has been made to reduce the number of
words and instead increase diagrammatic, pictorial and
picturesque explanation.
a. Part one, deals with what makes you do, judging
all by yourself through a hands-on help. A brief
explanation of a type of decision-making (DM)
prime mover is given. So be sure about the type and
category of the DM. Do you fall in this category;
fully, no not at all or partially? This step is followed
by ‘Yes, No’ and an estimate by ‘percentage (%)’;
to help you award yourself. Next is the box, where
you award yourself, Y or N or xx%. Life is not in
shades of black and white, and it is neither fixed
for good. That is the source of hope that men of
prudence will ponder, amend and change. I do plan
to run it as a workshop, as and when I get a chance
to. May I mention for our new readers, that the
author of this contribution is Chairperson and Head
of Department of Management Sciences at HITEC
University, Taxila. He is also a regular trainer and
guest speaker at NIM Islamabad and Quetta. He
has run training for the officers of NAB; and for the
development of faculty at COMSATS, and HITEC
University.
b. Part two and the last part, deals with how much
the values set by leaders of mankind govern your
DM and affect what you do. We will examine how
much those values act as a reference line. He sent
His prophets to teach us, what should be the basis
of DM, and what would be the ideal way to act.
Like previous part you will award yourself out
of Y, N, and if none of these then a measured %.
It will show the degree to which these values are
deciding and motivating force in the DM.
Part One: Seven Situations. First six type-examples
can be grouped under one sub-category while the last
one forms another. It is not an exclusive list, however
majority of decisions and major part of your life would
be covered in these.
a. ‘I do as the majority is doing. After all, all can
not be crazy; there must be some extra-ordinary
incentive ahead’.
b. ‘I hate to follow the crowd. I am not like them; I
am not a commoner or among the street people. I
follow the elite, or fly my way’.
c. ‘I am happy what-ever and where-ever I am. I have
good wives, a comfortable house and two square
meals. No issues and no worries. My father, may
Allah bless his soul left enough for me. I do not
make waves. I thank my Allah five times a day. And
do not want to get in to any trouble by following
naughty and self-projecting ideas and the trouble
seeking friends.’
21
September 2014
d. ‘No, way over my dead body. I will see how he/
she/they:
i. Get this marriage proposal through, or
ii. Buy this piece of land, which is our ancestral
land, in fact; or
iii. Build a house next to mine. I will buy this plot
whatever be the cost. How could I allow the
killers of my father and brother to be my next
door neighbor?’
g. How do I decide what is success, or what was being
successful? Here are three situations.
e. Often I have superior and novel ideas, but do wait till
some one or at least a few chosen show inclination
and take a start. My spearheads are no less than
two-star generals, and or out of celebrities, or my
seniors; family big-wigs or at least party (political)
or community leaders.’
f. ‘How come these (two) are ahead of me? I will beat
them any time; I have been winner all along, and
second to none. Whatever it takes me to win the
race…to richness, getting gold medal, to become
chief, leader of the house, or… winning an auction.
I have always made my critics to lick. Nothing
succeeds like success. This world bows to winners
and winner only. Discussion of right and wrong
and rules is all bookish, Unhh!’
22
(1)I got commissioned in the Army in 1968. I was
a young captain when war broke out with India.
I was at Comilla; escaped through Burma and
reached West Pakistan, without being taken as a
POW. War ended in one of the biggest military
defeat. Fifty thousand laid their arms, and East
Wing of the Country was lost. I got ‘A grades
in all my courses, kept moving from good to
better postings and topped it with better to best
ACRs, later OER. War course qualified, I could
have made two-star general easily, but for one
three star in my Promotion Board.
(2)After retirement from Army I became the CEO
of a production unit, in one of the Army-founded
business houses. The factory was already down
the hill, three and a half years later; about a
year before the end of my tenure it was sold
out half its real value. My rank had made me
chief executive of a business unit, so I kept it
first and foremost. My pay and monetary perks
increased every year and on a growing scale.
