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Sketching Islamic Militancy in South Asia - Part Two <http://www.newscentralasia.com/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=5> <http://www.newscentralasia.com/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=5> ArticlesandReports <http://www.newscentralasia.com/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=5> Continued from Part One The War against Evil Empire and Islamic Fundamentalists: Amicus The Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan on 27 December 1979 offered unique opportunity to the United States to weaken its principal adversary and to General Zia to prolong his obscurantist rule. A resistance movement imbedded with Islamic fervor appeared to be the most effective counter-measure to bleed the Soviets. Pakistan and the Americans masterminded the formation, logistics and action plan of the mujahideen outfits. They secured services of the Jama-at-i-Islami and Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam for inculcating the spirit of jihad and recruiting rank and file to fight what was primarily an American war. Foreign elements, including Egyptians, Palestinians and Saudis, were inducted in the mujahideen groups. The mujahideen movement thus became a meeting point for Islamic militants of Afghanistan. Pakistan and the Middle East. The United States, without any scruples, promoted and used Islamic militancy to defeat the Evil Empire. Generally the people from Pakistan and abroad, who were in the fore front of the Holy War against Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, professed and practiced the Puritan Schools of Islamic Shariah, where the Jehad is a practiced article of faith. Unfortunately, after the withdrawal of the Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989, the United States consigned that country to oblivion and the Mujahedeen or Islamic Fundamentalist militants became a liability for Pakistan. With its almost entire western borders destabilized as Afghanistan was in turmoil and heavy burden of rogues. Islam is a religion of peace but it is being projected as the principal source of international terrorism. The West must distinguish between militancy in the cause of national liberation and the use of force by states to extinguish the spark of freedom. With Muslims being persecuted, maimed and killed from Palestine to Kashmir to Philippines there can be no peace. United States War against Terrorism: In the aftermath of the most inhuman and barbaric acts of terrorism carried out in the United States of America by the Al-Qaeeda, it seems, that country and the civilized world at large, were jolted and came to realize that the menace had grown out of proportion and was bent upon destroying the established order. The US led coalition, after some preparations and requisite deployments, commenced the War against Terror. Pakistan, as neighbor of Afghanistan and a supporter of the Regime in Afghanistan was in a quandary. It was not left with any options but to support the US led effort against taking out that rogue regime in Afghanistan. It may not be out of place to mention that, even before the September 11 impasse, the threat perception within the Defense Establishment of Pakistan was going through a rethinking and re-evaluation owing the activities going on inside Afghanistan under the tutelage of Taleban Regime and the Al-Qaeda Movement and its activities inside Pakistan like elsewhere in the world. It was not left with any options but to support the US led effort against taking out the Taleban regime in Afghanistan, albeit, owing not only being part of the Civilized Society but its own threat perceptions, emanating via the covert and overt activities of Taleban and Al-Qaeda nexus inside Afghanistan, globally and more so within Pakistan. If anything the event of September 11 only hastened the decision making process in the Pakistani Defense Establishment in as much as the defiant and rigid posture of the Taleban Regime on the issue of handing over UBL and his coterie to the Americans, despite persuasions by Pakistan, acted as a catalyst for Pakistan to arrive at a pragmatic decision. The rigidity, defiance and self-serving stance of the Taleban Regime had placed Pakistan at a crossroad. It had to choose between its own National Interest and its place in the comity of civilized world OR Isolation, being branded as a state that was allegedly promoting militancy and terrorism. Having said that, it would be wrong to assume that Pakistan just caved in under the pressure from Washington. The truth would be that the pace of Pakistan distancing itself from what was going on in side Afghanistan was hastened rather accelerated. It could also be said that may be, owing conducive international environment, was fortified in taking that vital decision. This of necessity should have translated into moral and material support for Pakistan to withstand the fall out of annihilation of Taleban regime from Afghanistan and so also imminent reaction from with in Pakistan from the segment that is sympathetic or allied with the fundamentalist forces. The short-term objectives set out by the International coalition were attained in matter of months and the Rogue Regime along with its partner Al-Qaeda was dislodged from Afghanistan. An interim set was brought in its place, headed by Karazai. After being dislodged, the Taleban and Al-Qaeda Forces simply melted away and blended into the local population of Afghanistan and inside Pakistan. The pro-Islamic forces within these two countries, being quite sympathetic appear to have willingly absorbed these forces on the run. Question is, does the dislodging of Taleban government from Afghanistan and dismantling the Al-Qaeda network in that country resolve the issue? No. The ground realities show that the safe sanctuaries for these elements, on the run, are very much intact, alive and kicking. There is no dearth