Happy New Year

Nasir Khan, Dec. 31, 2016

Happy New year to all our readers and friends!
—
Come, fill the cup, and in the fire of spring
Your winter garment of repentance fling.
The bird of time has but a little way
To flutter – and the bird is on the wing.

— Omar Khayyam

US Secretary Kerry's speech

  Nasir Khan, Dec. 28, 2016

No doubt, Secretary Kerry's speech was crafted quite cleverly. One can't but be amused by the linguistic chicanery he displayed by putting Israeli Zionists and occupied Palestinians in the same category!

However, the task of defending the undefendable policies of US imperialism in relation to the occupied people of Palestine and the Zionist rulers is not easy. Nevertheless, the question is: Why did he make this speech now when the Obama administration would be gone in about three weeks' time, and not before? He had some four years to speak candidly in public, even for facilitating the continuing expansion of the Zionist state!

As I see it, Kerry's speech will be exploited to the full by Zionists, both in Israel and America, to play the victim card and blame the Palestinians for having stood in the way of peace! Period.
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Two-state solution the 'only way' achieve peace in Middle East, says John Kerry

John Kerry has delivered perhaps his most impassioned speech on the Israel-Palestinian crisis - insisting that a two-state solution is the only way to achieve peace…

independent.co.uk

On the unity of workers for a socialist world order

Nasir Khan, December 27, 2016

When the workers of all countries unite for the common cause of a creating a society where the capitalists and owners of the means of production do not control the lives and destinies of the 99% of human beings in the world, any such unity in Marxist thought is known as proletarian internationalism.

The goal of the struggle of the working masses including peasants and landless serfs is primarily to defend themselves against the power and domination of the owners of means of production that they mostly use for augmenting their own wealth and upholding their privileges. The ideas about the unity of working classes to create a humane world has been the focus of theoretical and practical activities of generations of socialists since the founders of Scientific Socialism formulated their economic and political theories in the 19th century.

The first major step in creating a socialist society took place in Czarist Russia where the Bolsheviks under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin overthrew the old dynastic rule and introduced the Soviet system.

The success of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 was a catalyst for revolutionary activities of the working masses in many countries and also a clarion call to the colonised people to overthrow their colonial masters. As a result, anti-colonial struggles became a powerful force in many Afro-Asian countries. Many countries, big and small, succeeded in throwing off the yoke of European masters.

But in many instances the local ruling classes that emerged had their roots in privileged classes or groups. The struggle for political and economic exploitation became their sole interest. While such leaders plundered their own people and used the political system as a camouflage for furthering their interests, the plight of the poor people remained a non-issue for them. In any case, it is little consolation to the working class, poor or starving people that their “glorious” saviours and leaders have hundreds of millions of dollars stacked in secret banks accounts in Switzerland, France, Britain and America!

However, such exploitation and downright plunder is not incidental. It is endemic, and closely related to how the capitalist political and economic system works. As long as capitalism lives, such exploitation will have its sway. In the third world countries, the problem of institutionalied brainwashing coupled with the exploitation of religion and cheap deceptive slogans at the hands of the ruling elites will continue to play havoc with the people of many Afro-Asian countries.

No doubt, capitalism is wonderful for a few but a disaster for many. To address such issues, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels advocated socialist democracy and a socialist system in place of capitalism. To achieve that goal, political education of working classe people is the first step and that education is part of the political activity that is expressed by the unity of the workers.

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What is the meaning of sword on the Saudi flag?

Nasir Khan, Dec. 22, 2016


On the Saudi flag is the Islamic confession of faith, which in English reads, "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his preophet". But what is the sword doing here under this text? A sword is not made to cut vegetables or grass but to fight with and cut human beings who in conflicts are perceived as your enemies and opponents.

A sword is a symbol of military and physical power, violence and threat of coercion, not of peace or humanity.

Why should the Saudi Kingdom abuse the holy confession of all Muslims by showing this symbol of violence? Why not to show the symbol of a book instead that signifies knowledge, wisdom and humanity?

Most Muslims believe that their religion stands for peace and humanity. But by showing a sword on their flag, what sort of signal are the Saudi dynastic rulers sending to the rest of the world about Islam, its universal message of love and fraternity?

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Inferior status of women - a bird's eyeview of the old problem

Nasir Khan, December 12, 2016

The question of inferior status of women runs through many old civilisations but not all. For instance, in ancient Persian civilisation that flourished under Achaeminid and Sassanid rulers, women were given a much more exalted status than under the Greek and Roman civilisations.

However, under the teachings and the rule of Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century A.D. some steps towards the recognition of their rights to property and contractual marriages were taken but they were mostly a replica of the traditional practices of the tribal society of Arabia. The only innovation was that they were loosely codified in the holy book of Islam. The claim that pre-Islamic Arab women enjoyed no rights is contrary to historical evidence.

Soon after the end of the rule of Prophet Muhammad’s successors and the frequent internecine conflicts between the contending parties for political power and domination as in old pre-Islamic times, there was also a backlash against the improved status of women. Within a few decades, under the Omayyed dynastic rule women were relegated to a secondary status as compared to men.

