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Our collective psychosis
Our collective habit of finding bogeys and imagining enemies has turned into a deep psychosis.
The writer is consulting editor, The Friday Times.
Pakistan’s right wing has flourished on the crutches of a national security doctrine: A world view, which prioritises paranoia and ‘security’ of ideological and geographical frontiers. Never mind if the majority of Pakistanis have no access to water and sanitation or the public education and health systems have virtually collapsed. The events of May 2011 cast a long shadow over the merits of investing in security institutions and fuelling patriotism with conspiracies.
First, the poster-Shaikh of anti-Americanism has been ‘eliminated’ when the mighty guardians were asleep. The new round of WikiLeaks cables reveals anecdotal evidence of civil-military acquiescence to the grand designs of ‘evil’ America, including the nasty drones that kill civilians. And now, the latest attack on a well-guarded naval base and destruction of high-value military equipment has jolted us all.
During May, the militant networks ostensibly inspired by the nihilistic al Qaeda ideology have stepped up acts of terrorism across the country. Yet, the response of the Pakistani right remains locked in the folds of ‘foreign conspiracy’ and fails to review what really ails the polity. The enemy within is still far from being recognised. Even the politicians who are calling for military accountability have little to say about the jihadis waging war against Pakistanis.
It does not matter much when we find out through WikiLeaks that the brotherly countries — Saudia Arabia and United Arab Emirates — and their rich citizens finance terrorist networks. Worse, when the UAE proceeds to hire Blackwater for security, few ‘patriots’ complain. Until yesterday, Blackwater was responsible for all the terror attacks in Pakistan according to the media mujahideen. Even the former chief justice of the Lahore High Court directed the Punjab Police to investigate the role of Blackwater in perpetrating suicide attacks on the widely revered Data Darbar.
I guess Blackwater is kosher now, since a brotherly Arab country has hired its service. Our collective habit of finding bogeys and imagining enemies has turned into a deep psychosis. Many Pakistanis believe that Osama was not there in the Abbottabad compound. Urdu press and TV channels augment this world view and politicians play up the insecurity mantra. The parliamentary resolution of May 12 is another exercise in this collective search for sovereignty, glory and honour. Alas, these days glory is achieved through human development, through trade and investment and not empty rhetoric citing the glorious past of the Muslims.
It is therefore understandable that the oracles on TV sets are blaming the US-India-Israel axis for the attacks on the Mehran Naval Base by chanting the ‘who benefits’ mantra. Now, the Pakistani mind is convinced that the May events are a prelude to a forthcoming attack on our nuclear assets. We are gifted with too many assets: Dozens of militant groups, two Taliban streams and, of course, the nuclear weapons, which will have to be guarded. Never mind the people of this country. They are dispensable as long as honour is preserved. It is time to address the mythologies we have constructed and deal with ourselves before we ‘defeat’ the enemies.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2011.
Reader Comments (17)
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this is an accurate but brief account of the minds and mouths that have taken to make the mindset of the people as a whole…this mindset is all suicidal and destructive..raza u and marvi sirmed and nadeem paracha and omar waraich are doing a real jehad.. my hatsoff to u all.Recommend
@ Laiqthebo
please add Pervaiz hoodbhai in the list. Yes its the team of few remaining sane men in Pakistan.Recommend
“We are gifted with too many assets.” Right! But I want to add: We are also gifted with too many fears. I believe Pakistan is not in danger but the future of our ruling elite is in danger. They can avert catastrophes by changing their “collective psyche” especially the generals who call the shots as mentioned in this poem:-
The Kakul Syndrome
(for the silent revolution in Pakistan)
By Habib Sulemani
God Almighty! Generals fake
They’ve put country at stake
Generals mean personal gain
The armed forces’re in pain!
Generals’re bloody fool
Take a bath an’ be cool!
Military men’re public servants
Not masters from the heavens!
But they’re arrogant an’ cruel
Don’t care for common people
Generals’re bloody fool
Take a bath an’ be cool!
You own huge firms an’ agriland
Turning country into terrorland!
No-one among you bothers at all
Where the terrified people stand!
Suffering from the Kakul Syndrome
You’re always out—even if at home
By providing terrorists sanctuary
You’ve failed to protect country
Still you behave like intellectuals
Not men behind petty squabbles!
You’ve lost every single battle
Yet foolishly believe: you rattle!
Generals’re bloody fool
Take a bath an’ be cool!
After failure on geographical borders
You champion ideological frontiers
It’s easy to fight on ambiguous front
Cos you like a lavish bedroom stint!
Using a pawn religious leader
Or an ISI-paid TV anchor
You can make storm in teacup
Change system—down to up!
The generals’ve taken refuge
In ideological war an’ abuse!
Don’t try to fool world anymore!
Don’t you see outside an uproar?
Generals’re bloody fool
Take a bath an’ be cool!
See the writing on the wall
Only you’re sick not we all
The military is vanguard
Of a scary fanatic world!
