As much to blame as the terrorists themselves!

The horrific tragedy of the Ahmadi mosque bombings has shaken something inside me and caused me to question what the very soul of my country even is. Bombings are a commonplace occurrence, a dime a dozen, in today’s Pakistan. People live their lives with the once-shocking explosions now a mere hum in the background of their day to day activities.

Yet the targeted killing of a harassed sect of Muslims has hurt me beyond words I can express. As many have pointed out, the white stripe of our flag is there for a reason: it symbolizes the minorities within Pakistan. With that stripe, we say “You are all Pakistani. You are all welcome here.” That was the message and plan of the Quaid. Rooted in Islam, the principle of equality was to be the very foundation of this country.

All that seems laughable now! The Ahmadis were targets because they are a persecuted sect. Extremists have no sense of respect for a house of worship, the sacredness of Friday prayers, or the innocent lives that will be destroyed as a result of their actions. Pakistanis are united against them, we are all working to rid of our country of these monsters.

However, the Ahmadi mosque bombings have revealed our other fight: against ourselves. As I watch the media reporting on the bombings, as I read the newspaper articles, I am struck with the sense that we as a nation are equally to blame as the terrorists.

Our society has made it socially acceptable to discriminate against an Ahmadi. We have laws branding Ahmadis second-class citizens, depriving them of their right to call themselves Muslims. Who are we to call another person a good Muslim or not? Who are we to have the right to judge? We are a nation of hypocritical Muslims – casting judgment, playing the role of God in deciding who is a good Muslim or not. These words are harsh but my anger and hurt at Pakistani social attitudes is deep as well.

We have to stop the judgmental attitudes. We have to respect each individual’s right to live, dress, worship as chosen. We cannot create the perfect environment for bombings like this to go on.

We are just as much to blame as the terrorists themselves.

Hamid Mir Controversy

My friends Anas & Farhad join me to discuss the appalling news story of Hamid Mir and the general state of Pakistani journalism.

Drawing Room Politics Leading to Radicalism?

We all want to feel like we belong to something.

From the moment we enter adolescence and begin to understand society, we wonder “Where do I belong?”  We look to something to identify with, a cause we can chain to the activist era of our lives. For that is youth – an exciting time where we learn of the world and tackle the problems, realize our goals and work towards them.

Take this excerpt from a: recent piece in the Daily Times

Muhammad Amir Rana, a terrorism researcher in Islamabad, told the Washington Post that his recent surveys indicated that radicalisation was on the rise among privileged Pakistani youth, who relate neither to the West nor to Pakistan’s impoverished masses.

“They feel alienated,” Rana said, director of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, who added that such feelings have rarely led to violence. “So they try to identify themselves through religion.”

I understand that the youth are seeing their nation in turmoil – we are fighting a bloody war with terrorists while at the same time trying to solidify. A lot is happening.

But to take to radicalism amidst all this improvement? It is nothing short of appalling – this is the very radicalism that has created the cancer of extremism in our country – the very radicalism that has killed thousands of our people, and paralyzed the public into fear. This is the same extremist Islam that has caused the current instability that we are trying so hard to get out of!

I cannot think of these privileged people supporting radicalism without getting frustrated at their lack of compassion for fellow Pakistanis.

I always heard of the “drawing room politicos” as people who sat in their silk cushioned lounges and talked airily of what needed to be done. How many of these people go out into society and see first hand the traumatic poverty of millions of their countrymen? How many of them volunteer to help in their community? Do they write letters for better roads, better schools? Do these people actively work to improve the quality of life in Pakistan?

The answer is “no.” We cannot forget how welcome General Musharraf was in Pakistan. Once upon a time, he had supporters in drawing rooms across the wealthy neighborhoods. But he blocked the media, dismissed the Courts, and threw out the Constitution. Looking for a new identity, the youth have not set their eyes on radicalism.