What is striking here is the fact that this had more to do with the emergence of Islamic jurisprudence and its hold on a growing Muslim society as a whole and the status of women in particular! The triple divorce formula belongs to that juridic tradition and basically has little to do with the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. 

Note: But what is a triple divorce formula in Islamic sharia law? In brief,  when a Muslim man says to his wife: I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you, then under the Islamic law and social practice a legally binding divorce comes into effect.
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Triple talaq unconstitutional, it violates rights of Muslim women: Allahabad high court - Times of India

 

NEW DELHI: In a major boost to women's rights, the Allahabad high court today called the Islamic practice of divorcing a woman by saying the word 'talaq' three successive…

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Eternal Glory to El Commandante Fidel Castro!

  Nasir Khan, November 26, 2016

The death of Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro is a sad occasion for all those comrades and friends who for decades have shown solidarity with the people of Cuba and the Cuban revolution.

Since the victory of the Cuban revolution, the U.S. rulers did their utmost to stifle the revolution and kill its leader. To this end, they hatched some 638 schemes to assassinate him and also made actual attempts to this end. However, the criminal syndicate of US rulers to carry out subversive acts in the world, the CIA, did not succeed. As we all know, Fidel Castro died a natural death in his mature age.

The American rulers could not face the fact that the Cuban revolutionaries who overthrew the US-ally, dictator Batista, were to choose the path of Socialism. In the eyes of Washington this was an unforgivable offence. To keep their hegemonic control of the Caribbean they organised the invasion of Cuba in 1961. But the US-backed Bay of Pigs invasion failed.

In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world closer to a nuclear war but luckily the American military hawks did not send us into the nuclear inferno! In fact, it was the Soviet leadership that showed restraint by pulling the recently-placed missiles in Cuba that were placed there in the first place to defend Cuba against American military aggression. In this way, a major crisis was averted that had the potential to ignite a global war.

Despite all the hostile American policies and sabotage, the Cuban revolution stood its ground. Fidel Castro rose to every challenge and heroically mobilised his people to confront the American imperialism.

The collapse of the Soviet Union drastically changed the world political scene with far-reaching repercussions for the Socialist movement. Now Cuba was alone and many thought the end of Socialism in Cuba was just a questions of time. But the resilience of the Cuban people under the inspiring leadership of Fidel Castro and the Communist Party of Cuba did not slacken. Notwithstanding many economic hardships, the rallying cry of Castro was ‘Socialism or death’. That meant no compromise with the neighbour, the only superpower and bully that wanted its hegemony accepted without question.

Another disconcerting factor for the Cuban revolutionary government was to see China and Vietnam taking the path of ‘raw capitalism’ while they still retained the name of socialism for their one-party bureaucratic system. Yet, this did not dampen the spirit of Fidel Castro. The revolutionary remained firm in his resolve to lead the fight for Socialism and an independent Cuba. His example inspired Latin American revolutionaries like Hugo Chavez and others.

His name and legacy will endure and continue to inspire new generations of revolutionary workers and activists for a socialist future.

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Aracelia del Valle

Religions are for People, not for any State

Nasir Khan, November 16, 2016

In 1971, the people of East Pakistan achieved their political separation from West Pakistan at a very high cost. The country since then called Bangladesh like many Asian countries has been a traditional country where religions in the lives of its people have played an important part as a cohesive force. There are Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and others living in this country.

It is good to see a state adhering to the principle of non-partisanship in matters of religion and treating the followers of all faiths as equal citizens where the followers of minority religions have no fears of discrimination and recriminations. Obviously, the role of state in modern times is much different from what it was in the middle ages.

In democracies, religion and state are separated. No person of sound mind any longer stands for a coercive state that imposes its own version of religion on its citizens. Only the misguided and indoctrinated people oppose the separation of state and religion. However, a democratic state remains neutral in matters of religion; it does not favour or patronise one section of the population over the others merely because of religion. This is the path of secularism in which state respects all religions without letting any religion dictate its political and social policies in any way. Under such a system, people can practise their religions and follow their religious traditions without any intervention from the state.

If Bangladesh follows the democratic model and allows the people to follow whatever religions they want to follow without patronising one religion as state religion then the country has taken a major step in the right direction. No doubt, conservative and retrogressive forces within the country will oppose any such democratic and humane path.

                                     . . . . .  . . . . . 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/bangladesh-islam-state-religion-government-considers-dropping-a7418366.html

Government officials in Bangladesh are considering dropping Islam as the country’s national religion after a senior politician claimed Bangladeshi people have embraced “a force of secularism”.

Dr Abdur Razzak, a leading member of Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League party, proposed the religion be withdrawn from the country’s constitution during a discussion at the National Press Club in the capital Dhaka.

“Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony. Here we live with people from all religions and Islam should not be accommodated as the state religion in the Bangladeshi constitution,” Dr Razzak said in his report.

 “I have said it abroad and now I am saying it again that Islam will be dropped from Bangladesh’s constitution when the time comes.

“The force of secularism is within the people of Bangladesh. There is no such thing as a ‘minority’ in our country.”

Dr Razzak added he believed Islam had been maintained as the state religion for “strategic reasons”, but declined to elaborate on this during the discussion.
Islam is the largest religion in Bangladesh, with a practicing Muslim population of approximately 150 million - making it the fourth largest Muslim population in the world after India, Pakistan and Indonesia.

