ANALYSIS: Terrorism and the denial problem —Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi
The most serious threat to Pakistan’s political stability and economic development is the growing terrorist attacks by the various Taliban groups and other militant Islamic groups that use violence to pursue their narrow-based religious and political agendas
Pakistan’s societal harmony and political stability is threatened by the complex challenges of religious intolerance, Islamic-sectarian violence, militancy and jihadi culture against the backdrop of the regional and global environment that is not always helpful. These domestic ailments have compromised Pakistan’s capacity to cope with global pressures and improve its bargaining position in international diplomacy.
Pakistan’s most serious handicap is its troubled economy, which depends heavily on economic assistance from international financial institutions and other countries, especially Western countries, including the US. It faces acute problems both at the macro and micro levels, with growing economic pressures on the common people due to inflation, corruption and power shortages. Further, religious extremism and terrorism have dissuaded foreign investors from bringing their capital into Pakistan. Several Pakistani investors have shifted a part or all of their economic activity to the Gulf States, which has adversely affected Pakistan’s economy and weakened its links with the global economy.
In addition to the problems of the economy, Pakistan’s internal harmony and stability are threatened by Islamic-sectarian violence and terrorist attacks in different cities. This type of violence causes serious human and material losses and threatens economic prospects. Suicide attacks and bombings also cause insecurity among the people and weaken their confidence in the government.
The main sources of Pakistan’s current troubles are internal. Religious intolerance has caused social and cultural distortions in Pakistan. This builds societal pressures on non-Muslim citizens who face violent threats from various hardline Islamic groups and the state is often unable to protect them.
Sectarian violence has increased because religious intolerance denies the pluralist nature of Muslim societies. The activists of different sectarian groups fight gang wars with each other. Denominational differences do not adversely affect the day-to-day interaction among ordinary people who live in mixed neighbourhoods.
Sectarian violence is initiated by hardline religious-sectarian groups and their diehard supporters, who also subscribe to the jihadi culture. There were serious incidents of Shia-Sunni violence in December and February in Karachi. The most unfortunate incident took place on the eve of the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) when the followers of the Deobandi/Wahabi Islamic tradition clashed with the followers of the Barelvi tradition who had taken out a festive procession on that occasion. It is noteworthy that the students of a madrassa blocked the route of the procession, which resulted in violence. Earlier this month, some religious leaders with known links with a banned sectarian organisation were killed in a daylight assault in Karachi.
The most serious threat to Pakistan’s political stability and economic development is the growing terrorist attacks by the various Taliban groups and other militant Islamic groups that use violence to pursue their narrow-based religious and political agendas.
Pakistani state and society are threatened by reckless violence bred by the Pakistani Taliban, other militant groups based in the tribal areas, and sectarian and jihadi organisations based in Punjab and Sindh. The Taliban launch suicide attacks and bombings in and around government installations and places of public use, including mosques. They also execute their adversaries in public and throw their dead bodies to terrorise people and destroy schools, especially those for girls.
Pakistan’s civilian and military authorities have been taking tough action against them since the last week of April 2009, when they initiated a comprehensive security operation in Swat, followed by a similar operation in South Waziristan in October. Currently, the security forces are engaged in similar operations in other tribal agencies, especially in Orakzai, Kurram, Khyber and Bajaur.
Despite such a massive challenge of religious extremism and terrorism, a large section of politically active people do not fully comprehend the lethality of this threat.
The conservative and orthodox Islamic groups and the political rightists are suffering from varying degrees of denial of this threat.
Most of them are not prepared to admit that they have a very simplistic view of the complex security situation in Pakistan. They would condemn terrorism and the killing of innocent people. However, if you ask them to condemn the Taliban or other militant groups, either they do not blame the Taliban and other militant groups or try to sympathise with their cause.
There are religious leaders who argue that the agents of Pakistan’s foreign adversaries and criminals engage in terrorist attacks and that the ‘genuine’ Taliban are not involved in such activities. They argue that the Taliban are true Muslims and friends of Pakistan and that no Muslim can engage in violence.
Some openly name India, Israel and the US for sponsoring terrorism in order to destabilise Pakistan.
The ‘foreign devil’ argument is based on the Islamic discourse propagated during and after the years of General Zia’s rule.
The Pakistani state socialised young people in regular educational institutions and through the media in Islamic orthodoxy and militancy. Therefore, the minds of a large number of people are receptive to what Islamic hardline leaders and leaders of the jihadi groups argue: that the whole world is determined to destroy the Muslims and Islam. They have a dichotomised view of domestic and global politics: we, the Muslims versus they, the enemies of Islam.
Such a state of mind develops sympathy for the Taliban and other militant Islamic groups, especially those engaged in fighting the Indian troops in Kashmir.
The Islamic groups and militants play up the Kashmir issue and anti-India sentiments to sustain their support in society.
The denial problem afflicts the official civilian and military circles where the people at the lower echelons are not fully convinced that the Taliban can be held responsible for Pakistan’s current predicament.
A popular theme with the Punjab government is the denial of existence of the Punjabi Taliban, i.e. a conglomerate of jihadi and sectarian groups. Some Urdu newspaper columnists have argued that talk of the Punjabi Taliban is to create a pretext for military action in Punjab. A Lahore-based Urdu newspaper argued in its editorial on March 21, 2010 that the government should stop using the Pakistan Army against the Afghan Taliban, pull back troops from the tribal areas and post them on the troubled India-Pakistan border.
As long as covert support and sympathy for militancy and jihadi culture is present in Punjab, it is going to be an uphill task to get rid of religious extremism and militancy.
Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi is a political and defence analyst
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
