Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: July 21, 2000
That the forces of Islamic
fundamentalism are gathering strength in Pakistan is illustrated by the
ultimatum issued on Wednesday by the Islamic United Revolutionary Front
(IURF).
This newly formed group
of 23 religious parties have given the Government of the North West Frontier
Province (NWFP) till next Sunday to outlaw cable operators. If they fail
to do so then Islamic volunteers will begin to forcibly cut cable connections
from homes in the province. The IURF, if fact, has been founded by Islamic
clerics with the express intention of forcing the Military Government to
fall in line with their hardline interpretation of Islam. The form of Islamic
rule espoused by them for Pakistan is similar to those enforced in neighbouring
Afghanistan by the ruling Taliban militia entailing an extremely harsh
code, including the denial of rights to women. The reason, for instance,
why the IURF is against cable television is that, according to them, it
propagates Western values, regarded as immoral by them. The influence of
orthodox elements in Pakistan has increased since the days of General Zia-ul
Haq, who had played the Islamisation card while seeking to legitimise his
illegal usurpation of power. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979
gave a further boost to the fanatical fringe within Pakistan, for Gen Zia-ul
Haq created a chain of Deeni Madarsas along the Afghan-Pakistan border;
the purpose was to supply religiously-inclined students to assist the Afghan
Mujahideen evict Soviet forces. These Deeni Madarsas have subsequently
become widespread all over Pakistan and have been providing recruits to
fundamentalist Islamic militias operating in the region and in other parts
of the world. In fact, similar Madarsas have also sprung up in the Indian
states of UP, Bihar and Kashmir. The Pakistani establishment, which has
been covertly sponsoring much of this activity, has been reluctant to act
against these training schools.
The chickens may now
be coming home to roost in Pakistan. The fanatically orthodox elements
let loose are difficult to control and are increasingly beginning to set
the social and political agenda in that country. Since the coup, Gen Pervez
Musharraf has compromised several times with the Islamic clergy. He was
forced to drop a proposed change in the blasphemy law, often used to target
non-Muslim minorities, in May. Earlier this week, he has issued a decree
reviving the Islamic provisions of the country s suspended Constitution.
Clearly, Pakistan s Chief Executive is either unable, or is unwilling,
to reign in these forces of extreme orthodoxy; his ambiguous stand on them
was revealed in his recent much-publicised statement suggesting that jihad
was different from terrorism.Clearly, he is trying to take the International
community for a ride. The increasing Talibanisation of Pakistan is worrying
in the extreme. Should this happen, the country will become a much bigger
exporter of vicious, fanatical terrorism than now. No country in the world
will then be spared. The signs are ominous.
