Pakistan After The Assassination: Interview with Pervez Hoodbhoy

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There is still hope of a bright future for a secular progressive democratic science-oriented rational Pakistan because of people like Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy -- and we have lots of respect for his humanitarian progressive antinuclear ideas and his professional preeminence -- not for petty things he says about Benazir.

It is like Einstein -- nobody cares about Einstein's theories of wife beating -- only that of his relativity.

Re: # 41 nasah

On contrary - Mushy for once is right... BB is responsible for her own death - at hands of taliban she helped created...

As it would be for Mushy himself - when islamics finally kill him...

BB is a feudal princess who was playing with fire and died by it... So was Indira Gandhi, on this side of the border... It's just the karma...

Dr. Hoodbhoy is a fine political commentator though he's not trained as one.

It's robust commonsense that counts....

There's no unanimity abt the cause of Benazir's death. Since it's election time ppl make the scene more muddier.

Dr. Hoodbhoy had no ambition other than the betterment of Pakistan, it's wrong to accuse him of things that he's not responsible for i.e ills of Pakistan. He's speaking for himself and the conscientous ppl of Pakistan who had the long-term wellbeing of Pakistan at the heart of thier anguish.

I donot agree with these points:
"Now, I do not think that suicide bombers can be bought with any number of rupees. Only a religious fanatic lured by heavenly rewards would blow himself up."
Suicide bombings is not specific to brain washed people by Islamic radicals as we do see this phenomenon in other parts of the world too. As far as I remember the first case of suicide bombing that I heard was assassination of Mr Rajiv Gandhi by a Tamil Hindu lady. This phenomenon of suicide is in itself quite perplexing but that is the human mind. Psychologist do have lots of theories for suicide the top cause is depression. So when a person is too frustrated too depressed has no hope, he decides to kill himself.I think religious fanaticism is not just the incentive but any frustrated desolated person could be lured into this act with promise of huge sum of money, good status of living for their families. This is what I think...

"Tragically, suicide bombings are not condemned with any particular vigor. There is no strong reaction against the mullahs, madrassas, and jihadis. Perhaps people are afraid to criticize them because this might be seen as a criticism of Islam."
I think this is also not true. First of all there is a large population in Pakistan who are in favour of Madrassahs and Mullah's. They do not criticize them because they do not believe and do not regard them as culprits. This is too much exaggeration and one sided propagunda. But there are many who do see otherwise and criticize them always on electronic media. How could you tell your foreign interviewer that people are afraid in Pakistan as they might be taken wrong and against Islam. It is completely a wrong depiction. Since last seven years esp after 9/11 there is continuous campaigning against Mullahs and Madrassahs.

"The losers are those Pakistanis who wish for a secular, modern Pakistan and not one that is run by mullahs."
"The losers are Pakistani people",you are right uptil here but not just the so called enlightened Muslims but even an average Pakistani Muslim who believe that Pakistan was created to have a true Islamic society,a Islamic state which will ensure the provision of basic human rights to all, Muslims or non Muslim as told by Prophet Mohammad (P.b.U.H)in his last sermon. and these average Pakistanis do exist in considerable numbers.
Having said all of the above, I do think that 'to agree or to disagre' with all the views PH expressed in his interview is one thing but his intentions as far as concerned Pakistani goes are beyond any doubts. He is one of the genuine citizen of Pakistan and pure at heart. He just see the things differently but courageous enough to speak his mind. He has chosen to work for the people of Pakistan, empowering the youth of Pakistan with his vast knowledge of science in spite of the attractive offers from MIT.
Like Ref#27 I also developed love for physics,astronomy and cosmology by watching his programmes on PTv.I regard him therefore as my teacher. So what if he is a non believer and does not consider anything metaphysical as true; still we should as a nation be thankful to him and acknowledge his services. We have already lost many great minds, pride of the nation because of our intolerance like Hakeem Saeed,ZAB, Proffessor AbdulSalam and recently Guljee. I wish good health to you Sir and hope to hear more of your words of wisdom with which I may not necessarily agree but the culture of healthy discussion should prevail. I just want to say this to you with applogy to late Perveen Shakir:
Un ka jo kaam hai woh ehl-e-siyaset janein
Aap ka paigaam PHYSICS hai jahan tak pohanche.

Nikhat Riaz

Re: # 42

Massaddi Mian:

"....jamadar..."

Itna bada title de diya apne, is nacheeze ko. Behtar hota ki aap dimag transplant is taraf soochte. Subah subah "... Jamadar..." ko yaad kar liya. Itni kharab halat kardi hai aap ne apne dimag ki.

