Scars of Terrorism

-

 

Scars of Terrorism

On this day, innocence was murdered and goodness was put to pieces. In Pakistan on 16th December, 2014, terrorists attacked a school, Army Public School (APS), and ruthlessly murdered huge number of school going children. The attacks were carried out by foreign funded terrorist organization known as Tehrek e Taliban Pakistan. Pakistani security agencies successfully neutralized the attacks and killed all the attackers, however, when terrorists found out that they did not have an option and could not exit, they opened fire on the hostages killing all of them. These innocent souls had nothing to do with war on terror yet they paid the price. Pakistan pays tribute to the martyrs of APS every year on 16th December.

War on terror:

In the war on terror, the global war on terror, we have lost countless lives. It is estimated that the cost of this war for Pakistan has been estimated to have reached 126.79 billion dollars including deaths of 52,000 civilian which included teachers and students of seminaries, schools, colleges and universities, armed forces, journalists and the local population. In other estimates it is said that this war on terror left half a million dead in last 17 years. Sad fact is after losing precious lives and receiving unprecedented economic loses, what has Pakistan accomplished? The answer is we have accomplished nothing. Our role in this war has never been acknowledged rather we’ve been labelled as the most unsafe and terrorized countries in the world.

It is also evident that people of Pakistan did not wish to be a part of this war. They received collateral damages to an enemy which people of Pakistan had nothing to do with and owing to the ill decisions taken without taking people of Pakistan onboard. It was a global war initiated by USA and we were made part of it because of the closer proximity with the country which USA was in conflict with. It is astonishing to note here that after spending about 2 trillion dollars, USA and her allies could not win this war on terror. Every now and then they come up with new strategies to ease the tension between Taliban and the installed Govt. Pakistan has been dragged into it since this war broke out. Think tank in Pakistan have been advising the Govt. to remain neutral in this war, however, decisions and policies made are not formulated in line with the ground realities. We hope that the menace of terrorism has been rooted out and our responsible institutions have learned lesson from our bitter past and we won't be part of another war.

We acknowledge the sacrifices made:

Those who lost their lives amidst this war in Pakistan and in other countries who are still subjected to War on Terror are martyrs and we acknowledge their sacrifices by paying tribute to them. However, we witness disparity on the mourning days between various segments of the Govt. and society. For example, when this country was made part of war on terror, it affected all of us irrespective of our color, creed, race and ethnicity but we pay homage to those who got killed in a Govt. school, college or university or who were Govt. servants, armed personnel etc. What about those civilians who lost their loved once in this war? Those who were attacked in religious seminaries, Masajids? Those who had private businesses which received huge losses? I mean how we can neglect them while we pay tribute to the martyrs. One of the quarters among them which has suffered a lot and which is still subjected to ill treatment and indifference is religious seminaries and their teachers and students.

 

Neglected Quarter:

One quarter that has been harmed to its core is none other than Religious Seminaries and People (Ullama, talaba) associated to these seminaries. If we search for stats on web, we don't find anything on this subject. Why? Because nobody cared about them and nobody was moved when these religious schools got attacked, when they were harmed as collateral damage. A recent attack that ripped through an Islamic seminary on the outskirts of the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar killing at least eight students and wounding 136 others, is a prime example to witness how severely do these seminaries get attacked and nobody cares about the damage.

 

Need of the hour:

Pakistan needs to work on its internal and external policies. Pakistan should not become a party to a foreign war, proxy war or any other military and or political conflict. Instead of making friends with either capitalist bloc or communist bloc, Pakistan should first of all turn to the problems/issues at home. Easing internal affairs including political unrest, strengthening economy by enhancing exports and lowering imports, building diplomatic ties with the neighboring countries in a manner that Pakistan’s international image, which is portrayed dishonest, be restored. Secondly, when there is trust deficit in a society or in a country, it can never progress. Trust of masses upon its Govt. is a must for its progress and development since through the very public contribution in shape of taxes etc. a Govt. functions. Hence, if people who own businesses and property do not trust their Govt. neither does economy improve nor other related matters get resolved. So, Pakistan’s Govt. and its responsible institutions need to restore the trust of general public by eliminating apathies towards public matters, inconsistencies in addressing their genuine issues and inequality in treating them exhibited at Govt’s end.

Our martyrs:

They are not dead. They are not forgotten. We don’t forget our martyrs. Their sacrifices are not futile, their Lord has rewarded them here and will elevate their status on the day of Judgement). Quran says, "Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord; They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah. And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (Martyrs) glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve. The Quran, chapter 3 (Al Imran), verse 169–170

 

References:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/48527612

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/09/world/middleeast/afghanistan-war-cost.html


Twitter:
https://twitter.com/eatabook1987


Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sher.saheb 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Native American Languages:

-
Image
  Let's educate you about something the ppl on the internet are least interested to talk about. Native American Languages: Native American languages are the languages that were spoken by the indigenous people of the Americas prior to the arrival of Europeans. These languages are still spoken today by many American Indians, Alaska Natives, and First Nations people. There are hundreds of different Native American languages, each with its own distinct history and culture. Some of the most commonly spoken Native American languages are Navajo, Cherokee, Lakota, and Ojibwe. Many of these languages have been lost over time, but many have also been preserved and documented. The languages of Native Americans are important sources of knowledge and understanding of the cultures of the people who spoke them. Navajo is the most widely spoken Native American language, with over 200,000 speakers. It is a Southern Athabaskan language, spoken mainly in Arizona and New Mexico. Cherokee is the second...
Read more

WHAT WENT WRONG WITH MUSLIMS AND WHY DID THEY STOP PRODUCING SCIENTISTS?

-
WHAT WENT WRONG WITH MUSLIMS AND WHY DID THEY STOP PRODUCING SCIENTISTS? Not long ago after the fall of Mughals, British Colonizers put a complete halt to the intellectual and scientific creativity of Muslims by reshaping their education system. Here is how they did it. After the Brits invasion of Subcontinent, they enslaved the kings, murdered the intellectual brains including highly praised and well known Islamic figures. Next, they banned all Islamic and contemporary schools and brought a new education system to the Subcontinent which was based on mere language learning. The chief aim was to bar the locals including Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs etc. from studying their history, religion and to outpace each other in learning a new foreign language. This is how British colonized the entire Globe. Through ‘Linguistic Reshaping’ of societies, British made the targeted societies beg for employment, food and shelter etc. and then provided them with what was needed conditionally. Local...
Read more

The Lost Language Series: Potawatomi

-
Image
  History of Potawatomi : ( Keepers of the Sacred Fire, the true people)   The Potawatomi are a Native American people originally from the Great Lakes region of North America. They are part of the larger Algonquian language family, which includes many other related tribes such as the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Shawnee. The Potawatomi were once part of a larger group of Woodland Indians, which included the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Chippewa. The Potawatomi migrated westward from the Great Lakes region in the early 1700s, eventually settling in what is now Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. They were known for their trading skills and their ability to adapt to changing environments. They developed an extensive trading network, exchanging goods with other native tribes, the French, and the British. The Potawatomi were involved in the American Revolutionary War, fighting alongside the British against the Americans. After the war, they continued to remain in their traditional ...
Read more