Militancy trumps education on Pakistan frontier

Pakistan is clearly such a failed state it should be listed with North Korea, Burma and a wide range of gangster run nations in Africa,and treated accordingly by the rest of the world. Why any Western nation would continue to have anything to do with any politician or business there is a real mystery, apart from the riches to be gleaned from its poverty struck population of course. Once again, the imposition of colonial powers from years ago has left us with a basketcase nation that is going nowhere, with a population satisfied with going nowhere. Now supported by the USA and many other Western nations, it looks as if there is no chance of any 'progress' for this mob-ruled dictatorship of terror.

Dear Andy, I would humbly differ from your opinion as what ever you said generalizes Pakistanis as a nation. But this is not the case. You are correct that some sections of our society are driven by emotion and religion. But many of us, like myself, are speaking against the establishment, the corrupt politicians, and above all the militants. We even speak against burning flags of western states, and as a consequence, our friends and peers subject us to offensive remarks. Things are changing, its not only what you see on TV and Media, rather the ground realities are slowly changing with the people's narrative changing. Its people like you who have to help us come out of this mess, rather than criticising us as an angry mob. Our media and young writers are full of opposition to whatever that is happening. But still, you comment has weight, and I cant criticise it as most of it is true. We have to shed foreign dependencies and then we can think of progress.

Thank you for both your article and courteous and informative answer to Andy, Farooq. Pakistan has considerable problems but I think the tag "failed state" is not correct. Most Pakistani students in Australia, if they know you know something about their country, are quite open when speaking of the good and bad about it to you. I think it is necessary for more Australians to know about the country's problems and the brave way many of its citizens, such as you and others, are confronting them, to make it and the world a better and safer place. Pakistan has many good things going for it, such as the way the courts are operating free of political manipulation and the fact that the current elected government, for the first time in its history, is set to serve out a full term without, seemingly, any fear of military intervention. Due to its population; military clout and location, Pakistan is a key member of the Muslim World and absolutely crucial in creating a peaceful South and Central Asia. ES is to be congratulated on publishing your article. Australians need to hear more Pakistani voices such as yours and the renowned journalist Ahmad Rashid to get a far more balanced view of the country than they do from the TV news, which tends to concentrate on disasters and emergencies.

Farooq, I understand your point, that people such as yourself clearly do not support the status quo, something your article made clear, to me at least, so I felt no need to comment on it. However, perhaps I should have praised you for speaking out and for probably putting yourself on the line with your countrymen, or many of them anyway. I have a Pakistani friend who lives here, from a very wealthy family over there, who returned not so long ago and told of his stay there. His family is totally immune to the grime and poverty, apart from wallowing in their wealth amongst it all of course, but he explained how where ever he went he had an armed guard with him, on the family payroll. The guard was a supporter of, if not actually in, the Taliban, as, so he explained, most of the pooer people who glanced upon during his time there were. Let's face it Farooq, religious nutters power the USA as much as Pakistan, or Israel, or Egypt or increasingly Britain. Even here in Australia, although a far cry from the madness of Islamic (certain Islamic) identities, there is an overerly loud, shrill even, voice of far-right Christianity at work influencing the political path of our nation-state. Unfortunately, our media is as blind to the corruption of due process as the Pakistan media, and the USA media are, so we all suffer, right around the world, from the rantings of religious maniacs and those who hang off their coat tails with their steely grip on power. There may be a modest glimmer of hope for Pakistan though - at least it is not Afghanistan.

I think Andy Fitzharry may be well and truly off the mark with what appears a conspiracy theory: that the governments of Pakistan and the USA are under the control of religious extremists. The whole point of Farooq's article was that undue extremist influence in Pakistani education can be prevented but that practical steps to do this must be taken now. Education and the opportunities it provides for a better life are probably the best counter to extremism. He did point out that opportunities for non-madari education in the FATA had actually diminished as a result of government funding cuts. The area he refers to is basically Pushtun territory and the Pushtun people, who exist on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghan border, have been the strongest supporters of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Religious extremists in both countries are strongly against the education of women despite the founder of Islam's strong support of it. Many ordinary uneducated Pakistanis, like Andy's friend's driver, support the Taliban because they see them as a counter to what they consider a corrupt civilian government. The irony is that there are Pakistanis in all walks of life: politics; the judiciary; academia; the media and even the Armed Forces who are anti-corruption and want to change the current status quo. They do have a good chance within what appears to be a functioning democracy: something we in the West need to support. I think Andy and others who share his views may be pleasantly disabused by reading some contemporary Pakistani authors, such as the novelist Muhsin Hamid, whose website http://www.mohsinhamid.com/home.html contains some extremely informative essays on current events.

Thank you both for your insights and I should thank you for understanding my point. The fact is, even writing for South, Central Asian and Pakistani news sources, I felt that I must also write something for an Australian source.

I guess people on both the sides are not aware of what is happening on both the sides.

I am 24, a student of Conflict and Public Policy, and soon moving to Germany. The reason? even having a strong faith and religious values, I dont support religion's use in politics, I dont believe in attacking other religions and I am totally against burning of flags, coupled with Killing of US ambassador in libya. These are all inhumane acts, and talking against them tag me as an infidel in my country.

This is the situation we have to live in. But its coz of a selected extremist mindset among a few. This wont mean that Pakistan is bad, I am a proud Pakistani, its just that we have to fight this small section of extremists through pen and aware the world about what is happening.

I hope one day we see a world based primarily on Humanity and not Religion.

I note there is not even a token referene to education for women. That's really scary.

Thank you for your article and your replies to us, Farooq. I wish you success and happiness during your time in Germany. It is, I believe, a good place to study in and experience what is both good and bad in the West. Like many educated Pakistanis you may well return one day to benefit your country. The Muslim World seems to be going through an extremely difficult time. There are always fringe elements trying to push their blinkered view of religion on people at times like this. Ziauddin Sardar, Pakistani by birth and an acute observer of the Muslim World, gave a rather chilling view of some of the closed minds produced by the Deobandi madrasas of Pakistan in "Desperately Seeking Paradise": his story of a personal quest to find true Islamic identity in the modern world. It is interesting that Professor Sardar and others have actually found their own Islamic identity in the West. This is, I think, due to the intellectual and other freedom here. They are proud to be Muslim, but neither ignorant nor fanatical, but in the true spirit of that great religion. The other good thing about him and others similar to him is that they can intellectually engage with the West on its own terms without fear or rancour. The supposed West/Islam conflict, which I believe does not exist in essence, but which is stirred up for political ends by the worst people needs to be addressed and defused. Pray God it is for that will make the world a better place for all concerned. Once again, thank you and my very best wishes to you.

greatly appreciate you views and opinion being rendered by you regarding militancy and low literacy rate especially in FATA,govt attention in this regard is the need of the day to be given ,so that to resolve the worse existing problems in effective way,ultimately the problems would be eliminated thoroughly from gross root level.and also govt should prefer to let give peace a chance in the trouble region,,hope for the best perpetually..