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Adil Najam, ATP and the closet Taliban in Pakistani blogsphere

posted by SK | July 4, 2010 | In Original Articles

Professor Adil Najam: Founding Editor of "All Things Pakistan"

Related articles: From Abdullah Shah Ghazi Bombing to Mohabbat Qulfi: Adil Najam’s Talibanic Agenda – by Sarah Khan

In rejection of pseudo-liberals of Pakistan – by Sarah Khan

All Things Pakistan (ATP) is no doubt one of the most popular and oldest blogs on Pakistan founded and maintained by Adil Najam.

Here is an excerpt from Adil Najam’s profile at Wikipedia:

Adil Najam is an academic and writer of Pakistani origin based in Boston. He is a leading expert on issues related to developing country environmental policy, especially climate change, and also on the politics of South Asia. He is currently the Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future and Professor of International Relations and of Geography & Environment, both at Boston University. He is the winner of teaching awards at MIT and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and the author of multiple books, scholarly papers and book chapters. He is also the founding editor of the blog Pakistaniat: All Things Pakistan and a highly sought public speaker.

So far so good.

Apparently there are several features which Adil Najam’s ATP shares with Mir Shakeel-ur-Rahman’s Jang. Jang is one of the oldest newspapers; ATP is one of the oldest blogs. Jang is one of the most read newspapers; ATP is one of the most visited blogs.

However, the similarities do not end here. There are certain other common features too which are rather interesting.

Jang is a populist newspaper; ATP is a populist blog. Jang always tries to tarnish the general image of politicians in Pakistan while eulogising our saviours in Pakistan army, so does ATP. Jang takes extreme care not to identify the real killers and perpetrators of jihadi and sectarian violence in Pakistan; so does ATP. Jang censors and completely ignores the ongoing Shia target killings in Pakistan by terrorists of Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahab; so does ATP. Jang never attacks the puritanical Deobandi or Wahhabi ideology which is responsible for creating religious and sectarian hatred in Pakistan; so does ATP.

Take, for example, the projection of Shias in Pakistan on ATP. To Adil Najam, Shias are a people who are worth mentioning only with respect to their affiliation with the Ashura. In other words, a PTV version of confining a vibrant community of people to only ten days of Muharram.

For example, read Adil Najam’s posts titled “10 Moharram – Ashura” posted on 30 January 2007 and on 27 December 2009. Note the following recycled paragraph in both posts in which Najam expresses his understanding of Ashura.

“Like so many others growing up in a Sunni household I grew up observing ehteram-i-Muharram and am always drawn in these days leading up to Ashura towards thinking about the meaning of religion and of faith. To me these have always been days of deep spiritual reflection; especially of intellectual enquiry into the meaning of justice (the concept of ‘adl’ holds a deep significance to me given the name I was given at birth and therefore I have always interpreted Ashura particularly as a time to reflect on what justice is).”

Does not it read like a personal press release to be issued each year on a specific event. Note how carefully Najam avoids mentioning the names of Imam Hussain (a.s.), Hazrat Zainanb (a.s.) or describing their struggle against Yazid and Muaviya’s version of the Umayyad Islam.

Now let me bring you to the key event which finally forced me to write this post (enough is enough I said to myself; no more blogger comradeship; the principles of integrity and justice must not be compromised).

On 3 July 2010 (yesterday), Adil Najam wrote and posted an article on ATP, titled “The Wrong Picture: I Will Not Contaminate My Grief With Their Vengeance”.

Apparently the crux of this article is to condemn the show of vengeance by Pakistani Barelvis towards extremist Deobandi terrorists of Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba who have been consistently killing not only the Barelvi majority but also other people of minority sects and faiths for the past many years.

Is it mere coincidence that Adil Najam has not written a single article identifying and condemning terrorists of the Sipah-e-Sahaba (which in a way betrays his personal ideological affiliation with them). Now compare Najam’s condemnation of the show of vengeance by Barelvis to his lack of condemnation of hundreds (yes hundreds) of acts of terrorism committed by Deobandis of Sipah-e-Sahaba; does not it speak volumes per se.

Would you like to see further evidence?

Najam writes:

“I had never heard of SIC (Sunni (Barelvi) Ittehad Council) before. I do not know who SIC speaks for; but is certainly does not speak for this particular Sunni.”

I wonder if “this particular Sunni” has ever heard of the Sipah-e-Sahaba? Has he ever heard of preachers of hate such as Jhangvi, Azam Tariq, Jalandhri and Ludhianvi? Do they or do they not speak for “this particular Sunni”, we are keen to know.

Read further. Najam writes:

“I too have been grieved, and pained, and outraged by the brutality of the murders at Data Durbar, just as I had been at the murders of Ahmadi worshipers a month ago, just as I had been at the murders of Christians last August, just as I have been at murders of all Pakistanis anywhere.”

I am very impressed by this apparent show of benevolent grief by our learned blogger. Did you notice that while he named almost every victim group in Pakistan, he missed the community who has suffered most, yes the most, in Pakistan’s history at the hands of terrorists of Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba, i.e., Pakistani Shias.

