By Farhat Taj...
What are we first of all: Muslim or Pakistani? Is our ultimate commitment with Pakistani citizenship or a global Muslim brotherhood? What kind of Pakistan should we aim at: a progressive multi-ethnic social democracy or some kind of medieval caliphate?
FATA continues to be
used and abused as a strategic space by the security establishment of Pakistan in violent pursuit of strategic depth in Afghanistan. In short, strategic depth means Pakistan must have a pro-Pakistan government in Afghanistan by any and all means. People of FATA have suffered more than people in any other part of Pakistan due to this policy. They dread and hate ‘strategic depth’.
Some people of FATA drew my attention towards Zaid Hamid, who, they said, is a new charm offensive of the military establishment to popularise the notion of strategic depth among the youth from affluent families in the big cities of Pakistan. He is frequently given air time by the electronic media, also an evidence that the media, especially the Urdu media, is not free and has to toe the establishment’s line in security matters. Show biz celebrities have joined him. Those who oppose the strategic depth, especially the Pakhtun, who are the biggest casualty of it, are never given so much media attention.
The main concern of the people of FATA vis-a-vis Zaid Hamid is his use of a particularly narrow interpretation of Islam that proposes a belligerent agenda for the Pakistan Army and drawing on controversial Islamic literature. Thus the authenticity of the hadiths — sayings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) — on Ghazwa-e-Hind that he often refers to in terms of the ultimate defeat of the Indians at the hands of the Pakistan Army is highly questionable.
Zaid Hamid claims in his speeches to young people that God determines the destiny of Pakistan. Pakistan will become a grand Caliphate. Pakistan army will cut India down to the size of Sri Lanka. Pakistan will lead the entire Muslim world and its army will be deployed in Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya and Afghanistan. The corrupt judicial system, consisting of the lawyers and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, will be replaced by an Islamic judicial system that would ensure — Taliban style — speedy and cheap justice. He claims that the current elected set up in Pakistan is implanted by the CIA and prophesies that the current rulers in Pakistan will have their dead bodies hanging on poles in Islamabad, an indirect appreciation of what the Taliban did in Afghanistan with the dead body of Dr Najibullah, the then Afghan president. He openly threatens the nationalists, especially the Pakhtun and Baloch nationalists, for their aspirations. The Taliban government in Afghanistan, he declares, was Pakistan-friendly and condemns its removal by the US in the post-9/11 attack on the country. He glorifies the biggest mass murderer of the Pakhtun — General Zia, the former dictator of Pakistan.
Judging by the obscurantist message that he communicates, Zaid Hamid does not seem to be a new invention of the establishment. He is an addition to the long list of people who have been handpicked to promote an anti-people agenda in the name of religion and hate of India, like the people from the Jamaat-e-Islami. What seems to be new is his apparent ‘tolerance’ of the ‘un-Islamic’ lifestyle of the urban youth and in this context there are some interesting discussions about Zaid Hamid on some blogs and mailing lists. One blogger writes that Zaid Hamid is using a new strategy to communicate the same old conspiracy theories to young people. The strategy is that unlike classical Islamic scholars, joining Zaid Hamid’s group does not necessarily require the youth to shed their sophisticated lifestyle and adjust to hijab, a ban on music and gender segregation. The only thing they have to do is to glorify the Pakistan Army, including its pursuit of strategic depth, and hate Jews, Americans and Indians.
A writer on one of the mailing lists argues that Zaid Hamid is a Pied Piper for our youth from the prosperous sections of Punjab who have no dreams to be proud of. Zaid Hamid sells the dreams of conquering the world, though they are nonsense, yet still work for the youth who are now caught up in an identity crisis, continues the writer. The writer understands that the fault lies with the leftist intellectuals who have lost direction by joining NGOs and leaving the anti-imperialist struggle open for people like Zaid Hamid or Imran Khan.
