Guest post: How to defeat the Taliban, Part II
Shaukat Malik is a Muslim-American Certified Public Accountant from Potomac. He left his native Pakistan in 1972 and has been living in the United States since 1980.
At last, the people of Pakistan are convinced that the Taliban are traitors and must be eliminated. Now Pakistan’s elected National Assembly must validate the military action by the Pakistan Army in support of U.S. action. Unless and until the voters' representatives are seen and heard condemning the Taliban by passing a resolution, all action against the Taliban will be seen by many Pakistanis as America's war against terror.
Many lawmakers, especially those from the religious parties and the right, are sitting on the fence when it comes to openly condemning the mad Taliban. They see the National Assembly as a rubber-stamp body that is under the president, a legacy of the dictatorship of Pervez Musharraf.
Powers usurped by military dictators must be restored to the "people's house" to win confidence of Pakistani voters. A bill should be passed in the elected National Assembly authorizing the monitoring of all Madrassas and the conversion of all Madrassas to regular schools with the help of regional school boards in Pakistan using U.S. aid dollars.
Madrassas should no longer be allowed to become recruiting grounds for suicide bombers, Taliban and murderers hiding behind the “Burqa” of Sharia.
As a matter of fact, the names of these institutions should end in “school,” thereby killing any hope of a fascist mullah trying to use it as his private military academy. They should teach music and social sciences to broaden the thought processes of students presently focused and stuck on hate.
Having laws like Pakistan's Hadood ordinance that restrict personal freedoms for women present an opportunity for usurpers like the Taliban and others to condemn large populations to petty disputes, for example, between Shia and Sunni, and also result in an extraordinary focus on the moral behavior of women.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court must look at the Hadood ordinance and Sharia-based laws to establish whether they are just and fair, especially in the context of today’s Pakistan.
This process of studying and analyzing Sharia laws, through a process of Ijtehad – reasoning – is already being employed in Turkey, as part of that country’s exercise in making its laws more compatible with its European neighbors. Turkey is doing this to join the European Union, but the beneficiaries will be Turkey's Muslim population. Pakistan should do the same by studying what Turkey has done and incorporating it into Pakistan’s legal system. This will have the powerful effect of neutralizing the extremist element in Pakistan.
Unfortunately, a Taliban running from U.S. action on the Afghan border can quickly disappear into the frontier wilderness. All he has to do is shave his beard and change the color of his Turban and he will look like any local resident. Most of these fugitives will find safe houses in Pakistan’s Madrassas unless the Madrassas and other extremist schools are strictly monitored.
The U.S. government must help the Pakistan government to monitor every Madrassa by offering technical assistance. We should also request Pakistan government to start the monitoring and conversion process immediately.
These actions are a prerequisite for a Taliban-free Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Comments
I agree. People of Pakistan must be on board through their respective representatives supporting action against the Taliban & America's action in Afghanistan.
The mad "Throat-cutting Taliban" is a product of these Madrassas. They are a cancer that must be destroyed.
Madrassas share Taliban's ideology & must be converted to schools with each Madrassa's name ending in School.
None of these Madrassas can be called schools, as they are not producing wage-earning graduates. They are turning out fascists who hate all other religions.
Unfortunately, these Madrassas are turning out strange people I like to call "Pakistani Arabians" who are pretending to be Arabs denying their shared history with India and Britain.
You see these Madrassa people with Beards, Hijabs/Masks saying "Mashallah, Alhumdolilah & Bismillah--praising God " with every breath , while quietly looting the poor children of Pakistan of a productive life. They will think nothing of brainwashing a child into becoming a human bomb.
The only way to stop Taliban is to monitor, all Madrassas with the help of Pakistan army using all available intelligence.
Taliban are enemies of Pakistan, America & humanity and must be eliminated.
Time has come to visit sharia laws currently being used by the Theocratic regimes of Saudi Arabia, Iran and extremists & terrorists every where & apply the Turkish model of bringing Islam in line with the modern world.
Posted by: Rakhshana | July 7, 2009 10:37 PM
Hunt down the Taliban you say. Take away Sharia, take away the Madrassas and presto, a new dawn in Pakistan, according to you, will be the inevitable outcome. What about Lashkar e Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed? What about the numerous splinter groups, home grown and terror imbued, as incendiary as the Taliban? The Pakistani Taliban is seen as an interloper from Afghanistan, foreign in its smell, form and behavior, Arabized and hence not really Pakistani at all. After ridding themselves of the Taliban, Pakistanis delude themselves, they will rid themselves of terror, that seeped into their noble land, via the Afghan border. In reality the terror in Pakistan is indigenous, grown and nurtured by successive Pakistani governments to torment India and now Afghanistan. Terror is Pakistan's state policy to wrest Kashmir from India. The government, the ISI, the military, all three consorted with terrorists to put in motion actions to keep enemies, imagined and real, at bay. To defeat terror in Pakistan you have to recommend shutting down the Pakistani government, dismantling its military, undoing its ISI and banishing A.Q Khan with his nuclear weapons to the Bikini Atoll. No chance buddies, no chance.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 7, 2009 11:58 PM
India as Pakistan's natural neighbor & former colony of the British, must confirm it's democratic credentials by withdrawing its forces from Kashmir & encourage commerce & self-governance in the Kashmir valley.
Prosperous Kashmir is will not support terrorist organizations like Lashakar-e-Taiba.
