ALI SUKHANVER

Are we heading towards a blind alley?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Is this war in Waziristan going to be a death knell for 170 million Pakistanis? Will the anti-Muslim Allied forces succeed in wiping off Pakistan from the world map? Most of the Pakistanis are going to say ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”NoƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in response to all these questions; simply because they have confidence and determination running in their veins combined with a strong belief in God. In spite of so many blowing up unfortunate suicide attackers and mercilessly exploding bombs, the life in Pakistan is moving on smoothly. The mosques are full of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”NamazizƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, the markets with customers the roads with peddlers, the restaurants with diners and educational institutions with learners. It all proves that we the Pakistanis are a brave and fearless nation; it is nothing but a foolƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s errand if someone is dreaming of shattering our national unity and deforming our religious identity. One day we are going to prove that we are the strongest nation, a nation which has an exemplary courage, matchless perseverance and an iron will.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Pakistan is fighting a war in a multi-dimensional battle field. We have a long row of enemies and a very brief queue of friends and unluckily some of these friends are our veiled enemies. We have lack of resources, shortage of supplies and scarcity of supports. The world around us is trying its utmost to crush us morally, spiritually, economically and politically. The only aim and object is to declare us a nation promoting and projecting terrorism in the name of religion. We are being given different names and titles like Islamic fundamentalists, Islamic extremists and Islamist militants. The world is treating us as criminals. We are being slaughtered with a double edged sword. Our so-called friend USA is on one hand asking us to Do More and More against the terrorists and on the other hand patronizing the forces which are helping out theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  terrorists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This double-game has become very much painful for us yet it is not going to last very long. The Pakistan army, the government of Pakistan and above all the people of Pakistan, all have joined their hands together to pay back the international conspirators in the same coin. The nation is against every force which is favouring and supporting terrorism at any level; be it the Taliban, the CIA or the RAW. The Pakistani nation knows well that it will have to sacrifice a lot in this struggle against terrorism but even then it is eager, willing and enthusiastic in its passion against terrorism.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The war we are fighting is not for the supremacy of USA; it is for the supremacy of Islam. For the last many years, the western world is projecting Islam as a religion fanning militancy. The use of the phrase ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Islamist MilitantsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in the western press and media needs to be questioned. Why the term ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Militancy ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”has been specified only for the Muslims by the western media? Why donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t they use the terms like Christian militants, Jewish militants and Hindu militants? The western world has forgotten the Israeli brutality in Gaza against innocent Palestinians. Just a few months back, the Israeli air crafts were showering burning bombs at the infants in Palestine, making their homes their graves; but the western media never called this brutality the violence of the Jewish militants. What about the Hindu extremists who shamelessly demolished the Babri mosque in India; and what about the Hindu Fundamentalists who have deprived the helpless Kashmiris of all their basic rights. Do the western media ever call them the Hindu militants?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Islam is a religion of peace and serenity. It has nothing to do with terrorism. It never preaches harshness. The personality of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is the truest embodiment of the teachings of Islam. Any one who believes in terrorism and claims to be a follower of Islam is either deceiving himself or the others. Islam means protection for the children and the women and for all those who are the weaker ones. When we analyze the recent wave of terrorism in Pakistan, we find the terrorists targeting the women and children. Last weak the horrible suicidal attack at the Islamic university Islamabad taking lives ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  innocent students including girls could be the most suitable example in this respect. A Muslim can never do it. If there were something like militancy in Islam, the most favourite target would have been the creator of the Satanic Verses, Selman Rushdie and the Cartoonist of Denmark who tried to humiliate Islam and the Muslims by drawing ridiculous sketches. This hostile attitude of the western journalists against the Muslims and Islam is certainly condemnable. They are simply tarnishing the image of the Muslims and presenting Islam as an uncivilized religion.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The miscreants in Waziristan and the neighbouring tribal areas have nothing to do with Islam. They have wagged a war against Pakistan at the beck and call of those who dream of weakening Pakistan. The western media is helping these anti-Pakistan forces by introducing this war as an attempt of crushing the Mehsud tribes. The Mehsud tribes have never been against the state of Pakistan. History is replete with the tales of sacrifices these tribes had been laying for the defense and security of Pakistan. They are simply a volunteer army striving day and night for the integrity and safety of Pakistan. Same is the case with the Wazir Tribes. The chief of the army staff General Kiyani has recently written an open letter to the people of Waziristan in which he has expressed his strong confidence in their fidelity and loyalty. This letter has not only strengthened the bonds between the Pakistan army and the tribes in Waziristan but also generated a new air of confidence on the part of the tribes who have been facing suppression and atrocities of the miscreants since long. It is the result of this letter that the tribal lords like Gul Bahadur and Moulvi Nazeer have assured the government of Pakistan of their full support and assistance in the ongoing Operation Rah-e-Nijat in Waziristan.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The western media in collaboration with the Indian intelligence agencies is trying its best to portray Islam as a religion strongly linked to terrorism and violence. No religion preaches violence and terrorism. These are the characteristic traits of an individual not of a religious philosophy. If American policies are becoming the cause of spreading frustration in the Muslim world, it does not mean that Christianity or the Christians are responsible for it. Sticking to the basic fundamental rules and regulations of a religion is neither a crime nor a sin. It would be very unfair if we defame and disrepute the Muslims by calling them militants or the fundamental terrorists. Such an attitude will give birth to a very harsh and volatile reaction against the western world.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The activities of the terrorists in Pakistan have a strong resemblance with the activities of the LTTE in Sri Lanka; same type of suicidal attacks on the security personals and bomb explosions on public places; same air of terror and horror. Salute to the people of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan security forces that they never lost their heart and faced the wild storm of terrorism with courage and determination for so many decades and ultimately succeed in throwing the trouble makers out of Sri Lanka. No doubt the ultimate operation clean up against the LTTE was fully supported by Pakistan and China but even then the actual credit goes to the Lankan forces. Pakistan is also sailing in the same boat now. India is nurturing the miscreants in Swat and Waziristan in the same way as it had been supporting LTTE in Sri Lanka. Pakistan has a bigger army which is very much professional and skillfully trained. The people of Pakistan are supporting their army in all possible manners. This game of terrorism ongoing in the name of religious militancy is just coming to its expected end. Victory is eager to garland us but such auspicious occasion wonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t be very much pleasing and comforting to those who desire to see us shattered and scattered; either they are from the East or the West