Hangman and the Priest

With promulgation of Islamic law in Malakund (Swat) Pakistanis find themselves in a state of profound crisis. It is a complex, multi-dimensional crisis with facets that touch every aspect of our lives ---- our health and livelihood, the quality of our environment and our social relationships, our ideology, our economy, and politics. It is a crisis of intellectual, moral, and spiritual dimensions; a crisis of a scale and urgency unprecedented in 63 years history of Pakistan.

Retrogressive forces have reached a major milestone and their success means decline of cultural steam and human decency. An essential element in this breakdown is a loss of flexibility. With Petro dollars supported tribal and Wahabi influence Pakistan’s social structures and behavior patterns have become so rigid that this country can no longer adapt to changing situations, it is unable to carry on the creative process of cultural evolution. It has broken down and, may eventually, disintegrate. Whereas growing civilizations display endless variety and versatility, those in the process of disintegration show uniformity and lack of inventiveness. The loss of flexibility in a disintegrating society is accompanied by a general loss of harmony among its elements, which inevitably leads to outbreak of social discord and disruption.

It is therefore no surprise that Pakistan’s parliament, democratically elected representatives of people, fell in line behind tribal savages and approved with overwhelming majority “Nizam-a-Adl� (Justice System). What an irony – this system that blindly follows 1400 years old jurisprudence will dispense justice. This is major victory for Jamaat-e-Islami, Taliban, and other self-proclaimed champions of Islam. With this capitulation, government of Pakistan has subjugated men, and mostly women to a set of rules that has sent Pakistan back to dark ages. I say dark ages because inequality retards not only the advancement of women but the progress of civilization itself. This is exactly what mullahs have always wanted. Not that women in other parts of Pakistan are emancipated, but those from this Swat will be denied due process, and human dignity. Case in point: video of the Swati girl who was publicly flogged by Taliban thugs.

Uniformity of opinion was so pathetic in Pakistan’s parliament that with the exception of MQM, organization representing an ethnic group, everyone voted yes. Even the women in parliament voted yes. It was the final blow to progressive elements, and the movement for emancipation of women. Why rest of Pakistan is not on the streets protesting this debacle – denial of equality to half of Pakistan’s population is an affront to human dignity. And, I say we are going back to dark ages because unlike other nations we are marching backward- from feudalism to tribalism. Up until now feudal lords have controlled all levers of power in Pakistan. Army, bureaucracy, mullahs and media have been under their control. With brute power, Army had been the most effective tool of feudal society and it has ignored with contempt the law of the land. Other components of the evil quad (Feudals, Army, Civil service, and Mullah) willingly cooperate. Now it seems the tribal thugs have taken over Pakistan’s most powerful institution- the Army. And the parliament represented by the feudal lords has recognized the growing power of tribal lords.

Going forward expression of opinion will be prohibited and all coercive apparatus of state will be used to crush opposition. Education will be discouraged and whatever little is allowed, will be subverted by distortion of curricula. You can argue what is new- it has always been the case? It is the intensity that will change. And, this monster will be soon out of Swat to the cosmopolitan cities like Karachi and Lahore.

Religious conviction and religious doctrine have contradictory effects in today's world. Some people are motivated by their religious beliefs to challenge oppressive social systems and oppressive relations in the world. At the same time, organized religion and much of religious doctrine is used to reinforce the oppression of the masses of people, to preach submission before the established authorities and their oppressive rule. As Lenin said, every reactionary order is in need of two functions, the hangman and the priest, and they go hand in hand and complement each other.

So unless you are ready to lock-up your sisters and daughters and throw away reason and rationality, you must fight back. Without an iota of doubt these monsters will destroy Pakistan to the point where you will not be able to recognize this country. It is not enough that Jamaat-e-Islami does not win votes- their ideology has hijacked our entire parliament- our entire nation. Unless you clean up your offices, your neighborhoods, and your educational institutions from these tyrannical imbeciles, Pakistan will not survive.

Stay on high alert! Don’t let proponents of past take over your beautiful cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. But if you don’t want them taking over your cosmopolitans, you must take the fight to them in the tribal areas. And if you can’t, let someone else do it for you. Don’t make a big fuss over drone attacks.

You have bigger problems, my friend!