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OPINION

Plane bombing plot hatched in Pakistan
TUKOJI R. PANDIT

There is no doubt that timely discovery of the plot to blow up 10 civilian planes flying between the UK and the US averted a horrible human tragedy, though full details of the conspiracy may take a while to be unravelled. But certain things are absolutely clear, one of which is that Pakistan, as India has often said, is the fountain-head of global terrorism. All indications are that the latest terrorist plot too was hatched in Pakistan. So far a Pakistan hand has been found in six major terrorist attacks globally. It is unfortunate that the West ignores or underplays this fact despite repeated disclosures of the unpleasant truth about Pakistan, its so-called frontline ally in the ‘war’ on terror.

According to the British home secretary, John Reid, at least four ‘major plots’ have been thwarted since the July 7, 2005 suicide bomb attacks on London’s transport system, carried out by British citizens of Pakistani origin who were indoctrinated with hate and poison in Pakistan.

Yet, the Britain as well as the US are ever being obsequious towards Pakistan and especially its military ruler, Gen Pervez Musharraf, shying away from talking about Pak’s role in most terrorist plots uncovered so far. Pakistan deserved a note of thanks for its ‘cooperation’ in unearthing the plane-bombing plot; but it is not right to condone the still half-hearted manner in which this ‘cooperation’ is extended. Double standards by the West or Pakistan will not help end the menace of terrorism.

The tendency to duck Pakistani displeasure at all costs also saw the Americans and the British look the other way as the militants, under the banner of ‘charity’ organisations, rushed to the quake-hit Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last year with the main purpose of recruitment of foot soldiers for their ‘cause’ and recreating the terrorist infrastructure in PoK that had been hit by the earthquake. Everybody knew about the presence of the militants and their leaders in PoK and Musharraf brushed aside ‘protests’ against their presence, saying he would not turn away people who had come with relief and succour.

What kind of ‘good’ work these militants did should be apparent now at least. One of the discoveries after the smashing of the latest ‘mass murder’ plot in the UK is that some of the 23 suspects arrested in the UK went to PoK, posing as ‘relief workers’, and then promptly headed for terrorist camps to hatch the conspiracy for the bombings of 10 air-borne aircraft. It has also been alleged that a lot of money sent from Britain by Muslim charities actually found its way to terrorist groups and helped finance the now aborted plot of ‘mass murder’ in the skies. British media reports have also said that the training for making liquid explosives that were to be used to blow up planes was given at secret Al Qaeda camps run along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

After the London underground train bombings last year Musharraf had protested that Pakistan was being needlessly blamed for the attacks because the crime was committed by British citizens. But who are these citizens? They may have been born or brought up in Britain but their hearts and minds for all intends and purposes are Pakistani and they derive their ‘inspirations’ from visits to certain nefarious destinations in Pakistan.

What has Musharraf done to spread his programme to bring ‘enlightened moderation’ to his fellow countrymen fed from the time of the birth of their nation on abundant diet of hatred towards other religions and a particular neighbour? The seminaries that preach hatred continue to thrive and jihad continues to be a ‘core’ part of the syllabus in schools and military training institutions. If that is not enough, the media and the bulk of Pakistani intelligentsia make up for any ‘deficiency’ by joining the government propaganda machine in constant bombardment of hatred against perceived ‘enemies’.

The British Muslim is rather unlike other Muslims who live in the UK. Most, if not all, of them identify themselves with their mother country (as do most Asians with their mother nation) and, more importantly, more closely with their religion. A recent British poll showed that 81 percent of British Muslims (largely Pakistanis and Bangladeshis) said their first loyalty was towards their religion not the country where they lived. It may be interesting to add here that a British cricketer of Pakistani origin who had a successful part in the second Test win against Pakistan said after the match that the British Muslims at the ground, mainly of Pakistani origin, were ‘abusive’ of him for taking wickets of Pakistani batsmen. He also added that perhaps his father also supported this section of the crowd.

After the arrests of 23 people—mostly of Pakistani descent, of course—in connection with the plot to bomb planes with liquid explosives the British ‘Muslim’ leaders said that the terror threat was linked to British foreign policy. The effrontery of this statement forced the British home secretary to be blunt in saying that it would be a ‘dreadful misjudgement’ to think that British foreign policy ‘should be shaped in part, or in whole, under the threat of terrorist activity’.

In fact, the statement of British ‘Muslim’ leaders—again most of them of Pakistani descent-- appalled almost the entire political spectrum in the UK. The shadow home secretary, David Davies, said that there are plenty of people with legitimate arguments with the government’s foreign policy on Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, the Middle East, but ‘none of them take the stance of attempting to murder many thousands of their fellow citizens.’

Clearly, this business of angry young Muslims reacting to ‘humiliation’ with bombs and suicide attacks only serve to fuel militancy among them. And the arrest of terrorist suspects in recent days has also exploded another myth that only the less privileged youth take to the path of terrorism. Quite often these Islamist militants come from families or background that cannot be said to be poor.

If these young men have refused to integrate with the society in which they live it is their community leaders who have to be blamed for encouraging the belief that their community is singled out for ‘prejudice’ and ‘discrimination’. It is they who rub in the point about ‘humiliation’ as though no other community has suffered ‘humiliation’ at the hand of other community. Just turn the pages of history. If ‘humiliation’ is to serve as a justified cause for launching frequent mass murders the human race may soon be extinct.


Courtesy : Syndicate Features

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