Comparing Malala with drone attacks
Right-wing political parties and some religious groups appear to be trying hard to somehow confuse the issue by interlinking the TTP attack on teenage Malala Yousufzai with drones attacking North Wazirstan. Drones may be blind and deadly, yet there is a profound difference between the two. But the feverish attempts by the religious right and the increasing resonance of their argument makes you wonder if their propaganda skills were succeeding again.
People in Pakistan may or may not have any great love for US or its hegemonic designs but there is recognition of that nation’s advances in fields of humanities, art and science. Drones spewing fire may be their latest development in military technology.
While the people of Pakistan vastly sympathise with the pain and agony prevalent in Afghanistan, we never contracted al Qaeda to attack foreign missions, people or cities. After wreaking destruction over Afghanistan, Osama, Al-Zahwari, Mullah Omer and their band of Jihadis trickled through Tora Bora into Fata. At their heels they brought Americans and their war machines shooting at people in our tribal agencies. Pakistanis do not support drone attacks nor do we support militants for cross-border attacks from our side of the Durand-line.
While one could abhor Musharraf for being a military dictator, could anyone of us had done otherwise facing frenzied threats by the US establishment bearing down with its full might over Afghanistan? Could Imran Khan have sided with Mullah Omer while B-2 bombers, cruise missiles and swarms of Nato paratroopers were raining over Kabul?
For that matter why did the valiant amongst the al Qaeda and Taliban decide to blend in, in an unarmed Afghan population making them fair game for Nato bombardment? Incidentally, some 10 out of the 50 nations that contributed their troops towards the International Security Assistance Force for Afghanistan (ISAF) were Muslim including Malaysia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Jordan, Albania, Bosnia and United Arab Emirates. And in such circumstances this country, tormented by severe socio-economic pressures, should have gone to war against the most sophisticated military machines just to satisfy the adventurism of a handful of rich Arabs?
Pakistan could not have rescued al Qaeda from the Western powers hell bent on avenging attacks over their people and assets, as well as committed to cripple its capacity for the future. When Moulvi Fazalullah announced his intentions over his infamous FM radio to ransack the beautiful Swat valley, did he bother to ask the locals if it was okay for him to stop 11-year old Malala and her friends from going to school and if he could also destroy another 500 girls’ schools? Did it never occur to him or his advocates living in our metropolitan cities that there may be nothing wrong with Malala’s desire to go to school?
Atrocious, yet there is nothing in common between drone attacks and the attack over Malala; or for that matter between Malala and Salala so derogatorily put by Fazal-ur-Rehman. If the Taliban leadership had gone to a decent school, not like the ones run through incomes generated by smuggling diesel, rather, one run by someone respectable like Shah Waliullah, they would have known that writing a daily diary could be an important aspect for grooming school-going children.
But if atrocities forced young minds to speak out for their right to education, does that give Fazalulah’s band of militants a right to start condemning innocent children to their deaths?
If there wasn’t such a nationwide public outcry, they might have sent some young suicide-bomber to attack her and her physicians. Still, Malala had to be airlifted from behind closed doors and dugout machine guns to far away lands in an attempt to save her life.
But people understand – this is no Jihad, this is no just struggle for liberation, rather a bunch of arrogant, trigger-happy men. When Vietcong took on imperialist forces they were a people defending their country, not a bunch of terrorist hiding behind the defenceless population unable to resist heavily armed bands of the Taliban and al Qaeda.
God created this world and gave the human race an opportunity to prove that we were better then angels. If someone wants to avenge aggression or wrongs against Muslims – they must first demonstrate their sincerity by fighting illiteracy, disease and hunger amongst our people. They must also refrain from pushing unarmed people to their death and destruction by the worlds most advanced military forces.
The use of drones against one of the most impoverished regions of Pakistan cannot be justified under any section of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) or UN Charter. Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibits the threat or use of force by one state against another.