Zaid Hamid, in his show, sets a dangerous agenda for the youth of Pakistan; the very same youth who are living a comfortable life in poverty-stricken Pakistan. They lack any ambitions in life to give it some purpose. This lack of goals is rooted in the identity crisis being faced by the Pakistani youth. The crisis is expressed in questions like these: what are we first of all: Muslim or Pakistani? Is our ultimate commitment with Pakistani citizenship or a global Muslim brotherhood? What kind of Pakistan should we aim at: a progressive multi-ethnic social democracy or some kind of medieval caliphate?
Secondly, one has to strive very hard for ideals. If the ideal is the former (multi-ethnic social democratic Pakistan), the youth from affluent families will have to share their riches with the poor, downtrodden fellow citizens. This is very hard for this class of people, otherwise I would at least have seen them working for bringing normalcy in the shattered lives of the people of FATA, who have been living in deplorable conditions in refugee camps for over two years now. In the latter case (caliphate) they can placate their conscience by attaching themselves with the higher ideal without having to give up something from their comfortable lives. The only thing they have to do is to support the belligerent agenda of the military establishment and their poor fellow Pakistanis can go to hell. Zaid Hamid’s campaign is like opium for the young that makes them run away from reality, i.e. Pakistan is a class-based multi-ethnic society that cannot be held together with mere Islamic rhetoric and military ambitions.
What is even more dangerous is the fact that Zaid Hamid is glorifying the same Taliban that the people of FATA hold responsible for their massacre at the behest of the military establishment of Pakistan. Case in point, Jalaluddin Haqqani who occupies North Waziristan. I would invite the young fans of Zaid Hamid to take a tour of FATA, or at least FATA IDP camps in various parts of the NWFP, to observe firsthand what the Taliban and the military did to these people. I would remind the youth that people all over FATA hold the generals of the Pakistan Army more than the Taliban responsible for the death and destruction in their area. They view the Taliban — all Taliban, good, bad, Afghan or Pakistani — as a creation of the intelligence agencies of our country. How much more do the people of FATA need to sacrifice for strategic depth in Afghanistan? The never-ending human sufferings in the area could transform into widespread anti-state sentiments. The youth around Zaid Hamid must know that the current pursuit of strategic depth may turn into — as rightly described in this paper’s editorial ‘Strategic death’? (Daily Times, February 3, 2010) –’strategic death’ for Pakistan rather than securing a friendly Afghanistan.
The writer is a research fellow at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Research, University of Oslo, and a member of Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy.
Zaid hamid relations with ninja Agenies
Khawer khan
Cross-posted from Let Us Build Pakistan.
Zaid Hamid’s meteoric rise and recent fall has been analyzed by a number of commentators. One aspect of his story that has been missing is Zaid Hamid’s connections to the Pakistani intelligence community. In any case, at this point it seems that the intelligence community has withdrawn its support from Zaid Hamid.
So how did it all start?
Zaid Hamid arrived on the scene as a “security analyst”, commenting on international security issues. He launched a low budget show called “Brasstacks”, named after his own security consulting business, at the fag-end of the Musharraf era.
Well placed sources close to key figures in Pakistani civilian intelligence claim that Intelligence Bearu officers were, at one point, bragging about their success with the Zaid Hamid project. There is considerable confusion regarding the actual reporting structure of IB. While officially it answers to the Prime Minister many allege that the military remains a powerful influence.
In any case IB wasn’t the only parent in the intelligence world for Zaid Hamid. Even before he got his own show, Hamid appeared on PTV with as an analysit on Ahmed Qureshi’s show. Qureshi, himself a product of Musharraf’s demise, has long thought to be linked to the ISI.
The intelligence world does not work like many people think. “Journalists” and other assets of the intelligence community are usually not on a “payroll”. Although this certainly does happen at times, what is more common is that a journalist falls under the influence of intelligence agencies that often feed the journalist with information that helps his or her career grow. While Zaid Hamid is not a journalist, he is a media personality. So it stands to reason that his links to the agencies are of a similar nature.
Nor do Pakistan’s three intelligence agencies (IB, ISI, MI) always work in unison. They are often at odds with each other and can behave like three passive aggressive housewives of a poor man.