According to a national survey from 2003, religion was the primary way Bangladeshi citizens identified themselves, and atheism was found to be rare.
During a recent speech, Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted the importance of “taking care” of those who follow minority religions.

 “As a Muslim majority country it is the moral responsibility of the Bangladeshi citizens to take care of minorities,” she told a conference.

“Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony which should be maintained at any cost for development and brighten the country’s image.”

The prime minister also condemned the recent actions of the militant group Isis, who have carried out various violent attacks against religious minority communities this year.

“You have to remain careful so that no such incidents, which are taking place sporadically in different parts of the country, take place anywhere in the country,” she added

Making of History

Nasir Khan, November 11, 2016

“Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past.
The tradition of all dead generations weighs like an nightmare on the brains of the living.”

-- Karl Marx, Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte (1852)
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The social, political and economic factors in shaping history have been emphasised time and again by socialist theorists. Here in this short extract, Karl Marx points to the importance of prevailing objective conditions that determine the course of history. How he sees a logic in the social developments is part of his philosophy of history.

The conscious efforts of human beings sometimes set in motion the wheels of history and sometimes accelerate the speed of that process. But these variables are also dependent on the major trends that already exist. What exists is not independent of what has gone before but is rather a result of the earlier conditions under which historical events took place and the steady historical processes that have been in operation. Even in the realm of speculative thought and old metaphysical issues, we are profoundly conditioned by the old modes of thought and traditions.

Even a great thinker like Marx elaborated his thought by imbibing the ideas of the French Enlightenment, from Montesquieu to Linget and Condorcet, and by the Scottish historians. He took from Hegel the idea that history is the progressive self-realisation of man by practical social activity. While Hegel’s ideas were couched in somewhat obscure language, Marx was able to find the essential meanings they contained. As a result he developed his ideas by subjecting Feuerbach and Hegel in matters of the role of religion, State, civil society, bureaucracy and the class structure of the industrial society.

His ideas of revolutionary Socialism became clearer in his thought by his critical assessment of the older socialist thinkers. The same thing applies in his understanding and explanation about the capitalism by his close scrutiny of the earlier economists.

Education of girls

Nasir Khan, October 31, 2016

In these times, in all civilised countries governments and civic organisations strive for the educations of all, boys and girls, men and women. The right to education is respected by all and people are doing their best to uplift women socially who have been victims for thousands of years of gender discrimination and servile existence.

Even in the third world countries, most of people recognise the importance of the education of girls, As a result, we all witness some good progress made in the positive direction. Unluckily, there are also some people in traditional societies who oppose the social uplift of women in society. They want to keep women tied to the old customs and traditions. The only justification for their opposition to women's education and their adamant opposition to the equality of opportunities to women in all walks of life as full human beings is rooted in deep ignorance and the patriarchal norms of male domination. Somehow, such people also misuse religion for their vicious struggle against women's worthy existence.

As I see it, all sane people in Pakistan feel proud that a young girl, Malala Yousafzai, who became a victim of violence at the hands of some ignorant terrorists but recovered and has stood for the right to education of all girls. She is a brave girl. What she stands for is in the best traditions of the heroic figures who become symbols for humane causes and people’s struggles. 

The reactionaries and ignorant people have their mentors, their barbarian perspectives and their terrorist methods. But the people who want to see a third world society where both men and women can contribute to social progress and universal norms of civilised behaviour see the work of Malala Yousufzai as an inspiration and a way forward.

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Real Dangers of World War III

 Nasir Khan, October 27, 2016

“They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason.”

― American author and journalist Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
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At a time when the military alliance of European countries and the U.S. are poised on hurling the world in the inferno of World War III, a war in which obviously both the conventional and thermonuclear weapons will be used, Hemingway's words of wisdom are a timely reminder to the imperialist dogs of war and also the ordinary people around the world. 

The civil war in Syria should not be used as a pretext to start a war against Russia. Instead, every effort should be made to de-escalate the Syrian crisis. Both the U.S and Russia should engage in a constructive dialogue and sincerely cooperate with each other and the parties involved to bring to an end the tragic situation in Syria. 

We who are peace activists should oppose all warmongers, expose their dangerous war strategies and their militaristic jingoism. We should inform the people of the dangers of a great annihilation.

Why did the U.S. rulers destroy Iraq?

Nasir Khan, October 10, 2016

The Twin Towers in New York did fall on 9/11. In fact, the third high building, not far from the twin towers, also mysteriously fell without any plane crashing into it on the same day.

There are two main versions of the tragic happening. First, the official version that has come to be generally accepted by many. The second one does not accept the official version and offers its own explanations. However, I am not getting into any discussion here to argue which version is more reliable than the other. One thing is clear: The tragic event happened on American soil and a foreign country was punished for it that had no hand in 9/11.

No one in American Government (Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell) accused the government of President of Saddam Hussain of Iraq or any Iraqi being involved in the events of 9/11. But in 2003 the Bush administration unleashed its destructive war on an innocent country without any reason.

