Killing bin Laden won’t fix our problems

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StudentsA lot of my friends are saying that now that bin Laden is dead, the US should pack up and go home. They have no reason to stay. Maybe, maybe not. But honestly I am less concerned about being killed in a drone attack than being killed by militants. The fact that bin Laden was found living outside Kakul for several years shows that the roots of our troubles are not in America, they’re planted firmly in our own soil, and only we can pull them out.

Nabiha Meher got to the core of the problem in her blog post for Dawn last Friday, and we would do well to read this carefully.

Very few across Pakistan, elite or not, teach critical thinking which is absolutely essential and should be compulsory from an early age. Without the ability to think, education starts to resemble indoctrination. And in a country like ours, where schools have no option but to teach state-sanctioned propaganda under the guise of Pakistan Studies and Islamiyat, which aims to indoctrinate with a linear vision, this becomes even more necessary. One is not allowed to challenge the syllabus and is expected to regurgitate a single perspective – the chosen perspective. If you don’t, you fail and that is not an option most are willing to take. This sends a clear message: difference and diversity will not be tolerated.

We need to stop, pause and think about our current situation. Isn’t this just a logical outcome of these students having been taught NOT to challenge alternative perspectives, and blindly believe what their teachers and texts tell them? Indeed there are many who fail critical thinking courses because they stubbornly decided that what we, the liberal teachers, are doing is part of the grand Hindu-Zionist-CIA conspiracy just because we are presenting them with alternative perspectives and asking them to be sensitive to other views. They are, after all, a product of the society they live in and most do not have a living memory of the world before September 11.

The reactions to the news of Osama’s death are a case in point. How many people I have seen declare that it must be a fake. How many people declare that Osama bin Laden could not have been in Pakistan. People tell me this and when I ask what proof they have for any of these claims, they just stare at me. Because they have no proof. All they have is a very narrow perspective that they are unable to see outside of. If events don’t fit within the scope of this narrow perspective, they are willing to believe the craziest things to protect their world view.

Americans aren’t responsible for the death of Farooq Baig. Americans had nothing to do with the torture and brutal death of Nadir Rasheed Hashmi. It was Pakistanis, not Americans, who walked into Bahawalpur church and gunned down 18 innocent Pakistanis. Neither were there any drones being launched from the Ashura procession in Quetta in 2004 when militants killed over 40 Pakistani Muslims. Americans did not hold a gun to the head of Talat Hussain and tell him to write a stupid attack against Angelina Jolie, and they did not waterboard Meher Bokhari and tell her to respond to the murder of Salmaan Taseer Shaheed by asking if his murderer is a “hero”.

These are all examples of the outdated and poisonous mindset that was here before the Americans and will be here after they leave. Pretend all you want that turning our backs on America, China will gladly give us what we ask for with no conditionalities, but do not forget the Chinese response to the Kargil fiasco which was to send Mian Nawaz packing empty handed. If you think the Americans are anti-Islam because one lunatic defied his government and desecrated a Koran, don’t forget it was China, not America, who carried out a deadly crackdown on Muslims in their country.

The only way that we’re going to change the direction of the country is through improving education. For all the talk about HEC – which is an important debate – there is too little action being taken to change the way that our children are being taught to think from the earliest age. If our children grow up without learning how to think for themselves, any improvement in higher education is too litte, too late.

Education should aid evolution, but our students are going downhill. This is our reality but I will maintain that we are also to blame. By putting up with this and allowing students to intimidate as well as regulate others, we are guilty of perpetuating an intolerant culture. We should not be tolerant of the intolerant. By putting profit above quality and by not teaching critical thinking from an early age, we are a part of the problem. What we are breeding is an even more dangerous form of terrorist than the ignorant, brainwashed madrassa students who do not know any better. They were never taught to think unlike those who choose not to and continue to believe in conspiracies, which are trendy and perpetuated by celebrities like Ali Azmat. It is shocking when it comes from a well-dressed, articulate student in a suit attending the top business school in the country; one whose aim in life is to then move abroad, work for a multi-national that he is currently dismissing as an evil Zionist company. I wonder how many future Faisal Shahzads and Dr Aafias are out there. They were the result of an earlier, more tolerant generation. Now, we are witnessing the children of Zia in their full glory and splendour. Something has to be done and something has to be done now.

