General Pervez Musharraf’s ringing plea for “enlightened moderation” in the religious and cultural beliefs and practices of Muslim nations, states and societies has found ready endorsement among many Muslim rulers. This isn’t surprising. Gridlocked between angry but popular Islamic radicals who seek to vent their hates and passions, and fearful but powerful international secularists who control the capitalist world, third world Muslim rulers are wont to cringe at the prospect of taking sides. Many are autocrats or dictators alienated from their own people and underpinned solely by the economic and military support of the West. This makes their balancing act between domestic sensibilities and foreign requirements quite precarious.
Of course, it wasn’t always like this, especially in Pakistan. Until the mid 1970s, Pakistan was a relatively moderate Muslim state. But the Afghan jihad in the 1980s changed it beyond recognition via a combination of militant Islamic jihad, a ruthless military dictator and a secular opportunistic West. Matters worsened in the 1990s when a clutch of Pakistani generals redirected the unemployed jihadis in pursuit of “national security” objectives to the east and west of the country. The problem arose because the jihadis were not remote-controlled robots. They had a mind of their own and sectarian, national or global agendas to flog. So the sectarian lashkars joined hands with the mujahideen and Al Qaeda to forge a united front against local and foreign infidels. In due course, Pakistan came to be racked by violent passions, religious strife and reciprocal state sponsored terrorism. “It’s a small price to pay for national security” said the glib generals. Discerning Pakistanis who objected to this exorbitant price were dubbed unpatriotic, national security risks. The West turned a blind eye because it was all happening in a long abandoned and far away junkyard. Then came 9/11 and the world was turned upside down. Of course, 9/11 was inevitable, given the concoction that had been brewing for a decade. The shocking thing is that it came like a bolt from the blue.
The first Pakistani to rethink terms and conditions was General Musharraf. That must have required much courage on the domestic front and some pragmatic thinking about means and ends internationally. But even he was not prepared to go far enough to try and dismantle the jihad entirely within the country. Worse, having sidelined the mainstream political parties, he was compelled to facilitate the success of the religious fundamentalists in the general elections of 2002. Pakistan had come full circle. As he talks self-righteously about enlightened moderation and rails against the extremists, we need to ask what General Musharraf has done subsequently to turn the tide of radical Islam back in this country.
Has he had the courage and conviction to uproot the mischief of the Hudood ordinances and the blasphemy law? Has he rolled back the thunder of the Council of Islamic Ideology? Has he disarmed the Federal Shariat Court? Has he revamped the madrassahs? Has he stopped the mosques loudspeakers from spewing religio-political hate? Has he revised the core curriculum of our “educational” institutions so that they can no longer pump ideological poison into the body politic of this nation? Has he ordered PTV and PBC to exercise “enlightened moderation” in their hourly discourses on religion and everyday life? Has he cleansed the organs of the state – in particular the army, bureaucracy and judiciary – of all unenlightened and immoderate “elements” who conspire against his worldview? Has he empowered liberal or mainstream elements and parties of society to recapture the ground lost to religious fanatics? Has he doled out bagfuls of dollars for the alleviation of poverty and illiteracy, which stalk our society and are among the root causes of alienation, frustration and desperation among the subaltern and lumpun classes? Has he shackled the fundamentalist vigilante squads rampaging against billboards, cable television, films and music? Has he decreed against the obscurantists who want to censor books of English literature, ban song and dance on the stage and excise plays? Has he stamped out honour killers, acid throwers and rapists who profess religious piety or uphold “Islamic” laws in their defence?
The impulse for “enlightened moderation” must come from the lofty towers of the state just as the passion for fundamentalism is derived from its nasty bowels. Talk of the divisions within Islam and rhetoric about its destructive impotence alone will not bring about unity in the ranks of Muslims or turn back the tide of hate and vengeance that threatens to engulf us all. Words must be matched by deeds, deeds and more deeds. One false edifice has to be dismantled and a worthy one has to be constructed in its place. This de-construction has to begin with the organs of the state and permeate down to the people. It cannot be done overnight but a definite and determined start has to be made.
On several occasions in the last four years, General Pervez Musharraf has indicated he is aware of these problems and conscious of the direction in which the solutions lie. But his cold practice remains far short of his worldly promise and rhetorical flourish. It is time he made genuine and visible amends. Unless this enlightenment dawns on him, we will continue to be an immoderate state and nation.