Why did American government commit this unnecessary war of aggression that destroyed this major Arab country and brought unmentionable misery on its people from which Iraq has not been able to recover even after 13 years? Iraq is in shambles.

I have no answer. I think, no sane person in the world has any remotely justifiable reason for this barbarous war of aggression. Neither can anyone claim that Iraqi oil and U.S. hegemony were justifiable policy decisions of the U.S. rulers.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154581870248832&set=a.455727098831.245222.552943831&type=3&theater

The Kashmir Conflict Needs a Solution Now

Nasir Khan, October 7, 2016

Despite Indian army’s blinding of hundreds of Kashmiri youth and terrorising millions of Kashmiris in the recent weeks, there is only one outcry that is reverberating throughout the Kashmir Valley: Azadi, Azadi (Freedom, Freedom) from the Indian occupation of Kashmir.

Instead of heeding to the demands of the people who have ipso facto rejected the Indian rule, the Indian government is resorting to the same old methods it has used since 1947 and expects the people will forget what they have been demanding for the last seven decades. This is a myopic political game. It has not worked in the past. It will not work in the future.

The ongoing military skirmishes along the Line of Control are meant to divert the world attention from the major issue that India is facing in Kashmir and refusing to accede to people’s demands. A wise leadership in Delhi will look at the issue from a different angle now with a view to find a solution to the old conflict we inherited because of the Partition of British India in 1947.

The fate of the State of Jammu and Kashmir was decided by military power, shabby deals and false promises of holding plebiscite that would allow the people of Jammu and Kashmir to decide their future. What is needed now is not military confrontation and warmongering. A new war is not going to solve the Kashmir issue. India and Pakistan have already fought two wars because of the Kashmir conflict. Did they solve the Kashmir issue? They did not. Any new military confrontation will prove to be even more destructive and totally futile. Hurling poor soldiers, both Indians and Pakistanis, in the kiln of war and killing innocent people will hardly have any positive consequences. The Kashmir conflict will not disappear even if they unleash a third war. The Kashmir conflict has to be addressed politically and with good will a negotiated settlement is possible.

The people of India and Pakistan were not born to be the enemies of each other. The toxic propaganda by the rulers of the two states has been instrumental in creating enmity between the people of the two countries. Religious and political extremists and hate-mongers in both countries have also poisoned the minds of millions of people.

However, it is a fact that the people of the two countries belong to the same broad culture of the Subcontinent. They look very much the same. For example, a Pakistani Punjabi, whether a Muslim, Hindu, Sikh or Christian is not different from an Indian Punjabi, whether a Muslim, Hindu, Sikh or Christian. They are very much the same people. If they were left to themselves they will get on well with each other as they did before the Partition of 1947.

As a secular person in matters of State and a humanist in relation to all Believers and others, I appeal to the political leaders of India and Pakistan to follow the path of peace, stop sabre rattling, and avoid provoking nationalist and religious passions of the people. Nothing good will ever come out of cheap emotionalism.

Every political realist knows that the Kashmir Conflict is not so easy either. The parties have to take into account many factors in finding a workable, equitable and acceptable solution. This can only be done when the rulers of India and Pakistan take concrete steps to seek a solution to the conflict by letting the people of Jammu and Kashmir decide their own future. This way of dealing with the issue has the potential to make India and Pakistan as close partners in trade, education, joint projects for the welfare of the people of the region instead of using enormous resources on military and military hardware.

The Zionist hoax of “peace process” in Palestine

Nasir Khan, September 30, 2016

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Russian think tank Katehon’s journalist Anastasia Zhukova  interviewed me recently per telephone. The following is her summary of the interview:

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has been under the virtual control of Israel and its authority limited to the West Bank. It has no control over the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority’s nominal president Mahmoud Abbas can operate only in the West Bank. However, most of the West Bank has been colonised and Israel has established its illegal settlements all over the place, leaving only a few areas for the Palestinians.

The Palestinian Authority was put in place in 1994 by Israel because after the Oslo Accords of 1993, the Zionists came up with the idea of creating an administrative body in the Israeli-occupied West Bank which could carry out its work on behalf of Israel. In such an arrangement, the role of the Palestinian Authority was no more than doing its work on behalf of the occupying power. At first, Yasser Arafat led the Palestinian Authority. Despite being an experienced man, he believed in the sincerity of the Israeli leaders. But he was gravely mistaken. Israel had no intention of giving up the occupied territories.

Then, in Israel ultra-right wing people, including Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu, came to power. They had a huge number of operators to spread propaganda about the “peace process”. But there was no peace process. The whole thing was nothing but a big hoax.

No doubt, the rulers of Israel have consistently followed their plans for the expansion of Israel; they have not let anyone or anything come in their way. They have pursued their expansion by illegal settlements in the occupied territories. In doing this, the Zionists have not compromised with anyone. In essence, the Zionist mantra for settlements is that the whole of Palestine is their land, which God had given  to them!

The United States and Israel have close relations. The Zionists were able to assert their control over the American political establishment through Israeli lobby and numerous Zionist associations in the U.S. As we can see, the American government is incapable of going against the Zionist interests. The U.S. rulers have to follow the commands of the Israeli rulers.