Target killings of Shia doctors, teachers, religious scholars, activists, ordinary citizens etc is a common news in Pakistan since General Zia-ul-Haq sowed seeds of sectarian and jihadi hatred in this unfortunate country. Many bloggers including the LUBP, Pak Tea House, Grand Trunk Road, Shaheryar Ali, Sana Saleem, BBC Urdu, Dawn Blog etc have written scores of articles on this topic highlighting the target killing of Pakistani Shias. In the words of Mohammed Hanif of BBC Urdu, the number of Shias target killed in Pakistan is so enormous that even Ahmadis might be thanking God for the fact that they are the “constitutionally declared” infidels, not Shias:

ستر کی دہائی میں ہم نے نئے کافر تیار کرنے کاجو کامیاب تجربہ کیا تھا وہ وہیں نہیں رکا۔ اسی اور نوے کی دہائی میں کئی مسجدوں سے نعرے اُٹھے کافر کافر شعیہ کافر اور ملک کے طول و عرض میں شیعہ ڈاکڑ، استاد، وکیل، تاجر اور دانشور چُن چُن کر اتنی بے دردی سے قتل کیے گئے کہ احمدی بھی کہہ اُٹھے ہوں گے کہ شکر ہے ہم کافر ہیں شعیہ نہیں۔

Apparently, every one knows about Shia target killings by terrorists of Taliban and Sipah-e-Shaba except Boston University’s Adil Najam, who seems to be focused on not contaminating “his selective grief” with “their vengeance”.

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SK

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  1. Ali Arqam Durrani

    This civil society and look good, feel good type bloggers are really a shame, as they are adding to our narcissism , just trying to draw more applause, more appreciations and more comments, And as for as Pakteahouse is concerned, it also has the same tendencies but a bit better than what ATP presents, and mostly its reasons more than personal than intellectual, as it is the blog which has published the articles on “Ahmedi Massacre” but it seldom highlighted the Shia genocide, Not it has the decency to have a balance take on the grievances of different ethnicities comprising Pakistan, but better than what claimed himself of “All Things Pakistan, As it seems to me”

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  2. Humayun

    Can someone ask ATP/PakTeaHosue to publish articles on Shia plight and see what they say?

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  3. Akhtar

    Show of vengeance? Adil Najam is very selective in his grief against the aggrieved. He must realize that the followers of Sufis are not violent people. It is against their faith and traditions.

    ’میرے داتا کا دربار ہے جہاں مرضی چوم لیا‘

    علی سلمان
    بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، لاہور

    طوفان سے پہلے کے خاموشی کے بارے میں تو سن رکھا تھا لیکن بدترین حالات گزرجانے کے بعد بھی سکون ہوسکتا ہے اس کا اندازہ ان دو گھنٹوں کے دوران ہوا جو میں نے صحافتی خدمات کےدوران حضرت علی ہجویری المروف داتا گنج بخش کے مزار پر گزارے۔

    میں ایک ایسے شہر کا خبرنگار ہوں جوحالیہ چندہفتوں میں دنیا کے چند پرتشدد ترین علاقوں میں سے ایک بن چکاہے۔

    لیکن گزشتہ ایک ڈیڑھ عشرے کے دوران شائد ہی کوئی ایسا بڑا پرتشدد واقعہ ہو جس کی میں نے رپورٹنگ نہ کی ہو۔

    وقوعہ کیسے ہوا تھا؟ کچھ دیر بعد کیا ہوا اور پھراگلے ایک دو دن کے حالات کی فالو اپ سٹوری ۔۔۔۔۔بس یہی کچھ عمومی طور پربم دھماکےیا خودکش حملے کی رپورٹنگ ہوتی ہے۔

    جان لیوا، پرظلم، خوں ریز اور بھیانک واقعات کے بہت سے ’دوسرے دن‘ میں نے رپورٹ کیے ہیں۔

    عموما دکھ، رنج والم، ناراضگی، احساس ناانصافی، غصہ انتقام یا بےبسی اور مایوسی کے جذبات دیکھنے کو ملتے ہیں۔

    انہی کو صحافی حضرات اپنے اپنے الفاظ میں رپورٹ کردیتے ہیں لیکن حضرت علی ہجویری کا مزار تو بہت ہی عجیب نکلا۔

    انوکھا منظر تھا وہ۔۔۔

    یہ زیادہ تر لوگ دھماکے سے پریشان ہوکر آئے ہیں لیکن داتا کے در پر حاضری دیتے ہی پرسکون ہوجاتے ہیں۔ بھئی یہاں لوگ آتے ہی سکون کے لیے ہیں تو پھر پرسکون کیوں نہ ہوں؟
    عقیدت مند
    مجھے ریڈیو کی اردو سروس کے پروگرام سیربین میں لائیو جانے کےلیے دوگھنٹے وہیں گزارنے تھے۔ باقی رپورٹس بھجوا چکا تھا۔

    عصر کی نماز کے بعد سورج ڈھلنے لگا تھا۔ ڈیڑھ منٹ کی رپورٹ کے لیے اتنا مواد اکٹھا ہوگیا تھا جو دوگھنٹے بولنے کے لیے کافی تھا۔اب کرنے کو انتظار کے سوا کچھ نہیں تھا۔ ٹھنڈے پانی کی چھوٹی بوتل، موبائل فون اور نوٹ بک پہلو میں رکھ کرحضرت علی ہجویری کی قبر کے گنبد کےسامنے سنگ مرمر کےسفید فرش پر بیٹھ گیا۔

