The writer is a senior journalist and former head of Radio Pakistan. He tweets @murtazasolangi
Now, the JI leaders criticise the military for interfering in politics, but the party has never done soul-searching as to why it has supported anti-people and authoritarian regimes in most years of its existence.
The party organised militant wings in former East Pakistan for the targeted killing of Bengali intellectuals, poets, artists and political workers. Its Al Shams and Al Badar paramilitary outfits ran amok in the eastern wing of the country to the last day.
Moreover, the party’s then Ameer, Mian Tufail, declared the draft constitution of Yahya Khan Islamic. The party was vociferous against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in its campaign not to recognise Bangladesh.
Then, the party shamefully joined the usurpers in Ziaul Haq’s cabinet. During Musharraf’s rule, the party, led by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, helped the legitimacy of the arrogant dictator by striking a deal with him.
Thus, the party has been a vanguard of vigilantism and intolerance. It has spared nobody.
It is a fact that from 9/11 till this date, JI activists have been caught providing shelter to al Qaeda leaders across the country. But Pakistan today is a heavily polarised country. And its soul is wounded. It needs healing. The country needs to come out of the intolerant mode. As much as we are divided today, we need to be united on a few common values. We need to engage ideas with ideas. We need to stop throwing stones and firing bullets at words.
As much as we argue and engage in heated debates, let us all agree that any change we wish to bring about in this country will only be carried out through the ballot. Let us agree on not stigmatising each other’s ideologies.
Munawwar Hassan has hurt our people and soldiers who have suffered at the hands of the militants by calling their head honcho a martyr. These militants had hit the great cultural and religious diversity of my country hard. They are directly responsible for blowing up of our schools, places of worship, markets, mass murder of our innocent civilians and brutal assassinations of our soldiers, policemen, military personnel and our security officials besides targeted killing of our political leaders and workers.
The JI needed to reprimand Munawwar Hassan for his irresponsible, callous and insensitive comments. The party needed to distance itself from the Taliban’s violent version of religion and politics. Instead, the Shura of the party has decided to support Munawwar Hassan’s anti-people stance and criticise the army.
Having said that, we must understand that whatever Munawwar Hassan has said, is an expression of his convoluted mind and warped understanding of faith. If we prosecute and punish anybody for his ideas, there would be no difference between us and the Taliban who fire bullets at people differing with them. Throwing books at ideas that we disagree with and prosecuting people for their ideas makes us the passengers of the intolerant journey that has got us to where we are today.
We need to take a deep breath and stop short of prosecution and banning the JI. The party should be allowed to pursue its politics without resorting to violence. Any effort to proscribe it or throwing its leaders behind bars would push it more towards extremism. Bad ideas are to be defeated by good ideas. Throwing them under the rug doesn’t make them go away. It would be better that civil society and political parties condemn Munawwar Hassan rather than the ISPR doing so. Had it been a country with no direct or indirect involvement of the military in its politics, it would be a different matter altogether. Therefore, the military too needs to exercise restraint.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (12)
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The military is itself to blame for raising and supporting several militant groups against Russian and Indian armies who were known as infidel forces and any militant died fighting them was called a martyr. Now TTP calls Pak military as infidel army since it is supporting US as well as acting against the Islamic faith by not allowing them to impose sharia in Pakistan. So, TTP is keeping the same yardstick of infidelity and breach of faith, the Pak soldier has lost the status of martyr, but for them it remains the same. Munawwar Hassan is simply exploiting this twisted ideology and Pak military should not be complaining as it has created this Frankenstein and by supporting terrorists groups for several decades, has diluted the martyr status which is applicable only to a professional army.
The author's article feeds polarisation and this is not in National interest. The JI position on martrdom is very valid. Let the muslim cleric scholars come forward and explain the basis of their encouraging the army to go on a killing spree to be crowned with martyrdom. The Prime Minister should carefully weigh his remarks on religion matters..
Rex Minor
Totally disagree with the author. I what delusional world is it fine to allow political parties to pursue their politics when their politics is about promoting intolerance, violence and encouragement of terrosists who have killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis in the name of religion? JI should absolutely be persecuted so that everyone knows that such non-sense would not be tolerated and we have had enough. Tolerance should end where inciting of violence begins. That's it. Stop confusing the already confused Pakistanis. For once, people are standing up to these bigots. I say good for us. JI deserves what it got in Bangladesh. Pakistan needs to follow suit ignoring the misguided bleatings of tolerance towards these intolerant terrorist sympathizers.
It is utmost important to identify enemies of state and take stern action against them. You talk with terrorist in the language they can understand. Terrorists and JI, JUD are hand-in hand with terrorists against the state of Pakistan. They should be dealt with like traitors, see how Bangladesh is cleaning up the mess and how Ata-Turk cleaned up the mess in Turkey.
If we do not get our act together and take a firm stand against these murders, I am afraid these enemies of state, there will be no state of Pakistan left... end if not too far. It is time to wake-up !!
Well people who used to criticize JI for its support to Army establishment is now hammering it over deviation from military, which is good for every political party in the future. The people don't argument on the issue but they are targeting a party with all incorrect and biased perception on its previous records.
The JI's involvement in extremist activities are on record which has proved with the statement of his chief but look at the welfare activities of the party and ask all those beneficiaries who were provided relief by these party after earthquake, flood and different incidents.
For many people the party is good due to its welfare activities in health, rescue and education. The people who are demanding the ban should at least suggest all major political parties (mostly secular and armed as well) to replace JI first with its work and roots in the public and then strive for banning it.
Dear writer just read your sentence - "it was hand in glove with military ruler Yahya Khan in suppressing the Bengali people’s struggle against the military government".
The Bangladesh war was not against military - it was against exploitative policies of dominant ethnic group in east Pakistan and war was simply to get rid of Pakistan - a freedom war.
The Same role JI used to play is now being played by the JuD, LeT and LeJ in Sindh and Balochistan with countless groups and death squads.
"If we prosecute and punish anybody for his ideas, there would be no difference between us and the Taliban who fire bullets at people differing with them."
Sir, I don't get it. Is your government not already punishing the Ahmadi Muslims because of their ideas???
Are the Ahmadi Muslims not being persecuted because they say that Allah is one and that Mohammad (saw) is His messenger?
I have to disagree. Speaking in support of OBL and Mehsud, who admittedly murdered thousands of innocents, is hate propaganda, particularly to Pakistanis who've been victims of their terrorism. Allowing them to spread their disease is detrimental, considering how infectious their message is among the ideologically charged public and banning them would help in diminishing some of their capacity to obstruct, which allows to confuse the public in tackling or even moving against anti-state extremist terrorists. You just highlighted their links to Al Qaeda which was still revealed to be there just in this past year. There should be serious consequences and criminal charges for such anti-state criminal activity. Unfortunately seeing how the Pak state, sabotages itself and supports the DPC platform, which allows even notorious banned extremist activists from militant terrorist ASWJ and LeJ to show up, tells you how deep the rot is in society.
Using a cautious approach in all these matters and taking every one's sensitivities on board is part of the reason why we are in this mess.