My last pay was almost double as compared to
the one I had started with. My car also grew
from 1200 to 1800 CC.
(3)God gave me a son and a daughter. Daughter
led and joined Foreign Service after her CSS.
I had to pursue her to get married to a leading
Pakistani-Australian businessman; son of a
three-star general, and my course-mate. She is
now an Australian citizen. Son became doctor
through Army Medical College. Later he went
for his specialization to UK. He is now a
medical specialist at Harefield, Heart Hospital,
London. He will be a British national, shortly.
September 2014
Have you, following this value
Yes,
to stand up and strive against
No or
an oppressor, unjust king or
some
ruler ever stood up against a where in
ruler, a PM, like Benjamin
between?
Netanyahu; a CM, your DG or
CEO for the sake of collective
good, putting your interests
(even life) at peril?
Part 2: Their Way. This is the part, where universal
and eternal values shaped and formed the ideal lane for
conduct and exhibited behavior. These were the ways
(sunnah) of His chosen men. They persistently came
down to each and every people for good eight to nine
centuries (10:47 Quran). They performed the role of a
role model. Allowing us to choose out of the preferred
way and the cursed way. God Almighty left it to us to
pick either of the two. He was patient to see how His
vice-regent behaves and exhibits. For His prophets,
had since warned of bad ending and foretold happy
tidings. And last of His scripture was available to all,
in its pure and original form (15:9). And Creator had
made this life a test (67:2 & 76:2) to try us.
One could turn around and say, why and how could
we act and behave like His chosen people. They were
prophets; we are not. I respect your opinion and leave
His books (2:213, 3:84-85 & 16:124) for you to decide
for yourself (2:113). When He leaves the matter of
judgment to the Day of Judgment, why should we be
the managers of mankind. Even the prophets were to
convey His message, clearly and vividly; only. He
(himself) was the evaluator and the judge (2:210),
to reward and award. Our job was to strive to our
best (6:135). Here are just a few examples out of the
conduct of the prophets of Islam. Let us see how much
the sunnah (ways of prophets) has helped you do what
you do?
The Quran discusses a certain conversation between an
unrighteous ruler (Nimrud) and Abraham. The king who had
ordered the building of the Tower of Babel. Nimrod became
extremely arrogant due to his wealth and power, to the point
that he made the claim that he possessed the power of creation.
According to Romano-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus,
Nimrod was a man who….set up a huge fire to burn Ibrahim for
the later asked him to mend his ways (pbuh).
Award yourself,
either Y, N or
assign
most
appropriate %;
in the box below.
Moses led his people, told them what wrong they were doing
and what should they do to mend their ways (2:54 Quran).
According to the Book of Exodus, Moses was born in a time
when his people, the Children of Israel, were increasing in
numbers and the Egyptian Pharaoh was worried that they might
ally with Egypt's enemies. After the Ten Plagues, Moses led the
Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea,
after which they based themselves at Mount Sinai, where Moses
received the Ten Commandments. Following the same sunnah
followers of last of His prophets had to migrate not once but
twice. Muhammad (pbuh) could only convert about 130 people
in three years; 610-612 CE . Then he led his followers from
Mecca to Madina Sep 622 CE . Majority was never considered
authority.
Have you, following this value
Award yourself,
tried to lead your people? Did
either Y, N or
you try to be president, primeassign
most
minister, chief minister or a
appropriate %;
public leader in any form?
in the box below.
Yes,
Did you teach, preach and
motivate your community and
No or
lead your followers over long
some
distances to practice and live where in
by the way He wants? Recall between?
exodus of 1947. Do you
believe in numerical majority
to be a certification for being
right? Did your ancestors play
a lead role?
