New terrorists in an old context
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=150071
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
by Mosharraf Zaidi
The writer is an independent political economist
One of the clear invocations of the Bhagvad Gita is an invitation to human beings to explore and traverse the more difficult, but righteous path that Krishna articulates for an angst-ridden Arjuna. The Sangh Parivar’s profit machine, from the Deccan plains to the Kashmir valleys, has used the Mahabharata as a vehicle to advocate war. Hindu pacifists like Mahatama Ghandi on the other hand, have used the same Mahabharata, as an almost Sufic pronouncement of the struggle of the soul between good and evil.
In the ashes and blood that are strewn across Mumbai there is little doubt that Narendra Modi’s war-mongering manipulation of Krishna’s call to dharma will find more countenance than Ghandiji’s tranquil message of aspiring towards the unfettering moksha. Post-independence India has thus far miraculously survived the almost impossible struggle for equilibrium between these two ice-and-fire orientations within the core spiritual challenge of life. That survival has been predicated on two overarching and unspoken Nehruvian principles. The first is that the Indian establishment can never admit that Indian Muslims represent a unique social, political and economic challenge that must be dealt with in a unique manner. The second is that India’s internal conflicts are a product or manifestation of the troublesome neighbours that have emerged since 1947, Bangladesh to the east, and Pakistan to the west. For Indian politicians of all persuasions, it may be high time to revisit these principles. A fragile equilibrium may depend on it. For South Asian Muslims, however, Mumbai represents an entirely different kind of inflection point: yet another opportunity to introspect. As Mumbai’s archetypal Muslim gangster might say, if not now saala, then when?
First things first: it is true that Pakistanis (and Bangladeshis) have no business in taking sides within India’s internal cleavages. However all South Asian Muslims, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and Indians not only have the right to think about and mourn what has happened in Mumbai, they have an anthropological duty or dharma to examine the carnage, to think about how it will affect them, and what they can and should do, to avoid it from happening again, anywhere.
Forget the accusations of Pakistani involvement. First, they are about as unique and unexpected as the presence of water during rain. Second, despite the potential plausibility of the accusations, there is an increasing stack of evidence that from New Delhi to Assam to Calcutta, India does have a domestic terrorism problem. Third, there is little argument against the fact that whatever involvement there might be, it is a product of non-state actors, not the Pakistani state.
Forget also that there is a domestic Muslim Indian terrorism problem. First, the problem is not unique to India, it is a problem that is common today to most countries with a substantial Muslim minority, from the United Kingdom to the Philippines, from Thailand to Nigeria. Second, domestic terrorism, as a problem is also not unique in India. India has had varying degrees of success in staring down secessionists and terrorists in Assam, Orrissa, Rajhastan, and Punjab among others. Third, as a democracy, India is better positioned to deal with the challenge of domestic terrorism than any country where democracy is a novelty. Democracy may be the tyranny of the majority, but the majority’s tyranny is self-contained. It eventually behaves in self-interested ways. By gun or with butter, democracies find ways that dictatorships cannot.
Finally, forget too the lethality of the reckless abandon with which the Indian media treats violence and its religious minorities (both separately, and in poisonous concoction). First, no reasonable connoisseur of post-modern Indian cinema would be able to miss the parallels between the tragic carnage in Mumbai and the hedonistic violence that is glorified and deified in “Shootout at Lokhandwala”, and “Rang De Basanti”. Second, the mainstream news media in India is even keener than India’s “partition-rage” establishment, to showcase rubber dinghy boats as proof positive of Pakistani involvement. Third, perhaps analysts need not reach for the Bollywood music videos that mix carnal pleasure with Muslim prayer chants like “SubhanAllah”, when both Gujarat and Ayodhya are freshly stamped into the global Muslim consciousness.
The real issue for South Asian Muslims of all stripes and nationalities is how their faith of peace and submission to the Most Merciful, Most Beneficent has come to signify such rabid and mindless violence as what has been inflicted on South Mumbai. No possible interpretation of the faith, no matter how informed by the real and perceived humiliations of Muslims, can rationalize the wantonness with which Mumbai’s attackers ravaged the Taj and the Oberoi. The spilling of blood at Nariman House is at a totally different level of debauch violence. The inhumanity of an attack on a place of worship alone should inspire deep remorse. But Ayodhya-grieving Muslims, more than any other religious group, should be outraged. Every living Muslim that has ever said a prayer for Abraham and his children should be utterly saddened by destruction and murder at Nariman House.
Most of all, South Asia Muslims need to reflect deep and long about how it is that the immediate, first, assumed and eventually established truth about the attack on Mumbai was that it involved Muslim extremists-domestic, or imported-Muslim extremists. Not Pakistani extremists, not unemployed and angry Indian extremists, but Muslim extremists. Self-professed South Asian Muslims that prefer other labels (liberals, seculars, progressives, enlightened moderates) all need to disavow themselves of their outrage at “these terrorists”. “These” pronouns are a balm that only soothes internal dissonance. It does not address the problem.
