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Taliban under fire at Tableeghi Ijtema |
THE annual Tableeghi Ijtema at Raiwind is essentially an apolitical Muslim preaching convention, focused exclusively on spiritual matters. As a matter of policy and precedent, the prayer leaders and the participants at the gathering do not comment on current issues especially the political situation in Pakistan or elsewhere.
But not this time. Given the severity of terror to which an average Pakistani is being subjected on a day to day basis, the participants broke the silence against the Taliban, expressing their profound disgust and rejection of the ruthless killings of innocent people. What many of the participants of gathering, that ended this Sunday, think of the so-called Jihadis' art work of killing people in suicide bombings and other kinds of blasts and explosions aptly brings out stark negation of Islamic values.
The Taliban are waging an 'unholy crusade against humanity', said one of them who had come from South Waziristan, adding "they call those who refuse to follow their brand of Islam infidels, not knowing that they are inviting the wrath of Almighty Allah".
Another, from Tank where thousands of the IDPs are sheltering, was said that hundreds of innocent people and security officials have lost their lives at the hands of the Taliban. "The Taliban are enemies of Islam and humanity and advance only an American and Indian agenda to destabilise Pakistan", said one who had come to the three-day gathering from D.I. Khan. This was their altered stance.
It appears that the people of Pakistan have come to see the Taliban, and the people of that ilk, in their true colours, as against the time when this butchers' breed enjoyed the general public's respect and sympathy. Taken as an off-shoot of their Afghan counterparts, who had earned Pakistan's official and public recognition, the Pakistani Taliban too enjoyed considerable acceptance, and were even treated as a security asset.
But that was a deception; the Taliban have proved over time that they are neither the friends of Pakistan nor its Muslim population. To them it doesn't matter whether their target is someone who represents the external presence in Pakistan or a national security personnel or an ordinary citizen who is out in the bazaar at the time they strike.
They have struck at will, exhibiting their true colours as blood-thirsty creatures and their intention to destabilise Pakistan. No wonder then, that the Pakistani Taliban and other militants and extremists are believed to be promoting the agenda of Pakistan's adversaries by instilling a sense of insecurity among the lay population. Even their Afghan counterparts are said to have disowned them.
But what the participants of the Raiwind Tableeghi Ijtema said is not enough. Representing over a billion Muslims, in Pakistan and all over the world, they must come up with a strong line on the surging wave of terrorism whipped up by the local Taliban. They must recognize that the Taliban are bent upon destroying Pakistan, the only country created in the name of Islam.
They must also accept the fact that by displaying a negative image of Islam, as they do, they have endangered the lives and livelihoods of millions of Muslims who reside in non-Muslim countries.
Without getting into discussion about whether Islam is merely a personal concern for one's salvation or a societal proposition, one expects the Tableeghi Ijtema to take an assertive position on the issue of terrorism that tends to threaten the very foundations of a Muslim country. Being the largest Islamic forum its say would matter, not only in Pakistan but also in rest of the world.
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Looking beyond |
NO visit to Saudi Arabia by a foreign head of state can ever be seen as an mundane event. That is even less so in the case of French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s 24-hour visit that starts on Tuesday. This is his third in less than two years. No other head of state, let alone one from a country as important as France, has been to Saudi Arabia so often. Moreover, this is not the usual visit with all accompanying paraphernalia of ministers and trade delegations. It is just the president, arriving for one-on-one talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. As such, the visit underlines the importance that the two countries places on their relationship.
Both have influence far beyond their own borders — Saudi Arabia within the Muslim world because of Makkah and Madinah, France because it is a major global power. It is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, has the world’s third largest nuclear arsenal, a military presence in many parts of the world, a large military-industrial complex, and is a major industrial and financial player.
Their influence brings responsibility. Moreover, there are overlapping interests — a settlement of the Palestinian issue, stability in Lebanon, peace in Iraq and Afghanistan and an end to piracy in the Indian Ocean. On these issues and more the two countries see eye to eye.
It is no secret that Saudi Arabia has had a long-standing and close relationship with the US, underpinned by the Strategic Dialogue established by King Abdullah and former US President George W. Bush in 2005. Although there was Saudi disillusionment during the final year of the Bush administration because of the lack of action over the road map, and then its refusal to stop Israel’s barbaric bombardment of Gaza last winter, and although there is now uncertainty as to what precisely the Obama administration plans to do in regard to Middle East peace, it would be wrong to see the blossoming relationship with France as a major shift in Saudi strategic thinking. Despite the Kingdom’s “look East” policy, building stronger relations with Russia, China and India to diversify its ties, the US will remain the leading strategic partner for some time to come.
It would be foolish to pretend that France is only interested in the political issues and that it is not interested in business opportunities in the Kingdom. It would be delighted if Saudis started buying more Renaults and Peugeots rather than Hyundais or Toyotas. That may be a pipe dream, although Saudi-French trade is on the rise according to the latest report from the Banque Saudi Fransi. There is certainly a strong possibility in the not too distant future of a deal on civil nuclear development similar to that with the US last year, and one on further military equipment. A more immediate outcome of the visit, though, is likely to be a closer alignment on a number of regional issues, notably related to Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Most important, in the absence of any concrete action from Washington, the meeting might bring fresh impetus on the Palestinian issue. It would be surprising if that is not the case.
—Arab News
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