Moderate Muslims Score a Minor Victory Protesting Against Talibanisation Outside the Notorious Lal Masjid in Islamabad
By Mehr F. Husain
26 December 2014
Once the shock wore off, the tears were wiped away, the heartache eased - and a suffocating silence settled in.
And the realisation that such atrocities were a repeat of a sick cycle and that we could potentially suffer many more pushed people to take matters into their own hands.
It led to activists not just braving the cold, but risking their lives while protesting outside the notorious Lal Masjid in Islamabad.
They were there protesting against Abdul Aziz, the ‘Burqa Maulvi’ who has validated the presence of terrorists and has initially refused to condemn those responsible for the Peshawar massacre.
This group of brave individuals were protesting against Talibanisation; they were demanding justice, they stood for peace.
In the midst of the darkness, this group of people provided that desperate need for a glimmer of hope to fight back against this violent fundamentalism that is soaking the entire country in blood.
But that glimmer starts flickering at times like the hanged terrorist Arshad Mehmood's funeral, where thousands poured out to pay respects.
It's easy to feel dismayed, but it is also important to remember that a small group protesting against the thousands who show up for a terrorist's funeral, carry so much more weight that the TTP's leader Ehsanullah Ehsan rings up the young fellow Jibran Nasir who spearheaded the protest, to threaten him, his friends and family.
Why? Because Abdul Aziz bowed down to the protestors. Victory!
As the year draws to an end, it has undoubtedly been a tough one with a tragedy marking the end. But the most significant developments of 2014 have been the defining roles of the state, military and civil society.
This was the year where society finally looked inwards and recognised that the enemy lies within. The awareness of the power of the electorate is why people have faced political force by demanding that their right to choose in an election be respected.
This consciousness is what is fuelling the anti-Taliban sentiment in urban areas, including Islamabad and Lahore, two crucial cities as one is the capital and the other, home to PML N.
And the knowledge that no one is safe from the TTP has strengthened the resolve amongst parliamentarians, activists and civil society that something has got to change to ensure this bloodshed ends.
As the talks floundered, the military took on the mantle to rid the country of the cancerous disease called Talibanisation. This spurred on activity in Parliament, bringing forth politicians to finally come out and speak in the interests of the people and the country.
It also nudged civil society into becoming aware that democracy is about transcending provincial, ethnic and religious lines for unity.
As General Raheel Sharif has emerged a hero for not just the military but also for civil society, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif can still emerge as the leader he was elected to be.
Not that he hasn't tried - he has attempted to establish relations with India and Afghanistan, he has respected the military and stood by them as they battled on.
But it is time to fight the Taliban politically, because war can only do so much. It will not be enough.
The country is at a point where the civilian government must assert the national agenda without relying on the military or external influences. And the PM doesn’t have much of a choice - his mandate consisted of improving the economy and resolving the energy crisis and eradicating terrorism.
And it is evident that even if militancy is contained in one area of Pakistan, the after-effects are felt nationally and the internationally too, which inevitably affects the entire mandate.
But to fight back politically, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif needs the backing of regional countries including India and Afghanistan. The Taliban may be an internal enemy, but it is not just a Pakistani problem. Rather, it is a global menace - and as long as Pakistan remains a battlefield of territorial control and a violent ideology, other countries remain at risk too.
Pakistan's neighbours must help limit those international influences which fuel militancy, and that can only be done if Pakistan has stronger regional relations based on mutual trust.
The country must be assisted towards betterment, for it's in the interests of South Asia at large that Pakistan becomes a stable, peaceful country. Otherwise, this disease of militant ideology is only going to spread.
As 2015 comes near, one clings onto hope. May this be a year of peace, without fear. May our children live in better conditions. And may Pakistan survive.
Mehr F. Husain is a Lahore-based columnist
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2887344/THE-LAHORE-LOG-Pakistan-looks-new-year.html#ixzz3N1qZ1LBw
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-terrorism-jihad/moderate-muslims-score-minor-victory/d/100702