Aap ko apne dimag ki upaj ko ikathaa karne ke liye Jamadar ki zaroorat hoti hai. Sharamnak baat hai, Massaddi Mian. Kuch tou raham kariye dimag par. Apko bhi lagta hai apne se nafrat hone lagi hai.

RE: #18 Posted by tahmed32 Ras #11 I am not sure where you find Dr. Hoodbhoy out of his element. Care to explain?

tahmed Sahib, if I did explain it would not be too kind.


RE: Naqshbandi: Sorry to hear about your father's loss
"Inna lillah ai wa inna elaihay raajiyoon"

#16: "this article by dr. hoodhboy was excellent. I agree 100% with what he has written here."

This Article was NOT written by Hoodbhoy. Please don't
be in such a hurry to agree with him 100%!

Ras

Re: anil #29

Thanks for collecting some of the gems in one spot. Why don't you act like a jamadar and collect some more for the reading pleasure of Chowk folk

Talibanization is a cash cow for Musharraf and his quisling cabal -- but it is an over exaggeration to say that the Pakistani Talibans will capture the government or take over Pakistan's nuclear assets.

Pakistan is not a middle eastern country. It is not Iran despite creatures like Fazoolurrahmans -- Pakistan is a Southeast Asian subcontinental country that has a professional army that still keeps its British military professionalism -- despite PA's deadly addiction to crack cocaine of civilian governance.

With his one-man Pakistan-abusing rule -- Musharraf has compromised Pakistan's security to such dangerous limits – that after each time Musharraf makes a PERSONAL mess in his own country’s pants -- the Bushiites the Neocons and now the Democrats as well -- use it as a blackmail weapon against Musharraf -- to make him more servile to the American needs, demands and interests.

Just as Musharraf uses the Talibans to blackmail the Americans – the Americans use the Talibans to blackmail Musharraf.

And in this deadly game of mutual consensual blackmailing -- the only country that suffers is nonconsensual Pakistan.

This scare of nuclear weapons falling into wrong hands is part of that blackmail -- for all the moronic mistakes Musharraf makes practically every month for the past one year to keep himself in power, (the country can go to hell) -- the American let him do it -- only to come back to demand for their pound of flesh from Musharraf -- for allowing him to make that mess.

Dr. Hoodbhoy is 100% wrong about Benazir but Dr. Hoodbhoy is one hundred percent right -- it is time for Musharraf to go. Nawaz Sharif's expressed the sentiments best -- "Musharraf has become a national calamity" -- and he has become hundred times more so after Benazir’s killing.

‘60 minutes’ or no '60 minutes' -- despite Musharraf's "uzre gunah that is budtar uz gunah" at '60 minutes' -- the buck for Benazir killing stops at Musharraf’s desk – and at nobody else's.

As far as I remember Women police station and some other works were done during First stint of Benazir.

Dr. Hoodbhoy is a great scientist, great humanitarian, great antinuclear activist great educationist great physicist with a knack for explaining complex physical science riddles in easily understandable terms with originality.

But in party politics he is as much a bazari singer as the average paanwala on every nukkar of Pakistan streets singing loudly "lay gaya jalim choraa kur sonay ki janjeer bhi".

"I was a classmate of Benazir" -- doesn't confer upon Dr. Hoodbhoy yet another doctorate in politics to make him a specialist in maligning the yet another Wonder Woman from the woman abusing honor killing dowry-burning godforsaken subcontinent -- to emerge as a threat to the manhood/pighood of the millions of male chauvinist pigs living in a pig pen -- called Pakistan.

So much so that she had to be eliminated just like her sister in India.

PS- are you happy now Kamath miaN?

I think the Arabic dress should be declared as the national dress of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Also , they should start learning Arabic and declare it to be their national language.

Re: # 35

Hoodbhoy is absolutely right about Talibinization. Pakistan is ALREADY a Talibanized nation. It is just a matter of time before some mullahs or an 'educated' mullah like OBL or Mullah Omar takes over Pakistan.

First of all one should realize that this is not an article but interview.
Pervez Hoodbhoy being a peacenick never suppoted nuclear Pakistan.
On the matter of rightist element, and Talibinization of Pakistan. It is somewhat exaggerated, but the threat should be dealt with politically.
First of all blowing in mosque etc or killing Muslims of another sect is extreme.
If people start understanding and some serious research is done rather than sloganering probably will be better.
Question? What should we do for the defense of nation.
Pakistan has been successful on many counts. It is a matter of persistence.

Re: # 30 Feisal:

Do you agree or disagree with the facts which Hoodbhoy talks about? Islamization of Pakistan has started in earnest long time ago. It is perhaps too late now to reverse the trend ? or do you think it is OK?

Kamath

Re: # 33

Naqshbandi:

Please accept my condolences.