    کچھ اس طرح کہ وہ مقام جو جہاں خودکش حملہ آور نے خود کو اڑایا تھا میرے اور قبر کےدرمیان تھا۔

    تھوڑی تھوڑی دیر بعد لوگ آتے اور اس جگہ کو بغور دیکھتے اور قبر کی جانب منہ کرکے فاتحہ خوانی کرنے لگتے لیکن ایک دس بارہ برس کے لڑکے کی حرکت دیکھ کر مجھ سے رہا نہیں گیا اور میں اس کے پاس جا پہنچا۔

    اس نے وہ مقام چوم لیا تھا جہاں بم دھماکے سے نشان پڑے تھے۔

    میرے علاوہ کسی کو اس کی حرکت پر تعجب نہیں ہوا تھا۔ میں نے پوچھا یہ کیا کیا ہے؟ اس نے کندھے اچکا کرکہا پتہ نہیں۔۔۔ بس میرے داتا کا دربار ہے جہاں مرضی چوم لیا۔

    کہیں کوئی بین کرتا نظر نہیں آرہا تھا۔ لوگ خاموش تھے عبادت کررہے تھے۔ٹولیوں میں ذکر ہورہا تھا۔دو قطاریں لگی تھیں جو قبر کی چوکھٹ چومنے والوں کی تھیں۔

    کسی کسی کی آنکھ پرنم نظر آتی لیکن یہ معلوم نہیں ہوتا کہ وہ کل کے سانحہ پر رورہا ہے یا اس رقت کے عالم میں ہے جس میں اکثر لوگ اولیاءکرام کے درباروں پر حاضری دینے والے مبتلا ہوجاتے ہیں۔

    جیسے جیسےشام ہورہی تھی لوگوں کی تعداد میں اضافہ ہورہا تھا لیکن خاموشی میں اضافہ ہوتا چلاگیا حتی کہ داتا کے عقیدت مندوں نے فرش کےاس نشان کو بھی نظرانداز کردیا جو دوسوسے زیادہ افراد کو خون میں نہلا گیا تھا جن میں چالیس اپنے خالق حقیقی سے جاملے تھے۔

    میں نے قریب ہی بیٹھے پتلون شرٹ میں ملبوس نوجوان سے بات کی وہ باقاعدگی سےجمعرات اور جمعہ کو حاضری دیتا تھا۔اس نے بتایا کہ حاضرین کی تعداد میں کوئی کمی نہیں ہوئی ہے۔

    میراسوال تھا کہ لوگوں کا رویہ عجیب ہے کوئی غصہ یا رنج نہیں ہے، جہاں اتنی اموات ہوئی ہوں وہاں ایسا منظر تو کبھی نہیں دیکھا؟ اتنا سکون کیوں ہے؟

    اس نوجوان نے کہا کہ یہ زیادہ تر لوگ دھماکے سے پریشان ہوکر آئے ہیں لیکن داتا کے در پر حاضری دیتے ہی پرسکون ہوجاتے ہیں۔ بھئی یہاں لوگ آتے ہی سکون کے لیے ہیں تو پھر پرسکون کیوں نہ ہوں؟

    ہماری باتیں سننے والے ایک دوسرے عقیدت مند نے کہا کہ عام دنوں کے لحاظ سے ایک فرق ہے؟ وہ کیا؟ میں نے چونک کرپوچھا۔اس نے کہا لنگر نہیں ہے کوئی شیرینی نہیں بانٹ رہا۔ بس یہی ایک فرق ہے۔

    داتا دربار کےباہر احتجاجی مظاہرے جاری تھے کلاشنکوفیں لہرائی جارہی تھیں نعرے لگ رہے تھے لیکن شام ہونے کے بعدچند ٹولیاں ایسی بھی تھیں جو خاموش احتجاج کررہی تھیں۔

    درمیان میں ان کا لیڈر یا پیر ومرشد سرجھکائے بیٹھا تھا اور اردگرد باقی مظاہرین افسردہ لیکن خاموش بیٹھے تھے۔

    داتا کے عقیدت مندوں کا عزم اور صبر بہت ہی اثرانگیز تھا۔ ریڈیو پر رپورٹ دے چکنے کے بعد اس بات کا مجھے بھی احساس ہوگیا، دو روز کی جسمانی اورذہنی تھکاوٹ غائب ہوچکی تھی۔

    یہ ایک ایسا اطمینان بخش اور انوکھا تجربہ ثابت ہواجس میں تاعمر ہر مشکل میں سہارا بننے کی اہلیت ہے۔

    پھر بھرے مجمعے میں میرے منہ سےایک ایسا جملہ نکل گیا جس کا کوئی صحافی ایک ایسے مقام پر تصور بھی نہیں کرسکتا جہاں چند گھنٹے پہلے چالیس لاشیں گرائی گئی ہوں۔

    میں نے پوچھا تھا کہ کیا حملہ آور بھی جنت میں گیا ہوگا؟چند لوگ میری جانب متوجہ ہوئے۔