It is in this context that Zaid Hamid was adopted, apparently collectively by IB and ISI, and promoted as a mouthpiece. While what he said was shocking to many thinking people, many have observed that what he said was usually in consonance with official state doctrine as expressed in education policy.
In an article on extremism, but not specifically Zaid Hamid, Pervez Hoodhboy quotes the National Bureau of Curriculum and Textbooks Federal Ministry of Education.
Social Studies: At the completion of Class-V, the child should be able to:
* “Acknowledge and identify forces that may be working against Pakistan.”[pg154]
* “Demonstrate by actions a belief in the fear of Allah.” [pg154]
* “Make speeches on Jihad and Shahadat (martyrdom)” [pg154]
* “Understand Hindu-Muslim differences and the resultant need for Pakistan.” [pg154]
* “India’s evil designs against Pakistan.” [pg154]
* “Be safe from rumor mongers who spread false news” [pg158]
* “Collect pictures of policemen, soldiers, and National Guards” [pg158]
* “Demonstrate respect for the leaders of Pakistan” [pg153]
If the last of these can be understood to mean the military leadership, Zaid Hamid has been hitting the nail on the head in terms of reinforcing state sponsored ideology. As always, the function of ‘state ideology’ is to promote an understanding of the world that aligns with the interests of the ruling elite. If we take a step back and actually look at what Zaid Hamid had been promoting in terms of geo-politics we see clear links with these interests. But that requires another piece, lets get back to the point…
In recent weeks we have seen the security establishment in Pakistan reposition its self in response to changes in Afghanistan. Several key leaders of the ‘Afghan Taliban’ have been arrested in Pakistan. There has been speculation that these arrests were to ensure that Pakistan has a seat at the table when U.S. Imperialism plays its final hand in Afghanistan. The anticipation is that the U.S. is stuck in an unwindable war and will be forced to take a backseat role soon, allowing “reconciable” elements of the Taliban a share in power. Apparently the Pakistani establishment has decided that it had better mediate on behalf of the Afghan Taliban. This requires that the leadership of the Taliban be in Pakistani possession. This new calculus is in sharp contradiction with Zaid Hamid’s position that the Afghan Taliban must be supported openly.
This fact coupled with the recent revelations that Zaid Hamid had misled his followers about his views on Muhammed Yousef Ali have made Hamid less of an asset and more a liability for his erstwhile masters. The intelligence world seems to have dumped Hamid.
So what indications do we have these these lovers have broken up?
A number of right-wing groups, also supported by the state, have risen up in opposition to Zaid Hamid due to his views on Mohammad Yousef Ali. If Zaid Hamid continued to enjoy the backing of the intelligence apparatus, the issue would have been handled differently. After all, Hamid’s links to Yousef were well known from the start.
More recently even ISI mouthpiece Ahmed Qureshi has been distancing himself from Hamid. On a recent note on his facebook page Qureshi writes:
“Several young Pakistanis have emailed me a link to this article and asked me if I support Mr. Zaid Hamid’s position in the current controversy over a convicted blasphemer, Yusuf Kazzab.
My answer is: No, I don’t.
This article was written in 2008 and has nothing to do with Mr. Hamid’s current positions and projects. It was a response to criticism by defeatist elements in the Pakistani media who were upset at the increase in the number of PakNationalist writers promoting a new assertive strain in Pakistan’s foreign policy and advocating a stronger stance on Pakistan’s legitimate security and strategic interests in the region.
So the context of this article is Pakistan’s policy issues. As for the current controversy, I regret to inform you that I disagree with Mr. Hamid’s position of not coming clean on the issue of the convicted blasphemer. As such, I do not support his current work and public statements relevant to this question. Mr. Hamid’s current position has resulted in an unfortunate and unnecessary confusion among young Pakistanis.
A distinction must be made between promoting Pakistani interest, which is commendable coming from anyone including Mr. Hamid, and between his personal religious views which are his own business, especially the refusal to accept Supreme Court’s verdict on a convicted blasphemer. Whatever his position, this issue has nothing to do with the pro-Pakistan movement that young Pakistanis are spearheading across Pakistan. Please keep the two separate.
