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RUDDERLESS MUSHARAF
KN RAO
5 November 2007, 10:59 AM
The rise of a dictatorship whether of an individual, a case mostly, or of a group called it proletariat uprising in communist countries, is preceded by at least three preconditions: the failure of the administration to rule with reasonable care and not create all round bitterness and frustration in the masses and classes of a nation: unpopularity of the ruler or a political party in a democracy and the
rise of a leader or a party which promises and offers relief from it all. In the dramatic rise of dictators all these elements are present, almost, always.
The rise of a dictator in any country of the world have generally three bases: the
power and physical strength derived from army control/support, a secular, issue based support and/or finally ideological, racist, ethnic, religious (call it fundamentalist support.)
Further, in Asian countries generally masses will mostly be under the influence of the predominant religion which has its roots in its soil, like Hinduism, Sikhism in India or roots in pan Islamism as it is seen in so many Muslim countries both Sunni and Shia.
Emergency or martial law in Pakistan had always had strongest religious fundamentalist roots as during the time Ayub Khan or Zial ul Huq. a period of twenty two years in which they encouraged jehadis fighting against Soviet troops in Afghanistan.
Jehadis became adored and adorable figures with Osama almost taking on the role of a new prophet.
The crucial date in the history of the Islamization of Pakistan was 5 July 1977 when Zia-ul-Haq came to power overthrowing Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a bloodless military coup d'tat. ReadIslamization of Pakistan
“Under General Zia`s Martial Law, there was steady economic growth favoring the private sector, and efforts were made to Islamize the political, legal and economic structures. Pakistan gained the status of Most Favored Nation from the United States following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979. See charts inIsalamization of Pakistan
Feeble secularization
Then came on 12 October 1999 the rise of Musharraf as a military dictator with his acceptble religious pro-Taliban credentials in tact and the secular, crusade like act of fighting corruption.
Musharraf was then required to perform a trapeze trick after 11 September 2001 to fight and even uproot Talibanism from a soil where it had grown through forty or more years of official patronage and massive American help and approval.
For Musharraf, it was to lose the religious approval and switch over to democracy promoting secularism as a military dictator.
Create fundamentalism because USA wants it and destroy fundamentalism now because USA does not want it anymore is the tragic summary of Pakistan’s forty two years history since 1965 of US-Pak relations.
Musharraf has destroyed his secular base now, having lost the religious-fundamentalist base during the last six years now from 3 Nov 2007, after imposing emergency, acting against the judiciary, gagging the media and getting arrested his critics and opponents.
He has lost both bases, religious and secular when he came out with emergency/military rule. His second emergency is actually against himself though he has blamed the judiciary and the media for being 'negative'.
Hamid Gul, the well known former ISI chief, whose successful role in organizing fundamentalist forces to cause disruption in Kashmir etc. saw through the game of Musharraf when he said "It is not an emergency, it's martial law. One man has put the country at stake to save his rule," the outspoken former spy chief said before he was taken away by the police from a public gathering here.
Hamid Gul is actually the guru of Musharraf and was his boss at one time in his career before his retirement. Known as a strong critic of USA, he cannot be warm towards Musharraf, Asia's pet poodle of President Bush.
Bush with his obsession of promotion democracy in countries, particularly Muslim countries is either an ignoramus or a clever tactician aiming at something else, which CIA inspired plots are known for. It is well known that Muslim countries have contempt for democracies and have no good examples to show to the world of a successful democracy.
Till 1924, Muslims depended on Khalifas (Caliphs) who guided them, instructed them and made them use no discretion of their own. Such a system excluded democratic debates and secularism totally. Mustafa Kamal Pasha abolished this institution. There are Muslims now who have been wanting to restore this institution of Khalifas.
What are the chances of Muslims accepting democracy as the best form of government and Bush imposing democracy on these countries ? Is Bush really serious or it is an excuse to attack western Asian countries and capture their rich oil resources is the suspicon and question of Muslims.
( 5 November 2007)
rise of a leader or a party which promises and offers relief from it all. In the dramatic rise of dictators all these elements are present, almost, always.
The rise of a dictator in any country of the world have generally three bases: the
power and physical strength derived from army control/support, a secular, issue based support and/or finally ideological, racist, ethnic, religious (call it fundamentalist support.)
Further, in Asian countries generally masses will mostly be under the influence of the predominant religion which has its roots in its soil, like Hinduism, Sikhism in India or roots in pan Islamism as it is seen in so many Muslim countries both Sunni and Shia.
Emergency or martial law in Pakistan had always had strongest religious fundamentalist roots as during the time Ayub Khan or Zial ul Huq. a period of twenty two years in which they encouraged jehadis fighting against Soviet troops in Afghanistan.
Jehadis became adored and adorable figures with Osama almost taking on the role of a new prophet.
The crucial date in the history of the Islamization of Pakistan was 5 July 1977 when Zia-ul-Haq came to power overthrowing Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a bloodless military coup d'tat. Read
“Under General Zia`s Martial Law, there was steady economic growth favoring the private sector, and efforts were made to Islamize the political, legal and economic structures. Pakistan gained the status of Most Favored Nation from the United States following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979. See charts in
Feeble secularization
Then came on 12 October 1999 the rise of Musharraf as a military dictator with his acceptble religious pro-Taliban credentials in tact and the secular, crusade like act of fighting corruption.
Musharraf was then required to perform a trapeze trick after 11 September 2001 to fight and even uproot Talibanism from a soil where it had grown through forty or more years of official patronage and massive American help and approval.
For Musharraf, it was to lose the religious approval and switch over to democracy promoting secularism as a military dictator.
Create fundamentalism because USA wants it and destroy fundamentalism now because USA does not want it anymore is the tragic summary of Pakistan’s forty two years history since 1965 of US-Pak relations.
Musharraf has destroyed his secular base now, having lost the religious-fundamentalist base during the last six years now from 3 Nov 2007, after imposing emergency, acting against the judiciary, gagging the media and getting arrested his critics and opponents.
He has lost both bases, religious and secular when he came out with emergency/military rule. His second emergency is actually against himself though he has blamed the judiciary and the media for being 'negative'.
Hamid Gul, the well known former ISI chief, whose successful role in organizing fundamentalist forces to cause disruption in Kashmir etc. saw through the game of Musharraf when he said "It is not an emergency, it's martial law. One man has put the country at stake to save his rule," the outspoken former spy chief said before he was taken away by the police from a public gathering here.
Hamid Gul is actually the guru of Musharraf and was his boss at one time in his career before his retirement. Known as a strong critic of USA, he cannot be warm towards Musharraf, Asia's pet poodle of President Bush.
Bush with his obsession of promotion democracy in countries, particularly Muslim countries is either an ignoramus or a clever tactician aiming at something else, which CIA inspired plots are known for. It is well known that Muslim countries have contempt for democracies and have no good examples to show to the world of a successful democracy.
Till 1924, Muslims depended on Khalifas (Caliphs) who guided them, instructed them and made them use no discretion of their own. Such a system excluded democratic debates and secularism totally. Mustafa Kamal Pasha abolished this institution. There are Muslims now who have been wanting to restore this institution of Khalifas.
What are the chances of Muslims accepting democracy as the best form of government and Bush imposing democracy on these countries ? Is Bush really serious or it is an excuse to attack western Asian countries and capture their rich oil resources is the suspicon and question of Muslims.
( 5 November 2007)