National Cowardice

We are stumbling over our words in our hurry to say ‘Yes, yes, I guess you must be right that Jamat’u Dawa is responsible for Mumbai attacks and ought to be banned and sealed and cracked down…’

Will the international community stop at having Jamat’u Dawa banned? No.

“The Jews and the Christians will never be pleased with you, until you follow their faith. O Muhammad, tell them: "Allah's guidance is the only guidance;" and if after all the knowledge you have received, you yield to their desires, there shall be none to protect you or help you from the wrath of Allah. Those to whom We have given the book and who read it as it ought to be read, they are the ones who believe in it; as for those who reject it, they are for sure the losers.” [The Holy Qur~an, Surah Al’Baqarah, Verse 120-121]

Jamat’u Dawa has only just been suspected of being responsible for the Mumbai attacks and Pakistan has already banned it, sealed its offices and is cracking down its members. Our north-western lands and people are openly and constantly being attacked and bombarded since many months. Why is not Pakistan sealing the embassy and related offices of the responsible state and cracking down its officials within Pakistan?

Secondly, it is appreciable that Pakistan has shown some bravery in many months and said ‘No’ to India upon the issue of handing over the accused but trying them in our own courts. However, does our bravery go shopping when we hand over and sell our Muslim brethren to countries other than India? People like Aafia Siddiqui?

Next they would like to have Jamat’e Islami banned. Then they would like to have Imran Khan shut out. Perhaps Nawaz Sharif could be done away with too. But their favorite solution would be to have Pakistan packed up. Truly. Have they not maps ready already?

What would you like to do now? If you think you are going to remain safe by staying quiet and sitting home no matter happens around you, you are wrong. Just remember Fatima each day; she was an ordinary girl of Iraq who wrote out a letter with her blood from Jail Abu Gharaib, Iraq, after its invasion in 2003. She reported having being kept naked, being tortured to bones, raped more than nine times a day and not allowed to pray. Do you know what she wanted from us? To save her? No. To help her? No. She wanted us to kill her so that her misery ends.

As I write this piece, I hear the zoom of cars out there on the highroad. And I think, the leader of Jamat’u Dawah must be listening to similar sounds of the outside world while being in house arrest. He must be thinking, ‘I have helped this nation so much in times of tribulation (e.g. 8th October Earthquake) through my organization. Today, will no car, no people turn towards my troubled home to show solidarity with me? Where is the brave nation of ’65 who used to fear not to fight the enemy with sticks and slippers?