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Letters will only be considered if they carry the writer s full name, address and telephone number (it any), i ne loenuiy ui ine wriit3!» "'M

Pakistan scene

MB Naqvi very correctly identifies the real causes of *■ Pakistan’s woes and suggests the methods for combating the Taliban. His statement that Taliban are moved by an ideology and it cannot be defeated by guns because ideas cannot be killed by shooting in the head is very pertinent. But I am afraid that such ideological battle against Taliban cannot be won in Pakistan by the methods he proposed. Pakistan's very raisons d'tre is intolerance of all ideas outside religion. The national curricula from pri-। -mary-to tertiary level of cdu-’ catloh In Pakistan conveys the ideology of Islam only. Pakistan's official history in its textbooks describe the birth of Bangladesh as a vile conspiracy of Hindu India to exact revenge on Islamic Pakistan for the creation of the country in 1947 and Bangladesh in Pakistani public perception is still East Pakistan!! The madrassah education system in Pakistan is highly organized and developed and teaches Taliban ideology and pro-* duces its armed Jihadi battalions. The army is the selfproclaimed defender of Islam, Islamic culture and ideology in South Asia. The army actually owns the Pakistan state. The elected government in Pakistan has only outward trappings of power for exhibiting in media. Pakistan army's power lays in its guns, money and men. There are no secular social groups, civil society associations and political parties who represent the exploited illiterate people. The people are so thoroughly brainwashed that they are unable to develop a balanced view. The grip of the triumvirate mullahs, military and the punjabi-muhajir elites on society, culture.

politics, economy and minds is so complete that any liberal-humanist education system based on secular worldview is unthinkable there. There are no intellectuals in Pakistan who can present a countervailing humanist ideology against the dogma proclaimed by the state. The most terrible aspect of this structure is the supremacy of ISI over every institution, organization of Pakistan and its tentacles have reached every comer of South Asia. All Jihadi organisations across the subcontinent were spawned by the ISI. And it has the support of Pentagon which nourished it.

Only the people of Pakistan can defeat this monster but who will lead them? And where is the humanist ideology that will fight against the Talibani ideology of annihilation?

Ibne Azad

Agargaon, Dhaka

Re "Mumbai fall-out," by Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury (Dec. 4).

In this context, Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury may take a look at what a prominent Pakistani-Canadian says about Pakistan's role in the Mumbai terrorist attack In a column: "All signs point to Pakistan," Tarek Fatah, a Pakistani-Canadian scholar and author of Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State, wrote in Toronto's National Post "If at all there was an intelligence agency whose fingerprints can be spotted at the crime scene (in Mumbai), it appears to be the rogue elements from Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), which is hell-bent on disrupting India's (recently improving) relations with neighbouring

Pakistan."

Dr. Fatah touched the crux of the crisis when he said: "Just a month ago, the founder of one of Pakistan's most feared armed Islamist groups had accused Zardari of being dovish toward India, and criticized him for referring to militants in Indian-held Kashmir as 'terrorists.' Then this week, the so-called Deccan Mujahedeen struck against India with the clear aim of triggering a Hindu backlash against the country’s minority Muslims - with the obvious attendant danger to Pakistan-India relations.”

The obvious conclusion of all this’ is that I ufilessl Pakistan's elected government takes control of the ISI, it will always subvert any attempts to improve relations with India. India should also realise how helpless Pakistan's elected government is vis-a-vis its powerful military and any military response will only help those who are hostile to improved Indo-Pakistan relations.

Mahmood Elahi Ottawa, Canada

Poison of hatred

Fareed Zakaria's article on terrorism in Bombay published in you pages on 2nd.December has its beginning that in my views can be linked to the American proxy war in Afghanistan to throw out the Russians. That was the start given to the Jehadists. About this Zakaria states, "The Pakistan government has created, supported and financed Islamic Jehadists for decades.” This is not totally correct. Zakeria, however, conveniently forgets that this was done with the full support and financing by the USA in the first place! It was these Jehadists who fought the

proxy war for the USA; while Afghanistan was fully under control of the Russians. Godless communism was an excellent political motivation for the Jihadists that led to the birth of al-Qaida, a CIA misadventure that badly misfired against them!