The American mass media have great power in the world, and in this it is the Zionists who exert enormous control over the mainstream media. They have an efficient propaganda machine which operates not only in in the US but also in Europe.

Despite all the heavy odds, some people have stood against the historical injustices inflicted on the people of Palestine, who have been trying to tell the truth about Israel’s policies against the Palestinians. These people work hard to tell the facts and expose the Zionist lies and deception.

India, the Kashmir Conflict and the danger of war

Nasir Khan, September 24, 2016

India is a big military power and it uses its military power to keep Kashmir under its colonial possession.

Indian rulers have shown no interest whatsoever in finding a workable solution to the seven-decade-old conflict about the State of Jammu and Kashmir. It seems they will continue the same old policy of playing for time and hope that the demands of the Kashmiris for freedom will die down. That is a false hope.

Under some flimsy pretext, India may even start a war against Pakistan to divert the world attention from its barbaric atrocities in Kashmir. 

But any war between the two nuclear powers – India and Pakistan – is fraught with great dangers for the people of the two countries and the region. A conventional war may soon become a nuclear war and therein lies the greatest danger to the people of India and Pakistan. 

Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 attacks

Nasir Khan,  September 11, 2016

If we leave aside many questions around the falling of the Twin Towers and the mysterious collapse of the 47-storey 7 World Trade Center Tower on September 11, 2001, one thing is certain: Who brought these towers down and by whatever means were not Iraqis or President Saddam Hussain of Iraq. That much is well known and remains unquestioned.

The Bush administration did not accuse Iraqis of being involved in 9/11 in any way, either. So, why did President Bush invade Iraq and unleashed a destructive war of aggression in which hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were killed and this once-rich and prosperous country reduced to shambles?


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Kashmiris and Pashtoons – Reply to a commentator

Nasir Khan, September 4, 2016


In response to my today's post "Indian forces' atrocities and murders in Kashmir continue" in a Facebook group ("Daring Facts") one Mr Jaffar Safi wrote a comment. I am producing his comment, which was not directly related to my post but I replied to him where I tried to clarify some questions he had raised that may be of general interest to my readers and FB friends:

Jaffar Safi: But Nasir Khan you must know the fact...within 40 years at least 70 thousands kishmiris martaryed by the indian forces and the whole world is crying in general and pakistani people in particular...but within 7 years only in Pashtoon belt round about 80 thousands plus innocent people were killed within the jurisdiction of pakistan ...but we did not see even a single protest in azad kashmir and even in the rest of provices of pakistan ...even you did not write a word of condolence....NASIR KHAN is it parity or disparity equality or inequility or justice or injustice with our people?
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Nasir Khan: Jaffar Safi - What happens in Pakistan or has happened in Pakistan is not the theme of my brief piece on the ongoing killings of the people of Kashmir. That's the first thing to keep in mind. However, the killing of Pashtoon that you refer to is part of the political power struggles within Pakistan.

Pakistani rulers have used Islam for their political ends and exploited this religion to the full in every conceivable way. They used the same Pashtoon fighters to wreak havoc in Afghanistan in the 1980s and were instrumental in the holy war as paid- and misguided mercenaries of USA, Saudi Arabia and other reactionary powers that were involved in destabilising Afghanistan to destroy the Afghan Revolution.

After destroying the Socialist rule and killing the Afghan President Najibullah the same Pashtoon fighters became the soldiers of Allah under the name of the 'Taliban' and started killing innocent Pakistanis, targeting schools and religious and ethnic minorities. It was at that juncture that the Pakistani army took major military offensive against the militants and their hideouts. Of course, many innocent people also died as a result of military operations and millions fled from their homes and sought refuge in other places. This I don't deny or condone. The so-called Taliban and their Islamist backers are still a festering sore in the body-politic of Pakistan.

Secondly, you mention only the plight of the Pashtoons under the military operations. But you don't say what the same army has been doing and is still doing in Baluchistan. How have thousands of people been killed or "disappeared" there? A precarious situation in Sindh prevails where the suppression of the national demands of the Sindhis have been the part of the oppressive policies of the Pakistani rulers. All provinces of Pakistan have grievances, not only the Pashtoons of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

You raise a direct question about me in this. For me that was quite strange to read. As an ordinary political activist I have opposed and written against the policies followed by Pakistani rulers and their mercenary army for decades. Since the internet became available for general use, I have used different websites to expose the policies and violations of human rights of people in Pakistan and other places around the world. By the way, I have not lived in Pakistan for more than half a century. All I know about Pakistan is from some general news in English media in the West. However, I appreciate that Pakistanis who live in Pakistan and know the daily events and the role of the army against the Pakistani people write and publicise as much as they can. It is their responsibility to do their work.

At the same time, I have seen very little support amongst my Pakistani Facebook friends or those who are members of Facebook groups for the Kashmiris who are under Indian military occupation. That shows clearly the level of political consciousness such Pakistanis are able to display. This is my first and last response to you. My best wishes to you if you do any constructive work.

Turkey under Erdogan

Nasir Khan, August 24, 2016

Dr Richard Falk looks at the present situation in Turkey under Erdogan from different angles, and he weighs in both positive and negative sides of the likely scenarios after the July 15 coup. Shifting political partners and allies is a common addiction of all power-hungry leaders. We who have the welfare of people of Turkey in our hearts would be glad that Erdogan does not fall in the trap of those  myopic considerations and interests.