The diversity of South Asian Muslims of course, is legendary. We are not just the bipolar children of Sayyed Ahmed Khan and the House of Deoband. We are the children of Bin Qasim, Abdali, Akbar, Ghalib, Jinnah, Azad, Manto and Mujib. If bearded and ready for a fight, we are the children of Waliullah, Maududi, Golam Azam and Zia. If shaven and smelling Gucci-good, we’re the children of Shabana, Javed, Alamgir, Runa and Shah Rukh. And though we love to hate those we have loved most-from Khaleda, to Hasina, to Benazir, we cannot disown our most manifest confusion. Perhaps most of all, we are the children of Shah Bano.
Who is Shah Bano? Shah Bano was the 62 year old mother of five that was divorced, and awarded alimony beyond her period of iddat by the Supreme Court of India in 1985. The Indian mullahs went ballistic, prompting the safe-as-houses Rajiv Ghandi government of the time to pass a law that was meant to appease orthodox Muslim sentiment, and ostensibly protect Muslim women facing (or seeking) divorce proceedings. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 however not only made it more difficult for Muslim women to seek alimony beyond their period of iddat, it also provided the Sangh Parivar with the ammunition it required to launch a hyper-overdrive campaign convincing the Hindu mainstream of how Muslims were being appeased at the expense of the rights of Hindu families.
Where was Muslim outrage in the Shah Bano case? Mostly, it was busy trying to deny Shah Bano her alimony. In the meantime, not only has Islamic jurisprudence and practice continued to suffer from ostrich-interpretations of the faith, but the Hindu right-wing has successfully Trojan-Horsed Shah Bano into a permanent position as the most credible opposition to the Cong’s long-standing domination of the Indian centre.
The Muslim politics in South Asia meanwhile was playing tiddly winks with itself. Muslim women, children and men, have become more vulnerable to being victimised by violence, more vulnerable to becoming violent themselves, and more socially and economically vulnerable than they have ever been before.
If peaceful South Asian Muslims feel besieged-by the mindless and evil violence perpetrated in the name of their faith on the one hand, and by the mind numbingly jingoistic Indian media on the other-they should get over it. Muslim culpability in the attack on Mumbai is historic, not episodic. It is structural, not incidental. The history and structure of this culpability has failed to release Kashmir from the clutches of oppression, failed to address the systemic social exclusion of the Indian Muslim, failed to formulate a workable Muslim paradigm in either Pakistan, or Bangladesh. What has happened in Mumbai will do more than any other previous incident to weaken the Kashmir cause, weaken the Indian Muslim, and weaken the average citizen of India’s smaller and more vulnerable neighbours. That’s why, despite our fascination with their sophistication, the Mumbai terrorists represent nothing substantively new. They are the newest face of an old problem.
A reasonably well written article.
Of course, Muslims & Hindu perceptions are different so (as a Hindu) I do think that the references to “Oppressions in Kashmir” and “systematic social exclusion of Indian Muslims” is totally wrong.
With Pakistan’s division in 1971 and its continued slide in to being a “failed state” should come realization that the division of India on basis of religion was wrong. One more division of India (& Kashmir) again on the same basis is not justified at all.
As for the systematic exclusion of Indian Muslims, writer should point fingers right toward the pseudo-secularism of cong as well as ignorance of Indian Muslims. A comparision of state of Hindus in Pak vs that of Muslims in India would clearly show where the oppression is. don’t forget that Parsis and the Jews & Jains & Buddhists have survived (& florished) in india for more that 1000 years.
- Apurva
Appu
2 Dec 08 at 11:44 pm
This is a very honest response. Probably one of the most honest Pakistani responses to the mumbai attacks I have seen. I am very glad that you have deliberately avoided the red herring of focusing on the condition of Indian muslims because I find that to be a very distasteful response that far too many Pakistanis have resorted to. If by this sentence:
“Muslim culpability in the attack on Mumbai is historic, not episodic. It is structural, not incidental.”
you mean that these attacks are part of a very deep-rooted problem within south asian muslim society and not simply the acts of some random criminals, then I absolutely agree with you.
rsw
3 Dec 08 at 5:36 am
[...] thought-provoking column by Mosharraf Zaidi: First things first: it is true that Pakistanis (and Bangladeshis) have no [...]
Grand Trunk Road » two good Pakistani responses
3 Dec 08 at 8:45 am
“Get over it”? How is that a solution to such an enormous problem? Why should the average Mumbai Muslim take responsibility for something he/she never condoned? Muslims have the responsibility to educate people and condemn these attacks done in their name; not to apologize for them.