That was the beginning of the nightmare; the “freedom fighters"; created and trained in the soil of Pakistan were ripe for action motivated with religious zeal and extremism, which was cleverly tainted again by CIA as the Islamic characteristic. Elements of the committed Jehadists were out of control, and could not, and have not still been contained by the Pakistan government. Destruction of the Marriot Hotel is the clear example. Unfortunately, Zakaria, a US citizen, did not say anything about it! Why, one can only wonder?

After their success in Afghanistan; the greed for Iraqi oil could no longer be ignored by America. Iraq was attacked on the basis of falsehoods and lies created and fermented by CIA; and a brainless Bush went full steam ahead; not bothering for any UN resolution; with the belief that "Might is Right"! No wonder, UN resolutions for USA’s pet Israel and its master are just scraps of so much wastepaper; that is just to be ignored! Can one then wonder why US, British and Israeli people were the prime targets of the terrorist attack in Bombay?

Why Bombay in Maharastra? Again it could be the reaction of the open extremism practised by the Bal Thakarey family. It is their total intolerance and faith and support for violent Hindu extremists; the Indian counterpart of the Jehadists; that has attracted the terrorists! Yet the Indian government goes along with them; and who knows they could again govern India! Naturally; for every action, there is a reaction. Majority of Indians may have forgotten the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat; perpetrated, where even the state law enforcers too reportedly joined hands with the killers.

Zakaria states, "Blame first and formost the terrorists." But what about the Thakeritc goons and extremists of Maharastra who are breeding hatred among the two communities?

An analyst

Dhaka

An appeal

We are the teachers of nongovernment high schools. Near about 98% students of secondary level are studying here. But we are getting a very poor salary. When a teacher lives in a poor condition, then teaching properly in classroom becomes very difficult.

The major political parties should include the issue in their election manifestoes.

Dipak Chakraborty

Assistant Teacher

Krishnagobinda High school Netrakona

Thoughts on Victory

December is here again. So will be the 16th of December. Our Victory Day. We have been celebrating Victory Day for the last 37 years. Yet we never felt like victorious In anyway. Instead we felt like vanquished with each passing year. And those, who were defeated on 16 December, 1971, smirk with arrogance and vengeance. With every passing year, these antiliberation elements arc multiplying like amoeba and slowly but steadily enwrapping our everyday lives and the way of outliving.

The failure of so called secular political parties and intellectual polity to establish at least the feelings of social justice among the masses will eventually create a force that will realize people's expectations through mob justice. Will our intelligentsia wake up? Asif Khan

Circular Road, Dhan/nandi Dhaka

Congratulations, Hillary!

Hearty congratulations to Hillary Rodham Clinton on her appointment as the Secretary of State of the United States of America. I also appreciate President-elect Barack Obama for the appropriate selection of the Secretary of State for his cabinet. In my opinion, Hillary is one of the most competent women in the United States for appointment to such an important post. Meanwhile, I endorse Hillary Clinton's statement which she made recently saying "America is a place founded on the idea that everyone should have the right to live up to his or her God-given potential, and it is that same ideal that must guide America's purpose in the world today. And while we are determined to defend our freedom and liberties at all costs we also reach out to the world again, seeking common cause and higher ground,” * ‘ r Sirice&iy hope that the former first Lady Hillary Clinton will be successful in her new assignment and contribute significantly to the overall improvement of the United States' international relations and global communications.

Professor M Zahidul Haque Chairman

Department of Agricultural Extension & Information System

Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University

Dhaka

EC's decision on

FEMA

What's wrong with the Election Commission? Why have they rejected FEMA? This is a recognised and experienced organisation having thousands of real volunteerobservers throughout the country.

We urge you to write about it and convince the Election Commission to allow FEMA to monitor the election and give genera] public their observationreports.

Halima

Rajshahi

I came to know from the news media that FEMA did not get the accreditation from the Election Commission to observe the upcoming parliament election.

I know about FEMA since it came out with the observation report on Magura-4 byelection.

Since then like so many people of the country I also wait for the FEMA report during the election. But this time the decision taken by the Election Commission disheartened me and I request them to withdraw the ban and allow FEMA to observe the upcoming general election.

FEMA is the leading election monitoring organisation in the country and has set up the standards of election monitoring in a systematic way. In the past we saw FEMA election observation reports to be lauded by a cross section of people. In most of the cases FEMA reports played a supplementary role with the Election Commission to enhance the confidence of the mass people about the outcome ofclections.

Rash in

Dhaka

AL’s game plan

The Awami League declared that they would form a unity government if voted to power.

