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TERRORISM |
Drones,
machine and human, have drenched Pakistan with the blood of innocents. On the
one side are US-made drones such as the MQ-1B General Dynamics Predator – a
remote controlled, self-propelled, missile-bearing aerial system. On the other
side are the low-tech human drones, armed with explosive vests
stuffed with ball bearings and nails. These lethal engines of destruction,
programmed by remote handlers, are very different. But neither asks why it must
kill, nor cares about the death and suffering it causes.
On January 13 2006, a bevy of MQ-1Bs hovering over Damadola launched a barrage
of ten Hellfire missiles at the village below. They blew up 18 local people,
including five women and five children. Such cold statistics say nothing about
the smashed lives of the survivors, or the grief of the bereaved. The blame was
put on faulty local intelligence.
Then, on October 30 2006, a Hellfire missile hit a madrassa in Bajaur killing
between 80-85 people, mostly students. Even if those killed were allegedly
training to become Al-Qaida militants, and even if a few key Al-Qaida leaders
such as Abu Laith al-Libi have been eliminated, the more usual outcome has been
flattened houses, dead and maimed children, and a growing local population that
seeks revenge against Pakistan and the US.
The human drone has left a far bloodier trail across Pakistani cities. From 6
suicide attacks in 2006, the tally went up to 62 in 2007. According to the South
Asia Terrorism Portal, at least 1,523 civilians were killed in terror-related
violence in 2007 and more than twice that number injured. The average is now
more than one per week – the last week saw four in a row. Those praying in
mosques, imambargahs, or at funerals have been no safer than others at political
rallies or while crossing a road. Beards and prayer marks on the forehead are no
protection either.
It is possible to imagine how an American soldier or CIA operative controlling a
Predator drone can distance himself from the death and destruction it causes in
a remote country on the other side of the world that they imagine is full of
enemies. For them, it is a job and a way to defend their country. What is harder
to understand is how the Pakistani suicide bomber can kill people who are so
close to him in so many ways.
A spine-chilling suicide bomber training video, one of the several videos that
freely circulate in Pakistan’s tribal areas, offers the beginning of an
explanation. About 30 masked fighters are filmed in this video, speaking a
language that is not any of Pakistan’s regional languages, Arabic, or Persian.
They are training in some barren, mountainous area. One fighter, randomly
selected by their leader, proceeds to climb a huge rock, perhaps 100 feet high.
He reaches the highest point, and then stands motionless. His arms are
outstretched as though on a diving board. On a signal from the leader below,
without hesitation, and without closing his eyes, he hurls himself into the
void.
The camera cuts to the body lying on blood-soaked ground. It slowly pans over
the faces of the other masked fighters. Their eyes betray no emotion. A second
signal from the leader, and they trot military-style to the body, dig a shallow
grave, toss their dead comrade into it, and cover it up. Then, amazingly, they
march over the grave several times, chanting Quranic verses. This is
astonishing, because to trample a grave is the ultimate mark of disrespect in a
Muslim culture.
Why sacrifice a human life for a few minutes of footage? English sub-titles
reveal that this is obviously a propaganda video. Its message: the group’s
fighters have overcome the fear of death, and have willingly surrendered their
lives to the group leader, and their individual powers to reason and decide.
As troubling as the murders is the response of Pakistanis. While the murder of
innocents by the MQ-1B has rightly led to condemnation in Pakistan, the even
greater carnage by suicide bombers has provoked less criticism. Some editorials,
mostly in English language newspapers, have been forthright. But there are few
full-throated denunciations to be found in Urdu newspapers.
On the other hand, implicit justifications abound. In January 2008, thirty
leading Deobandi religious scholars, while declaring suicide attacks “haram”,
rationalized these as a reaction to the government’s misguided polices in the
tribal areas. They concluded that “A peaceful demand for implementing Shariah
was not only rejected but the government was also not willing to give ear to any
reasoning based on Quran and Sunnah in support of the Shariah demand.
Apparently, these circumstances led some minds to the frustration that
manifested itself in suicide attacks.”
What are these ulema telling us? That we should adopt the Shariah to avoid being
attacked? This amounts to encouragement and incitement, not condemnation of the
suicide bombers’ actions. But even civil society activists, who have bravely
protested the dismissal of the Chief Justice by General Musharraf, have not held
any street protests against these ghastly crimes.
Why do so many Pakistanis suddenly lose their voice when it comes to condemning
suicide bombings? Is it because the bomber kills in the name of Islam? Are
people muted in their criticism lest they be regarded as irreligious or even
blasphemous?
Or, is the silence political? Many choose to believe that the suicide bomber is
a consequence of Pakistan’s acquiescence to being America’s junior partner
in its war against terror. Conversely, there is a widespread opinion that
suicide attacks will disappear if Pakistan dissociates itself from this war.
But, few admit the brutal fact that even if America retreats, or an elected
government calls off the army, the terror of jihadism will remain.
It is true that suicide bombings were a rarity in Pakistan until the army acted
against Islamic militants in the tribal areas on US prodding. Army action
against the Lal Masjid militants was another turning point. But the majority of
today’s dead and wounded are perfectly ordinary people. Many were pious
Muslims, and some were killed in the act of prayer. They had absolutely nothing
to do with American or Pakistani forces.
Even with evidence staring them in the face, most Pakistanis seem locked into a
state of denial. They refuse to accept the obvious fact that more and more
mullahs have created cults around themselves and exercise control over the lives
of worshippers. An enabling environment of poverty, deprivation, lack of
justice, and extreme differences of wealth is perfect for demagogues.
As the mullah’s indoctrination gains strength, the power to reason weakens.
The world of the follower becomes increasingly divided into absolute good and
absolute evil. Doubt is replaced by certainty, moral sensibilities are blunted.
Reduced to a mere instrument for murder, the human drone is left with no room
for useless things such as judgment, doubt, or conscience. As other human beings
become mere objects rather than people deserving of love and compassion, the
metamorphosis from human to drone becomes complete.
The last thoughts of a suicide bomber cannot be known, but remorse or doubt is
unlikely. There is no lower depth to which humans can fall to. Except, perhaps,
those who control them – and towards whom we still dare not point a finger at.
Dawn, Sunday, 9 March 2008