This clarification is important in order not to confuse the context of my article written in 2008 – which touches on a general debate between defeatist and pro-Pakistan camps within the Pakistani media – and the current controversy.
As for TAKMEEL project, I have nothing to do with it. It’s a great idea and I know many of its organizers and supporters. They are well-intentioned and patriotic Pakistanis. But I am afraid the project has been detracted by kooky ideas and zombie theories. Any effort that turns divisive and fails to unite is more harmful than useful. Let’s hope for the best.
This comment answers several points that I have received in tens of emails and privates messages and calls over the past few days.
Don’t let unnecessary controversies and divisions stand in the way of shaping a new, storng and prosperous Pakistan in this century.”
This is a significant development since Qureshi went a step beyond distancing himself from Hamid due to the Yousef Ali controversy, and has gone so far to to refers to Hamid’s views “ kooky ideas and zombie theories.”
Zaid Hamid might still have some currency for the intelligence community, but recent signs show a clear distance between Hamid and the three wives of the poor man.
At long last, we may be closer to a time when we no longer have to say the words “intelligence” and “Zaid Hamid” in the same sentence. They never quite seemed to belong together.
Cross-posted from Let Us Build Pakistan.
Zaid Hamid’s meteoric rise and recent fall has been analyzed by a number of commentators. One aspect of his story that has been missing is Zaid Hamid’s connections to the Pakistani intelligence community. In any case, at this point it seems that the intelligence community has withdrawn its support from Zaid Hamid.
So how did it all start?
Zaid Hamid arrived on the scene as a “security analyst”, commenting on international security issues. He launched a low budget show called “Brasstacks”, named after his own security consulting business, at the fag-end of the Musharraf era.
Well placed sources close to key figures in Pakistani civilian intelligence claim that Intelligence Bearu officers were, at one point, bragging about their success with the Zaid Hamid project. There is considerable confusion regarding the actual reporting structure of IB. While officially it answers to the Prime Minister many allege that the military remains a powerful influence.
In any case IB wasn’t the only parent in the intelligence world for Zaid Hamid. Even before he got his own show, Hamid appeared on PTV with as an analysit on Ahmed Qureshi’s show. Qureshi, himself a product of Musharraf’s demise, has long thought to be linked to the ISI.
The intelligence world does not work like many people think. “Journalists” and other assets of the intelligence community are usually not on a “payroll”. Although this certainly does happen at times, what is more common is that a journalist falls under the influence of intelligence agencies that often feed the journalist with information that helps his or her career grow. While Zaid Hamid is not a journalist, he is a media personality. So it stands to reason that his links to the agencies are of a similar nature.
Nor do Pakistan’s three intelligence agencies (IB, ISI, MI) always work in unison. They are often at odds with each other and can behave like three passive aggressive housewives of a poor man.
It is in this context that Zaid Hamid was adopted, apparently collectively by IB and ISI, and promoted as a mouthpiece. While what he said was shocking to many thinking people, many have observed that what he said was usually in consonance with official state doctrine as expressed in education policy.
In an article on extremism, but not specifically Zaid Hamid, Pervez Hoodhboy quotes the National Bureau of Curriculum and Textbooks Federal Ministry of Education.
