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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JEB who wrote (42465)	4/27/2002 4:32:13 AM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

We have not taken anyone's help, just our own initiative very modest but very practical, we had invited these people as our Chief Editor is a friend of some of them, we wanted Sonia Gandhi and Editor of Hindu too but unfortunately present tensions would not allow that. Editorial freedom demands that no one but the backers who are launching the paper should put in resources together, we went into it for bringing new realities of a new world that has recently dawned on the nation, we had stark choices to go into oblivion or to try to make an effort to survive, in six months we have as a nation moved far ahead in terms of closing the nest of terror, the US forces quietly operating with our forces in nabbing these terrorists are helping us to rebuild our self confidence and self esteem. I always start modest in life, keep my goals in sight although varied those may sound and keep my head cool. The best judge for my actions is my five years on this thread as I always say good or bad I have been very forthcoming on my outlook, I am not dear to any particular group and that satisfies me, I don't play to the galleries, I wish we could do that and replicate this spirit it in our paper. On 30th of April Idea will be 5 year old that in itself on SI is big thing with the exception of stock threads none of other places have survived for such a long time based on one significant contributor, I think that tells me that we were and are fair in our analysis. And most important some one on page 1 of this thread are still around with us, even people who left are reading us regularly. My point is that views are tested very minutely if some one has something new to offer it would be acceptable if not it would fade out that is how my paper will pass or fail the test. I ma very confident that if independent opinion continues and we are fair and we are able to highlight our own problems instead of blaming others we will be on the road of recovery soon and so will be our paper otherwise we will fail big. I always like to know that 'end result' that of 'failures' and try to build 'mechanisms' that may help avoid failures the chance of success becomes little tad better. The kid of venom spewed by some journalist makes me angry, Edward Behr in an recent article a damning one too says 100 rubbish things about Pakistan, but one that kids who work for KFC are supporter of Osama was the worst lie, I have Dunkin Donuts, as i expressed earlier the day when the biggest strike to take President out on 9th of Oct was called the kids and 70 of them decided that as a matter of pride Dunkin will stay open and we even displayed US flags as solidarity to victims of 11th Sept,, on 30th a nation that is known to be 85% against Us on Osama issue will elect a President in a referendum that will bring 25-35 m votes in favour of the present President. However, we smaller people cannot even write in ‘Fortune’ or make facts known but in our own little way like here at ‘ideas’ make facts known, I do leave questions that are pertinent even in the head of my critics. I as owner of DD did them a month bonus for the valour and loved they showed for the victims of 11th Sept none of them ot across in KFC or Mac kids in same area were loving that sucker Osama, these guys were putting their head down risking their lives for working with an US outfit for extremists this was crime, all extremists in all colour size and shape have similar agendas of hatred. It may be within Islam, or within Hinds or within Jews or even Christianity. To portray extremists as will of nation which is half illiterate and have no idea what good life is all about is little disservice ot the very cause of fair journalism, in our paper we want educate our people may be we will fail like others have but we will be satisfied that we tried. These are circumstances that poor nations like us have survive, and it is really a survival because the propaganda initiated by what you will call very balanced people is very damning. Abu Zubayda capture by FBI in Lahore as if they were acting in Washington is one example of how Pakistan has decided co-operate, for one reason we are small vulnerable nation, we understand that a wrong has been done and we should do what it takes, it shudders me to think what could have happened to the region if fate of Pakistan would have been similar to Afghanistan, most in our region and our neighbours always thought this is going to be the fate of our nation, today we have defied conventional wisdom prevalent for Pakistan that it will self destruct and very modestly move on towards goal of self discovery and rebuilding the future of our very very poor masses. Washington Post does not fit in any of these plans, of course your President, your Mr Cheney and Rumsfield are the guys how could handle the situation post 11th so well for good of us and for good of the region, imagine how much effort and money it would have taken to rebuild a badly bombed Pakistan, if Pakistan and if Pakistan would have taken that self destruct route. We as a nation and as individual realising our responsibilities want ot bring the tortuous path of decisions that have to be rationale to our people our paper might help that is our hope, our self help is the first step in the right direction..

