Mass Confusion
I think that every reasonable person - whatever they thought of Ms. Bhutto - thought that this assassination was cowardly and idiotic. Benazir Bhutto now goes from being a failed and (allegedly) corrupt politician to near angelic status.
For me, this event symbolizes the mass chaos and confusion that we see. For me, it is a bitter reminder that for some there can be no debate in the arena of ideas. They define debate as them preaching to you for five minutes and afterwards you agreeing with them on each and every point and agreeing to become part of the hiveminded collective. Beyond that, the opposition must be eliminated.
The only debate that can take place is at the end of a weapon. I will either bully you into silence or I will kill you. Those who insist upon disagreement must be killed. There is no concept of intellectually debating the merits of an idea or a thought. Disagreement must be stifled. They can’t be reasoned or negotiated with. You must agree with them 100%.
Critically analyzing and evaluating subjects is - in their opinion - something dangerous. The common people are just too stupid to analyze or think for themselves. That is why they must do the thinking for the people. They must feed the people their opinions via bullet points.
It is ironic though that in their relentless pursuit of one mindedness and perfection, that chaos ensues. The smallest disagreement is a cause for violence. Because of this thinking, there can be no peaceful transfer of power from one party to another.
Filed under: The Culture of Denial and Pretense | Tagged: Benazir Bhutto
Let’s face it.
She wanted to be the next Eva Peron.
I am sure a Pakistani Lloyd Webber is underway.
She knew the danger waiting for her if she returned, and greed was the main motivation even it costed the security of her country.
You did not mention she was Shia and added innovation to Islam also she was very secular and Allah (SWT) knows best
Would that make any difference if I told you that it was her government that provided military and financial support for the Taliban? Literary supporting the Taliban in every means?
Some people here are old enough with fresh memories to back up these facts.
tariq nelson..these policies of not tolerating dissent are not necessarily coming from w/in pakistan..who do you think is pulling musharaf’s strings?
this is total common knowledge. why do u think they don’t want nawaz sharif..cuz thats when they said NO to US military aid and made the bomb…
Well, I think it’s kind of simplistic to say that this assassination was an attack on the free exchange of ideas. If indeed it was so-called Islamic extremists, talking about free debate is kind of a misnomer; it was more about a coordinated campaign against Pakistani politicians (even Musharraf has had attempts on his life). If it was someone else, like perhaps elements of the Pakistani government as some are alleging, it was an attack on a threat to somebody else’s power. I don’t disagree with your disgust at these events, I just get a sense that you are characterizing this particular violence with the lack of free debate or a free exchange of ideas. But we should remember that even the free exchange of ideas has to be “enforced,” and this often requires violence. If we take the Bush government at its word, then the war in Iraq is a war for the free exchange of ideas (ie, democracy, freedom, whatever other words they’d like to use). The point is that the so-called free exchange of ideas is not free of violence, but often produces it.
Gess is right, by the way, things are a bit more complicated than they seem. Benazir Bhutto’s record certainly was not clean of either moral or political blemishes. But that does not mean, as lala suggests, that her death is justified either because she was corrupt, Shia, or secular. It is probably not justified, according to almost any ethical system, for any of those reasons.
Oh, BTW lala,
The old alliance is back.
hint: ***red***
yaman,
I have never said her death was justified.
I only said, if she loved her country and her people, she would not come back to save from more problems, but apparently not.
Salaams,
Guys, Tariq Nelson is not presenting a symplistic picture of the assassination. He said that the fact that the ways some of Bhutto’s opponents used assassination to deal with her as a political threat is a REMINDER that for some there cannot be dissent. Brother Tariq has had death threats and character assassination. This event is symbolic for him. Perhaps we need to read more closely and carefully before trying to rip apart what somebody is trying to say.
I agree with brother Tariq. This event sent chills up my spine. I was never a big fan of Bhutto. But I am beginning to wonder if these tactics are going to spread. We already know that folks keep blowing up anti-Syrian politicians in Lebanon. It is just madness to me. I’m not blaming it on Islam, please, terrorism is not shariah compliant. I’m not buying into wild conspiracy theories that deny what some extremists are posting on their very own websites. There are Muslims who do justify terrorism and to me it is pretty twisted when they do. We have to find a way to de-legitimize terrorism as a tactic. Democratic processes and free exchange of ideas are related. To say that free exchange of ideas sparks violence is kind of off to me. The fact is, many people are intimidated, imprisoned, or killed for having ideas that either challenge the established authority or some extremist ideology.
