Sunday, February 16, 2014

The Dilemma of Jamat e Islami (JI) - 2014

By Dr. Nadia Khan

Since then Jamat e Islami (JI) has declared Hakeem ullah Mehsud, most wanted terrorist, as martyr and made a statement by their Amir, Syed Munawar Hassan, that people like Osama Bin Laden (OBL) never dies, it became evident that the path of JI is diverted from their original direction. Because, there wasn't any need to issue such statements for such disputed personalities.

Originally JI and its founding fathers had dreams about a group of pious people who become symbol of truth, sincerity, righteousness, and promotes likewise qualities all over the world. JI's new hero, OBL, in reality, used Pakistani land & human resources to counter USambush in Afghanistan and made Pakistan as battle field for his own motives. Whereas Tahreek e Taliban Pakistan(TTP) is yet to be accepted as a common force of Pakistani origin, never they had endorsed constitution of Pakistan, nor accepted sovereignty of the land they belong to!


From within the folds of JI, many critics of Pakistan Army, say that "Pakistani Army (Generals) is not innocent. They are hired and obedient servant of the Empire (USA). They were responsible for the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971. And now they are setting the stage of balkanization of Pakistan....."  All this is said in reference to John Parker's 'Economic Hit man' as how executives had been used in past by super powers to impose their imperialism and in a context to Pakistan viz a viz IMF or World Bank loans, or energy companies high-ranking officials when sign deals with Pakistani authorities.

To an extent, it is true that Pakistan Army Generals are not innocent; 1971 dilemma, 1977 or 1999 coups,  execution of OBL by US forces in Pakistan and so on. But this doesn't give right to TTP to kill innocent soldiers, their official media organ Umar TV presents the heads of common soldiers being chopped so as to spread scare and hatred against the most organized institution or Pakistan itself. Its worth noting that with same Army Generals, Pakistan's most trusted religious groups including political parties like JI had worked together in 1971 (under the name of Albadr & Alshams; innocent workers of then JI are being hanged in Bangladesh by Hasina Wajid anti-Pakistan govt) or had spent a decade fighting against USSR, calling it Jihad, with American weapons and during that period, nobody had thought about Army's corrupt Generals or American imperialism!

While we are least bothered about Afghan Taliban as it is their internal matter to decide, who is Tahreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and what is their composition, it is yet to be establish. Till now, it is known that they are loosely knighted group of factions united for a common cause to 'ensure their power through suicide bombing and finally rule the country using the name of Islam.' No one can say that it is a holy cause for welfare of mankind or Pakistanis! For example, the Khatib of Lal Mosque, Maulana Abdul Aziz, a strong supporter of TTP & today's an active member of TTP negotiation committee, is staunch opponent of 1973 constitution which was signed by the most dignified group of religious scholars of their time (far better & sincere than Maulana Abdul Aziz or TTP stalwarts) like Mufti Mehmood, Shah Ahmed Noorani, Maulana Ghulam Ghous Hazarvi, Professor Ghafoor Ahmed (though he wasn't a traditional religious scholar but his services for Islam and Pakistan are doubtless). This indicates that TTP wouldn't regard the religious scholars of like minded groups or other sects. Without an agreed document to run a state, it would be funny to run daily affairs of state with what comes out from the mouth of Mullah Fazlullah!

Religious forces (if somehow they over come their major mistakes) including JI have future in this region. They have history, courage, human resources, and enough reasons to win and overcome the problems of Pakistan and spread a positive image to rest of the Muslim world for Islamic cause! Unfortunately, religious forces, since long, didn't show up their unified approach (with the exception of Milli Yakjehti Council) to common man (to win election victory) or to make minds (for religious success) or to present a common oath of success based on their eternal inheritance; Islam. Another unfortunate situation is that religious forces looked at the fanatic groups (presumably showing themselves as Islamic) as success forces to bring an Islamic revolution in the country.

TTP is an outrageous group of religious fanatics -with their own interpretation of Quran & Sunnah- not matching with rest of Ummah especially their approach of Jihad (thru suicide bombing denied by Saudi religious scholars) against innocent Muslims of Pakistan, which is what practically denied by JI as part of their 67 years Islamization struggle in Pakistan. TTP is also a most mistrusted group, while watching the fate of colonel Imam, once the closest friend of Taliban, as how he got betrayed by Taliban is a painful story and couldn't be denied, it is evident that what TTP will do with friends and foes, if God-forbids come to power in Pakistan.

There's a difference of world between thoughts of former Amer's of JI late Qazi Hussain Ahmed and present day Amer Syed Munawar Hassan about Taliban or enforcing Shariah through weapon. Even today Liaquat Baloch, secretary general of JI, differs with Syed Munawar Hassan over Taliban and Islamic base of 1973 constitution. Probably among JI workers, a serious thought of frustration is being developed due to past 40 years history, giving them a feeling that in Pakistan, Islam would not be implemented as per JI democratic demands or through election process. Hence, any authority that somehow, legally or illegally, hold power could turn out to be savoir of such minded religious forces and could implement Shariah within seconds. TTP is seen as a power base that could help JI or like minded groups to fulfill the need of Islamization in Pakistan. For such thought it is said that, 'if so then the balkanization of Pakistan would happen through the hands of religious forces of Pakistan like Afghanistan, where warring religious factions after 1989 failed to show unity and solidarity for their own homeland and the country is at the verge of collapse after US departure.'

Long before it was said:
Roos(USSR) Kay waqtouN may Amreci salook
Hum MusalmanouN kay hasb e hall Thaa
Roos Guya Dehreyat kay Bawajood
Alam e Islam ke ek dhall thaa


Means, during the days of USSR, American relationships with Muslims were far better than today's behavior. This means that USSR, in spite of their non-religious (God-denying) nature, was a sort of protection for Islamic world!