Armstrong
RETIRED TTA
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- Feb 2, 2012
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The common man is the most significant part of the whole problem, for if he doesn't actively takes part in the war, he blindly supports the Mullahs due to his emotional attachment with the religion. The people you see in crowds cheering for some terrorists being released or bailed out, burning the houses of some alleged blasphemer or as recently the blasphemer himself, chanting slogans in favor of religious terrorists or else merely offering their funeral prayers form the supporters and facilitators part of the whole terrorism menace. There from, the manpower for these acts come from, the common man. You are mistaken that he's bogged down by his worries, he does worry for his after-world and that is where the Mullah is available with a quick remedy, a no-transit direct flight to the heaven so to speak.
A history lesson, usually given to others, isn't in order for you. You know it all, you understand it all most probably. Yes it isn't as simple but it isn't so complex even, to start supporting those who can clearly be seen as harming us. That is where my countrymen disappoint me. The "situational awareness" I am aware, is better than what it was, when people could be seen rooting for "angry brothers on the mountain" openly, that is increasing getting in indirect and subtle words. But time will tell. So far, I am unable to see any efforts by the Govt or military aimed at de-radicalization the society, just punitive military action which is a short term fix.
Lets have some faith nonetheless (la fortuna playing)
The common man is actively taking part in this war whether it be through the numerous surveys that show that Pakistanis have a very low tolerance level for extremism (lower than most others....remember that Tunisian comparative I showed you) or whether it be in the form of joining the Army or the FC; the former accepts Pakistanis from all walks of life but especially the working and the lower middle class while the latter is recruited almost exclusively from the tribes of FATA.
Yes there is a problem of extremism and yes there are people who are chanting unacceptable slogans or garlanding people like Qadri or going berserk at the mere mention of the word 'blasphemy' but these are fringe elements....a fraction of a mere fraction of the society. These are those 1% in the aforementioned survey who responded with 'yay' on whether its acceptable to target civilians; perhaps not even the whole 1%.
Should they be dealt with ? Indeed they should.
Are they being dealt with in the most effective and efficient manner ? Maybe not.
Are they being dealt with at all ? Definitely.
Between the punitive actions in North Waziristan, the deradicalization efforts by the Army, the rapprochement with Afghanistan, the Intelligence Based Operations in our cities and legislation for our current exceptional circumstances in place, things are indeed moving in the right direction.
For the terrorists and their sympathizers the space is there but its being constricted as we speak; perhaps not as urgently as you and I would hope it to but the movement is still there. Are the terrorists and their sympathizers still capable of spreading their narrative of victimhood or their perverted ideology today ? Indeed they are but are they finding it considerably more difficult to do so and are people much less susceptible to gulping up their venom than they were a few years ago ? I believe so.
But things will take time and the change will not be as perceptible as we would like it to be especially in a country like Pakistan where things rarely get done. We didn't just suddenly wake up to a radicalized society....we took nearly 30 years to reach this point and it'll take perhaps equally long to de-radicalize it.
I'm sure @Icarus and @Xeric can add more to it.