    مجھ سے سنگین غلطی ہوئی تھی لیکن اب تیر کمان سے نکل چکا تھا۔

    جب کوئی انسان ایک ہی جیسے بہت سارے واقعات میں گزررہا ہو تو رفتہ رفتہ ایک بے حسی غیر محسوس انداز میں اپنی گرفت میں لینا شروع کردیتی ہے لیکن اس منفی رویے کابروقت ادراک ہوجانا چاہیے۔

    مجھے دیر ہوگئی تھی۔

    ایک نے کہا ذرا وضاحت کریں میں نے کہا کہ اگر کوئی خدا کی خاطر اپنی جان دے گا تو اگر کوئی سب کا رب ہے وہ کیا اپنی خاطر جان دینے والے کو صلہ نہیں دے گا؟

    کچھ خاموشی سے میرا منہ تکنےلگے بہت سے لوگ ایک ساتھ بولنے لگے وہ مجھ سے بھی بات کررہے تھے اور آپس میں بھی مبحث تھے۔وہ کہہ رہے تھے کہ خودکشی حرام ہے۔ کسی نے کہا اتنے بےگناہوں کو مارنے والا کیسے جنت میں جائےگا؟ ایک بولا خود کش حملہ آور کادماغ سن ہوتا ہے جی اسے کیا پتہ وہ کیا کرنے جارہا ہے؟ کسی نے کہا کہ دماغ الٹ دیتے ہیں ایک بولا اصل قاتل تو وہ ہے جو معصوم لوگوں کو گمراہ کرکے خودکش حملہ آور بناتےہیں۔ ہر کوئی اپنی سوچ کے مطابق بات کررہا تھا لیکن حیرت انگیز طور پر ایک بھی غصے میں نہیں آیا اور نہ ہی کسی نے مجھ سے نفرت کا اظہار کیا۔

    میں اچھا جی ۔۔ شکریہ ۔۔۔ اسلام وعلیکم کہہ کر مجمع سے ہٹ گیا ساتھ ہی لوگ بھی منتشر ہوگئے۔

    میں نے کسی کے ماتھے پر شکن تک نہیں تھی۔کسی نے مجھے انگلی لگانا تو درکنار ’اوے‘ تک نہیں کہا۔

    ایسا صرف علی ہجویری کے در پر ہوسکتاہے۔

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/2010/07/100703_data_serene.shtml

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  4. Akhtar

    A previous find by Sarah Khan:
    http://criticalppp.com/archives/9660/comment-page-1#comment-6384

    Article by Adil Najam: (It is interesting to note how Mr Najam takes extra care not to mention the sectarian dimension of this act of terror and its ownership by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi /Sipah-e-Sahaba.)

    How Inhuman Can a Fanatic Be? Burqa-clad Bomber Murders 40+ in IDP Camp

    Just how inhuman can the murderous zeal of fanatics be?

    Here are the essential facts: Two suicide killers, hiding behind burqas, murdered more than 40 people, and injured another 60+, in two explosions minutes apart, at an IDP (internally displaced peoples) refugee camp at Katcha Pakka near Kohat, as they gathered to register for relief goods and as food was being distributed to them.

    Yes, you read it right.

    They murdered people who have already been made homeless. They killed people gathered to collect food and relief goods. They killed deliberately. They murdered on purpose. This was not an accident or bad planning. They had planned to kill. They had wanted to murder. They planned to kill women and children and innocent civilians.

    That is exactly what they wanted to do. That is exactly what they did.

    This is neither unique as an incident nor unique in its brutality and inhumanity.

    Yesterday, it was a hospital – yes, hospital – that was attacked in Quetta where Muslims were mourning the death of a murdered Shia leader.

    The butchers were butchering. Deliberately. Purposefully. Inhumanly.
    The blood boils, eyes swell up and humanity cries whenever an innocent soul is killed. No matter why. No matter by whom. No matter how. But when the murder is so callous, so planned, so deliberate, so inhuman, the heart skips a beat, the mind is baffled, and something dies within each one of us. There is nothing more left to say.

    What can one say that has not been said before. One seethes in ones anger. One sends out a silent prayer. One wipes off the tears. And one stares into the darkness. Trying desperately, trying senselessly, trying uselessly, to understand why anyone could do such a thing. How anyone could do such a thing.

    One stares into the darkness. Knowing full well that no darkness known to man could be darker than the darkness that breeds this murder.

    http://pakistaniat.com/2010/04/17/kohat-idp-blast/

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  5. Sarah Khan

    Psuedo Pakistaniat: Dancing to the tunes of Coke in the streets of Pakistan – by Aneel Salman

    A recent post on a Pakistani blog (ATP) about the hype created by a Coca Cola “flash mob” dancing gimmick really made think long and hard on Huntington’s words. The author of the piece was thrilled at seeing Pakistan’s “brilliant young boys and girls” expressing their joy and happiness by dancing and prancing while being videotaped (and paid) for a Coke ad. For her and many others who commented positively on this “bold and courageous act” this was what true “Pakistaniat” was all about. One that should especially be shared with “American friends” to assure them that Pakistan is not just about bombs, terrorism and poverty.

    http://criticalppp.com/archives/9383

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  6. Sarah Khan

    Here is yet another evidence of irresponsible character assassination of Pakistani politicians, President Zardari and the PPP in particular, by Adil Najam:

    Mr. Zardari Loses His Cool: The “Shut Up” Video
    Posted on January 31, 2010
    Filed Under >Adil Najam, Politics
    http://pakistaniat.com/2010/01/31/zardari-shut-up/

    Here is my response posted on LUBP:

    Zardari bashing reaches ABC News blog – by Sarah Khan

    http://criticalppp.com/archives/5667

    And then Adil Najam has the audacity to receive an award from the same bad politician with tearful eyes:

    http://criticalppp.com/archives/7928

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  7. Sarah Khan

    Not unlike other English speaking, distant from masses, elite, who feed on and spread hatred against politicians, Adil Najam unashamedly conducts public surveys in which political elected leaders are compared with bureaucrats and military generals, declaring them as “Our Leaders”.