1 am utterly disgusted and appalled as:

Firstly, it is surely paving the way for BAKSAL and ways to confirm a permanent Hasina Dynasty by subjugating opponents with political enticements.

Secondly, how can the Awami League be so hypocritical to make or even think of making F.rshad the president whom we struggled to throw out through a mass uprising? Mufassil Islam

Human Rights Advocate UK

“Law-avoiding” politicians

Your two front page reports (Dec:06) by Liton & Hassan; and another from Natore only goes to expose the character of almost all of our politicians who sadly represent us! For them breaking the law of the land is as common as having a cup of tea. There capability is in bluffs, lies, exploitation and fooling the people, which appears to be their expertise!

Irrespective of their party affiliation; which they also change as easily as changing "lungis"; for politicians, law breaking, tax evasion and criminal activities are the common stock in trade! No wonder, Bangladesh is considered by everyone in the world as one of the most corrupt countries.

All this is due to our politicians who arc mostly responsible for this dirty image.

Now one can realise why political parties want all restrictions on nomination to be scrapped! But this is what no conscious citizen wants! We have had enough of being taken for a ride, for a long time over the last 37 years. Possibly, what the political parties desire is that the incumbent will only declare that he or she is alive and nothing else.

What they earn, how they earn it; what they have and how they got it is nobody's business. Asking for these by the authorities is interfering

with their fundamental rights to "beg, borrow, buyorsteal"! A "No" voter

Dhaka

Moral erosion

Terrorism, murder, assault, mysterious deaths, hijacking, black money, child and female trafficking, acid throwing, unfair means in exams, leakage of questions, drug business, toll-extortion, adulteration of medicine and foods etcetera are the symptoms of moral erosion.

Regrettably, nobody is taking a clear position against all such evils.

Habibur Rashid Ismail

Jarnea Rahmania Fadil Madrassa, Choitenyarhat Chittagong

Victory, election

People of Bangladesh are going through a gripping month - December 08. For, in this month, as always after 1971, we celebrate the victory over the occupation Pak army in Bangladesh through a concerted armed struggle with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the foundingleader. We conceded huge loss to them, but won the freedom-- we emerged as an independent nation. We mourn the monumental loss, and celebrate our historical victory at the same time --- we pledge/vow or renew the spirit that went into ousting the illegal and the ugly from the land.

This month round, however, we'll be going for a free and fair election to be held on 29th of this month. This time election has got many vital issues attached to it.

Rafiqul Islam Rime Agrabad, Chittagong

Battle of Plassey

Like millions of mothers, my mother also told me the tale of Siraj and his mother-wifedaughter in my boyhood, where Siraj was sketched as a hero and Clive as a villain. Siraj was defeated in the Battle of Plassey through a conspiracy. As a result, the English ruled this land for about 190 years.

However, in the book 'Clive of India' by Nirad C. Chaudhuri published by Jaico Press‘Pvt. Ltd. in 1977, Siraj was depicted in the chapter 'Conquest of Bengal (1756-1759). 1 know that the talented and famous writers have the command over people's mind and they can chop the myth of or present things in their own way. I am mentioning a few lines: “Siraj was badly equipped, both intellectually and morally, to cope with the stratagem of the seasoned veterans, both Muslim and Hindu, most of whom were trying to gain upper hand in the affairs of the State and use him as a mere pawn in the game with a hand stretched towards the traders for a warm grasp.” Chapter: The Battle of Plassey and after, P-1,2.

Mobarak Ali

RK Mission Road Gopihagh, Dhaka

Future of Pakistan

As much as I admire the new Pakistani civil government, I feel less optimistic about whether it can finally put the genie back into the bottle that its military had created in the name of national interest The sixty years' Indo centric policy has resulted in nothing but a weak state with no purpose and aims. Paradoxically, it has become a victim of its own creation.

The west may have patronized Pakistan to create the monster but it has moved on to find new willing friends whereas Pakistan is still hoping for a sympathetic helping hand for its faithful service to the west.

Can it blame the west for its all ills? Not after sixty years' witless military misrule! With Osama in the hills, non-state monsters on the loose and no money in the treasury, I do not see how a weak government can deal with such a mess.

Can Zardari and Gilani create a miracle in Pakistan? Can it truly take Pakistani military under civilian con-trol? I dearly hope so, because the alternative is really scary ShamolSaha

Boston University

USA