Last of His Prophet, did following with out any dispute or
controversy:
a. Fought and led no less than seventeen battles.
b. Married repeatedly, and to ladies who were far senior in
age, widows or divorcees.
c. Built and constructed mosques, and overviewed the
construction of several; while none had a tomb and a
minaret.
d. Was head of a state, like Dawood (David) (pbuh) and
Solomon (pbuh); for over eight years.
e. Never in Islam there was any sunni or shia prophet; and
you have read 6:159 Quran, too.
23
September 2014
Have any of above five
examples out of the life of last
prophet been able to Make
you do What you Do?
Yes, No
or some
where in
between?
Award yourself,
either Y, N or
assign
most
appropriate %;
in the box below.
5. Conclusion. An article cannot fully replace an interactive
workshop. As a reader you will have to go through this
workshop all by yourself. I hope the crux and essence of the
exercise on what makes you do what you decide and how you
evaluate your success has come to a successful end. It should
have met following objectives:
a. Discovering what actually matters in your life.
b. What are the major prime-movers and over-riding
clauses in your day-to-day and long-term DM.
c. How successful were your successes for His world,
countries and people?
d. Have you been improving and learning over your past
life?, and
e. This exercise in introspect has been able to goad and
restart the process of sifting bran from grain, hypocrisy
from truth and taking you to a brighter and happier
morning.
6. Enjoying your right of being wrong will help you grow;
whatever be the age, social and statutory status. Select your
values and value system.
End Note:
i. The translations used here in this article were of Marmaduke Muhammad
Pikthall.
ii.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophet_Ibrahim.
iii. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses
iv. Muhammad Hajj Guide 1st ed, Islamic Sciences and Research Academy
Australia, 2013, Kuwait
v. ibid
vi. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad
vii. Safiur Rehman M., Al Raheeq Al Makhtoom, xxxxx
Continued from p 10
Seven days had already passed when
someone knocked at the door of the young
man.
To his enormous surprise, it was a courier
with a huge packet to deliver – a big colour
TV along with a note: “Many thanks for
helping me on the road that night.
24
Sixty Shades of Gray
Note: The ‘angel of imagination’
portrayed in this article is purely
fictitious and a product of the
author’s humble imagination.
Lying all alone on cloud nine, the
angel of imagination was humming
the hymns of ancient times.
Saba Stephen
His proposed plans for coming
spring recently got approved by the higher heavenly
authorities, so a great burden of responsibility was
off his shoulders for now. This year the grass would
grow more vigorously with the slightest tinge of
yellow and red roses would bloom with the deepest
burgundy highlights around the edges. He was feeling
quite accomplished, and thus took refuge in his
leisure time and plump clouds. After a year of intense
brainstorming, he was finally free to enjoy the fruits
of his labor and soar on top of the world, both literally
and metaphorically.
Whilst he was taking pleasure in his new found bliss,
he heard a suppressed scream coming from the land
underneath his resting place. He got up and took out
his magnifying glass to get a closer look of what was
going on. Sadly, the sight was way harsher than his
most unproductive days. He saw an eastern girl being
subjected to endure the rejection for the fourteenth time,
because she was not blessed with a fair complexion. The
scrutinizing looks of her potential family abhorrently
penetrated her body and soul, as she remained silent
and waited for their obvious judgment. That reality
simply shattered the angel of imagination to the very
core and twisted his bliss into a hiss.
After a moment of overanalyzing the observed
scenario, he shook his head and thought he shouldn’t
jump to conclusions about the human brutalities so
quickly. It was just one unfortunate situation which
he randomly encountered, and it shouldn’t take a toll
on his happy mood. So, he prayed a prayer for the
eastern girl’s future, picked up his magnifying glass,
and bravely began to scan the western lands. There
he came across a bunch of high school girls giggling
and playing beach ball at the sea shore. Every girl
was having a time of her life except for one who was
trying to hide her tears behind the pages of her favorite
book. She was a pale young lady who wished to mingle
September 2014
with her super-suntanned equals, but feared their cruel
comments and evil taunts would slice her bullied heart.
