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Sunday, September 9, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
War against virtue
As the Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has recently clearly identified who are extremists and who are terrorists, and as these extremists and terrorists are waging a war in Pakistan to impose a world view of theirs on the people of Pakistan through the use of gun, this war in its truest meaning is a war against Virtue. Here are the arguments:
War against virtue
All coercion is part of the war against virtue unless morally and legally justified.
Our share of the terrorists or Taliban has perfected what we have been suffering in our country at smaller or somewhat larger scales for the last six decades: the moral policing. Sometimes it was individuals or well-knit groups, and sometimes it were governments that resorted to moral policing. However, now in the shape of Taliban, the moral policing has reached its climax, i.e. it has become top most duty of the Taliban type state. The use of force has found its ultimate end. The annihilation of every trace of freedom has been attained. As a result, every semblance of virtue has been destroyed. In sum, with the advent of Taliban rule in parts of the NWFP, the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater.
War against virtue
All coercion is part of the war against virtue unless morally and legally justified.
Our share of the terrorists or Taliban has perfected what we have been suffering in our country at smaller or somewhat larger scales for the last six decades: the moral policing. Sometimes it was individuals or well-knit groups, and sometimes it were governments that resorted to moral policing. However, now in the shape of Taliban, the moral policing has reached its climax, i.e. it has become top most duty of the Taliban type state. The use of force has found its ultimate end. The annihilation of every trace of freedom has been attained. As a result, every semblance of virtue has been destroyed. In sum, with the advent of Taliban rule in parts of the NWFP, the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater.
From the most private details
of one’s life to his public behavior, every thing has been taken over by the Taliban
state to make it happen via its use of brute force. The men who wield this
power of the state have no legitimate claim to it, since no moral or political
theory justifies it but the naked force. It is on the part of the Taliban that
they have assumed this power by virtue of their gun-holding. It is on the part
of an already existing state that its authority has been ceded to Taliban on
the pretext of peace. One thing is common in both states: they have forsaken
the individual and his rights. In effect, they have deprived him of his natural
right to freely choose his destiny.
It’s just for argument’s sake
that under any system of justice statements of confession made under duress are
outrightly set aside as unacceptable for the simple reason that they do not
issue from a free agent and thus are unworthy of any use in fixing responsibility
for one’s alleged acts. Likewise, what one does under oppression, whatever name
we give to it, can NEVER be considered virtue. It’s all because virtue grows
and flourishes in an environment where freedom is abundantly present in the air.
Conversely in an environment
of un-freedom what freely prosper are lie, malice and hypocrisy. That is what
we have our whole society from top to bottom infected with incurably. No realm
of life be it public or private, political or economic, social or spiritual,
religious or secular, learning or teaching, or any other, is immune from it. In
such a society the gravity of the crisis manifests itself in a concept of
virtue bereft of all meaning of virtue. The only purpose left for virtue to be
adopted as a way of life is its usefulness in earning social recognition of
one’s virtuosity. It loses its worth as a means to civilize, moralize and
humanize one’s self. It metamorphoses us into a conscienceless being. It’s all vice that enwraps itself in the guise
of virtue. Virtue acquires the status of one of the ploys of vice itself. Morality
is taken hostage by ideology/faith.
The most distinguishing
feature of this local war of ours against virtue is its flagrant
self-contradiction: it claims to establish a state of virtue whereas instead of
letting virtue grow naturally freely it is trying to impose/enforce virtue
politically and administratively, and of course militarily also. This should
bring the process of our moral fall to a finish.
This is not without
precedent. Only that now it is programmed to reach its logical conclusion. Since
day one we have had political groups, parties, institutions, and what not which
in the name of moral policing were up to achieving this Taliban state like
arrangement. In addition to that, we have had both civil and military
governments which aimed at setting up such a moral police state. It is out of
question here what their intent was. What came to happen as a result is what is
important. It is what we have before us right now.
It may be the last war
against virtue in Pakistan
It’s time we realize the importance
and significance of the constitution. It’s like life to us, our people, nation
and our country. We are in one word this constitution. Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan
[This article was completed on May 1, 2009. ]
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Brij Narayan Chakbast Ka Aik Sheyr
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Waiting torture in Pakistan
Yesterday's Pakistan Print Edition of International Herald Tribune contains Why waiting is torture, by Alex Stone.
A very good piece which discusses our psychology of waiting in line and how we respond to various waiting situations.
Alex Stone writes: "Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours each year waiting in line."
