They don't know who to blame??

What is up with this?? A bomb goes off, 114 die, atleast 20 children, and they don't know who to blame? If there is any failing of this government, and God knows there are many, the fact that "there is still a great reluctance to accept that Pakistanis or fellow Muslims are the ones doing the killing", three weeks into a Civil war for precisely this reason, is its most serious failing. Where is our call to arms, to a casus belli going to come? If Zardari is not man enough, or does not have it in him to do it, and if Gilani can only play Pir to his masses, then why will not someone, anyone step forward to make the case?

The War in Pakistan

I have spent most of my life watching protests. My first memories were of protests in Pakistan against the Indian atrocities in Kashmir. Then against Salman Rushdie. Then against the American invasion of Iraq in 1991. I have been part of protests against the slaughter of thousands in the Balkans. I have condemned the Israeli occupation and oppression of the lands of my Palestinian brothers. I have opposed the war in Iraq, and railed against every excess of the Americans in their unjust war. I have raged against the deaths of innocents in Afghanistan by drone attacks. Yet, I think the time has now come for me to refocus my protests. While I will not modify my moral and ethical compass, I think the time has now come to change whom I oppose the loudest.

Let me be clear about what I am about to say. My faith as a Muslim, and my conviction in Islam and commitment to seeking justice for humanity and my fellow muslims has not and cannot change. My faith is one which relies on the Beneficent and the Merciful. My faith finds inspiration and grounds itself in he who was sent as a Mercy to the entire Universe. Islam and the Prophet Muhammed (May Allah shower him with blessings) have given me a faith which inspires me to love the people around me, and to see justice for those who are near and far. It is through my faith that I am able to find inner peace and a purpose for this often purpose-less seeming life.

Our true enemies today, are no longer those who attack us from outside. They are no longer the easily categorized infidels. They can no longer be just called the West and the Americans. While our challenges and difficulties as a faith and as muslim political entities are legion, it is what is happening inside our faith which is rendering us weak and catatonic.

Our true enemies are those within, who claim to act in the name of Allah, and in the name of Islam. Our true enemies are those who bring nothing but a message of destruction. What began as a message of destruction of enemies, has now become a message of destroy first and ask later. How else does one explain the savage attacks on civilian populations? At various points there were justifications made for the attacks on civilians in non-Muslim countries. Where has that lead us? It has lead us to the suicide bombings in Peshawar and the streets of Iraq. It has lead us to the savage murders and assassinations of ordinary individuals and mid-level functionaries of the state. It has lead to the destruction of shrines in Iraq, markets in Peshawar and mosques. Imam Zaid Shakir in a recent article said "We are the followers of a merciful Prophet, peace upon him, and not the ideological and philosophical children of those who have introduced the idea that the slaughter of an opponent’s civilian population is an acceptable stratagem or consequence of warfare." Now, instead of slaughtering opponents, they are only slaughtering their own.

Of course, it becomes much easier to slaughter our own, when you label them as apostates. Despite the Amman Declaration, takfir continues as a tool to label fellow muslims as outside the fold and liable for death. Despite a long tradition of advocating for conservative change from within, Islam is being hijacked by those who seek not change but to tear down the world around them. They have no plan for the future, no manifesto, no desire to create structures which can provide for us as people and as members of society. Reza Aslan speaks of much of this in his last book, labelling all of this as a Cosmic War. And while I accept his point that the best way to win a Cosmir War is not to fight it, there are ways in which we can structure the way we respond to those who insist on framing our current conflicts as a Cosmic crisis, in which sides have to be picked.

I have picked my side. My side is one which values human life above all else. My side is one which seeks to bring peace to this world, in the here and now. If I can condemn the Israelis for their oppression of Palestinians, I can condemn those who have terrorized Pakistan even more loudly. If I can condemn the American invasion of Iraq as baseless, I can condemn even more vehemently the extremist assault on the homes and lives of the people of Swat and Waziristan. While I will agree with all of those who blame state actors like the Government of Pakistan for bringing the situation to a head, and also those who find the US complicit in creating a problem like the Mujahideen and the Taliban and even Saddam Hussein, I will not condemn them anymore. Enough are doing it, enough have. The bombings in the markets of Peshawar, and the attacks on the GHQ in Rawalpindi were not by Americans. The suicide bombings in Baghdad and the destruction of the Imam Askari shrine were not by Americans. They were by those who call themselves Muslim. They were by those who insist that their faith is more pure than the rest of us. They were by those for whom peace in this world means nothing. They were by those who do not believe that Islam is a faith of mercy and beneficence. They were by those who do not find solace in the fact that while the Prophet Muhammed (May Allah shower him with blessings), did fight with a sword, he did not come with one. While wars may have been fought, it was not destruction they sought, but peace. This may be a one-sided or idealistic view of history, but it is mine.