    ATP Poll: Grading Our Leaders, Again
    Posted on April 11, 2010
    Filed Under >Adil Najam
    http://pakistaniat.com/2010/04/11/poll-pakistan-leaders-2/

    And their grades evaluated by Professor Adil Najam:

    http://pakistaniat.com/2010/04/18/pakistan-leaders/comment-page-1/

    Here is how Abdul responded to such poll:

    Abdul Nishapuri says:April 19th, 2010 1:41 am
    Two bureaucrats (General Kayani and Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry) get the highest ranking. Leaders of two largest political parties (Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif) get the lowest. What a joke!

    What else could we expect from Pakistan’s urban, English speaking middle class, fond of finding faults with politicians and looking for certain saviours in the GHQ and the Supreme Court.

    http://pakistaniat.com/2010/04/18/pakistan-leaders/comment-page-1/

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  8. Abdul Nishapuri

    Some articles that Professor Adil Najam sahib may care to read:

    Pakistani bloggers’ blackout on Shia killings
    http://criticalppp.com/archives/1081

    The continual killing of Shia physicians in Pakistan — by Dr Mahjabeen Islam
    http://criticalppp.com/archives/13244

    Killing of Shia doctors in Karachi: survivors recount their tales of horror – by Saher Baloch
    http://criticalppp.com/archives/13251

    “Kill a Shia doctor a day”, a joint operation by the ISI and Sipah-e-Sahaba in Karachi
    http://criticalppp.com/archives/12863

    Some critical reflections on the Karachi Ashura attack
    http://criticalppp.com/archives/3676

    Parachinar: Pakistan’s Gaza Strip remains under siege by Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba
    http://criticalppp.com/archives/8299

    SOS from Quetta: Systematic killing of Hazaras / Shias by the Taliban/Sipah-e-Sahaba Terrorists……………
    http://criticalppp.com/archives/824

    Systematic killing of the Hazara community in Balochistan…
    http://criticalppp.com/archives/836

    32 killed, more than 150 wounded. Taliban/Sipah-e-Sahaba/ISI attack Shias in D.I. Khan once again…Thank you General Kayani…
    http://criticalppp.com/archives/994

    SOS from Pakistan – Save Pakistani Shias
    http://www.petitiononline.com/ShiaSOS/petition.html

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  9. pejamistri

    Long time back I stopped visiting Adil Najam’s blog. I have a very strong conviction that the major problem Pakistan have is the corrupt “technocrats” and “philanthropist”, I wrote an article on this conviction. I put Adil Najam in the same league , the unfortunate thing is that many of these people now use the names of “Faiz Ahmed Faiz” and “Bhuttos” , to sell their corrupt thoughts.
    Most of these guys were grown up under the fascist rule of mad dictator general Zia they have developed some sort of psychological disorder in which they consider themselves more equal than the others, they have loathing towards common men and their representative and they are always submissive and respectful to anyone who has the power.

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  10. Akhtar

    A view different from Adil Najam’s take on the SIC’s protest:

    The silence is broken
    By Asha’ar Rehman
    Sunday, 04 Jul, 2010 (Dawn)

    A long queue of people awaited entry to the Data Darbar Complex in Lahore only 13 hours after the shrine of the Sufi saint was attacked by suicide bombers on Thursday. Their face-off with terrorism may lead to many interpretations, but essentially, those who gathered at the Darbar for Friday prayers were there to assert their right to live by a code that has existed for centuries.

    This code has come under more and more pressure as the ‘Gulfisation’ of the country continues at a rampant pace. This process is not restricted to a Kuwait hairdresser cropping up in one corner of a street in Lahore and a Dhahran tuition centre opening up as a tribute to the days its owner spent in the land of the ‘originals’ to earn his bread and butter. Gulfisation of Pakistani society has many faces. Some of these manifestations are very ugly and the state is complicit.

    At the press conference a day after the attack on Data Darbar, it was the turn of the leaders of the Sunni Ittehad Council to point out the patronage that some extremist elements are still getting from the government and the officials who represent it. The leaders were categorical in dismissing the current incumbents’ claim to rule, at the same time blaming countries from the Gulf for funding extremist ideas in Pakistan. In a few sentences, the Sunni Ittehad Council brought out the dilemma of the Pakistani people who have to pay a huge price for their own and their political leaderships’ relations with foreigners who have always found reason to call for religion-based social reform to cleanse the Pakistani civilisation.

    The gathering at Data’s Darbar within hours of the Thursday night attack once again brings to the fore the large peace-loving majority that has been shedding tears and protesting as their icons have come under attack from the invaders one after another. Silently, they have been gathering the fragments after each attack. They are back to their deviant ways at the Bari Imam shrine which was devastated by a bomb attack in May 2005 and they are building Rehman Baba’s dargah brick by brick after it was blown up in March 2009.