AA- Margari,
“The fact is, many people are intimidated, imprisoned, or killed for having ideas that either challenge the established authority or some extremist ideology.”
Well said, and this has been happening long before 9/11 and the ensuing war on terror. High-level political assassinations are nothing new and are definitely not a tool monopolized by Islamists.
AA- Tariq,
While I agree that the free exchange of ideas is critical to development in the Muslim world, I wouldn’t be so quick to restrict this phenomenon of silencing the opposition to the extremists, that we are so quick to rightfully demonize.
As Sr. Margari mentioned, any challenge to the established authority results in intimidation, imprisonment, or even murder. We saw it with Mandela in South Africa, Anwar Ibrahim in Malaysia, Vanunu (Israeli nuclear whistleblower) in Israel, Malcom, Martin, and Kennedy in the US, Akbar Bugti’s assassination by Musharraf’s government, and countless other high-profile ‘gaggings’ in recent history.
“They define debate as them preaching to you for five minutes and afterwards you agreeing with them on each and every point and agreeing to become part of the hiveminded collective. Beyond that, the opposition must be eliminated.”
Why the need to focus on the Islamist element as if they are the only ones eliminating their opposition?
There is nothing unique to their convoluted Islamic interpretation that has allowed them to corner the market on silencing counter-ideas.
Its much more fundamental and baser than Islamic ideology. Its all about power and control. As long as man has this thirst for power, there will be silencing of the opposition.
Salaam brnaeem,
Not all of us are looking at this through the lens of 9/11. Yes, many of the West may, but I don’t. I witnessed the rise of terrorism in the 90s as a tactic in assymetric warfare, but state terrorism existed before then.
I do not feel that the critique is limited to Islamists. the critique also applies to the so called secular nationalist parties and strong men. How many Muslim majority nations have stable governments allowing multi-party elections (including Islamic parties)? The thing is, if we had on point analysists we could combat the negative perceptions people have in the West about Islam and some Muslim movements. I think it is important that we have legitimate Muslim political thinkers that can work a basic ethical system that is not based on repression but allows for free exchange of ideas.
Good article from Pakistani Journalist
http://www.ahmedquraishi.com/latest_col.php?id=9
PS.
I have emphasized his nationality, because there are dis-infos coming from India and of course Western Media.
Actually, we should be critically these times we are living in, and the only Trust we have is Allah(swt).
PPS,
Tariq, what is Kool Aid, and what do you mean?
^* critical^*
Thank you for today
gess,
Kool-Aid is an American drink of some sort. It is famous because the cult led by Jim Jones committed (enforced) mass suicide in the 1970s in the jungle of South America, by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid. They believed they were being taken to heaven, or rather their leaders/murderers told them that.
^ Now I understand. Thank you Yusuf.
BEFORE JUMPING ON THE BANDWAGON BLAMING ISLAM AND MUSLIMS
FOR BHUTTO MURDER, ASK DOES THE HIDDEN HAND OF SHAITAN COME
INTO OUR MINDS
There is a group of you who propagated the lie. Do not suppose it to be bad for you; rather it is good for you. Every one of them will incur the evil he has earned and the one who took it on himself to amplify it will receive a terrible punishment. (Surat an-Nur: 11)
POSTED EDITED AND WRITTEN BY IBN HAQQ RIHAZ RESEARCH
In the world we live in a problem exists that is threatening social peace and harmony in every nation big or small: moral degeneration. In other words, people have forsaken moral qualities like being good, righteous, honest, forgiving, just, compassionate and honorable, in exchange for immorality and have chosen amorality as a life philosophy.
The common view, which is true to some extent, that moral degeneration is an inevitable occurrence caused by the bad living conditions prevailing in society, does not provide a clear picture in relation to the causes and solutions to the problem because it fails to take into account a fundamental reality. It views social collapse as an independent phenomenon governed by its own internal processes, whereas the moral degeneration experienced in many countries of the world is deliberately directed and supported by a powerful body of people held together by a complex network of intricate relations and nefarious connections. IT IGNORES THE SOURCE HIZB UL SHAITAN.This party
Of satan is behind the scene of all chaos.