The nation wants to know your aim
You’ve multiplied the double game!
You’re soldiers or businessmen?
Playing tricks on the politician!
You didn’t defend country borders
With broken oath, you’re traitors!
There is no escape from the law
Dug earth with your filthy paw!
You can’t deceive the tax payers
God has heard people’s prayers!
You’ve lied to the nation
Not once, again an’ again
You’ve neither mind nor a soul
An’ you’re always playing foul!
Generals’re bloody fool
Take a bath an’ be cool!
It’s time to take a dose of wisdom!
Stop violation of our basic freedom
Respect democracy at home
Or face the doom an’ gloom!Recommend
tsk .. kia baat hai … bohat ala! (my colloquial urdu response)
Raza Rumi your voice amongst all the various voices from and within pakistan is rare and refreshing because it sounds like reason.
Your line:
“Our collective habit of finding bogeys and imagining enemies has turned into a deep psychosis.”
reminded me of Bulleh Shahs line …
Jo na jaanay haq ki taqat, Rub na dayvay usko himat
For me, Bulleh Shah was talkin abt facts and objectivity when he was talking abt the taqat of haq … or the power of facts … the matter of fact .. the fact that we are indoctrinated by a short-sighted and deeply insecure National Security State (establishment) … and unfortunately we(the people of pakistan) are not willing or not ready (or idono why) to recognize this fact (haq)
Because we don’t recognize ‘haq’ .. we don’t understand .. or we dont DARE to understand the power of facts (thinking objectively) … as so we dont have the “himat” that Allah bestows upon those who recognize haq/facts … perhaps this is exctly why we are where we are … we are becoming our own worst nightmare!
Job done great, Bravo!Recommend
Great writeup! Alarmingly, it happens to be a religious psychosis contracted due to induced sectarian myopia.Recommend
200% Agreeing with you. Khuda Hafiz.Recommend
Fully agreed! Has anybody ever tried to ascertain why did we develop this conspiracy mindset?Recommend
Civil Govt Official having bullet/bomb proof have only raised the voice again local so called Jehadis, else know their limitations of security.
{{{Even the politicians who are calling for military accountability have little to say about the jihadis waging war against Pakistanis.}}}
Besides “”WHO BENEFITS”" we must look into that we are the affectees in each case.
I have failed to understand our utter failure of being a nation that we cannot have harmony and ONE POLICY STATEMENT on our sovereignty and security………..safeguarding NUKES is something not to be jumped into………..let say……… ……NUKES are safe and GOD FORBID NATION OWNING NUKES is UNSAFERecommend
the conspiracy mindset has been carefully planted in the people by ‘powers that be’, so that we are all busy gossiping, speculating and feeling important about our analytical skills. yeah, who gives a damn about the people. well there is always the rhetoric of “Pakistan eik nazuk moar se guzar raha hai” and people please be patient and bear hardship while we please figure out what to do next (for their own benefit and not the people, ofcourse)Recommend
Raza. Excellent. Spot on. The sickness needs pointing out. The other day an X Khaki-turned defence expert, laughingly tried to find fault with the revenue, police and even excise officials for failing to spot Osama and declared Gen Pasha testimony before Parliament as shaming the politicians. Psychosis runs very deep indeed.Recommend
Bravo man, I really liked it.Recommend
The ‘blame anyone but ourselves’ phenomena seems to be promoted primarily by right wing supporters. They seem to have a tendency to ‘defend’ organizations like TTP by diverting everyone’s attention elsewhere, even when the organization cries itself hoarse that WE DID IT. They tend to deny Osama was killed, yet waste no time in offering funeral prayers from him anyway. They glaringly contradict each other and themselves, usually in the same sentence and our people eat it up. ‘TTP are American agents, Americans should stop droning the TTP, there is no such thing as the TTP’….
Siraj has asked the right question, why and how have we developed this mindset. The answer to this will lead to solutions. Author, maybe you can shed light on this in one of your highly enlightening articles.Recommend
Good job, I salute you Rumi.A few sane voices among multitude of wagging tounges will carry the day sooner rather later. While it is harsh winter spring can not be very far.Recommend
Raza, Excellent article, hitting hard on the consipiracy and denial mode theorists. An ailment can not be cured unless it is diagnosed correctly. You are spot on the diagnosis and are one of the very few sane voices accross the border. We pray for success of your efforts and safety of all these sane voices in your country.Recommend
Everyone knows that the common people of Pakistan are not assets. They are entirely dispensable and in fact the more who are dispensed with through poor healthcare, malnutrition, floods, terrorist bombings, sectarianism and ethnic clashes, the better. Smugglers, terrorists, murderers, nuclear weapons etc. however are assets and look how much they have done to make the nation great!Recommend
Excellent.
Love the phrase “media mujahedeen”!Recommend
Why don’t people like u write in urdu? It’ll reach many of ur country men than few of the english speaking elitesRecommend