However, Americans invoke two legal exceptions to this ‘Article’ for showering hellfire missiles by these drones over tribal areas:
(1) When the use of force is carried out with the consent of the host state; and
(2) When the use of force is in self-defence in response to an armed attack or an imminent threat, and where the host state is unwilling or unable to take appropriate action.
Forty years ago, Americans used Agent Orange in Vietnam that killed over 400,000 people and resulted in half a million Vietnamese born with horrible defects. – they are yet to be compensated.
There may be a guerrilla war taking place in Afghanistan – we don’t know. In Pakistan, all that the militant organisations are doing is to terrorise an already troubled nation – unable to feed its people but continuing to face American wrath for activities of such extremist organisations.
If the Taliban and al Qaeda care about death and destruction raining over defenceless men, woman and children, they will have to bring to an end their operations from Fata. They need to allow the local and international media and NGOs to interview and experience these traumatised populations.
This nation remains weary of its establishment’s sincerity towards eliminating militancy. A half-hearted military operation may be looming over Waziristan. Yet, without genuine investment in our people they will continue to be easy targets for recruitment by forces like the al Qaeda, Quetta Shura, Haqqani Network, Tehrik-i-Taliban, Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi, Jundullah, Jamaat-ud-Dawa etc.
We have seen such mindset target innocent victims like Malala across our country – a violence that doesn’t stop, spills over into Afghanistan, Iran, India even China and beyond. Its time, people at the helm of affairs realise that when living in a glass house, we must fear people who throw stones at us.
The author is a social activist, a member of Citizens for Democracy and the former Administrator of Karachi.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
We ,those who are condemning shooting at Mala should not behave like TTP.These individuals know no other way to be in limelight.They want to achieve some thing which they themselve do not know any thing about it.They can only be cured by their own medicine,used with wisdom and restraints.
The writter only tried to make the issue complicated inorder to support drones, May ALLAH bless Malal.
@Shankar: God forbid if one of your brother or sister would have died accidently in a drone attach(said to be focusing terrorists) then I will ask you the same question.
Wrong thesis. The attack on Malala is not a reaction to drone attacks. Just that drone attacks make it easier for militants to get recruits and sympathy from the areas droned.
Pak Army’s ISPR giving briefings on Malala is a perfect case how our media has been directed to turn attention from American release of movie against Prophet Muhammed. Media is taking a lead here in spreading news whereas they were just reporting on the case of sacrligeous movie made by America. If Pakistani Government/Army is so sincere to wipe Talibans then stop killing of thousands of innocents in Quetta, Karachi, DI Khan and strengthen and cleanse Police system rather than attatcking indiscriminately in a unknow zone. If Malala gets the noble prize, then how come no one ever considered Abdul Sattar Edhi..!!
so what do you think we should should do Mr. Left winger?? Please propose solutions as we do not need more comments and just another analysis about the whole situation…..We already have many experts working 24/7 as analysts so you are requested to kindly propose solutions. And if you are suggesting that war is the only solution for this then please suggest the following:
1. Practical Objectives of the War?
2. How this war will be won?
3. Time frame of the war?
4. How will you ensure that no civilian casualties will result because of this war? because now you are crying for ONE Malala what if Hundreds of Malalas are killed as a result of this operation/ war?
5. How will you ensure that the war is contained in the Waziristan region only and will not spill over in the rest of the country?
6. Please also outline consequences of this new war on the economy of the country?
All lover for malala,all sympathy for malala, all flowers of the earth for malala, all tears for malala. May Allah early recover her. She is a angel and daughter of peace of earth. All good things are for her.
Taliban & drones are like chalk and cheese. Taliban kill innocent people on purpose. Drones kill terrorists on purpose and kill innocents by mistake, just like cars & buses kill innocent people by mistake, just like vaccination may go wrong in a few cases.
wah g wah
Malala yosafzai is only Drama and propaganda which is prepared by Americans agencies and Powered by Pakistani media..the purpose of this drama is
1-to blur the reaction of people on media against anti-Islam film
2-To give the reason of drone attack and access to waziristan
3-to make the positive image of America in Pakistan
This is a deranged answer to an urgent and critical issue.