    They may be lacking in firepower to match the resourcefulness of the so-called purist minority that is hell-bent on charting a short cut to heaven through violent means. However, their return to the centuries-old Data Darbar in a manner as if dictated by nature restores the confidence that they can withstand the current invasion of their lives.

    http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/the-silence-is-broken-470

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  11. Ali Arqam Durrani

    Do also read Adil Najam article on the famous, heroic???, gesture by PTI and Hamid Mir fan Samad Khurram while right before flying to the Horward to study on scholarship paid from the American tax payers money, and refusing to accept shield of his own School from the American ambassader, what a joke…read Adil how he sounds like Ghazi S Talat Husain Naqvi.

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  12. Asma Ali

    Sarah Khan is so very right. Adil Najam is the real enemy of Pakistan. We should target him just like we did Dr. Absus Salam. Instead of fighting the poor TTP and others the military should eliminate the menace of everyone like Adil Najam. They think they love Pakistan but they are destroying us. As Sarah Khan points out Adil Najam is a Taliban himself. Lets destroy him. Actually, his doctorate should be taken and given to Sarah Khan.

    -
  13. Sehar Tauqeer

    1. Secterain Terrorism was remained in Pakistan from 1979 onwards when Iranian Revolution came and Khoemieni tried to export this into Iraq, Saudia,Pakistan and other countries, 1979 Attack and Hostage of Kaaba , then Saddam attacked Iran to stop Iraq’s Shia Majority to stand against him , Saudia ,Bahrain,Egypt and all Arab Countries funded Iraq to make it War between Arab-o-Ajam , objectionable literature was brought into Pakistan , Saudia and Iran made Pakistan , a new place for their Proxy Wars,Zia with help of Deobandi Scholars created Sipah-e-Sahaba to counter any Uprise of Shia minority new vigour of ‘revolution’ inside Pakistan , Iran funded Sipah-e-Muhammad to export Revolution here and create anarchy. Counselate Sadiq Ganji who was killed in Lahore by Riaz Basra and Akram Lahori was used to export Literature againt Sahaba(ra) , War was originally of Iraq and Iran , Arab Countries , CIA and Mossad were backing different players aat different times like 1986 Weapons which Iran was secretly taking from Isarel ! But all these countries made Pakistan their Proxy War Theatre, ruined its social,cultural and tolerance fibre where shias/sunnis werer living side by side for centuries celebrating Muharram together in Indo Pak region and mutual respect. Poverty , poor literacy rates, joblessness specially in Southern Punjab Saraiki Belt and Central Punjab like Jhang , Toba Tek Singh etc became manpower recuruiting areas and ruined our country

    2. From 1980-2001 , thousands of people from both sides killed mostly Shias specially in Karachi where 81 doctors and other professional killed but in all these years not a single Shrine was attacked by any group.Not even a single attack of any Mazar, Shrine or Spirtual Place.Then came 9/11 when 19 Terrorists out of 14 were from Saudia killed 2500+ innocents to take revenge of US policies in Gulf .There still exists some foolish who believe this to be a Conspiracy Theory of Mosaad+ CIA +Yahood-Hanood-Nasara classical combination which is by definition,responsible for everything bad in this world they should kindly see this prog of Saleem Safi ,Hamid Mir and Raheemullah Yousafzai to know who did 9/11 , may these foolish get a life afterwards !

    For All Foolish : (Saleem Safi + Hamid Mir+Raheemullah Yusufzai)

    http://pkpolitics.com/2009/08/06/jirga-6-august-2009/

    Thousands of Arabs + top Taliban Leaders after selling 700+ Pakistanis innocents who entered Afghanistan to do ‘Jihaad’ against US were first betrayed by Ameer-ul-Heroin who ran on CD-70 keeping Pakistanis hostage to Northern Alliance who killed these Pakistanis even when they were weeping shouting,holding Qurans in handsbegging for mercy to tell them they are muslims and come here to fight US then Mulla Omer top Commander Mulla Dadullah sold 2000+ Pakistanis to Rasheed Dostam allowing all Talibans to leave safely and those bastards dogs after selling these Pakistanis ran and Dostam killed these Pakistanis in Steel Tankers from heat/suffocation in Shabarghan…

    3. These Arabs came in Pakistan tribal Area in early 2002 and 2003 in thousands of numbers were prepared fully to this war which they themselves brought here intentionally as their greatest supporter Hamid Mire exposed in this program and their whole plan was to defeat the US by a Cassical Guerilla Fight with base camp in Pakistan Tribal Areas as they did just 15 years ago with Russians making Waziristan as Islamic Emirate in early 2004 implementing so called Shriat,Taxation and parallel Government System in Bajaur , Waziristan so to melt local tribals and blackmail them in name of Islam, terror tactics by open slaughtering innocents and FC personals to terrify locals, blasting all schools irrespective girls and boys to get illiterate but vigorous brainwashed man-power , as no schools, no education,no enlightening of vision and personality and just remain Zombies and Hassan Bin Sabah Followers to get Firdous-e-Baree and 72 Hoors etc as Education develop Mind and Personality and Brainwashed Zombies demand blasting schools,education centres as they did in Afghanistan , as they did in Swat,Mehmand,Bajaur,Orakzai and same they doing in Baluchistan killing women professors, university teachers so that educational meltdown would bring them thousands of jobless youth to join them in their Jihaad against Hazara Shias of Quetta , Punjabi Settlers and Taliban Shura which want to separate Baluchistan specially Quetta from Pakistan.