To: JEB who wrote (42465)	4/27/2002 11:08:47 AM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Respond to of 50167

These are the kind of editorials we are writing for which we wanted this paper of ours. These issues are now front issues, the rights of poor woman who are raped and sentenced under draconian medieval laws that have nothing to do with a concept of modern sate and the rights of minorities who in name of blasphemy used to be jailed or maimed. We are fighting these causes with best of our limited capacity. Please read this editorial that demands that we should change these set of draconian laws. In all kind of governance, the governance based on 'holy fanaticism' is the most evil, although its intent is based on piety and supposedly pious people but in actuality these cave age thinking people are wolves in garb of lambs. <Even as General Pervez Musharraf’s government speaks of turning Pakistan into a progressive, modern and tolerant Islamic state, regressive laws decreed by the military dictator, General Zia-ul Haq, continue to take their toll not just on domestic civil society but also on the image of the country abroad. Consider, for example, the latest case of Zafran Bibi, a young woman from Kohat who said she’d been raped but was sentenced by a judge of a sessions court to death by stoning (rijm) for adultery. Zafran Bibi has filed an appeal in the Federal Shariat Court, the highest judicial body in the country to adjudicate issues of Islamic law. She gave birth to a baby girl while awaiting trail for adultery in jail. She claims her brother-in-law raped her while her husband was serving a jail sentence for murder. However, she says, her father-in-law accused her of adultery to save his son and to frame an old rival. This is a familiar story. While the case is sub judice and it is up to the FSC to find out the truth, we consider it important to highlight the many anomalies that attend the formulation and implementation of these Islamic laws. On the issue of rijm, for instance, Justice Aftab Hussain, chief justice of the FSC during General Zia’s time, was removed by the general after he observed that stoning to death was not a Quranic punishment and no punishment can be declared a hudd (Islamic punishment) unless its nas (edictal authentication) can be derived from the Quran. The observation so enraged the clergy that Zia had to remove the judge from the FSC bench. But an even more interesting observation relates to poet-philosopher Allama Iqbal’s interpretation of Qata-e-yadd (cutting of hands), whose nas is seemingly derived from the Quran. However, that did not stop Iqbal from opposing the punishment in his Sixth Lecture contained in the Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. Allama Iqbal knew the necessity of bringing Islam into line with modernity, which to him meant the ability of an exegete to interpret the religion in light of changing socioeconomic and other requirements and in keeping with the progressive and dynamic spirit of Islam. Today, after 25 years of repressive and regressive legislation and an international image that looks at Pakistan as a land teeming with religious fanatics, there is even greater need for the state and society to heed the Allama’s advice. It is also an ironic feature of these punishments that the higher courts have consistently refused to uphold such punishments that ‘believing’ judges of the lower courts have happily passed. Indeed, there seems to be an awareness and a consequent reluctance by the higher courts to endorse punishments that are likely to create a “bad” image of Pakistan abroad. That these punishments are “isolationist” and emanate from an isolationist mind-set is clear from the way the Taliban militia in Afghanistan resorted to them. Sudan is another case in point where these punishments were carried out and led to a horrible image of the country even as they failed to raise the moral standards of Sudanese society. But while the higher courts are reluctant to carry out these punishments, there is also a disinclination to challenge them effectively. In real terms, this translates into an increasing number of people rotting in jails because the higher courts choose to sleep over the appeals filed before them. While it is obvious that these laws have got into the statute books because of a constitutional amendment, the courts have not lost their power of review. Of course, in some cases, judges of higher courts have taken a progressive line and overturned earlier verdicts by the lower courts. But the degree of pro-activism on the issue is insufficient by any modern yardstick. We also know how the judicial system in Pakistan works. Given the corruption that plagues the system, the readiness of rascally individuals to frame opponents, and various other structural problems, it is very easy for some individuals and groups to exploit these drastic punishments to their advantage. This is especially the case when blasphemy is alleged to have been committed, another area that needs the immediate attention of the state. In this context, the case of Dr Younus Sheikh springs to mind. Here is an educated man, a teacher to boot, who is accused of blasphemy but languishes in prison because General Musharraf’s much flaunted liberal and moderate state doesn’t have the guts to release him or the conviction to execute him. Pakistan has acquired an unenviable image. Also, the present government has inflicted itself on this country. Yet it can do a lot of good if it decides to expend its energies on a progressive agenda. General Zia did much harm to this country through these laws. It is only right and fitting that another general should reverse such laws and liberate the country. >