India's action will dissolve organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba that like the Taliban operate on both sides of the Indian border.
Repeal of Sharia laws will by default neutralize such outfits.
It is in India's interest to support the Pakistani government in fighting terrorism for mutual benefit.
When terrorists in Pakistan attacked Sirilanka cricket team, the IPL cricket series in India had to be cancelled.
If your neighbor’s house is on fire, you cannot pretend that smoke emanating from it is not choking you. India must make every effort to support Pakistan, Afghanistan & USA in fighting the Taliban.
India & Pakistan will continue as neighbors for all times to come with so much in common in terms of language, culture & way of life.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 8, 2009 12:12 PM
If your neighbor is like Nero, setting fire to his own house and also to yours and then he fiddles he will stop committing arson if you will love him as a friend, bring along your own fiddle and Kashmir, gift wrapped with a bow and ribbons, for a bonfire in Quetta where you can fight the Taliban together you will tell him-- if you are India and you are sensible-- "Sir! I want no part of your madness or your duplicity."
India is not preventing anybody from fighting the terrorists. Droves of Indians have died doing precisely this. Neither America nor the rest of the world cared as Pakistan sent its marauders via air, sea and land to get the Indians. And you say now, Indians should do their share to quell the terrorists Pakistan created deliberately to hold India hostage? What is this --opportunistic wisdom and ethics?
Why should there be self governance in the Kashmir valley--because you say so? The Indian portion of Kashmir is part of the Indian democracy. Stop squawking. In 2008 a free and fair election was conducted by the Election Commission of India in Jammu and Kashmir. National Conference won the election while BJP, surprisingly, took a lot of seats in Jammu. Omar Abdullah of National Conference is Chief Minister in Srinagar.
If the beautiful people of Kashmir are left alone by the rascals in Pakistan they will be a vibrant and secular part of the Indian democracy, Hindus and Muslims living side by side, making India proud. When Pakistanis clean up their act let the Indians know. The Indians may rejoice then, declare a national holiday called, "At last sanity!" day and invite Pakistan for a cook out. Even on such a day, as the Kashmiris, Bengalis, Tamils and Assamese join hands and dance the Bhangra, the ever disgruntled Pakistani leaders will say "Kashmiris stop dancing! This is no time for revelry! Have you forgotten? Set fire to some Indians right now and stand up for your autonomy."
By the way prosperous or not prosperous, Kashmir does not support terrorists like Lashkar e Taiba. Not so prosperous Pakistan feeds, arms and keeps these killers alive. If the Indian army left, the terrorists would take over the valley, impose Sharia, plunder its beauty, rule like pashas and create another Pakistan in the Kashmir Valley. You want Kashmir to replicate the sorrowful history of Pakistan? That would be even more sorrowful than the plight of the Kashmiris now.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 8, 2009 6:01 PM
Dear Anonymous:
Can you physically move India away from Pakistan? We are joined at the hip.
Criticizing & focusing on the past will not solve our problems. The people of Kashmir are not stupid. They will never support Lashkar-e-Taiba. Indian Army is not there to fight Lashkar-e-Taiba but to suppress the Kashmiri people. Women are raped & young men beaten up. Let us follow the elections with complete withdrawal of thousands of Indian army soldiers from Kashmiri cities. Their presence is bad for business & general morale. Their presence creates a war like environment , which in turn supports terrorists & thugs to exploit the situation.
Lashkar-e-Taiba architect General Musharaf is gone & a new general working closely with the USA has already dismantled these organizations. USA as Pakistan's partner is fully aware of Pakistan's determination at rooting out terrorism.
So lets be positives & stop this negativity.
We should all work towards a great big party where Pakistanis & Indians can "Bhangra Together--Punjabi Harvest/Celebration Dance"
Posted by: Anonymous | July 8, 2009 7:16 PM
Anonymous, I will call myself Anonymous 1 to distinguish myself from you. India and Pakistan may be joined at the hip but--thank heavens--they are joined at the brain. Indian soldiers should leave Kashmir only when India is good and ready . Even if the soldiers create a climate ripe for terrorists as you suggest, India is not ready to have these soldiers out because there is no indication when the soldiers leave all will be quiet in Kashmir hell, Pakistan will butt out and assassinations, squelching the rule of law and establishing the rule of thumb won't be in the works for the Kashmiri people. You say the soldiers bring the terrorists. I say the terrorists have been eying Kashmir for a long time as a safe haven. When the soldiers leave all the al Qaeda being driven out of Pakistan will go to the Indian side of Kashmir to play havoc there. In fact this is what Pakistan hopes to achieve. You write about the new general as though he did not grow up in the old Pakistan. You talk about the Paksitani army versus the Taliban as though this latest miracle vindicates Pakistan and exemplifies its about turn into a land of the brave, free and just. Give me a break. We'll see what emerges from this latest Pakistani military Tango dance with the Taliban. If there is one thing that can be said about Pakistan, it is that this country is truly labile. From moment to moment there is no telling what will emerge from the inner sanctum of Pakistan.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 13, 2009 11:52 PM
I meant thank heavens they are NOT joined at the brain when I wrote about Pakistan and India. Thank you Anonymous for your friendly posts but let me tell you for Indians it will hard to put down the sword and pick up the plow with Pakistan because Pakistan has done nothing to inspire this kind of trust. Besides Mumbai is still a fresh wound. Anonymous 1.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 14, 2009 12:04 AM