How will Erdogan fare in the near future is difficult to predict. However, demagogues may be clever in mobilising support of ordinary people around themselves but not so clever when it comes to using that popular support for the common good that in case of Turkey still is to maintain a secularist democracy as Ataturk had envisioned and introduced. Any sneaking religious compromises go against the Kemalist legacy that had made a break with the medieval mindset of the Ottoman times.

Despite all the overtures from the PKK leadership to find an acceptable solution to the demands of the Kurds, Erdogan did not do much. He continued dragging his feet and that has led to the renewed military confrontations with the Kurds. This is true that Erdogan can cause much damage to the Kurds militarily, but he will not be able to control the fallout of such ‘military solution’ to the problem. The Kurds are not going to disappear. That will create more violence and instability. The whole situation is fraught with great dangers for both sides.

If he opens up too many fronts, how will he fight? He may wield only two swords in his two hands but he will need may hands to hold many swords to fight on many fronts! As a result only the ordinary people of this country will suffer.

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Dr Richard Falk

 

The Sky Above Turkey

[Prefatory Note: An earlier version was published by Middle East Eye on August 10, 2016. It seems so important at this time for the sake of the future of Turkey that the West look at the country …

 https://richardfalk.wordpress.com/2016/08/23/the-sky-above-turkey/

Review of the paper on the Dome of the Rock and its Arabic text from the Omayyad period

Nasir Khan, August 21, 2016

This is a scholarly paper, originally in Swedish, authored by Lars Djerf in which he has concentrated mainly on the Arabic inscriptions on the Dome of the Rock (DR), their meaning and purpose in a wider political and religious context at a time when Islam had emerged as a dominant political power and religion in the Middle East by replacing the Byzantines in the region.

His presentation of the material is systematic and well-grounded in historical researches and important sources throughout the paper. The interpretation of the Qur’anic texts on DR takes into account the cultural context as Ludwig Wittgenstein had advanced in his views on ‘language games’. Philosophers belonging to different trends in the Continental and Anglo-American analytic philosophy have generally accepted the insights Wittgenstein provided about the working of languages in varying social contexts. The author emphasises ‘understanding intentions and actions’ while interpreting the Arabic texts. In a historical narrative, a text needs to be understood in its social and cultural context to see and analyse the intentions of the original writer.

The author has given a good summary of the condition of DR before Caliph Abd al-Malik (reigned 685-705 AD) started the construction of DR. He discards the view that the Caliph wanted to replace the Meccan shrine with a new structure at DR, as some people have suggested. In fact, much false propaganda is still found about this great caliph. Some have even argued that Abd al-Malik was the real founder of Islam and not the Prophet Muhammad! However, there is little support for such views in serious scholarship on the early history of Islam.

Islam arose in Christian and pagan environments. During the early centuries of the Church numerous Christological controversies arose. During the life of the prophet Muhammad, the controversies about the nature of Jesus (whether he was a man, a divine god or both) were widespread throughout the length and breadth of the Byzantine Empire. Christology had become extremely polemical and led to unending conflicts between different Christian sects.

However, the Qur’an offered a different view of Jesus from the ones professed by Christians. The author has discussed this point adequately and shown why the Qur’anic verses or paraphrases of the Qur’anic texts were meant to offer a theology that emphasised the humanity of Jesus and his prophthood. After the peaceful ‘conquest’ of Jerusalem by Caliph Omar in 638 AD, Islamic political power was established there. At that time, Jerusalem was mainly a Christian city.

By the time of Caliph Abd al-Malik Islamic power was stabilised and the Islamic empire had expanded vastly. Now the task for the new rulers was to assert the uniqueness of Islam as the true religion that was open to all others. The selective Arabic texts from the Qur’an were meant to show what Islam taught about Jesus. In a way, the message of Islam for Christians and Jews was there on DR for all to see. The pure form of monotheism (belief in only one god) that Islam represented was not reconcilable with the Trinitarian godhead of the Church.

In Iconoclastic controversy that lasted 120 years within the Byzantine Empire, St John of Damascus (c. 675-749 AD) defied Emperor Leo III and came firmly in support of icons. The work of St John of Damascus as the defender of orthodox Christianity was to combat Islam, which he termed as the ‘heresy of the Ishmaelites’. He did not see Islam as a new and independent religion. In fact, for him Islam was one more heresy within Christianity.

The author in his conclusion shows that the motives behind the inscriptions on the DR were purely missionary. Having shown what the Qur’an says about Jesus, a great and venerable prophet, the message to all was to come to Islam.

The author has written a commendable paper that contributes to our understanding of the interaction between Muslims and Christians. The attitude of the Omayyad caliphs of Damascus towards Christians was one of toleration and respect. They held high official positions in finance and public administration.

Photo: The Dome on the Rock, Jerusalem

Religious beliefs versus rational thinking

Nasir Khan, July 31, 2016

From a Humanistic point of view, followers of all religions should be respected and their concrete good work for other people should be admired and acknowledged. In this connection, it is important to underline that such respect and admiration is not due to their inherent or internalised beliefs and dogmas, but because of our common humanity that binds all of us together.