of sympathetic element within Afghanistan and Pakistan. It means that immediate and constant threat emanating from Afghanistan may have been addressed. It would be nearer home instead, to say that for now it may be comparably diluted. The capabilities of International Islamic Militancy may have been in disarray and perceptibly its connectivity may also have been disrupted. It could not be said with any certainty that it has been qualitatively contained to an extent that it has been incapacitated. The factual position is that there has been significant damage caused to the International Islamic Militants Groups. Their safe heaven has been neutralized. An environment has been created that has made the life difficult for the militants and its leadership inside Afghanistan, Pakistan and their respective countries and elsewhere. However, it is equally true that all these significant achievements could at best be termed as containment. It is equally true that 9/11 has rudely awakened the world to the threat of this millennium. The state of alert is there. The commitment is also there. It is also equally true that militarily the preparation is also there to meet any potential threat. The respite, if it could be termed as such, ought have been simultaneously put to use to address the causes, which have taken the things to such an impasse that that brand of militancy and terrorism has become the greatest threat to civilized world. With due deference one dares to say that in the long run the gains so far made would be wasted and the world may wind up with the same problem with more complexities and capabilities. LONG TERM REQUIREMENTS: Having said that, it would be in the fitness of things to peep into the History of the Puritan Islamic Movements in the South Asia, Middle East and Far East and so also in the Balkans to understand its appeal to the Muslims. It is also of paramount importance that Islam is viewed and understood as a World Religion, side by side with Christianity and Judaism, Revelation being a common source of these religions. There should be a concerted effort to accept, highlight and promote the pacific basis of Islam. The Sufi doctrine of Islam has volumes to offer to Muslims and World at large. The Puritan Islamic Clergy has to be engaged via the proponents of peaceful, moderate and tolerant Islam, which abound throughout the world. A meaningful and qualitative dialogue over World Media may be in immediate order. The dialogue being conducted in the Vatican since the early sixties should on the one hand be accelerated and on the other projected globally. Let there be meeting of the minds globally. Merely by saying that it is not a clash of Civilizations or that it is not a war against Islam would not do. The situation on ground dictates otherwise. Isolating the Muslims and relying on the support of the governments in Islamic Countries would not suffice in the long term. Besides, it also needs to be analyzed that time and again the West has tolerated and in some cases abetted or even promoted militancy in the name of Islam. Wisdom of such acts at a given moment in the recent History should be called in question. It should provide a lesson for future course of action. In the case of Pakistan and Afghanistan it is the truth. The menace or monster left by the West in the aftermath of Soviet defeat has to be neutralized and efforts made at the rehabilitation of its cadre. It has to be addressed not only through military means but more so by strengthening the moderate and peace loving citizens of these countries by giving them participatory democracy. Bringing in qualitative and quantitative socio-economic inputs in the areas of education, health, economic opportunities and moderate, democratic and good governments in the volatile regions of Middle East, South and Central Asia is imperative. It is a daunting task. But there are no short cuts. Spreading the Islamic Message of Peace, Tolerance and coexistence on God's earth could only do this. Islamic History is replete with examples of peaceful coexistence and Freedom of Faith. Even a small allocation of funds in the area of highlighting the message of Islam that, 'Islam literally means Peace' could do wonders, albeit side by side with the consistent and persevered efforts at promoting the democratic values in these heated societies, where the populace is consistently being denied the means and level playing field by totalitarian regimes of various hues and colors, those are supported by predominantly vested interests of the Western Societies. While concluding it may be stressed that unless there is realization in the comity of nations, particularly the Developed World, that in the post Bi-polar World of Twentieth Century, there is a void, a void that has left the majority of the fellow human beings in the so-called developing or non-developed world, devoid of any meaningful and representative leadership, particularly in the regions where Muslims are concentrated. It is of paramount importance that the volatile issues like, Palestine, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iraq and Chechnya are addressed and resolved. One may say with some degree of confidence that the threat of militancy is ever-present just below the surface. It is very much there. It is regrouping and reorganizing. It will surface with new tactics, strategies and ideology. About the author: Amicus is the pseudonym of Advocate Mohammed Yousuf. With sixteen years in legal practice, presently Yousuf is a member of the Foreign Liaison Committee of Pakistan Peoples Party. He has written extensively on Islam and Islamist Militancy. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily represent the official policy of Pakistan Peoples Party. Advocate Yousuf can be reached at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Concluded. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. 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