So, as always, I will seek to glorify Allah in all I do, and to follow the path of the rightly guided. And that path, like that of Ali (May Allah brighten his countenance) shows that sometimes one has to fight those within. There can be no quarter or space in which such ideologies, which justify senseless murder and oppression, can find a home. And so, I will now protest all such senseless killings, all such senseless murders. Those who perpetrate such crimes are evil. They are not my brothers in faith. Those who do not condemn these crimes like they have condemned the Israelis, the American and the Russians, are not my friends and brothers.

This is not ambiguous for me. It is as real as the tears in the eyes of the women who mourned their daughters lost in Peshawar. It is as real as the prayers and fears of mothers of soliders who wait for their sons to return from the battles in Waziristan. I will no longer hear or tolerate explanations and apologetics regarding this. I will no longer listen to justifications and condemnation of the West as being at fault. If you think that somehow, in any way, the murder of thousands of innocents, or anyone for that matter, is defensible, don't talk to me.

More Miandad Analysis

A reflective essay on Miandad's resignation and what it could mean to Pakistani cricket.

Miandad: In or Out?

While it is always hard to trust Indian News sources when it comes to Pakistani cricket, nothing can surprise me when it comes to the PCB! It appears that now Javed Miandad may be coming back into the fold, despite the announcement and the press conference. Somehow, Ijaz Butt likes Javed, but no one else does, so Javed said plague on all your houses and ran away, but may be willing to be cajoled back in.

"Miandad is expected to get a call from the PCB headquarters within the next couple of days and a possible meeting is on the cards between the chairman and the batsman."

Is it really too much to ask for a modicum of stability, whether its in resignations or hirings? This cannot be good for cricket.

More on the kidnapping

I must have been sleeping when these reports came out.

UN HCR Head in Pakistan Kidnapped?

This is a new story. I wonder why I haven't heard this over the last week. If the issues in FATA were not enough, a burgeoning Baluchi independence/insurgence movement is not going to help Pakistan. I'll post more when I find it.

Its not just FATA anymore

For the past few years, we just keep saying its a FATA problem. For the rest of the country, its not a big deal, we have our own issues. Lots of people have been on the record as saying that if we left the "crazies" in FATA alone, then all of this would go away. Let them have their Shariat and their Talibanization up there. And of course the inevitable comments that it is America's problem, not ours. Well, it can be anyone's problem, but it is OURS! The Taliban or the TNSM or the tribals or whatever you want to call them, have now attacked a police station in Mianwali, a real city in Punjab. If this doesn't tell us that we can't ignore the problem, or brush it aside as someone else's, God help us, I don't know what will!

Fareed Zakaria & Pakistan

Fareed Zakaria in Newsweek on a new strategy to the Afghan war. Refer to page 3 for comments about Pakistan. Obama reads Zakaria. We should pay heed to his words. The next issue of Newsweek makes a lot of interesting comments about Pakistan and the effects that changes in American foreign and military policy will have on Pakistan. Difficult times lie ahead.

Indifferent Cricketing

Its been an exciting ten days in the world of Pakistani cricket. Sometimes I just hope for a quiet ten days, where all that happens is a few matches, where the performance is at par, we make a few comments about individual players' roles in the team, and then we move on!

First, Pakistan teased us with winning the first ODI against Sri Lanka. The bowlers, and the batsmen, and even Shoaib Malik at that, teased us with what they were capable of. Exciting strokeplay, tight, incisive bowling and swift and deliberate captaincy. Yet, all that only lasted for the first match. Everything quickly devolved into the disaster which was the third ODI in Lahore, where we were suddenly all out in the 70s, one of Pakistan's lowest scores of all time. How fitting that the Prime Minister had to be there to share in the sorrow of the team and its fans.

