Enlightened Moderation??

Enlightened moderation or Talibanisation
Reality check
By Shafqat Mahmood
The News, April 6, 2007

The writer is a former member of parliament and a freelance columnist based in Lahore

In a country where mobile phone subscribers number over fifty million and growing, instant messaging has become an important means of keeping in touch, or exchanging jokes and sharing information. In times of national crisis, the messages that circulate widely also become reflective of public mood.

One such message has truly captured the ironic dilemma we face. It said: "In Pakistan the chief justice of the Supreme Court seeks justice and the army chief seeks security." While no comment is necessary on the chief justice, those of us who have seen streets barricaded, traffic halted and police and intelligence throw their weight around when the army chief is near, know the second part quiet well.

This of course is not the only irony. In a week when the political elite, the lawyers' community and civil society were out in force fighting for justice and rule of law, students of Jamia Hafsa were breaking every law in the book to launch vigilante actions. As the 'strong' government of a military dictator stood idly by, they kidnapped women, branded them prostitutes, and made them publicly repent. The alleged ring leader of the alleged prostitutes later told newsmen, that if this is Islam she'd rather be a Christian.

The vigilante brigade has now expanded their area of operation. They are going around telling video-shop owners to change their businesses or face direct action. Qari Abdul Rashid, the Jamia Hafsa leader has also helpfully offered Rs250,000 to make the transition easier. This is not happening in Tank or Bajaur but in the capital, Islamabad.

General Musharraf is now reported to have taken direct charge of all tactical decisions regarding the lawyer's movement. Who is in charge of the tactics regarding Jamia Hafsa? Not the police because it does not need a great deal of provocation to break a head or two. The weakness is obviously at the top. The much vaunted writ of the state lies in tatters but nobody is bothered.

Some have described it as creeping Talibanisation of the country. If after seven years of enlightened moderation we have reached this sorry pass, what lies ahead? Perhaps, as someone said, a few more years of Musharraf and all the women will be in shuttlecock burkas and the men with a lot more hair on their face. (Where are the barbers associations? It's about time they start pounding the streets).

Quiet seriously, we are in a terrible mess. The impact on the ground is quite the opposite of what Musharraf has been proclaiming since his time in office. The mullahs, who were never more than a marginal force in politics earlier, now dominate it. Any political equation without factoring in their role is meaningless.

With 'secular' leaders like Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif forced out, the field has been left open for the likes of Fazlur Rehman and Qazi Hussain Ahmed and a myriad of other second-line MMA leaders. Since this happened when the electronic media was coming into its own, it has given a visibility to the mullahs that would never have been possible before. They now stalk the land as the face of politics while the secular leaders languish in virtual obscurity.

At the societal level, the story is uniformly bleak for those who profess to be liberals. On the surface there seems to be much openness with fun and frolic continuing without the fear of police smelling breaths or asking for marriage certificates. The Women's Protection Bill has also given greater legal rights to raped women and people accused of consensual sex.

But, this is as far as liberalisation of the society goes. The radical elements have an aggressive intent and do not let any opportunity pass to enforce their will. The impact is visible all over the country. The tribal areas are virtually lost to the hardliners but as events of the last few weeks have shown, their influence is now rapidly expanding to the so-called settled areas of the frontier.

This is not because there is an MMA government in the province but despite it. It passed Hasba bill but is only for political mileage. Incumbency usually makes the ruling party unpopular. While the MMA as a unit may have lost votes, radical elements are certainly gaining in the province. The targeting of cable operators, video shop owners and even barber shops is now routine in Kohat, Nowshera, Mardan and even in Peshawar.

Islamabad itself cannot be seen as an aberration. There are a large number of seminaries in the city, often on encroached land, that are breeding grounds for vigilante action. In almost eight years, Musharraf has done nothing to check their growing number or bring them within the folds of mainstream education.

There are reports of madressah students visiting girls' schools and NGO offices telling the women to dress modestly. Even on the street, young girls wearing jeans or pants have been accosted and threatened. The time is not far off when vigilante groups will start targeting parties and diplomatic receptions on the pretext that alcohol and obscenity is thriving there. If we fear a clash of cultures, the place where it has the greatest potential of becoming overtly visible is Islamabad.

The smaller towns of Punjab and Sindh are spared the worst aspects of this culture clash because conservatism is already the norm there. But, it is only the size of the larger cities of Lahore and Karachi that has prevented open cultural warfare. The elite are ensconced in their enclaves and going about their liberal lifestyle because the vigilantes are physically removed from the action.

But, this is not likely to last. Religious conservatism or even vigilante radicalism is not an economic divide. It is by definition a cultural divide and equally visible among the rich and the poor. The success of many proselytising groups, such as Al Huda, among the well-off is an indication of that the liberal lifestyle is on the wane.

Many a former party animal is now for want of another term a 'born again' Muslim and the number of socialite women now turning to hijab is no longer an oddity. The country is poised to lurch towards conservatism as the governing societal norm. The fact this is happening under the rule of someone who openly claims to be liberal and enlightened should make us pause. There are many complex reasons for it but one important factor is the marginalisation of the mainstream and culturally moderate political forces.

It may still not be too late to arrest this trend towards radicalism if genuine democracy is given a chance. The exiled political leaders must be allowed to come back and play an active role in politics. This will by default counter the extremist religious forces. But as long as Musharraf sees them as a threat to his hold in power it will not happen. Herein lies the central dilemma behind the preaching of enlightened moderation.

Email: shafqatmd@gmail.com