A nightmare in Paris

Across separate time zones, the world was awakened from its sleep on Saturday morning by the thunder of the terror attacks in Paris. And this horror is bound to have implications, particularly for immigrants who live in France and in other European countries. But in the immediate context, everyone is shocked and wondering what it really means. President Obama has called it an attack on all of humanity.
We, in Pakistan, remain too engrossed in our own national affairs and our media’s coverage of the world, in terms of a thoughtful discussion of what is happening, is deplorable. In fact, the main news bulletins on our news channels have forsaken all principles of serious journalism. This does not, of course, mean that the terror attacks in Paris will be underplayed in any sense. But the main issue for us is to come to terms with it in the context of our own experience of terrorism and the genesis of such barbarian passions.
Yes, the major development this week was the discord between the army leadership and the government on how the ongoing operation against terrorism and extremism has progressed and whether the government has taken appropriate “governance initiatives” to comply with the National Action Plan. It is instructive that shortcomings have been indicated in dealing with the madressahs.
In that sense, the suicide attacks in Paris have some relevance to how we analyse the situation that has evolved in Pakistan and in Afghanistan in recent years or decades. The politics of jihad and the sinful flirtation with the Taliban need to be taken into account. Irrespective of what has happened, the big question for us is: has the mindset that had governed our strategic and national security policies changed?
This was the question to be posed in December last year, after that abominable attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar. In a month, we will observe the first anniversary of that unimaginable atrocity. We know what is happening on the

ground. The resolve of the establishment to deal with terrorist and extremist elements is not to be doubted. But many questions about how our formulations about national security have changed are unanswered.
I had referred in this space last week to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s remarks that our future lies “in a liberal and democratic country”. In his address to the Investment Conference in Islamabad, he also said that “our goal is to create a progressive society where our children – boys and girls – can go to school and get educated”.
While these observations were not really celebrated by the media, the obscurantists did make some noise. The Islamists saw this as an act of sacrilege and it was difficult to tell them how silly their arguments were because of the prevailing environment of intolerance and extremism. Besides, we have no idea about how the prime minister, seen as a right-winger, proposes to advance in the direction of a liberal and progressive society.
This is the time for him to act. Unless he was just being rhetorical, the challenge to make a paradigm shift in Pakistan’s ideological leanings is very real and it has a bearing on our survival as a nation. Look at the world at large and look at the threats that are posed to modern, civilised nations. Look at Paris. Try and understand how this terrifying outrage will influence the developments in the Middle-East and in rest of the world.
What I dread to think is that our society has, over the years, become so intolerant in its behaviour and so irrational in its outlook that it may have lost the capacity to look at itself and the world in any realistic and logical manner. The collective mind is afflicted with ignorance and vile prejudices. We live in a society in which Mumtaz Qadri can be deemed a saint and a former chief justice of the Lahore High Court is his proclaimed defender.
I had another indication of this hopeless situation this week when I read that the president of the All Pakistan Private Schools Federation has written a book titled ‘I am not Malala, I am a Muslim, I am a Pakistani’ because “Malala is the darling of the west and Shiv Sena, the same people who created al Qaeda and the Islamic State”. Ah, you may soon have an assertion that the Paris attacks were a conspiracy hatched by the government of France.
We have recently witnessed the onslaughts in India of Hindu nationalists. Our religious militants would not admit that they are the same in their primitive passions. That is how the militants in the two countries work for each other. On the other hand, our intellectuals do not have the same influence that they have in India. Actually, the story of intolerance in India is not as important as the reaction of the Indian civil society.
Against this backdrop, what has happened in Paris on the night of Friday the thirteenth should be carefully assessed by our rulers and our political leaders. Again, we are unlucky to have the leaders that we have. They are woefully deficient in their intellectual abilities and their character. So what can we learn from the living history of a world in turmoil?
For the moment, however, we grieve for Paris and the loss of life in multiple terror attacks and suicide bombings. I have been watching CNN and the BBC and there is a lot of talk about the Islamic State and Islamic radicalism. One analyst on the BBC likened the Paris killings to the Mumbai attacks. Leaders of western countries have vowed that they will go after the terrorists with determination. They see this as an assault on their civilisation and values. The president of France said that “our fight will be merciless”.
A very large number of people in every part of the world must be recalling their own personal encounters with a city of love and culture. One is reminded of novels, films and songs that are sent in Paris. It is certainly one of the most enchanting cities of the world. More than with love, I associate Paris with philosophy and with artistic creativity. There is no other country like France, and Paris is its jewel. I feel personally disturbed because Paris is where I always want to go and have been fortunate to do that a number of times. But going anywhere with a Pakistani passport is not a pleasant experience.
Paris, we can be sure, will soon recover. Terrorists can do great damage. But their exploits will remain suicidal – in more ways than one.
The writer is a staff member. Email: ghazi_salahuddin@hotmail.com