There is no doubt that vast numbers of honest and sincere believers will never question the contents of their religion. That is a sacrosanct terrain where no intrusion is possible. For them, to question their religious beliefs is simply out of the question.

Consequently, the worst possible sin they can commit is to question what to them is Holy and the Truth. This attitude is the corner-stone of the belief system of the followers of all religions. The only exceptions here may be some non-dogmatic mystics and the followers of the universal love for all humanity, such as the Bahá’ís.

However, despite all the claims believers may make in support of the truth and the uniqueness of their religion, the fact remains that their strong convictions and their strongly-held religious beliefs do not bring them one inch closer to the fundamentals of rational thinking. The instructions issued by the Supernatural Being through his chosen ones and the views on which rational thinking rests have hardly any mutually acceptable meeting point.

Kashmir, Palestine and My Facebook Friends

 Nasir Khan, July 24, 2016

At present, I have about three thousand Facebok friends who come from different parts of the world. This list also includes a few hundred friends from Pakistan or who are of Pakistani origin. Over the last few weeks, when Indian army unleashed its brutal crackdown in Kashmir, killing, blinding and maiming the Kashmiri people, most of my Pakistani Facebook friends have shown no interest in the plight of the Kashmiri people. The number of such friends who have actively published and posted on their Facebook walls remains very small.

However, many people around the world have shown their solidarity with Kashmiris, including many people from India and Pakistan who have held public demonstrations in many cities and places against the frightening atrocities of the Indian army in Kashmir. But our Pakistani Facebook friends have remained largely indifferent to the ongoing brutal killings and the blinding of the youth in Kashmir. In fact, their indifference is not limited to Kashmir but also extends to the people of Palestine who, like the Kashmiris, have been under Zionist colonial oppression and subject to systematic ethnic cleansing since 1948.

Some Pakistanis even say that the Kashmir conflict is only for the Kashmiris to resolve themselves. Pakistan and Pakistanis should not bother about Kashmir and its people. In the same way, when it comes to the question of occupied Palestinians, they remain indifferent. Some even support what the Zionists stand for and argue that Israel is defending itself against the Palestinian terrorists!

According to such a perverted logic, it is the Palestinians who are the cause of trouble, not Israel. It is not any secret that some Pakistani leaders and politicians have supported the idea of normalising relations with Israel by recognising it. But what about the Palestinians whose lands has been taken from them by a colonial power? That problem can be ignored. In fact, some Pakistani politicians had other considerations to gain the favours of the Zionists than to take time to think about the captive population of the apartheid state of Israel. But what are the great motives of my Pakistani Facebook friends in their indifference to or even hostility towards the national struggle of the Palestinians? I have no clue.

For decades, I have been a supporter of the right of the people of Palestine and have opposed the policies of Israel towards a captive people. This I have done purely as a Humanist and a Socialist peace activist. I respect the religious or ethnic identities of all people but find no justification for the ideas that any person becomes better than others merely because of his/her religion or ethnicity. I have also some friends who are famous Jewish academics and political activists; they oppose Zionism, Israeli policies towards the occupied or besieged people of Palestine and are firm supporters of the national rights of the Palestinians. Luckily, there are many people in the world who support the cause of the people of Palestine. In this, I also acknowledge the positive role of some Pakistani Facebook friends play in the difficult struggles of national emancipation both in Kashmir and Palestine.

Among all my friends, no matter where they are from or what their ethnic identities may be, if they support the Indian military occupation of Kashmir and the Israeli occupation of Palestine can unfriend me on Facebook.

That also means many Pakistanis may have to unfriend me. I thank all such people for bearing with me but now we should part company.

Kashmiris Right to Determine Their Future Is the Only Solution to the Kashmir Conflict

Nasir Khan, July 16, 2016

Today Professor Raj Bhat, himself a Kashmiri, raised a few questions and asked for my response. I am repoducing his comment followed by my reply. Our readers will see that we two have different views on the Kashmir issue:

Raj Bhat: Nasir Khan Sahab: I have raised human issues which deserve your attention. Otherwise, it becomes supportive of frenzy and genocide. As a kid in Poonch, do you remember the condition of people who were displaced/ uprooted from Bhimbar and Muzzafarabad? The survivors of the ethnic cleansing from these regions are stateless in 2016 too! The frightened, terrorized. traumatized non-muslims of the Indian Kashmir valley are called ‘migrants’! This ethnic cleansing took place in 1990. Please relate the issues and go ahead.
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Nasir Khan: Raj Bhat Sahib, here I am not going to enter into any lengthy discussion about the issues you have mentioned as questions of human rights. Yes, in 1947/8 I had seen how the Hindus in our areas in Poonch were treated, some cruelly killed, their houses burnt. But as a young boy, I had no means of seeing things in Muzaffarabad and Bhimbar because they were far away from our district. Much atrocities were committed against the Hindus and their properties burnt or plundered. But I also saw the destitute refugees in our village and adjoining areas who had come from the Indian administered Kashmir to our areas in Poonch and their stories of deaths at the hands of non-Muslims. I can never forget the conditions I saw them in and their miserable existence as refugees.