    4. Takfeeri Arabs from Saudia ,Egypt,Libya , Somalia ,Iraq,Jordan brought with them Takfeeri Islam and their Imam was Dr.Aimen Zahawari who killed Abdullah Azzam as he opposed his Takfeeri Views to kill every innocent Muslim declaring him Kafir and Infidel which come in their line of Ideology.First Suicidal Attack was killing of Ahmed Shah Masood just 2 days before 9/11 to counter US+Northern Alliance joint move when US finally invade Afghanistan , these Followers of Abdul Wahab and Syed Qutb Ideology declaring everyone as Kafir,Biddati and Mushrik killed 700+ Afridi and Mehsood and other Maliks and Khans of Pakistani Tribal Areas from 2002-2005 to get complete grip on these areas , then turned towards FC , brutally slaughtered them in hundreds of no. to paralyse security structure and when musharraf finally pushed Pak Armed Division in to these areas which they could not resist with full fledge Armed Attack , these shrewed and cheaters did 4 Agreements and every time betrayed , came back, reposiotioned and regrouped themselves and some Traitors like Baighairat Disesl Smugglers of JUI-F like Land Grabber Fazlu and few traitors sitting in Media every time gave assurance to Army from their side and betrayed their own Country and Forces.

    5. In all Shia Sunni Violence from 1980-2001, there was not a single attack on Shrines but under the influence of these Takfeeri Arabs , Talibans who were hard-core Hanafi destroyed Bamaian Statues in Afghanistan despite of appeals from whole world and Pakistan, these Takfiri Arabs when came Pakistan in 2002 onwards and infiltrating in Pakistani Tribal Areas and finally into mainstream areas , they send local brainwashed youth to destroy Bari Imam, Rehman Baba, In Swat the same Arab Takfeeri Ideology humiliated Grave by hanging him from tree, in Buner and finally two men send by the same Takfeeri Al-Qaeda blasted Syed Ali Hajveri Shrine , a symbol of Love of Humanity for 1000 years where Hindu Rajas , Muslims , Sikhs , British ruled in all these years not dared to disrecpect a single brick of this place , these Takfeeri after killing 1000s of innocent Shia children, women and men with Petrol Tankers in Iraq, burning them with Chemical Trucks in Police Stations and Markets not even spared the Holy Shrine of Sahabi Hazrat Abbas (ra) , brother of Imam Hussain(ra) , not spared Imam Moosa Kazim Shrine in Kazmia , near Baghdad, not spared Imam Abu Hanifa Shrine in Azmia and attacked it with Rockets , not spared tens of Shrines in Somalia and destroyed them where they played the same old game of Anarchy, Bloodshed as they doing in Pakistan.

    Plan is simple , the same and old Classical Formula , Death by a Thousand Cuts, the same which Bonapartists Wet Dreamers of ISI used to do in Afghanistan once and now Talibans of Afhanistan+Al-Qaeda with help of Lashkra-i-Jhangvi,Jaish-e-Muhammad , Harkutul-Ansar , Jihad-ul-Alalimi etc soing the same in Pakistan. Red Fort Conquerers with help of Lashkrai Tayyaba ruined the whole generations in Pakistani Universities specially UET and PU of Lahore and one of the Lahore FIA building attack was palnner was Faisalabad Engineer from same UET.Hafiz Saeed and all those still come on the roads to blackmail the youth now in name of Water Crisis b/w India and Pakistan to plan another Mumbai Attack to bring 2 Nuclear Countries to War,Hatred Lessons still going on in Universities against Ahmedis,Shias, Sufia declaring them Biddati,Mushrik and Shrines as Somnat kai Mandar etc, Foreign Investment is already decreased by 60%, GDP is 2.8% , Indusrial Units are almost collapsed, Suicides rates have been quadruppled, Poverty crossing all barriers, jobless-ness is on the highest , shattered youth without any work is the easiest Fodder of these Banned Organizations, Plan is to paralyse the Government Fuctioning as they did it in Iraq , Somalia, Yemen and in Afghanistan and finally break Pakistan from Bauchistan side through BLA, in Karachi by killing Shias and Sunni Tehrik to create religious and ethnic anarchy by same Alqaeda+TTP.Traitors sitting in Media in form of psuedo Intellectuals and Anchors like Hamid Mir, Irfan Siddique, Haroon Rasheed,Shireen Mazari, Orya Maqbool Jaan, are fully supporting them to turn Pakistan into Islamic Wahabi Takfeeri Republic of Pakistan by 1000 cuts in all spheres and spectrums of Life including Religion,Economy,social,cultural life etc

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  14. Rabia

    this is a very bold article that might be misconstrued by some. I hope people will look past their initial reaction and read it as a critique of Pakistan’s liberal elite who have committed so many crimes against the Pakistani people under a cover of cosmetic liberalism.

