The Emerging Islamic Order and Pakistan

The Afghan Taliban, now are the winners and enjoy the right to lay down the conditions for peace, yet the same old game of 1990 is being played to deny power to them. The Muslim world has suffered immensely during the last thirty years, but has stood firm, inflicting defeat on the Soviet Union, USA, European Union, Israel and India. The struggle thus, has created the ‘Global Islamic Resistance’ and ‘New Centres of Power’ have emerged, which have a vital role in determining the geo-political and social order, in the region.


By General Mirza Aslam Beg

In the scheme of things, many a wrong have been corrected through Divine Interventions, to maintain social balance on earth. In the recent past, there are two such examples of corrective measures. Germany under Hitler, drunk with the notion of “superiority of the German race”, tried to conquer the world and disturbed world peace, yet within a period of fifteen years, the disorder so created, was corrected, through ‘Divine Intervention, i.e., the coalition of nations. Similarly in 1990, encouraged by the break-up of the Soviet Union, Bush, launched ‘The Crusade’ against the Muslim heartland to establish American supremacy over the world, claiming that “the 21stcentury belonged to America,” but through Divine intervention, balance was restored, within a period of fifteen years, at the hands of the rag-tag Afghans. The American ambitions and pride now lie buried, in the stony sands of Afghanistan, while the “Islamic Surge” is sweeping the region, soothing our bleeding hearts and wounded bodies.


The Afghan Taliban, now are the winners and enjoy the right to lay down the conditions for peace, yet the same old game of 1990 is being played to deny power to them. The Muslim world has suffered immensely during the last thirty years, but has stood firm, inflicting defeat on the Soviet Union, USA, European Union, Israel and India. The struggle thus, has created the ‘Global Islamic Resistance’ and ‘New Centres of Power’ have emerged, which have a vital role in determining the geo-political and social order, in the region.


The Islamic Resistance grew from the Afghan soil, under the Divine mandate, against the occupation forces, with a message, which is explicit and finite:


“Why should you not fight in the way of Allah for those men, women and children, who, being weak, are being oppressed and are crying: “Our Lord! Rescue us and send redeemers to protect us from the oppressors.” Al-Nisa, Ayah 75.


In response to ‘the call’, “over sixty thousand believers from over seventy countries of the world converged, in support of the Afghan freedom fighters” – CIA Report, and defeated the Soviets. Ostensibly they were supported by USA, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and others, but a decade later, between 2001 to 2011, without any outside support, they have humbled the mightiest of the mighty. The Afghan resistance calls itself ‘The Shadow Army’, and like a shadow, it extends itself, withdraws and appears again and remains elusive. It is a non-state-force, mission oriented and not concerned with the domestic matters of the country, where it operates. Poses no threat to others. It melt-away, when occupation is vacated, as it did in 1990 when Soviets retreated from Afghanistan.


The ‘Unity of Pakhtuns’, against foreign aggression, provided the bed-rock of resistance, extending from Karachi to the Hindukush Mountains. It enjoys the support of 24 million Pakhtuns of Pakistan and 17 million Pakhtuns of Afghanistan. Their resistance draws strength from their traditions, faith and belief and love for freedom. They remain undefeated and defiant and a source of strength, both for Pakistan and Afghanistan. Their will to resist and defeat, thus is considered “a great threat to American strategic interests in the region” – David Kilkullen, former US National Security Advisor President.


The ‘Shia Crescent’ extends from Iran to Iraq and Bahrain, including the sizeable minorities in Syria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and is a force to be reckoned with. The Americans and the allies are frightened of the rising power of Iran and have tried to suppress it through sanctions, embargoes and threat of war, but have failed. Iran has since been demonized as a threat to the neighbouring Sunni countries, such as, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Gulf countries, who, out of fear have purchased, US military hardware, worth over one hundred fifty billion dollars, to face the Iranian threat. And no wonder that the Saudi and GCC troops recently entered Bahrain, under UN mandate to quell the revolt against the Sunni ruler, initiating war between Shia and Sunni countries, so that, “both bleed each other to death” – Henry Kissinger.


In reaction to the atrocities committed on the Muslims, particularly during the last thirty years and killing of over six million innocent men, women and children, the Muslims have sought protection under their Faith, resulting into a strong surge of Islamic thought sweeping the entire region. For example, the moderate Naqshbandi Silsila, which had remained suppressed since World War I, now is sweeping the entire region, from Turkey to Damascus and Turkmenistan. Similarly the moderate Qadria Silsila is sweeping the region from Egypt to Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Somalia and the Middle Eastern countries. This “surge is shaping the so-called Arab Spring into Islamic movements”, in Egypt, Libya, Somalia, Morocco and Yemen. A more orthodox Islamic culture has emerged in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. Such is the emerging reality determining the contours of the Islamic Order, against the forces of oppression and state sponsored terrorism.


Pakistan has suffered immensely due to the war between the Global Islamic Resistance and the occupation forces in Afghanistan. Apart from death and destruction, Pakistan’s economy is shattered; law and order has deteriorated and its armed forces are engaged in a running battle with its own tribals, which have a deep impact on domestic politics, turning it into “an aberration of a civilized society.”


There are dozens of religious parties in Pakistan, divided on the basis of sect, ethnicity and varying schools of thought, and have failed to give “a clean and decent way of life, Islam promises”. And out of this disorderliness, has emerged, robot like, the class of the so called “emancipated majority” – almost seventy percent of the population, bereft of Islamic teachings and its values and are demanding a secular order. Yet, the oppressed Pakistani nation carries the burden of the commitment it made to its national purpose in 1947: “To strive for a democratic order, based on the principles of Quran and Sunnah.” Time and again the nation has affirmed its commitment to its national purpose and has voted mainly for the moderate parties, rejecting the fundamentalists and the extremists, because its objective is in sight and the fundamental direction is correct.


While the domestic politics is warming up “there s a brutal race for power and money, by the business stake holders, which spells disaster” Ibne-Khaldun. This precarious situation thus places greater responsibility on the people of Pakistan, our courts of justice and the armed forces, to act and redeem the situation.