To these people I say this:

Your identity is first as a human being. You are born a human, and you are then given a name. You belong to your family, your friends, your country and your religion. You can pledge your allegiance to any entity or idea that appeals to you. All great movements have had the support of the young, and that is the way humanity has progressed through time. We have pushed for equal rights for women, fair treatment of minorities, and equality under the law for all. That, actually, is all enshrined in Islam. To believe in an interpretation of Islam that goes against love and compassion is wrong. Someone is lying to you, feeding you ugly lies about our pure faith. Do not believe it. You are blessed to be wealthy. Now, think of your fellow man and how to help him. Do not fall to extremism, not when we are getting closer to ending it in our country.

Pakistan Zindabad.

My friends and I discuss the Pakistan Facebook Ban

We talk about the facebook ban, the sad story behind it and in our opinion, the Court’s erroneous response. While I understand and share the anger at the ignorant facebook group, I can’t help but feel banning websites hurts Pakistanis most of all

My friends and I discuss the Pakistan Facebook Ban

We talk about the facebook ban, the sad story behind it and in our opinion, the Court’s erroneous response. While I understand and share the anger at the ignorant facebook group, I can’t help but feel banning websites hurts Pakistanis most of all

My friends and I discuss the Pakistan Facebook Ban

We talk about the facebook ban, the sad story behind it and in our opinion, the Court’s erroneous response. While I understand and share the anger at the ignorant facebook group, I can’t help but feel banning websites hurts Pakistanis most of all

Attempted NYC bomb

Right now I’m listening to the Pakistani National Anthem. You might know the one – it’s instrumental by Junoon. It’s also pretty fantastic.

I caught myself with a melancholy expression looking out the window whilst the last chords faded away. This anthem always makes me think of all the potential, all the possibility within Pakistan. It is all ruined by the actions of a few scummy individuals, who paint a picture in the minds of the world of a violent, brutal people.

When will we let them stop speaking for us?

In my last blog, I wrote how on the political level, anti-democracy forces were losing badly. It looks as though Pakistan’s government will change hands only through elections. We have done well with that and we should all be immensely proud.

But change needs to happen not just from the top down but also the bottom up. We have to make sure that just as the anti-democracy ideology has subsided, so must the anti-humanity sentiments. We cannot have people living in or outside of Pakistan, who claim to be part of our nation, attempt to murder innocent others. The attempted bombing in NYC shocked everyone. That the suspect taken into custody is Pakistani was truly appalling to me. I felt we had suffered another blow – another one of us, misguided, ignorant, disturbed.

Tonight, at 11:00 PM EST, I will host my online radio show – it is a special one, regarding solely Faisal Shahzad and his attempted terrorism. To call in, the number is 347.637.1859.

Otherwise, you can listen to the show tomorrow, inshallah, I will post it here.

Right now I’m listening to the Pakistani National Anthem. You might know the one – it’s instrumental by Junoon. It’s also pretty fantastic.

I caught myself with a melancholy expression looking out the window whilst the last chords faded away. This anthem always makes me think of all the potential, all the possibility within Pakistan. It is all ruined by the actions of a few scummy individuals, who paint a picture in the minds of the world of a violent, brutal people.

When will we let them stop speaking for us?

In my last blog, I wrote how on the political level, anti-democracy forces were losing badly. It looks as though Pakistan’s government will change hands only through elections. We have done well with that and we should all be immensely proud.

But change needs to happen not just from the top down but also the bottom up. We have to make sure that just as the anti-democracy ideology has subsided, so must the anti-humanity sentiments. We cannot have people living in or outside of Pakistan, who claim to be part of our nation, attempt to murder innocent others. The attempted bombing in NYC shocked everyone. That the suspect taken into custody is Pakistani was truly appalling to me. I felt we had suffered another blow – another one of us, misguided, ignorant, disturbed.

Tonight, at 11:00 PM EST, I will host my online radio show – it is a special one, regarding solely Faisal Shahzad and his attempted terrorism.

If you would like to call in, the number is: 347) 637-1859

Otherwise, you can listen to the show tomorrow, inshallah, I will post it here.