I wonder, how much time Pakistanis spend waiting in lines here and there, both at private and public establishments! I do not know about any such study for Pakistan. Actually, it's no "issue" at all here. No guessing - how much time Pakistanis spend in waiting. But no doubt their life is full of suffering related with waiting.
And apart from this, what is important to see in the case of Pakistan is that often and time there are fights on breaking the queues. The queuing culture has no roots here.
Surprisingly, the multinational food chains which have already landed in Pakistan do not bother with this; whereas I read somewhere that McDonald's open new counters when just 3 or 4 customers are seen standing in queues. In Pakistan, usually they keep closed the already opened counters.
Here the psychology is different: keep the long queues standing, and that proves your business is flourishing. Also, saddist strains run deep. They would make dozens of people remain standing in scorching heat outside, and keep themselves busy in drinking tea and chatting with their fellows or guests inside.
One thing is conspicuously noticeable here, and it is which Stone also points out to: "Perhaps the biggest influence on our feelings about lines, though, has to do with our perception of fairness."
That perception is dominantly present here; however, as opposed to it, there is another common practice which uses reference, contacts, influence, bribes, forcefulness, to make its way through the waiting lines.
Having said that, I would like to add: here the issue is that long waiting hours may be reduced considerably, but for the lack of will; rather 'let these "bastards" waste their life waiting in lines' is the best choice practiced in Pakistan!
A very good piece which discusses our psychology of waiting in line and how we respond to various waiting situations.
Alex Stone writes: "Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours each year waiting in line."
I wonder, how much time Pakistanis spend waiting in lines here and there, both at private and public establishments! I do not know about any such study for Pakistan. Actually, it's no "issue" at all here. No guessing - how much time Pakistanis spend in waiting. But no doubt their life is full of suffering related with waiting.
And apart from this, what is important to see in the case of Pakistan is that often and time there are fights on breaking the queues. The queuing culture has no roots here.
Surprisingly, the multinational food chains which have already landed in Pakistan do not bother with this; whereas I read somewhere that McDonald's open new counters when just 3 or 4 customers are seen standing in queues. In Pakistan, usually they keep closed the already opened counters.
Here the psychology is different: keep the long queues standing, and that proves your business is flourishing. Also, saddist strains run deep. They would make dozens of people remain standing in scorching heat outside, and keep themselves busy in drinking tea and chatting with their fellows or guests inside.
One thing is conspicuously noticeable here, and it is which Stone also points out to: "Perhaps the biggest influence on our feelings about lines, though, has to do with our perception of fairness."
That perception is dominantly present here; however, as opposed to it, there is another common practice which uses reference, contacts, influence, bribes, forcefulness, to make its way through the waiting lines.
Having said that, I would like to add: here the issue is that long waiting hours may be reduced considerably, but for the lack of will; rather 'let these "bastards" waste their life waiting in lines' is the best choice practiced in Pakistan!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Pakistani Siyasat Ka Keechar
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shifted to the Urdu Blog - Civil Pakistan. To see it, click the link
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Army Chief defines extremism and terrorism
Usually I do not read statements and speeches given by government
officials, elected or nominated; but only when due to the interest in a certain
issue it requires to go into its detail.
Here it is evident that when the COAS says, ‘any person who believes his opinion to be the final verdict, is an extremist,’ he tries to define Extremism philosophically. He also refutes Extremism in a philosophical manner by denying it finality and infallibility.
No explanations needed. It’s all crystal clear, what the COAS states.
It was on September 2 that I was going through the op-ed pages of The
News that these lines used as teaser caught my eyes: “The preparation of
violence with a clear conscience is a delight to ideologues who distort the
teachings of religion. This was what General Kayani had in mind when he had
said that a person who imposes his views on society is an extremist.”
I stopped on this article, The defeat of extremist ideology,
by S. Iftikhar Murshid.
Then I searched for this speech of the Chief of Army Staff, General
Ashfaq Pervez Kayani. I thought it must be available on the website of ISPR (Inter
Services Public Relations). As it was the first time that I visited the ISPR
website, I was amused to see it has gov.pk: www.ispr.gov.pk.
The said speech was delivered on the Independence Day of Pakistan, and
is available on this page, both in English and Urdu:
He says:
“Today, extremism and terrorism present a grave challenge. We can claim
that this menace is not of our making. This approach, however, will not solve
the problem. It is important for us to clearly understand, what is extremism
and terrorism. Misconceptions about these two terminologies, can prove
catastrophically divisive for the nation.”