Education projects, seminars and campaigns, run by either the state or various non-governmental organizations aim to curb the effect of moral degeneration. However, these efforts have mostly failed to have a lasting effect. Moral degeneration is gaining momentum by the day because solutions are being sought in the wrong places and therefore these efforts end up in a vicious circle.
The most important reason for this vicious circle is that those groups or individuals seeking to combat decadence fail to appreciate the degree to which it is being purposely encouraged and directed. MUSLIMS have no excuse because we have the QURAN and the example of PROPHET MUHAMMAD (S.A.W).
He Stated That The Qur’an Was Good News And Guidance For Muslims
A relevant verse reads:
Say: “The Holy Spirit brought it down from your Lord in truth, to reassure the faithful, and to give guidance and good news for the Muslims.” (Surat an-Nahl, 102)
The Prophet (saas) also stressed the importance of obedience in the hadiths: “Whoever obeys me, obeys Allah, and whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah, and whoever obeys the ruler I appoint, obeys me, and whoever disobeys him, disobeys me.” (Sahih Bukhari) For this reason, obedience to the messenger is at the heart religion and showing this obedience surely comes about through strict submissiveness to the issues conveyed by messengers.
YOU ASK BUT WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH BHUTTOS MURDER
Occasionally members of the party of satan can find themselves face to face with events which threaten to expose their wicked way of life. Considered to be very dangerous in cases like these, one of their most commonly used tactics is to resort to assignation in order to save themselves. The UMMAH surely remembers UMAR (R.A) UTHMAN (R.A) and ALI (R.A) .These brave companions were killed by the enemies of Haqq.Today we have seen the maryrtodom of many Muslims who stood against BATIL.
Everyone who has studied the situation knows the West brought Bhutto back to serve their interest. Islam is a perfect system that has no need of democracy. The Qur’an’s description of Satan’s behavior reveals the diabolical nature of this strategy. Satan too is a creature who lies, throws tantrums, provokes and confuses people with his trickery:
Do you not see that We send the satans against those who disbelieve to goad them on? (Qur’an, 19: 83)
Stir up any of them you can with your voice and rally against them your cavalry and your infantry and share with them in their children and their wealth and make them promises! The promise of Satan is nothing but delusion. (Qur’an, 17: 64)
Here is how shaitan works today
1) A government creates and takes advantage of a problem or crisis (terrorism is the perfect example).
2) After news media repetition, the population reacts by asking the government to fix the problem.
3) The government finally offers the solution, which was planned long before the crisis was created
Creating a lie too seemingly absurd to have been contrived that everyone will have to believe its true is the principle behind the Big Lie theory. The opposite of that is creating a reality so absurd that no one will believe it. The latter is the guiding principle behind government “Black Ops.”
Normally dismissed by rational people as the product of an overactive imagination, the existence of “Black” operations, or the intelligence operations of a government to inflict violence and destruction upon its citizens (or those of a friendly country) to create a pretext for desired military intervention, has been documented in recent history.
Take Operation Northwoods. According to an ABC News report on November 7, 2001, “In the early 1960s, America’s top military leaders reportedly drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Cuba.” Certainly there are those in the intelligence and political establishments who value the utility of “Black” intelligence ops, especially when the stakes are so high: the seizure of the world’s wealth and resources, empire building, global economic superiority, and cultural imperialism. A country that touts itself as a beacon for human rights and the rule of international law and legitimacy cannot launch attacks against other countries without a pretext. So, if one doesn’t exist, it must be created.
The lady was corrupt and was convicted in at least one country outside of Pakistan. The idea that she was a solution to the problems, rather than actually part of the problem, is a joke.
Take a look at the picture below. No, it is not a mosque, it is not a shrine built to a holy man, a saint, nor is it a cathedral, it is the tomb built for her father and where she is now buried.
In country where millions do not have enough to eat, in a country where there is little or no access to healthcare for the masses, her family spent millions to build what looks like a miny Taj Mahal to cover the place where one man is built.
You can ignore the fact that building such buildings for the dead is haram in Islam, but you’d also have to ignore the fact that the millions and millions used to build the place was probably stolen from the poor of Pakistan.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44323000/jpg/_44323667_mausoleum_afp_416.jp
Also there was an Israeli connection. Israeli media reports on Friday revealed that slain Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto intended to establish official relations with the Jewish state if elected and was seeking Mossad protection in the interim.
