DALLAS, TX, US: This is with reference to Shahid Javed Burki’s article “The middle class debate” (April 2). According to the writer, the higher the proportion of the middle class in a country, the lower the proportion of its radicalised population. Hence, as Pakistan’s middle class is growing rapidly, its society will not follow the path of radicalism. This hypothesis is, however, not valid in Pakistan’s case due to certain factors.
First, we have to consider the role our army has played in getting the country involved in all kinds of wars that have nothing to do with Pakistan, like the Afghan jihad of the 1980s and now the war against terror. It has paid no attention to the radicalisation that has engulfed society as a result of involvement in such wars.
Second, the last few decades have seen funding from several Middle Eastern countries to promote a certain interpretation of faith and money has come to madrasas, many of which preach hatred against other schools of thought and beliefs.
Third, deliberately-distorted history is taught in our schools, which has created hatred towards non-Muslims.
Last, our legal system has been unable to prosecute and convict terrorists successfully.
I believe that even if Pakistan has a high proportion of people in the middle class, that by no means proves that our society is not radicalised. Instances like lawyers showering petals on Mumtaz Qadri, Hazara Shias being routinely targeted by extremists, members of banned outfits openly holding rallies and kidnappings and forced conversions of Hindu girls, clearly prove that Pakistani society today is highly radicalised.
Ayesha Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2012.