Even if all three points mentioned by you were true, what prayers are you invoking to counter them? Do you have a game plan? Apologists like you are a shame for the entire humanity
telling truth will get negetive remarks
Whats wrong with any of the three things you listed?
With such an attitude no wonder Islam has such a bad name. By the way wait till the US stop funding a broken nation and see the “positive image of America in Pakistan “.
Then why do yout think TTP owned this attack? I get it. They are also American agents. yeah, now it makes sense. Thank you genius.
And guess what. Talibaan are in this too. They said that they attacked Malala and will again target her and her family. What an interpretation of Islam, the religion of peace.
It is people like Talibaan that portray a grossly distorted image of our prophet (P.B.U.H.). That encourages the western and even some Muslims (remember Salman Rushdie) to talk bad about our prophet. In Quran Allah says, don’t talk bad about their fake Gods, otherwise they will say bad about your true Allah.
Mr Khokher ,I cannot believe pakistanis have such closed minds, they can think in this barbaric way.
and you know this how?
This comment has likes? God help us.
and how this will help America to improve its image.Dont use your useless logics to prove a point. One more thing, Protest for anti Islam film was an over reaction which gave Muslims and Islam a very bad name all over the world. Shooting Malala is a much more despicable act than creating some nuisance clip.
hahahaha i cant help laughing on your comments, aren’t you Ansar Abbasi in disguise. such jokes are too common in Pakistan
What a shameful statement indeed Mr. Anees.
you are absolutely right,i agree with you the right wingers are doing nothing but deviating the nation’s attention from Malala to drone but you have missed one more thing there is a discourse terming the assault to divert public attention from the sacreligious movie which is also illogical they would rather like to come up with more once they witnessed our madrassa pass out smoldering public and private properties across the country
Malala should be given Nobel prize. There should be a support system for her family.
please dont make the society hostage because of this incident; May Allah give Malala good health and keep all of us safe.
Please spare the child. let her recover fast and lead a normal life like other children.
If EU and Obama can get the Nobel prize why not Pakistan in anticipation of it’s contribution to world peace.
Dear Eswaran, please keep your bias aside, he is talking about Nobel Prize to Malala, not to Pakistani Govt.
pathetic attempt. Stop living in denial. But then again, I am telling you what to do. Not right.
The author seems to lack completely the Pukhtoon tribal code, moral code as well culture. Also, I would shed serious doubt about Urbanites like him ever living in those tribal belts for some time to understand the current situation. The rivalry between tribes is settled differently there than in urban areas of this country, if they are ever through the imaginary “sham” system of justice, where big guns always get away and those at the lower end of chain get caught.
Injustice breeds injustice.
Condemnation enough: how many have been part of the investigation in which it could be discovered that there are hundreds, if not thousands, international spies are active on both sides of border and keep using local resource in such tacit way that most in this nation can’t even comprehend. If it is not the failure of the urbanites to pressurize their chosen political people to investigate thoroughly, whether the attempt or actual killing happens in any part of the country and bring them to justice, I think such people have no moral value to condemn or appreciate any thing.
Sum up, more people have been killed in Karachi for last 4.5 years than 8 years of drone attack victims, even if multiplied by 3. Perhaps its time to put the house in order first.
No one is supporting the attempted attack on innocent civilians – men, women, kids, elderly, even animals or biodiversity. However, unless people are determined, and willing to look inside first, accept their own wrong doings and willing to compensate for that, no outsider will come for salvage.
The mistakes of government, and those so called “concerned citizens” inability to take decisive action, has brought this country to this extent.
what actions would you propose ? any suggestions?
sir you show absolutely true picture