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On the night of Oct. 7, immediately after the U.S.-led military attacks on
Afghanistan began, the mosques spread the news to an apprehensive
population of the Takhtbai area. This area lies in the Northwestern
Frontier Province of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan. According to a report
from a non-government organization (NGO) activist from Pakistan on the
South Asian Citizens' Web, "By 9 a.m. a sizable gathering of 4,000-5,000
people have gathered in this village; a protest march turns into a mob
calling for revenge for the military attacks. But against who?"
Since their arch-enemy America is out of reach and the government too
powerful, they chose to target anything that was remotely connected to the
"West." These people proceeded to attack the Health Society, the Al-Falah
hospital, the Maternal Child Care Centre, and the Salik Development
Foundation. The latter has worked in the area for some 15 years providing
services such as a library, and eight women's skill training centers.
Activists and personnel working at NGOs have been threatened, beaten, and
their homes attacked and burned as well. In the Bajaur Agency, 30 km from
the Afghan border, a 5,000-strong mob of Afghan and Taliban men went on a
rampage to "attack those who speak of secularism and democracy."
In the wake of these reports, Shirkat Gah, a prominent NGO in Pakistan,
called a national convention which uncovered a plethora of evidence against
the cruelty of hateful masses being led by religious leaders and the apathy
of the police and government. People like Zakia Rehman fled burning homes
and offices to share their horrific stories with others at the national
meeting in Lahore. Salik, a Pakhtun himself, broke down in public while
telling the account of his persecution.
Their efforts to have the leaders of these attacks apprehended have gone to
naught. Political parties such as the Jamaat-e-Ulema-Islam (a close
associate of Taliban), JUI (S) and the Jamaat Islami are publicly calling
for these attacks. The government is reluctant to move against the mob
leaders so as not to have their blind wrath turned onto itself.
This is what war has done. It has inflamed the anger of a weak and
impoverished people. Isn't this what creates terrorists in the first place?
In an environment which shuns peaceful means and promotes war, the Afghans
and their "brothers" have chosen to retaliate in a similar
language-the
language of stupid and violent destruction.
Peaceful, democratic alternatives are being silenced and destroyed. Decades
of effort, which had built structures of support for people marred and
maimed by poverty, feudalism, tribalism, ignorance, patriarchy and an
indifferent government, have been destroyed. This terror, a war which has
failed to even define its enemy, is only creating more terrorism.
-Rehmah
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