Bin Laden was responsible for killing countless innocent Muslims across the world. How many Muslims died in 9/11 attacks? How many died from al Qaeda’s stated strategy to divide the Ummah by carrying out sectarian attacks and inflaming violence? But his death is only symbolic. If we are going to escape the cycle of death and destruction, we are going to have to change the way that we are educating our youth from one that reinforces narrow minded intolerance and suspicion to one that encourages critical thinking, analysis, and open mindedness. Only then will we be able to end this war of terror.

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Author: Mahmood Adeel

9 COMMENTS

  1. Mahmood, Pakistan,s mainstream media is also reluctant to challenge and print these issues. Our elite is the one most responsible for these fiascos happening inside Pakistan.It is quite ironic that lunacy in the muslim world is coming from the western educated born again muslims. I am still hoping that a Jinnah can rise out of this mess

  2. Dear:

    Only way to get rid of Jewish forces and Militants you should reject the aid of USA for that , if you do this there will be effect of only 0.45 % on PAK economy, which we people can settle by their own way ..

    So if you have ability to do this then you can give peace to your people and can serve them in better way,

  3. Adeel Mahmood I hope Obama brings a regime change and he
    appoints Dr Pervez hoodbouy as the President with powers of the Army Chief to appoint DG ISI. Nadeem Paracha as Minister of External Affairs and Trade and to take care
    of all treaties with China which infringe on Rights of US
    Intellectual Interest in South Asia.Cyril Almedia as the
    Minister Commerce and Industry with control of the Navy.
    YourSelf as Minister of Law and Interior to look after the
    security and justice in Pakistan. We do not need any kind
    Of Parliament or Judiciary to make laws or impart justice.
    It seems not one person has ever criticised the blogs written by the Quartet which includes yourself. I hope the
    people who read this demand a regime change and under the protection of a tricolor umbrella we will have no fear of
    any terrorist group that ISI or Army protects as Dr Pervez
    Hoodbouy explained with his Quantum Theory.

  4. I am not a Beggar and I want to be a Choser……Osama is killed and gone…..have we ever thought how many Osamas are going to come now ? In presence of lattest navigational technology where no one can esacpe from being traced BUT Osama was at large for all these years by Americans themselves and Osama was given all the opportunities to remain hidden and to continue his mission of human slaughtering.During this time of a decade,a mansion was built next to Kakul Academy and nevertheless,Osama was allowed to board-in there….Do you think Pakistani Intellegence Agencies were unaware of this plight ? Infact the time is ripe for another episode of “American Saga of Invasions”. Americans want to change their war strategy now by indulging directly from an indirect stance.Osama show is over like Saddam…..so whose next,Qadafi and in near future Zardari or would be nezt President or Premier Musharaf ?…..Soon we would see helplessley how magical American forces would take head on with these new re-born Osamas within Pakistan…..Perhaps we have asked for it, because we can not blame others when our leaders are already in slumber and infact they are PLEADERS of self-agrandisement and selfish-motives, they are scared of loosing their powers, they are short-visioned but not short-sighted, they are pack of unpatriots and have never thought of themsleves as LEADERS of a NATION……We must not blame our Armed Forces on issue of “Jammers” because we are a nation already jammed of so many trivial issues…….As a nation we even can not take a U-Turn but all we can improve ourselves via only one channel and thats is our Education System. I am not associated with education but I know we do need to sow the seeds of PATRIOTISM and NATIONALISM,we do need to bring our nation on the platform of progress,we do need to revive our cultural values,we do need to realise the importance of true teachings of Islam……we do all need to contribute ALITTLE and for sure,we as a NATION would be blessed by ALOT……so please lets improve our system of education, in order to save our future generation…we need JINNAHS and not Osamas because I am not a Beggar,I want to be a CHOSER, I want all Pakistanis to breathe free !

  5. اِنَّمَا الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ اِخۡوَةٌ فَاَصۡلِحُوۡا بَيۡنَ اَخَوَيۡكُمۡ‌وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿۱۰﴾
    Assalam O Alaykum,

    well said by all of you yet we are missing the one factor which will remedy our problems, Word of God, Kitab Allah,
    shell we try!

  6. i am witness of non muslim agents in Pakistan during sawat operation and plenty of army personel are my sources as well
    what do u have to say about that mr mehmood ?

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