The current sight completely crashed the already
weakened reasoning capability of the angel of
imagination. He immediately put down his magnifying
glass and took out a preserved envelope from under
his wings. The envelope was awarded to him for his
extraordinary performance during the last couple of
centuries, and contained two magical wishes that could
beat the impossible. So he opened the envelope in a
swift motion with an intention to utilize his very first
wish. He had a calculated plan in his mind as he fished
for tan and cream color paints in his satchel, but all
hell broke loose when he realized he had emptied those
paint tubes on his version of Mona Lisa during his last
year’s vacation.
The angel of imagination did not lose hope right
away and searched for a fine alternative solution in
the satchel, until his hand bumped into two hardlyused black and white paint tubes. He took out those
tubes eagerly and read their label information. They
were merely used to color the zebras and penguins a
billion years ago. So he decided not to let his wish go
to waste and color the whole world black and white,
like some 1950’s Hollywood movie. He knew that
his blonde locks and blue eyes would fade into grey
too, but he was willing to make the sacrifice for those
two victimized hearts. And finally, when he was done
blending his perfect hues and tinges, he splattered his
imagination onto the face of the Earth.
The grays swam through each and every vein of clay
and changed everything in its wake. Those colors
not only transformed the lives of two poor girls but
also caused many miraculous positive changes. The
eggplant earned all the respect it deserved, the white
chocolate was awarded a shelf space next to the
dark one, the black puppy eventually got adopted
by a family, and ‘the ugly duckling’ was no longer
considered a sad tale. All in all, the world in black and
white was a better place, where skins and rinds were
mere protective drapes.
Regrettably, when the angel of imagination called it a
day and decided to go home, he heard two little girls
arguing over the shades of gray. The humans somehow
succeeded in developing a new box of color pencils
for the young ones, while he was busy collecting his
scattered things. That truth broke his spirit into a million
pieces and his mind sank to the bottom of despair. Alas,
the conflict could not end at the skin, for the bitterness
lies within the heart. The angel of imagination irately
opened a bottle of thinner and spilled it onto the vast
lands. The things went back to the way they were,
except his two ill-utilized valued wishes.
Marilyn Monroe once said: “All little girls should be
told they’re pretty, even if they aren’t.” When babies are
born, we feed them nutritious food to strengthen their
bones and teach them perfection standards to weaken
their souls. We force them into a labyrinth of social
acceptance that keeps them from making peace with
their exteriors. All children deserve a chance to feel
alive in this lackadaisical world. They must be assured
that an immense world of strengths and possibilities
exists within their cores. Beauty is something that the
eyes can’t see and the soul can’t flee; it is an essence
deeper than our color of skin and shape of limbs. In our
world, however, beauty only means a manifestation
of some self-crafted measures of attractiveness. We
cannot euthanize such societal barbarity with our
intentions if we keep resuscitating it with our actions.
We must make up our minds to break free of this
emotional sadomasochism, once and for all, and say
goodbye to our old ways. Luckily, it’s never too late to
paint our blacked out hearts with great white hope and
live beyond sixty shades of gray.
The waitress served
him the ice-cream and
his bill. The boy ate his
ice-cream, paid his bill
at the cash counter and left.
When the waitress went to clean the
table she began to cry… for there,
in the corner of the plate, were 15
cents… her tip.
The boy took a simple ice-cream
instead of a Sundae so he could leave
a tip for her.
25
September 2014
supporting hand-loops, or ceiling bars for those
who have to travel standing. These are used, in any
case at some point of time getting-in or out of the
bus.
Pis-pis Door-handle:
PDH
Bakhtiar
General. Door-handles are like hand-shake. Helping
you shake-hand with uncountable people. How many
do you shake hand with in a day? The figure could be
anything from 50 to 10. It could be lower for a stiffneck, frowning almighty. Some are choosy to shake
hand with, however door handles serve them well. The
single word focus of this new idea is Hygiene.
a. Here it is explained in more details. Hands are
part of the body
through which one
carries the germs
to and from. How?
