Blaming Others
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Farooq Sulehria
The Amnesty
International report on human rights for the year 2007 is out. The
Muslim world constitutes, as usual, bleakest chapter. Every single
country across the Muslim world has been pointed out by the Amnesty
International either for executions and torture or discrimination
against women and ethnic and religious minorities. Punishments never
handed down even during the Stone Age, have been awarded in 21st
century Muslim world. In one case, two Saudi nationals were awarded
7,000 lashes. Yes, 7,000. And executions? Well, 335 in Iran, 158 in
Saudi Arabia and 135 in Pakistan. Violation of human rights, it
seems, is the only thing that unites the otherwise divided Muslim
world.
The report is no exception. The Muslim world cuts a sorry figure
every time a global watchdog releases its findings. Freedom of
expression here remains curtailed, Reporters Sans Frontieres
annually reports. Regarding freedom of expression, there is a joke
often told in Arab world. At a meeting, a US journalist says: "We
have complete freedom of expression in the US. We can criticise the
US president as much as we like." The Arab journalist replies. "We
also have complete freedom of expression in Arab world. We can also
criticise the US president as much as we like."
Similarly, it is either Bangladesh or Pakistan or Nigeria which is
on top of Transparency International' s corruption indexes. However,
when Nobel laureates gather in Stockholm every December, Muslim
scientists and writers are conspicuous by their absence. In case, as
Naguib Mahfouz is crowned, he is stabbed and rendered paralysed. The
irony, or tragedy, is that his attacker had not even read his
excellent books. Or we disown Dr Abdul Salam just because he
belonged to the Ahmadiya community. Salam's case deserves special
mention since it underlines the absurdity that characterises this
part of the world.
When all else fails, "Jews" and "Christian" West are there to lay
the blame for all our ills. Conspiracy theories instead of
scientific, rational thought holds sway across much of the Muslim
world. And every time a rights abuse is highlighted in Iran, Saudi
Arabia or Pakistan, a typical Muslim answer is: Look at Iraq,
Afghanistan, Palestine and Chechnya. True, imperialism and Zionism
have a hand in our predicament. However, there are many wounds one
can only describe as self-inflicted.
Take, for instance, the Iran-Iraq war, one of the last century's
bloodiest conflicts. There is no denying the fact that the United
States backed the Saddam regime. But it was the Arab sheikhdoms,
panicked at the Iranian revolution, that stoked the flames of war.
And, ironically, now in the post-Saddam era when the "Christian"
West has written off Iraq's Saddam-era debt worth $66 billion,
Iraq's Arab brothers refuse to write off that country's $67 billion
loans.
Similarly, last century's bloodiest Muslim genocide was not carried
out by Serbs, Israelis, Americans, Europeans or Hindus. It was
Pakistan's military that refused to respect a democratic verdict and
plunged East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, into an ocean of blood.
Millions were killed, maimed, raped and rendered homeless. Luckily,
Pakistan has a "Hindu" neighbour. "Hindus are born enemies of
Islam'. Hence, Pakistani children are now taught that a Bengali
traitor (revered by Bengalis as founder of Bangladesh), in
connivance with our "Hindu" neighbour, dismembered Pakistan.
Ironically, of all her South Asian neighbours, Pakistan enjoys most
cordial relations with the world's only Hindu state, Nepal. The
other big genocide was perpetrated by Indonesia. The target was: its
own citizens who were members of the Communist Party.
Figures are not available but Israel perhaps cannot match Iran in
executing Arabs. Iran's confessional regime is a champion of the
Arab cause in Occupied Territories but Arabs of its Khuzestan
province are regularly sent to the gallows. Seizing the opportunity,
one may also point out how only recently Afghan refugees were driven
out of Iran as if Afghan refugees were not as Muslim as
Palestinians. And, by the way in the fallen "Emirate of Afghanistan"
itself, Hazaras were slaughtered by the Taliban in their thousands
almost a decade ago – mainly because Hazaras are Shia. In Iraq, more
people have been killed in Shia-Sunni clashes than in resisting the
US occupation. Shia-Sunni clashes in Pakistan have claimed more
lives than those lost in its wars against India. Ironically, this
only "nuclear power" of the Muslim world is not being occupied on
its eastern front by its "Hindu" neighbour but is losing territory
on its western front to its own citizens.
One can mention from the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait to the recent
Hamas-Fatah infighting (a shameful tribute to Israel on its 60th
anniversary) . The list is long. Indeed, unending. However, the
solution to all our problems is always simple: return to an imagined
past which, mercifully for the people of the seventh century, never
existed. Every time, a scientist in the West is ready with an
invention, our readymade answer is: we knew about it 1,400 years ago
what the West has found only now. We kill Theo van Gogh when
confronted with a film. We burn down our own cities in response to a
blasphemous and racist caricature. Still, we refuse to understand
that our answer to every "provocation" is either a fatwa or mindless
violence – perhaps because creativity is anathema to us. Not because
we lack fertile minds, but because we lack liberation and freedom --
liberation from self-imposed mental, moral, and cultural censors.
And freedom to think and express. Time to heed the great Syrian poet
Nizar Qabbani, who said:
Five thousand years
Growing beards
In our caves.
Our currency is unknown,
Our eyes are a haven for flies.
Friends,
Smash the doors,
Wash your brains,
Wash your clothes.
Friends,
Read a book,
Write a book,
Grow words, pomegranates and grapes,
Sail to the country of fog and snow.
Nobody knows you exist in caves.
People take you for a breed of mongrels.