Social Studies: At the completion of Class-V, the child should be able to:
* “Acknowledge and identify forces that may be working against Pakistan.”[pg154]
* “Demonstrate by actions a belief in the fear of Allah.” [pg154]
* “Make speeches on Jihad and Shahadat (martyrdom)” [pg154]
* “Understand Hindu-Muslim differences and the resultant need for Pakistan.” [pg154]
* “India’s evil designs against Pakistan.” [pg154]
* “Be safe from rumor mongers who spread false news” [pg158]
* “Collect pictures of policemen, soldiers, and National Guards” [pg158]
* “Demonstrate respect for the leaders of Pakistan” [pg153]
If the last of these can be understood to mean the military leadership, Zaid Hamid has been hitting the nail on the head in terms of reinforcing state sponsored ideology. As always, the function of ‘state ideology’ is to promote an understanding of the world that aligns with the interests of the ruling elite. If we take a step back and actually look at what Zaid Hamid had been promoting in terms of geo-politics we see clear links with these interests. But that requires another piece, lets get back to the point…
In recent weeks we have seen the security establishment in Pakistan reposition its self in response to changes in Afghanistan. Several key leaders of the ‘Afghan Taliban’ have been arrested in Pakistan. There has been speculation that these arrests were to ensure that Pakistan has a seat at the table when U.S. Imperialism plays its final hand in Afghanistan. The anticipation is that the U.S. is stuck in an unwindable war and will be forced to take a backseat role soon, allowing “reconciable” elements of the Taliban a share in power. Apparently the Pakistani establishment has decided that it had better mediate on behalf of the Afghan Taliban. This requires that the leadership of the Taliban be in Pakistani possession. This new calculus is in sharp contradiction with Zaid Hamid’s position that the Afghan Taliban must be supported openly.
This fact coupled with the recent revelations that Zaid Hamid had misled his followers about his views on Muhammed Yousef Ali have made Hamid less of an asset and more a liability for his erstwhile masters. The intelligence world seems to have dumped Hamid.
So what indications do we have these these lovers have broken up?
A number of right-wing groups, also supported by the state, have risen up in opposition to Zaid Hamid due to his views on Mohammad Yousef Ali. If Zaid Hamid continued to enjoy the backing of the intelligence apparatus, the issue would have been handled differently. After all, Hamid’s links to Yousef were well known from the start.
More recently even ISI mouthpiece Ahmed Qureshi has been distancing himself from Hamid. On a recent note on his facebook page Qureshi writes:
“Several young Pakistanis have emailed me a link to this article and asked me if I support Mr. Zaid Hamid’s position in the current controversy over a convicted blasphemer, Yusuf Kazzab.
My answer is: No, I don’t.
This article was written in 2008 and has nothing to do with Mr. Hamid’s current positions and projects. It was a response to criticism by defeatist elements in the Pakistani media who were upset at the increase in the number of PakNationalist writers promoting a new assertive strain in Pakistan’s foreign policy and advocating a stronger stance on Pakistan’s legitimate security and strategic interests in the region.
So the context of this article is Pakistan’s policy issues. As for the current controversy, I regret to inform you that I disagree with Mr. Hamid’s position of not coming clean on the issue of the convicted blasphemer. As such, I do not support his current work and public statements relevant to this question. Mr. Hamid’s current position has resulted in an unfortunate and unnecessary confusion among young Pakistanis.
A distinction must be made between promoting Pakistani interest, which is commendable coming from anyone including Mr. Hamid, and between his personal religious views which are his own business, especially the refusal to accept Supreme Court’s verdict on a convicted blasphemer. Whatever his position, this issue has nothing to do with the pro-Pakistan movement that young Pakistanis are spearheading across Pakistan. Please keep the two separate.
This clarification is important in order not to confuse the context of my article written in 2008 – which touches on a general debate between defeatist and pro-Pakistan camps within the Pakistani media – and the current controversy.
As for TAKMEEL project, I have nothing to do with it. It’s a great idea and I know many of its organizers and supporters. They are well-intentioned and patriotic Pakistanis. But I am afraid the project has been detracted by kooky ideas and zombie theories. Any effort that turns divisive and fails to unite is more harmful than useful. Let’s hope for the best.
This comment answers several points that I have received in tens of emails and privates messages and calls over the past few days.
Don’t let unnecessary controversies and divisions stand in the way of shaping a new, storng and prosperous Pakistan in this century.”
This is a significant development since Qureshi went a step beyond distancing himself from Hamid due to the Yousef Ali controversy, and has gone so far to to refers to Hamid’s views “ kooky ideas and zombie theories.”
Zaid Hamid might still have some currency for the intelligence community, but recent signs show a clear distance between Hamid and the three wives of the poor man.
At long last, we may be closer to a time when we no longer have to say the words “intelligence” and “Zaid Hamid” in the same sentence. They never quite seemed to belong together.
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