For most cricketing boards, a tough and difficult loss to another strong team would have been enough to make headlines for the next week. Not for us. We canned Shoaib Malik, three weeks after renewing his captaincy indefinitely. We brought on Younus Khan who can't seem to make up his mind about whether he actually wants to be captain, or just likes playing one in matches (refer to the prolonged stretches where he seems to be directing on-field strategy with Inzamam before, and Shoaib Malik now). I agree with Osman Samiuddin (CricInfo), that while it is by default, Younus Khan is the captain Pakistan needs at the moment. Seasoned in cricket, a dogged competitor and one who's credentials no one can question.

Shoaib Akhtar continues to play his peek-a-boo with international cricket. After dismal and indifferent performances over the first two matches, he pulled out the injury card for the third ODI, and then we were all promptly informed that he will miss the Sri Lanka tests, and hence will be out for another few months. This injury merry-go-round would be fine if everyone could somehow agree that Shoaib Akhtar is committed to cricket, and committed to playing it without the continuous drama that surrounds his every move on and off the cricketing field. No one can agree on that, or even say that its possible in the near term, and given Shoaib's medical problems, there really is no long-term to his cricketing future. Let him go.

What else? The Champion's Trophy has been taken away, Javed Miandad has quit over money or prestige, either which way because of his own vanity, and Asif has been banned yet again. What had begun a few months ago, with a hope that there would be a new direction to cricket in Pakistan, is now a vision which is uncertain again. With no hope of meaningful cricket at home in the near future, and a leadership which does not appear to have a clear strategy for the game or for the team itself, it appears that for the next few months we will just seem to jolt from crisis to crisis, from uncertainty to uncertainty. It appears that we are all in danger to becoming indifferent to the future of cricket in Pakistan.

Torture of Women in Baluchistan

Hat tip to Teeth Maestro for tracking this report down.

You can question it, you can say its propoganda, you can say what you want. But these allegations need to be investigated thoroughly, and either shown as false or if true, the perpetrators have to be brought to justice. Why won't the same journalists who were willing to go to every length to find the identity of Kasab, now go to every length to verify or refute these allegations? We need answers. As a nation, we need to face the truth, no matter how ugly or horrific.

Asif: Comeback on the cards?

In Pakistani cricket fortunes rise and fall with the sun. While only a few days ago I wrote about the myriad challenges being faced by Mohammad Asif, it now appears that Ijaz Butt, PCB Chairman, has all but mandated that Asif will be making a comeback and soon.

Suddenly, a drug arrest in Dubai, is a "minor" incident. Only in Pakistan can the Chairman of the PCB wash away a problem like this, with a casual comment. Asif has many problems, and as a young man he needs to sort them out. Give the man some time. Plus, does he just walk back into the squad? Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar seem to be doing pretty well. Sohail Khan and Azhar Ali are knocking on the door. Does an unfit Asif who hasn't played competitive cricket for a year have a place in the squad?

The Shoaib Akhtar Drama

Well, I hate to say I told you so, but it was in September of 2007, that I said that Shoaib Akhtar had no future in Pakistani cricket. Not because he doesn't have talent, but because he just likes drama too much. No one knows if he is going to play, and if he plays, will he bowl one or twenty overs. No one knows if he will bowl medium pace, or bowl expressly fast like only he can. No one knows if he will field or just watch balls roll by. No one knows anything when it comes to Shoaib Akhtar.

This is the Shoaib Akhtar that after the two ODIs with Sri Lanka has shown up. Crappy performances in two straight games, where it didn't even look like his heart was in it. Granted I didn't see him field, but if Shoaib Malik is choosing to criticise him, then there must have been an issue. As many articles not, Shoaib Malik is not exactly Mr. Eloquence, and there must be cause for his comments.

Ijaz Butt can say that selectors have the final say and Waqar can wonder if Shoaib can only play ODIs, but it is clear. Cricket is not where Shoaib Akhtar's heart is. His heart is clearly in believing himself to be a prima donna, who is the star of his own opus. There is no place for him in a team sport. He needs to be let go.

DAWN - Opinion; January 23, 2009

Good article by Ayesha Siddiqa.

Key Quote:

So, while it is true that Muslims are no different from the rest of the world in their desire for good governance, improved political structures, which might resemble the democracy of the western world, are missing precisely because of the absence of a structured discourse on a new social contract.

