Acknowledging that Pakistanis are better positioned to identify militants with ‘moderate’ views, Gen. Jones last week made an appeal to our government to help distinguish between moderate and hard-core militants. Since Islamabad has not come forth with shining archetypes of militant moderation, I’ve decided to take a stab – pardon the pun – at defining The Moderate Militant.
Considering recent events, I would first argue that militant categorisation cannot be confined by the restrictive binary of ‘moderation’ and ‘extremism’. Militants are, after all, an imaginative and innovative breed, coining previously unimaginable means by which to terrorise populations and pervert the spirit of Islam. Labelling them with only two categories is nothing short of offensive. Therefore, I propose instead that the US embrace a wider spectrum of militancy, which can henceforth be known as The Slippery Slope of Moderate Militancy (or TSSMM – not to be confused with TNSM, which in itself is a mighty institution of moderate militancy).
Following is a draft of what TSSMM might look like:
- The Limited Militant
This breed of militant confiscates women’s computerized national identity cards so as to prevent them from receiving financial assistance under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which they claim is un-Islamic. Limited militants object to the fact that men and women can mingle at the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) office. In essence, then, these militants want women to cease to exist as far as the public record goes.
- The Cautious Militant
Cautious militants are happy to participate in the political process – when they come across politicians whose activities contradict their wishes and ideology, they simply take them hostage in private jails scattered across FATA. In particular, those secular politicians who seem to be advocating women’s uplift – for example, by distributing cheques as part of the BISP – stoke the cautious militants’ ire. You can count on cautious Taliban militants to defend their ‘centuries-old tribal culture and tradition’ against new-fangled democratic ideas. But hey, at least they acknowledge that politicians exist.
- The Middle-of-the-Road Militant
This type of militant is against violence – instead, he creates a medical emergency by denying children essential vaccinations, particularly for polio. Media-savvy and well-networked, the middle-of-the-road militant uses illegal radio stations and mosque loudspeakers to spread the notion that polio vaccinations cause infertility, are un-Islamic, and are part of a US-sponsored anti-Muslim plot. Since this type of militant does not cause a ‘breach in the security’ of either Afghanistan or Pakistan, he is probably a shoo-in to be declared America’s Next Top Moderate Militant (not to be confused with America’s Next Top Model).
- The Opinionated Militant
This militant is modern, outspoken, big with the ladies, and even more media-savvy than his counterpart, the middle-of-the-road militant: he is the host of an illegal FM radio show. Opinionated Militants take to the airwaves to preach their interpretation of Islam, rail against the West and perpetuate anti-Pakistan government propaganda. Without this type of militant, Swat Valley would probably still be Pakistan’s top honeymoon destination. For their ability to bounce back even after their illegal radio stations have been shut down by the Pakistan government, these militants can also be known as the Rebound Militant or the Boomerang Militant.
- The Low-Key Militant
This breed of militants enjoys blowing up CD and DVD shops because they spread Western propaganda and un-Islamic ideas. Since low-key militants often blow up shops at night, thereby reducing the number of fatalities, they are also contenders for America’s Next Top Moderate Militant.
- The Measured Militant
This type of militant doles out justice without a trial. Measured militants nabbed the spotlight recently when a (now contentious) video shot with a mobile phone showed a teenaged girl being flogged by Taliban militants. The militants claimed that they were punishing her for being seen outdoors with a man who is not her husband, an inherently un-Islamic act in their opinion. These militants can be described as ‘measured’ because, as the Swat-based Taliban spokesman put it, the young girl should have been stoned to death for her actions, but was saved this fate because the qazi courts in the valley are not yet functional so as to hand down a sentence.
- The Midway Militant
Midway militants can be counted on to blow up anything that challenges their ideological position. In recent months, midway militants have blown up the homes of politicians, trucks carrying Nato supplies, Sufi shrines where men and women can mingle freely, and girls’ schools, where the education of women, in their opinion, leads to ‘vulgarity in society’. These militants can not be written off immediately as ‘extreme’ militants because at least there is some method to their madness.
Of course, a variety of other militants are currently stalking the tribal and northern areas of Pakistan. These militants behead innocents, order the public hanging of pirs, recruit young men – in some cases, boys – to train as gunmen and suicide bombers, and, of course, carry out suicide attacks against both local and foreign targets. These militants can hardly be described as moderate, and to consider them ‘reconcilable’ would be foolhardy and irresponsible. About these kinds of militants, the less said the better.
No comments:
Post a Comment