Ex. President Pervez Musharaf

By Munir Varraich, Sweden

Let us not forget that it was a secular minded soldier President who took a bold decision after 9/11 and tried to put the Pakistani Mindset on the right track, away from the extremism, which had been introduced by Zia ul Haq 11 years rule.

Sometime ago,  Former President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharaf had explained as to why he took that historical decision – to support the US in the war against terrorism. In retrospect there could be many opinions by the “strategists” and “analysts” whether the “decision” was good or bad for Pakistan, as a sovereign state.

The fact remains that a “bold decision” was taken by the leader of Pakistan at that historical juncture.

It is important to remember that at the turn of 14th century Hijra (1979) the wheel of destiny started moving in a direction, which brought to the forefront Pakistan’s role in 15th century Hijra and later in the 21st century AD.

A semblance of a sort to the events in the earlier history of Muslims, when they fought the “Battle of Badr” and that is mentioned in Sura “Rum”. Romans (Believers) defeated the Persians (non-Believers) at the international plane, and the Muslims defeated the Quraish at the local plane. Both the Muslims and the Romans celebrated their victory. In our times modern day Romans (Christian West) and Pakistan (Islamic nuclear power and considered to be the leader of the Muslim World) joined hands to defeat Persians (USSR) in a “land nearby” (Afghanistan). Both the Christian West (Believers till that point) and the Muslim World (Believers till that point) celebrated the defeat of USSR (an atheist power).

The weapons used in both confrontations – by the Muslims in the Battle of Badr and by the Romans (Christians) in the battle against the Persians – was the “human being charged with the spirit of Jihad-e-Qataal. Historians like Gibbons term those battles and wars as “religious wars”.

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In the Afghan War of 1979-1989, the “weapon” used by the US was “money”, “latest technology” and “powerful media”. The “weapon” used by the Muslim World was still the same as was used in the earlier times – “human being charged with the spirit of Jihad”. The word “Jihad” and its “outdated interpretation” by reputed scholars of the Muslims, became the reason, why a local Afghan war (as far as the US was concerned), became a religious war for the Muslim World.

Since modern day “Romans” did not brand that war as “Crusades” it is very obvious that the mistake of branding the Afghan war as “Jihad” fall squarely on the Muslims, especially all those religious leaders and scholars, who had not updated the interpretation of “Jihad”, in modern times but had branded any other interpretation of “Jihad” as heretic. In other words they had ignored the “concept of evolution” of human beings, which has been mentioned very clearly, again and again in their Holy Book – The Quran.

As far as the US was concerned, the defeat of the USSR was part of their Grand Strategy and they achieved their strategic goal – the defeat of their rival super power USSR and all that went with it. As far as the Muslim World was concerned, they were blinded by the wrong interpretation of “Jihad” and delved deeper into that pit for the next decade – 1989 to 1999. That pushed the Muslim Mindset away from the “evolutionary process”.

A generation was lost, till the turn of the century, when the logical result of the wrong interpretation of “Jihad” hit the Twin Towers on 9/11.

All that time the Muslim Leadership, religious as well as political had kept pampering the “Jihadi mentality” and did not dare to take the main culprits to task.

On 12th October 1999, another historical event took place in that very place – Pakistan – where the monster of “Jihad” was created by the Muslims themselves. A “democratic process” was interrupted by military take over, headed by General Musharaf, on whose shoulders history put the load of taking bold and tough decisions.

Apparently, General Musharaf had toppled a government which was “democratic” in the usual sense of the word. However, the period from 1989-1999 – those democratic governments had not taken any measures to redefine the interpretation of “Jihad”, neither to Pakistanis nor to the Muslim World. Instead, both the main political parties shied away from confronting the religious leadership.

Even after General Musharaf took over, there was no effort to confront the religious leadership on that issue. The “wake up” call came on 9/11, when US openly challenged the interpretation of “Jihad”, not only in Pakistan, but also in the rest of the Muslim World.

I shall get back to the Quran again to understand how the earlier Romans behaved towards the Muslims of Medina after the defeat of Persians. And in that light try to understand if the fateful “decision” taken by General Musharaf was in line with the “process of evolution” or against it.

History is a witness that at the Battle of Khandaq, The Prophet of Islam was shown the “Kangans or bracelets of Romans and the Persians being presented to Omar”. Later events show that the Muslims defeated the Persians first. The weapons and strategy to defeat the Persians was the same “human being charged with the spirit of Jihad”. Persia was defeated both materially and ideologically and has remained Muslim till today.

However, when the earlier Muslims had to face the Romans, the opponent also used a similar weaponry as the Muslims – “human being charged with the spirit of Jihad”. In that confrontation a belief system which acknowledged “the concept of evolution of the human being” was bound to be victorious. “the Bible” being an older concept could not stand up to the “updated” teaching – “the Quran”.

Fast forward to the 21st century event of 9/11. General Musharaf took a decision to “dump” the wrong interpretation of “Jihad” and all that goes with it. At the international plane he was supported by the sole super power – the US. Of course, once again the Grand Strategy of the US was at play. However, The Grand Strategy of Pakistan at that juncture of history, dictated that “Jihad-e-Qatal” in all its forms had to be defeated first. Only after that the next phase of Pakistan’s Grand Strategy could be implemented.

Events after 9/11 have proven that Musharaf’s decision to support “War on Terror” was in effect in Pakistan’s and Muslim World’s interests. The only interpretation of “Jihad” by one and all – the scholars and the religious leaders, strategists and analysts – was “Jihad of the Pen” and any individual or a government saying otherwise, had no place in the civilized world.

The next step of interaction with modern day Romans will have to be at a higher plane – between “the Bible” and “the Quran” by modern day “Muslims of Badr” and not the modern day “Quraish” of Makkah. The old weaponry “human being charged with the spirit of Jihad-e-Qatal” is outdated. The new weaponry is “Jihad by the Pen” which harmonizes with and flows along the “evolution of the human being” and not against it.

It is one thing, to just say “Jihad by the Pen”, but quite another thing to practice and implement this at the national level. As such, it would only be fair to see, what General Musharaf did during his 1999-2008 tenure, to implement “Jihad by the Pen”.

It is up to the leadership, military or otherwise, and the people of Pakistan, to implement the “Jihad by the Pen”, in every walk of life, first and foremost. Only that mindset will be able to identify from where did this phrase “Jihad by the Pen” originated and when. Also, why that voice was opposed tooth and nail and silenced  by whom.

All this and much more will gradually come to light for every thinking mind.

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