We are more than what we are today.

Perhaps stories like this will give us a sense of that we are more than the sum of all our todays. The past should humble us.

Pakistan in Peril?

Must read, eye opening review of a must-read book.

Mullah Omar is holed up in Baluchistan? Pakistan and the ISI have been training the Taliban over the last 5 years? One wonders why all of this doesn't make it into the Pakistani press and television chattering classes. Just more denial isn't it?

Mohammad Asif and the Delhi Daredevils

Mohammad Asif finds himself in quite a pickle. Since the IPL drugs issue, and the arrest in Dubai, he is really seen the lows of a sporting life. From being one of the most feared bowlers on the world scene, his stock has rapidly fallen.

He finds himself out of a central contract with the PCB, an uncertain cricketing future until the IPL resolves his drugs issue, and no current cricket income. If this article is to be believed, he has lost his home, his car and is currently in dire financial straits.

It appears that the IPL has not paid Asif for his services with the Delhi Daredevils in the first iteration of the IPL. There is much speculation that due to his positive drug test, the Delhi Daredevils will choose not to pay him until the IPL board hears the case and makes a final recommendation.

Asif had a sizable contract with the Delhi team at US$ 650,000 for the season. Having played in eight of fifteen games, and available for all 15, Asif has fulfilled his obligations under the contract. While it is clear in the contract, that Asif can be terminated by the team "if found engaged in acts in any way which damages the image or reputation of BCCI-IPL and/or the League" (Clause 5.9(c)), the termination cannot be linked to his showing up for work. If terminated, they don't have to honour the remaining two years of his contract, but in my humble opinion, are obliged to pay Asif for the year he did play.

US$650,000 is a sizable sum, equal to about 52 million PKR. Regardless of Asif's issues, and how long it takes to sort them out, this sum will provide him with the financial security needed to see him through the tough times. The trouble is, that when it comes to the IPL, the BCCI is judge, jury and executioner. The folks at FICA, should be looking very hard at how the BCCI and the IPL treat Asif, because if they don't pay him, what is there to stop them from doing this to other, less visible and famous players.

Asif is owed his due.

Journalists are Terrorists! HA!

Ha! Ha! Another Asif Zardari pearl of wisdom! If you don't like what they say about you, call them terrorists! Thats even one-upping George W and Dick!

UAE Pressure on Pakistan

Interesting story. The UAE, which has always been seen as an ally of Pakistan on many issues, is trying to get a good deal out of the Pakistanis.

Pakistan has always been energy poor, and about a year ago, it was heralded as a major deal when an agreement was made for the UAE to set up a new refinery in Pakistan. Now, it appears that the UAE is linking the new refinery to getting a controlling stake in Pakistan's largest refinery near Multan. It will be important to watch how the government responds both diplomatically and through economic channels to respond to this obvious threat to Pakistan's already tenuous energy situation. All of Pakistan's other service sectors ie. banking and telecommunications are being heavily invested in by Midle Eastern and Chinese companies. Will Pakistan allow a foreign country to even have controlling stakes in its largest oil refineries? Difficult choices.

Ayaz Amir on the War on Terror & Pakistan

Ayaz Amir, perhaps Pakistan's finest English columnist today. Quote:

Had he (Zulfikar Bhutto) conducted himself more wisely Pakistan might have been spared Gen Zia-ul-Haq and his hypocritical Islam. What a joke Zia played with Pakistan. There couldn't be a more Islamic country than ours. Yet that wily ruler, for purposes of his own, was bent on converting this country to Islam once more.

So look at the sequence of events. Bhutto gifted us Zia, Zia gave us phoney Islamisation, from the womb of that hypocrisy arose the first Afghan jihad, and the dragon's teeth sprouted by that jihad in time led to Al Qaeda and the rest of the mumbo jumbo we are having to live with today. And let not the Yanks think they had nothing to do with this progression. They scattered the dragon's teeth with us and lauded it as a noble act. As they battle the Taliban, and their satellites futilely try to track down the elusive chief of Al Qaeda, let them show some indulgence for Pakistan's present troubles, for we and they were partners in the same crime.

Lawyers a menace?

Has the lawyer's movement in Pakistan jumped the shark? Seems like criticism is increasing.