I don't believe that some people in our media and govt are so delusional as to not see the problem within our country and continue to point at outside forces.
Pakistan has to recognize that these Fundamentalist groups are the biggest threat to the country’s existence and they are playing their part in disintegrating the nation.
Serious efforts needs to be put in to complexly wipe off these dangerous elements before the country turns in to Taliban time Afghanistan.
Hi Xuhaib
My heart goes out to cricket lovers from Pakistan.
I generally avoid commenting on contentious non-cricketing issues on CW but since you have written this, I am emboldened to write what I am about to. Please do not think of me as anything but an elder. I could very well be from your own family.
I talk to a lot of Pakistani men, mainly youngsters in my travels across the world. One comes across them and since we all lokk the same and speak the same language you always start talking and speaking in one's mother tongue in a foregin land always brings a sense of warmth and intimacy. I have invariably observed the following.
1. There is a very strong desire to convince me that all Pakistanis (or a majority anyway) are peace loving.
2. There is a denial of the presence of any major terrorist network in Pakistan.
3. In a very large number of cases there is a feeling or conviction that 9/11 was a conspiracy hatched in US.
4. If the talk ever veers around to terrorism across the world, there is an inclination to talk of the injustices in Paletine, Kashmir, Bosnia etc etc.
I am saying this not to paint streotypes my friend as you will soon see.
I understand how it feels to have the perspective that the whole world is looking at you with 'jaundiced' eyes. I am a Sikh and used to wear a turban at the time of the Punjab terrorism in India. I have seen the same look in the eyes of my countrymen towards Sikhs. I have seen Sikhs react in exactly the same way, talking of conspiracy theories and the injustices against Sikhs by the Congress and the Jan Sangh and so on. I know exactly how it feels and how we tend to react.
But that doesn't get us anywhere.
The Sikhs in Punjab had to decide that enough was enough. That the Sikh terrorists (and thats exactly what they were) were doing more harm to the Sikh community than could be imagined. That unless checked this could have long term consequences and the Sikh community, one of the most prosperous in India would lose all they had earned with their sweat and toil if this went on.
So the Sikhs of Punjab started co-operating with the police much more proactively, putting their lives at risk at the hands of the terrorists (and I admit at the hands of the police at times) but eventually Punjab waas rid of the problem. WE got back, nay earned back the respect of our countrymen which was always rightfully ours but had been denied for a decade due to the misdeeds of some of our co-religionists.
Were we, the normal law abiding Sikhs unfairly targetted? Maybe. But we were indirectly complicit to the extent that so many of us went into a reflex denial mode.
Pakistan needs to , colectively decide to fight this menace. Forget the hurt, stereotyping of Muslims by the world causes. Its a small hurt. The bigger problem lies elsewhere.
Take care