As I understand you are only concerned about Hindus, not Muslims of Kashmir. About 100, 000 Kashmiris have died as a result of Indian military violence and the lives of millions of innocent people destroyed. Kashmiri Pandits have also suffered much. Yet, despite all the bloodshed, the Kashmir conflict has not gone away and it will never go away as long as Indian government does not find a political solution. The only way forward is to let the people of Kashmir decide their future by plebiscite.

The tragedy of Kashmir has seen much blood shedding and destruction. Without any political solution to this conflict, the future generations of Kashmiris will continue to resist the Indian occupation and India will continue to kill those who do not submit to the Indian rule. We should keep in mind that these conditions will not bring peace and joy to any.

You may be speaking as a Hindu and you have every right to do so but I do not speak as a Muslim but only as a Humanist and a Socialist who is well-wisher of all – Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and freethinking people, etc. etc. – in Jammu and Kashmir and other places.

Brutal Indian oppression continues in Kashmir

Nasir Khan, July 15, 2016

The partition of India in 1947 was because of a number of factors. As a child living in Poonch (Kashmir) I had seen the destructive blood-letting and communal frenzy. The so-called ‘Two-Nation Theory’ was a misleading and absurd idea to start with. But there was not only one party to advance this perspective, as many people think.

Many communalists, both Hindus and Muslims, contributed to it. Perry Anderson in his book on the role of Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah has put the material before us, which none from the subcontinent did, or, I might even say, was capable of doing.

The tragedy of Kashmir belongs to the unfinished task of the Partition. This is despite all the claims that India has made to justify its hold on Kashmir against the wishes of the majority of Kashmiris. It is a political issue and will remain a political issue.

After enormous losses suffered by Kashmiris, both Muslims and Hindus, over the decades-long conflict, India has shown no interest to listen to the demands of the people of the valley and continues to repeat the mantra of ‘Kashmir is an integral part of India’. That is a false claim. Kashmir is not an integral part of India.

Kashmir is a disputed area and its solution is not in using the military force of a great power over a helpless people but rather to change its rhetoric and let the people of Kashmir decide their future.
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http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/front-page/tragic-pellets-blind-14-year-old-insha-forever/222869.html


Ninth class student Insha Malik has lost vision in her left eye that was pierced by pellets fired by forces, and doctors say there are “zero chances” of the teenager regaining vision in her right eye, also badly damaged by the pellets.
14-year old Insha, one of more than 100 pellet victims, is lying unconscious in the Surgical ICU of general specialty SMHS hospital here. Her face and neck resemble a wire-mesh with dozens of holes made by pellets therein.

“The pellets have ruptured her right eye and it has come out. The left eye is lacerated with zero chance of recovery,” said a doctor attending to her. Insha hails from Sedow village of south Kashmir’s Shopian.

The doctor added: “She does not even have perception of light in the eye that she is left with.”

According to her relatives, Insha was in the first floor of her house when forces fired pellets inside their house late on Tuesday evening. “She screamed and fell unconscious and within no time her face was swollen,” recalled one of her relatives, adding: “There were no protests going on in the area.”

Insha was rushed to the hospital late in the night where doctors took her straight to the ICU.

She is being continuously monitored since. “We haven’t admitted such a severe case in the hospital so far. The pellets have completely disfigured her face and resulted in multiple fractures and injuries in her face and skull,” said the doctor quoted above. “She is lucky that the pellets did not pierce her vessel on the neck or the airway.”

Apart from the loss of vision, pellets have resulted in fracture to her frontal bone (forehead) and nasal bone, apart from fracture to her maxillary bone.

“There are numerous pellets inside her skull and at the base of her brain. These fractures have caused pneumocephalus (a condition where air enters into the brain cavity),” said another doctor.

“We are ensuring that her condition remains stable. There is no treatment which can get her vision back in her eyes given the damage caused by the pellets. The pellets will remain inside her face and skull. Her fracture will heal up but the damage is done.”

Her mother sobs quietly by the side of her ICU bed as if not to wake her up. Her daughter wanted to become a doctor and was studying hard, she said.

“She used to say she will have no time to play next year when she would be in Class 10th,” a relative of her said.

Insha, her relatives said, was an inspiration for her two younger brothers. “She was a perfect sister, a perfect daughter,” her mother said, and broke down.

Sources at the hospital said there was ‘pressure from government’ to shift the injured teenager outside J&K for treatment but doctors have refused to do so.

While Principal GMC Srinagar refused to comment on this ‘pressure’, he said the hospital was doing what was best for the patient. “Even if there was an iota of hope that there was something out there that is not being done here, we would have shifted her,” he said while rushing into the ICU.

Doctors treating Insha said her condition was not stable and even the air-ambulance that was being offered for her could put her life at stake.

“Her life has been devastated. Nothing can make her see the world again,” they said.

Though the Government has described the pellets as “non-lethal”, Altaf Ahmed from Rajpora lost his life to pellets on July 10, 2016. His head had received a shower of pellets at Rajpora.

“Pellets had shattered his entire brain,” a doctor who had received him in SMHS Hospital casualty said.