Well-said! The misconceptions about the extremism and terrorism facing
Pakistanis have already proved catastrophic! Despite it, a whole section of the
society, mostly from the Right and a few from the Left, and Imran Khan’s
political party, Pakistan Tehree-e-Insaaf, they all still believe it’s a war
imposed on Pakistanis by the US, it’s not their war.
Then the COAS tries to define who is an extremist:
“Any person who believes his opinion to be the final verdict, is an
extremist. The perfect or universal intellect, is only attributable to Allah.
Man, a temporal being, is born with an imperfect intellect, beset with
limitations. A human claim to be the final word in judging right from wrong, is
tantamount to a claim to divine attributes, or shirk.”
It’s amazing and at the same time interesting to see the COAS going
philosophical! Remaining inside the religious tradition, he makes a point
against the infallibility of human intellect, and thus against those who claim
perfection and finality for their views. For scientists and philosophers, it’s
no different: they too believe so, but stand focused on seeking more and more
knowledge using the concept of Truth as a regulative principle.
As for the term, Extremism, on the face of it, it points towards the
absence of moderation, temperance. That amounts to negating and annihilating
any space for others to hold different views.
Here it is evident that when the COAS says, ‘any person who believes his opinion to be the final verdict, is an extremist,’ he tries to define Extremism philosophically. He also refutes Extremism in a philosophical manner by denying it finality and infallibility.
It may be argued that if there is such extremism which keeps to itself,
and does not exclude others from holding views of their choice and
understanding, it’s not dangerous.
As his argument progresses the COAS is insightful enough to point out
that:
“As a human being, it would be wrong for me to give the verdict that
today's parade was the best in the world. I have not witnessed all the parades
in the world. More importantly, can my criterion for this judgment be
considered final? If I cannot give the final verdict in such a small issue,
then how is it possible to do so in the intricate issues dealing with religion
and life.”
Again that is very philosophical!
And with this, he concludes that where extremism leads to: “It becomes
blatant extremism when one not only insists upon finality of personal opinion,
but tries imposing it on others. More so, if one tries to enforce his opinion
through use of gun, it becomes terrorism. That is why Islam does not allow
anyone to claim to be a know all, and flirt with divinity.”
Though he does not succeed in establishing “the missing link” between
extremism and terrorism, or what circumstances help extremism to transform into
terrorism, but as he has in his mind the extremism and terrorism devastating
Pakistan, which the Pakistan Army is fighting now, he correctly states that
when extremism arms itself, or when it is armed, it becomes terrorism.
Reflect on this philosophical attempt at defining extremism and
terrorism, two things come to the fore: claiming finality to one’s opinion and
imposing it on others by violent means.
That is what Extremism and Terrorism in Pakistan stand to!
In one word, that touches the borders of Fascism.
The COAS does not stop short of relating this “philosophical retreat” to
the current intellectual state of Pakistan:
“If this is the correct definition of extremism and terrorism, then the
war against it is our own war, and a just war too. Any misgivings in this
regards can divide us internally, leading to a civil war situation. It is
therefore, vital that our minds must be clear of cobwebs on this crucial issue.”
No explanations needed. It’s all crystal clear, what the COAS states.
And, sure, now all those, who believe themselves to be in the company or
imagined company of the establishment, need to heed to this speech by the COAS.
There is enough philosophical contemplation to cause to explode their extremism
and terrorism and / or its support.
“The war against extremism and terrorism is not only the Army's war, but
that of the whole nation. We as a nation must stand united against this threat.
Army's success is dependent on the will and support of the people. So far, Army
and the people have rendered great sacrifices in this cause, for which I pay
homage to the Shaheeds, Ghazis and their families.”
And, then coming back from a philosophical sojourn to the maze of
present senseless politics, the COAS has the following soft advice to make:
“However, these sacrifices will be meaningful, if the civil administration
is able to administer the affected areas without the Army's assistance. This
may take some time, but it must remain our ultimate objective. It is also
crucial that appropriate laws are passed to deal with terrorism. Since 2001,
many countries in the world have formulated special anti terrorism laws.
Unfortunately, our progress towards such legislation, remained very slow.”
In the end (which of course should have been: in the first instance), it
is for the civil administration, or the ruling politicians, to see and to
reflect and to come forward to control, to legislate to exterminate this menace
of extremism and terrorism, which finally the COAS has clearly defined and
resolved to fight to the end.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Muslim League (N) Ka Tarz-e-Hukmarani
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