    -
  15. Syed Aun Hasnain

    Brilliant post Sarah.
    Let’s call him a Taliban. We get the FBI after him and his kids plus we can move attention away from the Data Darbar thing and get people talking again about why this idiot is opposing the killings if Ahmedis and Christians or raising money for IDPS and rebuilding schools in Swat. Inshallah Sarah you will succeed in destroying anyone who ever speaks up against the killing if Christians again. How dare they do that! Right Sarah.

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  16. Babar

    You stole my thoughts. I have long stopped visiting ATP, but for some reason I was thinking about him yesterday that how he does not take stand on any thing, especially related to Mullahs and Jihadis etc. He just sheds some crocodile tears without ever identifying anyone responsible. May be he does not want to lose readership of anyone, including the jihadis. But he seems to me a classic text book example of what the establishment would love as a Mutalia Pakistan Liberal.

    -
  17. Syed Aun Hasnain

    Actually Sarah, let’s lynch this guy. I mean reaslt. And also his family. Don’t worry no one will speak up against it the way he spoke up against killing of Ahmedis and Christians or against Deobandis and Wahabis calling for violence. Let’s make an example of him and destroy his life so that no one dares speak up against these things again
    thank you Sarah , you are doing such a good job of destroying the lives of these people. One by one we will eliminate all of them.

    -
  18. Sarah Khan

    @Syed Aun Hasnain

    It is interesting to note that in your comments you mentioned Najam’s posts on Ahmadis and Christians but none on Pakistani Shias, and in particular none in condemnation of the Sipah-e-Sahaba.

    This itself proves my point.

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  19. Sarah Khan

    @Asma Ali,

    What is common between Dr Abdus Salam and Dr Najam besides a PhD?

    Whereas Dr Salam was a man of integrity who always called a spade a spade, did Dr Najam ever write an article on legal and constitutional atrocities committed against Ahmadis in Pakistan? Did he ever defend Ahmadis’ right to describe themselves as Muslims?

    Dr Salam was a man of principles. Dr Najam is a populist writer and an opportunist who writes against Zardari but does not feel shame in getting an award by the same ‘bloody civilian’ politician.

    -
  20. Abdul Nishapuri

    I agree with Rabia. This article must not be seen as a personal attack on Professor Adil Najam sahib. Instead, it may be seen as a general comment on the state of liberal, feel good, look good kind of Pakistani elite, who are less straight forward (very diplomatic) in their identification of and sympathy with the oppressed and identification and condemnation of the oppressor.

    Many amongst them frequently badmouth against politicians but hardly ever criticise illegitimate military dictators and corrupt bureaucrats.

    -
  21. sabizak

    Just reveals the author’s bias. If Adil Najam doesn’t forever talk about the female cause it does not mean, that as a feminist, i declare whatever else h does moot. He is a great man and mostly above prejudices, i am sure he is sincere to the Shia cause too, just not as zealous as you wish him to be.

    -
  22. Sarah Khan

    @sabizak

    Woohoo. Pakistani pseudo-liberals seem to be united in defence of their ring leader!

    Think about someone recounting incidents of terrorism in the USA and leaving the 9/11 and Al Qaeda out of the whole story. That’s exactly what Najam does when he does not identify and condemn Shia target killing by the Sipah-e-Sahaba.

    Leave Shia aside. Did Dr Najam ever write an article on legal and constitutional atrocities committed against Ahmadis in Pakistan? Did he ever defend Ahmadis’ right to describe themselves as Muslims? Did he ever write against goons of Jamaat Islami and Anjuman Khatam-e-Nabuwat who keep on harassing and attacking Ahmadis on a daily basis? Did he or did he not? Precise answer, please.

    But your only explanation is: “He is a great man and mostly above prejudices, i am sure he is sincere to the Shia cause too, just not as zealous as you wish him to be.”

    What a cruel joke. Highlighting and condemning Shia target killing is being zealous! Shame on you and your twisted logic.

    One more food for thought for you and your likes: LUBP is a place for realpolitik, not for drawing room debates. We are supporters of Pakistan’s largest political party, not of Maria B’s “Wake Up Pakistan” revolution. You need to rectify your mis-perceptions.

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  23. Ali Abbas

    The article clearly does NOT come across as a personal attack on Adil Najm. Aun, there is no need for your sarcasm against Sarah for writing, what I believe, a very timely and relevant article. Our civil society elites have NOT taken a stand against the Taliban. Their politics is a mixture of contradictary ideologies, reactionary slogans and hedged positions. Most of all, it is reflective of a rabid and obssessive dislike for ZAB and BB and her family. Awab Alvi of Teeth Maestro posted a screed that was hosted by comrade Talat Hussain (“liberator” of the Flotilla and ambassoder of Hamas) where an Islamist student was making personal attacks on Bilawal. The shut up video posted by Najm reminds one of the underhand tactics of the radical right in America against Howard Dean in the 2004 presidential primaries. No context, just plain old Zardari bashing that will get these blog champions a nice pat on the back from their establishment handlers.
    These people have always sided with charlatans; they stood up for corrupt, compromised and politisized judges who are now using amendments added by dictators to bring down a nascent democracy. They have no sympathy for the minorities. Shias have been killed in Pakistan since Zia took over in 1977 (and please spare me the bullshit about the Saudi-Iran proxy war) and these civil society types have keep silent!

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