Public Flogging and Private State of Pakistan

Today, I am once again appalled at what Zardari-led govt. (government?) has allowed to happen in Swat. Repeatedly the shocking video (still above) of a 17-year old Swati girl being flogged by men is nothing new. It happens in Afghanistan and it happens in Pakistan. Just that some daring man (now we know he is Shaukat and that he made this video in January) made it. He did not much care for his own life. More daring was his idea of sending it to Geo TV. Now that the video is out Pakistanis are once again under the spotlight. World is watching this video again and again and claiming that Pakistanis really don't deserve their own state. Savages roaming around with lashes, hitting at men and women at will; government failing substantially. All this must be a clue that Pakistan have had enough of its territorial life. Now it deserves to be broken down into chunks. And things like that.

The good thing about this clip and this event is that suddenly Pakistanis of all shades and sizes have realized that Taliban are no good. Even mullahs, who have traditionally been shaky about moral affairs, are behind govt.. They feel that something must be done about this Afghani / Saudi brand of fanatical Islam. But the hardliners (wahabis and such) are still not sure what they want. So they continue to support such horrible so-called Muslims.

Too bad, once again Pakistan's International image has gotten into serious trouble.

Zionist Killing Machine and our pre-occupation

Israel has become a perfect killing machine, as is once again evidenced by the latest killings of common Palestinians yesterday and day before yesterday. An estimated 270 + Palestinians have been brutally bombed to their death. That includes lot of school children. And there is strong evidence that Israelis committed this aggression knowingly, that they would kill mostly innocent, unarmed civilians. In return only four Israelis have been killed.

Well, this brings to our past occupation, which I think has now gotten at back of our minds. The preoccupation with what Israel has been doing to Muslims in Gaza Strip instead of what we have been doing to our own people over the past six decades or so. What Israel does to Muslims in Palestine is open for all to see. We condemn such acts of violence. And we show our solidarity with the Muslims of Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

As Pakistanis, we rarely show ANY solidarity with the ones who are in jails; men and women bonded by bad luck and nasty waderas of our times. As Pakistanis, we rarely condemn acts of our Army. Whenever we do, that is subtle as we our afraid. Our army has been involved in many heinous acts. Every act condemnable in strictest sense; some as gruesome as the ones commonly perpetuated by the Israeli Army.

As fair and able minded citizens (and readers / writers) we must be able to see through the events. We must be able to analyse events and understand its implications. We must never forget men and women under occupation, in our land or on somewhere else.