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert grieved over Bhutto’s assassination following an election rally on Thursday, and said that upon her return to Pakistan in October after years of exile Bhutto conveyed to him via a mutual acquaintance that she wanted close ties between Israel and Pakistan.
The Hebrew daily newspaper Ma’ariv further revealed that Bhutto had asked Israel’s Mossad spy agency, along with the CIA and Britain’s Scotland Yard, to help protect her in the run-up to Pakistan’s January 8 election. Bhutto complained that current Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was trying to make her an easy target for assassination by not allowing her to use adequate protective measures.
According to the report, Israel’s Foreign Ministry was in favor of aiding Bhutto, though the government ultimately decided against it for fear of angering the Musharraf regime and upsetting relations with neighboring India, a close ally of Israel engaged in an ongoing bitter confrontation with Pakistan.
Israeli leaders lamented that Bhutto, a popular former prime minister who was twice deposed by authoritarian elements, could have served as a bridge between Israel and the Muslim world.
Don’t lionize Bhutto - she is NOT what the media is presenting (latest distraction)…an aristocrat who cares for the poor of Pakistan. She did ZERO for them during her two terms as Prime Minister - where she lived in a $50 million dollar mansion. Ms. Bhutto comes from a very wealthy Pakistani family (feudal landlord). She went to Radcliff - Harvard - Oxford.
The officials in Pakistan (including Prime Minister) live high on the hog amidst such dire poverty! Ms. Bhutto lived in a $50 million dollar mansion, talking about the poor. As Prime Minister she did zero. Just a fact - she’s who the media has created her to be for this MOMENT in time - and people are buying it. Smoke and Mirrors rules the day.
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS BHUTTOS HOMES
Before becoming maudlin over her death (any death is tragic - many others died besides her) - you should take the TIME to read what Amy Goodman - Democracy Now (one semi-trusted news source) and her interview with Tarqui Ali (Pakistani historian). Tarqui should know - NOT these talking PR heads on TV who has never been to Pakistan!
Also, if you want to be informed (Google) take the time to read the in-depth (great) expose that was done Jan 9,1998 - New York Times, ‘House of Graft: Tracing the Bhutto Millions’. Now there’s a story for you –$1.3 billion siphoned out of Pakistan by Bhutto (husband Asif Zardari) - documented by Swiss accounts - investigations by Interpol - France - Spain - and the UK. Ms. Bhutto’s husband was known as Mr. 10% because of the graft he took on all government contracts!
They have homes everywhere - including a 350 acre estate in the UK, a mansion in Dubai on the Arabian Sea, etc. It is astounding (at least to me) the intrigue and corruption (from everywhere) that goes on in these deals. Musharraf granted Bhutto, her husband, associated politicians and bureaucrats involved in this vast money-laundering (theft from Pakistan) a full Presidential pardon (amnesty) which would ‘unlock’ the countless millions they have stashed in various accounts as determined by investigations done by numerous countries. You KNOW he didn’t grant the pardons without a GREEN light from the BIG BOYS (global). This was a Made for TV Martyrdom.
Would that there had been more people with a vestige of good among the generations of those who came before you, who forbade corruption in the earth, other than the few among them whom We saved… (Qur’an, 11: 116)
We need Muslim leaders who fear ALLAH. Covetousness for the world accounts for people’s cruelties and immoralities. The main worry of many people is about becoming poor, or having no guarantee of their future. These concerns essentially explain why bribery, corruption, theft, false witnessing and prostitution become ways of life for many people. For someone who has faith in Allah, however, the approval of Allah is over and above everything else. Such a person avoids anything that will cause him to lose the approval of Allah. In his heart, he only harbors fear of Allah; neither death, nor hunger, nor any other hardship can divert him from the right path.
Consequently, no matter what the circumstances, a person having fear of Allah never deviates from the Qur’an. Equally, he is trustworthy. He always acts conscientiously. Having a profound sense that Allah sees and hears everything, he does not attempt to act against his conscience even when alone.
ALLAH SAYS …Those who misappropriate will arrive on the Day of Rising with what they have misappropriated. Then every self will be paid in full for what it earned. They will not be wronged. Is someone who pursues the pleasure of Allah the same as someone who incurs displeasure from Allah and whose refuge is Hell? What an evil destination! (Surah Ali ‘Imran: 161-162)
I AM NOT MAKING LIGHT OF THIS DEATH JUST DON’T JUMP ON SHAITANS BANDWAGON