By Mary Mostert, Analyst, Banner of Liberty (www.bannerofliberty.com)
November 2, 2001
Today is Friday, the day in which millions go to the mosques for prayer and their weekly hate America and insurrection lesson against the sitting government of Pakistan. Oddly, it was a whole lot quieter this week than it has been in the past. This happened immediately after Osama bin Laden called on Pakistan to "confront the crusade against Islam", in a statement broadcast on Thursday by Qatar's satellite television Al-Jazeer, the Arab news net reported.
Bin Laden accused Pakistan's government of "standing under the banner of the Cross while Muslims are being slaughtered in Afghanistan," Al-Jazeera said. The statement urged supporters of Islam to rise up in its defence, the television said in a news bulletin. Al-Jazeera displayed a copy of the statement which it said was signed by bin Laden, adding that the signature was identical to "the signature which appeared in a previous statement" by the Afghan-based militant.
Bin Laden "called on Muslims in Pakistan to confront what he termed a crusade against Islam," said the Doha-based station, bin Laden's chosen platform to address Muslims. Bin Laden surfaced on Al-Jazeera shortly after the start of US-led strikes on Afghanistan October 7 to rally the world's 1.2 billion Muslims behind a Jihad to liberate his native Saudi Arabia, cradle of Islam, from US forces.
"To America, I have only a few words to say: I swear by God that America and those who live in America won't dream of having security before we have it in Palestine and all infidel armies depart from the land of Mohammad," he declared in a pre-recorded address.
Why, do you suppose, the perpetual Friday demonstrations in Pakistan were actually smaller, not larger than normal this Friday? Have thousands of them suddenly changed their minds?
Not likely. Actually, I suspect it is because of quiet, but firm Pakistani leader, General Pervez Musharraf, a man the American people should know more about. Most of the effort he is making to fight terrorism are not reported in the American media, but are probably going to save not only a lot of Pakistani lives, but a lot of American lives too.
It appears that Islamic leaders who teach poor street kids that they and their families will go immediately to heaven if they commit suicide while killing Americans, and as a bonus will get a money bonus as well, are not as willing to take too many risks themselves.
Early Friday in Pakistan, Musharref, making good on an earlier threat, had twenty-four Afghans who were involved in riots that rocked Balochistan capital for many days after the bombing started in Afghanistan were thrown out of the country. "They have been thrown out and they will never be allowed back into Pakistan," a senior police source said, adding that they were bustled over the nearby border crossing at Chaman. This, undoubtedly, got the attention of a lot of Afghans in the Pakistan refugee camps. Rioting may break up their boredom, but if it means being forced to return to their beloved homeland, they are willing to give it up for a season.
Also, I find by reading the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) website, that Interior Minister Moin-ud-Din Haider has been calling religious leaders, including JI's Ameeer Qazi Hussain Ahmad, to tell them to cancel "agitation programs against the government including the civil disobedience, besieging Islamabad and roadblocks otherwise force will be used against the protestors. Ahmad is reported to have responded by saying that "the national interests" were at stake by Musharref "becoming a stooge in the hands of uncalled for US demands,"
The interior minister said that supporting US attacks was "in the national interest" and he was ready to hold a televised dialogue with Qazi on the issue. Qazi accepted the challenge and asked him to arrange an immediate and directly relayed dialogue with him on TV, and leave the rest to the nation to decide.
That ought to be interesting. Apparently, from the report, JI leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad was also accused of fomenting anarchy in next-door Afghanistan. Fomenting anarchy in Afghanistan is not hard to do. One of the 19th century History books in my library speaks of Afghanistan's "habitual anarchy" in referring the British abandonment of forward positions in 1842.
The more I research Pakistani and Afghan politics the more hopeless the situation seems. The Pushtuns in the South won't tolerate living in a government in which Uzbeks from the North have key positions. Ahmad Shah Masoud, who was assassinated by the Taliban two days before the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, controlled Afghanistan's capital, Kabul in the early 1990s, when Gulbuddin Hikmatyar a Pushtun leader was the country's nominal prime minister.
So far, it would appear, the only thing they all seem to be able to agree on is their hatred for America, which they blame for their centuries old problems.
This, however, is not necessarily bad. The only thing they seem to respect is military force. While they may live in caves and ride donkeys, Afghans primary source of national pride is having driven out two great empires, the British and the Russians. They think, because of they believe their own propaganda, that America is weak. One paper expressed genuine surprise that the deaths in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon attacks didn't cause Americans to reverse their foreign policy towards Israel.
They especially think that by appealing to their supporters around the world that George Bush can be forced to stop bombing during Ramadan and to eventually withdraw without destroying Osama bin Laden.
President Bush, and Prime Minister Tony Blair have both talked about this war being for the preservation of civilization. A few days of research on the various groups in Afghanistan and the conflicts in the region is enough to convince any Westerner that this really IS a war for the survival of civilization. People who live in caves don't have much to lose. People dumb enough to be convinced that God will reward them with 72 virgins and forgiveness of all their sins if they die killing Americans are not going to change their minds based on logic or common sense.
Sitting on top of this powder keg is Pervez Musharraf, a general who seized control of the government of Pakistan to try to rid the country of government corruption. He wants to help his country and he believes the way to do it is to cast his lot with the civilized world to the extent he can. He probably is not a perfect man, but he is a courageous man. While he has said he would like for the Air War to end as soon as possible, he has also said, on American TV, that he will not stop supporting the war on terrorism if we don't take his advice.
In the situation we now find ourselves, a courageous, practical, articulate leader of a volatile Muslim state who is willing to put up with 2 million Afghan refugees while supporting the anti-terrorism goals of George Bush is a man we need to help and do business with.
We also need to pray for him. Leaders who support America don't live too long in his part of the world.
To comment: mmostert@bannerofliberty.com