Blaming on the face of terrorism
Sydney, Australia
It upsets me when I see high-profile people from different sections of our civil society eager to come on the media
condemning the ongoing terrorism without underpinning the root causes of the happenings. These so-called public
representatives feel pride to denounce terrorism by referring it as ‘Islamic terrorism’ or ‘Muslim terrorists’ etc but noticeably they avoid to bring up those political, ethnical and geopolitical disputes which are the main
reasons behind the acts of terrorism.
Recently, one Indian satellite news channel invited few well prominent Indian Muslims from different sections of civil
society to debate on post Mumbai attacks situation. These prominent members of the Muslim community demonstrated
solidarity with the rest of the Indian nation. They claimed themselves as patriotic Indians by denouncing Muslim
terrorists and Islamic fanaticism. They stated that whatever these Muslim terrorists were doing was not Islam and Islam
condemned all sorts of inhuman acts. Their statements were optimistic and appreciative.
Certainly, there is a need of these kinds of public debates which extend opportunities to the community representatives
in order to make assertions about their integration with the mainstream society. Nevertheless, I find a selective agenda
of the organizers of these forums rather than broader public interest. The point I would like to raise here is that in
Indian secular society, why Muslims being the largest minority need to clarify their position and show their loyalty
whenever tragic incident occurred where directly or indirectly Muslims are appeared to be involved.
The media is supposed to work in the larger interest of the public. Especially, in the wake of Mumbai attacks, when the
Indian media invited Muslim representatives in open debates it should also have brought those issues on the table as
well which were the root cause of these attacks. Talking about the root cause, who could deny to the fact that the main
reason of contention between Muslims and Hindus or India and Pakistan is the Kashmir dispute. Gloomily, on all these
forums and public debates held by different Indian TV channels except accusing Pakistan and Pakistani-administered
Kashmir-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, yet, not a single time anyone brought the Kashmir issue on the table.
Moreover, if Indian media is so sincere to play active role in bringing peace and harmony among the foes then they
should invite activists and other prominent leaders from Kashmir and give them chance to openly discuss their
grievances, what they want and let them debate why this mayhem has been ongoing for the last 60 years. Kashmir dispute
is not only the issue which has flourished the militancy and culture of revenge among the victims and activists in the
subcontinent.
Today’s global network of terrorism has changed this world, indiscriminately, into an insecure and unsafe place to live.
The international terrorism which has strong bases in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the end-product of
long-standing political and geopolitical issues not the Islam or Muslims of these territories. There’s no mistaking that
terrorism is a threat as it has always been. There is also no disputing that those responsible for acts of terrorism in
any shape or form must be held accountable. Nevertheless until these disputes will not be resolved the repulsion from
the victims in the form of violence and terrorism cannot be eliminated. As this is all happening on the Muslim lands,
the world will continue to see Muslim names on TV screens and newspapers’ headlines and the anti-Islam and anti-Muslims
will continue to blame Islam and Muslims. Why and how young people are inspired to tie-up bombs on their bodies and
blast themselves killing people and indiscriminately? Is it due to Islam or Islamic ideology which is as old as
Christianity or Jewdism and which has as many believers as the other main global religions OR it is due to those
injustices and dominations has been happening in the Muslim world.
Eventually, it came onto the surface that the drama of Iraqi weapon of mass destruction (WMD) was all made up by US and
Britain intelligence agencies which was the basis of military invasion of Iraq, eliminating Sadam Hussein and
controlling the country by the United States, UK and other Western allies. It’s a shame that after 8 years of brutal
military operation killing more than 600,000 civilian (as per many reports of international agencies) now Secretary of
State of United States, Condoleezza Rice, in her latest interview regrets on the US relied on flawed intelligence and
mismanaging the post-invasion occupation. In another recent interview, President George Bush said that the mistreatment
of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq was ‘a terrible disappointment’. President Bush might satisfy the friends
and allies of US but how can US and the entire world will provide peace and justification to the mothers, sisters and
children of those who have been killed in Iraq by US and her allies in bloody military operations and tortures? Now will
the international community redefine who the real terrorists are? and which one is real terrorism?
Half-century old injustice, victimisation and suppression of the people of Palestine by the Israel are the main reason
of suicide attacks by the young generation in that land. Israel doesn’t want to withdraw from the occupied territories
of Palestine. Israel has continuously been ignoring the resolution of the United Nations which was passed in 1948 for
the independent state of Palestine. Yet, United States and the West supports Israel’s bloody operations against the
people of Palestine. So, after more than a century old continuous struggle for their freedom what are the other options
left for the people of Palestine.
The United States and her allies have been hunting Osama Bin Laden his Al-Quaeda, Mulla Omar and his Taliban since the
9/11 attacks in United States. The world supported President Bush on attacking Afghanistan. Yet, how many would have
remembered when praising President Bush on his agenda to defend their freedom from the Islamic fundamentalists that
those Islamic fundamentalists were actually the same people who had been supported by US to welcome Muslim extremists
from all over the Muslim world into Afghanistan and Northern frontier region of Pakistan (Pak-Afghan border) to fight
against Russia on the name of Jihad. These forgotten Taliban are now taking revenge with Pakistan, US and entire world.
Pakistan has been crying for help to the world to deal with the militants left over by CIA. Until the recent attacks in
Mumbai, India has been the silently watching the sequence of terrorists’ attacks in Pakistan. It is shocking to observe
that just in few days to the attacks in Mumbai a bomb was blasted in the marketplace of Peshawar. 34 people killed and
more than 100 injured but this no reaction from Washington of that extent which we saw on Mumbai attacks.
Thoughts and philosophies cannot be changed by using power. Political injustices cannot be satisfied by using military
might. Freedom is equally important for everyone no matter what country, race and belief they belong to. The democratic
rules of civic societies have to be delivered in trouble countries by peaceful means not by power.
Coming back to which Indian media claims as ‘nine eleven of India’ the blame game of Indian media, government spokespersons and politicians is still on. Pakistan is being accused of not
controlling the infiltration of Muslim terrorists aiming to destabilise India. Today, the world’s superpowers
particularly United States is displaying full solidarity with India in dealing with these terrorists. They are
pressurising Pakistan to deal with terrorist and to clean up terrorists and their groups and training camps. Whereas the
fact of the matter is that the current wave of terrorism including recent in India are the outcome of long standing
issues created by India, US and Britain. Today, Pakistan has received the most terrorist incidents and killings in
Pakistan. Pakistan arm forces have already been fighting against militants in Northern Pakistan which is the gift of
CIA. On the other hand, after pledging and offering all sorts of help to India in hunting down the perpetrators if
belong to Pakistan and as the reports are coming Pakistani authorities are already cracking down on these militants
group in Kashmir. Yet, these powers never force, the largest democratic, India to hold a free and impartial plebiscite
in Kashmir which was passed in 1948 and which was agreed by both India and Pakistan. One should remember that India is
the one who went to United Nation for this resolution.
Living peacefully and promote friendly relations between India and Pakistan is in the interest of both India and
Pakistan and their people. As a matter of fact this is what majority of people in India and Pakistan want. However, it
is very important to understand that conflict and resentments between India and Pakistan cannot be eliminated until
India sincerely solves the main dispute of Kashmir with Pakistan following the resolution of United Nation on Kashmir.
(Writer is a Sydney-based journalist, foreign correspondent and a media analyst).
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(The writer is Sydney-based journalist and a media analyst).
Concluded on: 8th of December, 2008