Uzer
6 Dec 08 at 3:25 pm
Dear Sir
I have read your above article, Now a Bristh Newspaper “OBSERVER” has located the house of the accused terrorist Ajmal Kasav in Faridkot, 100 kms from Lahore. The reporter, a British correspondent Mr M. Ali of Pakistani origin even met the grandfather of the terrorist, even the villagers from day one knew about the accused terrorist caught in Mumbai, not only that the mother of the terrorist began to cry when she saw his photo on the TV. In the beginning many Pakistanis were arguing that terrorist caught in Mumbai were wearing orange bands on his wrist which Muslims don’t wear. Actually speaking the terrorist were wearing orange bands so that they can fool the coast guard and can pass off as Hindus in disguise. They even had fake college identity cards under Hindu names. Even if they were killed the Indians would consider them as Hindus on the basis of their identity cards.
Regards
Suresh Shenoy
They are demands from Liberal Indians to recall the Indian ambassador from Pakistan and close the Embassy. Hotels are strictly warned not to provide accommodation rooms to Pakistanis tourists. There are reports that a manager of a Hotel in Goa (another Tourist place)was punished for allocating room to a Pakistani tourist. India’s tour to Pakistani called off. 2 Pakistani artists were told to pack their bags and leave Bombay.
suresh shenoy
11 Dec 08 at 11:04 pm
Whenever so called scholars/academics/experts (Raised/Funded by US/West) discuss any evil/wrong in our Muslim societies on Media especially TV, they never try to exactly locate the center of gravity of that issue. Their reasoning, and intended solutions are shallow and mostly in mars/space because they always try to avoid the context and history of the issue.
What is unfolding now in whole Muslim World and especially Pakistan, is somewhat ‘creative chaos’ in almost all walk of life. If you have monopoly over world resources (Oil, Drugs, Technology, Banks, Media etc) , superiority in intelligence and multiple means of buying out loyalties of the readily saleable commodities (Karzai, Yasir Arrafat, Mahmood Abbas, Musharaf, Saudis, Benaizer, Nawaz, Zardari, Local Journalist, Generals, Bureaucrats, Businessmen etc.) like the US/West does, then the fog of chaos is a good way of confusing the enemy and continuing exploitation/deprivation by de-facto colonization even after so called freedom. One of the main reason for Muslim failure during last several decades in almost all fields is the result of well planned disorientation campaign. Multiple channels are used varying from brute force of carpet bombing/armed invasions to dubious soft tool like human rights, media, trade, MNCs, NGOs, globalization, academic dialogue and last of War on terror. However the only objective is to curtail Islam, whip Muslims and thrash them depending upon the situation and environment.
We will take a common day example of the curse of Heroin. As it is normally believed that Herion like Terrorism popped out of blue from Pakistan Tribal Areas/Afghanistan. It is generally believed that simple tribal men and war lords are only responsible for menace of Heroin but never told the link between Afghan War, CIA, Heroin, BCCI and finance for US Stringers made by private MNCs.
Heroin is prepared from morphine (extracted from opium) by boiling it with acetic anhydride, and then using a process that involves hydrochloric acid, strychnine, and caffeine. The most essential chemical for Heroin (i.e. acetic anhydride) is produced only in West, No Muslim country has any plant for producing acetic anhydride. Recently its import to Afghanistan through Karachi Afghan transit route under flag of NATO/US since 9/11 has increased exponentially. MNCs producing all such chemicals are making billions.
Heroin was basically invented by BAYER Pharmaceutical/Agro MNCs. It is also operating in many countries like Pakistan and making Billions. CIA introduced Heroin in South America, Vietnam and Last of all Afghanistan/Pakistan. Hereon and present drug economy is very similar to Colonial era Opium trade of that era.
Similarly all the business families (Mostly present ruling establishment in Indo/Pak/Bangla Desh) are those who acted as middle men for opium export to China. Most of them control II Chundrigar Road, Karachi/Bombay Stock exchange and Power Houses in IndoPak. Those past collaborators/supporters of past colonials and present day ruling elites will always pray anthems of US/West. Any voice or force raising against US/West is curbed with Iron hand, it may be Lawyers Movement or Red Mosques or Tribal Areas or Rag Tag Taliban. Please see the interview of Indian Writer Amitav Gosh on BBC (23 June, 2008) about opium wars of 1830s and 1850s and opium production in Bengal/Bombay by East India Company.
This is not about blaming the US/West for our all problems. Muslims needs to set its own house in order but there is no question that the Heroin in Afghanistan, NWFP and Tribal area were almost nonexistent before CIA operation against Soviet Invasion. Similar terrorism, intolerance, lawlessness in Tribal Area is the direct product of the machinations of the local/international establishment powers that were based in Tribal region even before Afghan-Soviet War in 1970s.