There are many
ways for this hand
to be a carrier.
b.Either
you
coughed a while
ago or the one you
are going to shake
hand with. Being civilized both of you used the
palm of the hand, open or curled to suppress the
spread of the cough. Rarely one is ready with a
handkerchief or a tissue paper, to curb the cough.
c.How about the
holding-bar while
mounting a bus or
the hanging handloops for those
travelling in a bus.
There would be a
narrow range of
say 8 to 13 inches,
within which every
person getting in or
out of the bus will
touch and hold the bar, well and proper to lift or
balance his or her weight. Same is the case with
26
d. There are door-handles or simply push plates at
the entrances of hospitals, large stores, bakeries
or compound washrooms, like the one seen at bus
terminals. Main entrance of the mosques and busy
embassies can be counted in the same category. The
door pans are hardly at rest. These are swinging in
and out all the time, for some one is pushing these
in and out without break.
Purpose or the Aim. The purpose of this new idea is
to keep the hands clean, disinfected and thus improving
the hygiene of a people as a whole.
Significance. To keep washing hands is fundamentally
a good habit. One would need to learn to use a good
soap, or a hand wash. And in addition, a hand sanitizer
for special occasions. All this should develop as a habit
to show results and of a large majority of a people in a
community. Here is this new idea; Pispis Door Handle
(PDH). It would help support those who are determined
to learn the new habit of keeping hands clean and
equally useful for those who stand at the other end of
the extreme.
September 2014
Device: Hardware.
essential parts.
The device will have three
a. A sensor. It is a visual
sensor, working on
proximity.
Much
like those used for
controlling the water
taps at public places
and hotels. Or those
used as hand drier
sensors.
b. A Battery Operated
Control Unit. Such a
controll unit, working
on a time lag is used
by all automatic spray
devices, so nothing
new.
c. A Sanitizer, Spraying Unit. This is the final and
cutting edge of the device, giving the desired results.
A spraying sanitizer is so placed that it covers the
door handle or the push plate or the holding bar
effectively with its spray. Now all three units have
to be so linked, interfaced and dovetailed that a
PDH is created.
Functioning. How PDH would work? As the hand of
a person comes in close
proximity of the sensor,
it gets activated. It sends
a signal (surge) to the
spraying control. And
there it sprays the area
desired to be cleaned
and disinfected. The
time lag between sensor
activation and spray
would be in user control.
It could be varied on
a scale, part of spray
container; say from 5 to
15 seconds. The time in
which a person would
touch; push or pull
the door and then pass
through, is the deciding
factor. The spray should come down the moment one
has left, and before the next touches the ‘point/place’.
Here it gets sterilized before the next person uses it;
with his/her fresh cache of germs, bacteria, sweat and
any other form of unclean, unwanted matter or odor.
A part of spray falling on hand would be a welcome
feeling.
Conclusion. How happy a person would be to see the
door handle or push point or the holding bar which
he/she was about to use has been disinfected, washed
clean for him/her. I am sure such a device will go a long
way in arresting the spread of communicable diseases.
Enjoy the pis pis sound.
OBITUARY
Professor Nilofer Sultana, left us and all her
loved ones on Aug 7th 2014.
She was professor of Economics, a novelist and a
short story writer. She has left behind four novels,
some poetry and at least three books in Urdu. Her
articles for Better Pakistan will keep her close to
the hearts of all worthy members of TFP.
Born on August 29th 1939 in Abbottabad, to IGP
Gul Muhammad Kahn, she remained an outstanding
student throughout her student life. Her three
children, high achievers in their own right, recall
her as one of the most caring and loving mother.
She struggled hard indeed to see them progress and
rise.
