Hangman and the Priest

Fundamentalism takes root most easily in societies and communities that are stagnant or decaying, where ruling forces are losing their sense of power and purpose but new political and social forces have not arisen. Shattered by a profound sense of displacement and loss, fundamentalists look back to a supposed time of purity and moral rectitude. Archaism is a source of strength, whether inspired by Bible or Q’uran. This idea that blood and loyalty is owed to those who have sacrificed themselves, martyrs and prophets, is of course a powerful current within jihadist Islam, including the Taliban. There is a conscious effort to infuse the nation and community with the idea of (dutiful and obedient) suffering and sacrifice, to enable those who control the message to control the people. Fundamentalism thrives on the fear of the ‘other’, who is not primarily an economic or military threat but a moral disease, a cancer of immorality and licence. Even with victory the philosophy of fundamentalism requires new enemies to be conjured up.
“Nevertheless the struggle of Good against Evil is not ended. It would be puerile to believe the Devil has yielded. He will invent new snares and new masks and he will take new forms in keeping with the times� – Franco(Spain) 1959.

Correct.

No denial of the fact that a complete change of mindset is required at every level....but letting others fight on our land and ridicule our sovereignty would only compound the problem my friend!

The issue at hand is complex, multidimensional and intertwined. In a deeply fissured and polarized society, such attacks and acts of aggression by foreign elements emanate reactionary emotional support for these retrogressive forces. Lack of education and economic disparity aggravate the situation.

If we can't fight , we can't let others fight on our behalf as well.

Does anyone ever read or publish full report that Amnesty International issues every year on Pakistan? you will be amazed.

Always blame the mullah and Islamism. Knee-jerk statements made by almost every member of this pseudo-intellectual crowd tat calls itself civil society and demands to be given priority over the masses. Ibrahim, I think some of my iLogs should directly to you, i.e. Fake Blonde Aunties..." and others on liberal fanaticism in Pakistan. The whole thing about 1400 years is also ridiculous....I'll bet you worship the Magna Carta which incidentally is almost as old. You don't cure extremism with a dose of ignorance and extremism from the opposite side...thats not balance. Try having a little more understanding of the conservative nature of Pakistan and try to understand that there is a big difference between JI and the other orgs and the Islamic ideology itself.

Take your inner-most agenda to its logical conclusion and see what you come out with. A secularist should ask himself whether or not it is ridiculous for him to think that he'll be able to remove the word "Islamic" from the "Islamic Republic of Pakistan" on my passport....if he thinks there is any possibility of this, let him go and say this in any public forum and check the public sentiment. Let me know and I'll show up to tape the funeral and we can upload it to Chowk so we can conclusively prove once and for all that there is no public appetite for this kind of nonsense.

I was just watching the Swat Peace Agreement video at YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phkJrdozSKA

It is sad to know that Pakistanis are not making a big noise about the imposition of Islamic law. What is even so ironic is the US is taking it when the United States is a staunch advocate of equality for women.

Doesn't the US realize the implications of this? The rights of women in Pakistan are going to be lost, they will again be made subservient to their husbands. Really the US should be taking the upper hand of expecting democratic and progressive practices from their global partners, like Pakistan.