For we Muslims and Pakistani in particular, this is not a time for optimism. It’s better to be cautious now – even paranoid – than sorry later. The events in our society in general and tribal region in particular did not emerge from a void but are a continuation of a dirty game played since colonization and continues unabated, involving critical inside players and their outside allies.
To draw a line in the sand, we should openly declare US/CIA directly responsible for creating/nourishing/sponsoring chaos, terror, lawlessness, drug economy in our regions.
Regards
FM Shah
Interview of Indian Writer Amitav Gosh on BBC (23 June, 2008)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7460682.stm
Chris Alam
Dear Bhai,
You are exactly right that opium was used in our region prior to Afghan-Soviet war but Heroine was non-existent.
Heroin is prepared from morphine (extracted from opium) by boiling it with acetic anhydride, and then using a process that involves hydrochloric acid, strychnine, and caffeine. The most essential chemical for Heroin (i.e. acetic anhydride) is produced only in West.
Whenever we discuss any evil/wrong in our society, we never try to exactly locate the center of gravity of that issue. Our reasoning, and intended solutions are mostly in space because we never try to know/listen the context and history of that issue.
What is unfolding now in Pakistan, is somewhat ‘creative chaos’ in almost all walk of life. If you have monopoly over world resources, superiority in intelligence and multiple means of buying out loyalties of the readily saleable commodities (Musharaf, BB, Zardari, Generals, Bureaucrats, Businessmen etc.) like the US/West does, then the fog of chaos is a good way of confusing the enemy and continuing exploitation/deprivation by de-facto colonization since 1947. One of the main reason for our failure during last several decades in almost all fields is the result of disorientation campaign. Multiple channels are used varying from brute force of carpet bombing/armed invasions to dubious soft tool like human rights, media, MNCs, NGOs, globalization, academic dialogue. However the only objective is to curtail us, whip us and thrash us depending upon the situation and environment.
This is not about blaming the US/West for our all problems. Pakistan needs to set its own house in order but there is no question that the Heroin in Afghanistan, NWFP and Tribal area were almost nonexistent before CIA operation against Soviet Invasion. The Heroin is the direct product of the machinations of the powers that were based in Tribal region for Afghan-Soviet War during 80s.
For we Pakistani, this is not a time for optimism. It’s better to be cautious now – even paranoid – than sorry later. The events in our society in general and tribal region in particular did not emerge from a void but are a continuation of a dirty game played since colonization and continues unabated, involving critical inside players and their outside allies.
To draw a line in the sand, we should openly declare US/CIA directly responsible for creating/nourishing/sponsoring drug economy in our region.
Regards
FM Shah
1396-Mirage House
It is very common to denounce the curse of Heroin, and it is normally believed that heroin popped out of blue from Tribal Areas/Afghanistan. It is generally believed that simple tribal men and war lord are only responsible for menace of Heroin but never told the link between Afghan War, CIA, Heroin, BCCI and finance for US Stringers made by private MNCs.
Please Google about opium wars of 1830s and 1850s and opium production in Bengal/Bombay by East India Company. All the business families (Mostly present ruling establishment in Indo/Pak/Bangla Desh) are those who acted as middle men for opium export to China. Most of them control II Chundrigar Road.
Opium trade was very similar to Hereon.
Heroin was basically invented by BAYER Pharmaceutical/Agro MNCs. It is also operating in Pakistan and making Billions.
Heroin is prepared from morphine by boiling it with acetic anhydride, and then using a process that involved hydrochloric acid, strychnine, and caffeine.
These essential chemicals required for heroin production are produced in West. These are dual purpose chemical, the maximum utilization of these chemical since 1980s is in Afghanistan.
Its import to Afghanistan through Karachi Afghan transit route under flag of NATO/US since 9/11 has increased expotentially. MNCs producing these chemicals are making billions.
CIA introduced Heroin in South America, Vietnam and Last of all Afghanistan/Pakistan.
Plz recall Wahid Murid Movies in late seventies, the stories used to show the menace of Hashis not heroin.
Recall the links of Zia-ul-Haq with various Seths of 1980s with offer whole Pak Debt Payment for allowing one smuggling trip from Pak ports.
Punch Line :
From where the hell Hamyun Akhtar and Ejaz -ul-Haq have inherited vast fortunes.
FM Shah
18 Dec 08 at 10:39 am
Another stimulating piece!
Loved ‘By gun or with butter, democracies find ways that dictatorships cannot.’
But your internal reflections and challenging questions are stimulating. Who to turn to, or who to lead, such collective introspection?
Emrys
22 Dec 08 at 6:57 am