As member of TFP, my (as Secretary General and
Editor) association with her was rather brief and
limited to a niche. She and her daughter lived in
a small house. One day she asked me, referring to
the house, “how could I donate it for the sake of
promotion of education or for any other cause of
charity?”
May Allah Bless Her Soul
27
September 2014
2014
Updated on 2 SEP
Abdul Mateen Ansari Memorial Scholarship Scheme
Ser Contributors
Jan
Balance Brought Forward
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Total
726,000
726,000
1 Ms. Jehanzeb
24,000
24,000
2 Col Bakhtiar Hakeem
5,000
3 Mr. KMA
2,000
2,000 2,000
2,000
2,000
17,000
2,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
4 Admiral Iftikhar A. Sirohey
30,000
30,000
2,000
500
2,500
500
500
3,000
7 Capt Saif Ullah Khan Niazi
10,000
10,000
8 Brig Maqsood Ahmed
10,000
10,000
5 Col Arsalan
6 Ms. Arsheena Haleem
2,000
9 Col Najam
100,000
100,000
Total
756,000 1,005,000
Amount paid to Beneficiaries
28,000
4,500 2,000
892,300 111,000 20,000
23,000 102,000
25,500
2,000
43,000
-
1,922,500
25,000
1,116,800
Bal
805,700
APCOM 4 students
190000
HITEC 3 students
125000
43000
125,000
HITEC 1 Ms. Sahir, MS Math
25500
Beenish out of Najma Moeen-HITEC
10000
UET Taxila 4 students
15000
25,000
131,000
111000
Mr. Mazhar UET Feb to Jul 14
111,000
21000
Ranra School 3 students
21,000
5000
RMC 6 Students
Misc exp
Total
5
25
5000
25000
35,000
410000
410,000
300
300
892300
No of Students
25,500
131000
UET Taxila 3 students
No of Institutions
233,000
111000
20000
0
25500
43000
0
Bal 2013
25000
1,116,800
726,000
Received in 2014
1,196,500
Total:
1,922,500
Quaid's Message
"Education does not merely mean academic education....we have to build up the character
of our future generations which means highest sense of honour, integrity, self service to the
nation and sense of responsibility..."
Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah message to All-Pakistan Education Conference,
27 November,1947
28
September 2014
2014
Ser
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Contributors
ACM Kaleem Saadat
Col Bakhtiar Hakeem
Mrs Zahida Munwar
IGP Tariq Saleem Lone
Ms Nida Kaleem
Mr. HA Rana
Maj Eshfaq Khan
Col Bashir Ahmed
Mr. Sultan Baashir Mehmood
Col Khawar Nadeem
Maj Jehanzeb
Dr. Shafqat Farooq
Mr. Ahmed Ali, Riyadh
Mr. MA Tahir
Ms Jehanzeb Tahir
Brig Ashfaq Ashraf
Gen Syed Wajid Hussain, HIT
Dr. Javed Khan
Mr. Azam Ali
Total:
Amount paid
Bal
Jun
50,000
10,000
15,000
100,000
30,000
4,000
1,000
15,000
Jul
10,000
Aug
Sep
10,000
5,000
6,000
5,000
40,000
15,000
12,000
1,000
10,000
15,000
360,780
225,000
200,000
119,000
125,000
370,780
10,000
10,000
29
Total
50,000
30,000
15,000
100,000
30,000
4,000
1,000
15,000
5,000
6,000
5,000
40,000
15,000
12,000
1,000
10,000
15,000
360,780
10,000
724,780
325,000
399,780
September 2014
30
September 2014
31
September 2014
32
September 2014
33
September 2014
34
September 2014
35
September 2014
36
September 2014
37
September 2014
38
September 2014
From The Desk of Editor Better Pakistan: Bakhtiar Hakeem
H. No: 26, St: 19, Sector C, Phase 1, DHA Islamabad. Tel: 051-5788613 Fax: 5788614 Cell: 0345-5375114
bak116ster@gmail.com, www.thinkersforumpakistan.org
September 2014