Anwar Ahmad

It was argued last week that the merciless slaughter of prisoners by the Northern Alliance and their US-UK advisors and bombers had shredded one of humankind's most sublime achievements - the Geneva Conventions on the conduct of war and humane treatment of POWs. And, the publicised butchery of "foreign Taliban" in an otherwise "sanitised" media environment was intended to bury the Jihad fraternity which had turned on its contemporary creator, the US. It seems useful to examine the reactions to this column (Of human degradation).

The most robust response has come from a gentleman named Soltan. He says: "Civility applies to civilised people not barbarians whose defence you come to. I am a Muslim and a Pakistani, and in the decade I have been in the US, all I have seen is people in our country (and others) make fun of and take advantage of the 'stupid' American system (illegal jobs, skimming the social welfare system, etc). Americans may be nice but they are definitely not stupid. Using your example, what Ghengiz did was to set an example - no different than what the Taliban were doing in getting the message across: submit or die. The US, if it is doing it, is doing a fine job as it will make the next Osama "shiver" before taking lives of innocent people. As for you, learn to be objective and speak the truth or stop wasting ink and paper. Some BS people come up with, just to get published, especially crack 'English' speakers among us."

Selective civilisation, and justice? Isn't this paradoxical? And a mind conditioned by the electronic media, endorsing unquestionably the official American view of events? Mr Soltan does not distinguish between the Taliban and OBL; and, true to the American right-wing jingoism, wants their annihilation to deter any future challenge to US interests.

That this ham-handedness has trashed the whole international system so painstakingly built after World War-II is of no consequence. No guilt that the American ruthlessness has killed and maimed more innocent civilians than the victims of the WTC-Pentagon tragedy, and driven millions into the bitterly cold Afghan wasteland. No worry that the "victory" has diminished America's moral stature and the Western values. No room to wonder why the much vaunted Al-Qaeda has rolled over without shaking the world. Instead, there is a typical inversion of logic to justify US actions on the misuse of Western generosity by ingrate migrants.

This extremism, unfortunately, reflects the pervasive American mood. Otherwise, the US government could not have unleashed the carnage and terror in Afghanistan. The ominous desire to silence dissent justifies itself by equating opposition to US policies with support for Taliban-Osama. From this flawed premise flows the ire against the American academia which, having the intellectual wherewithal to see through the media fog and official doublespeak, is the wellspring of anti-war voices. The print media, too, has its conscience keepers.

The general reaction from India has also been of glee at the Taliban debacle and Pakistan's comeuppance. But Raj Bhatia had this to say: "Hi Anwar. I read your article 'Of human degradation' in 'The News' Internet edition. It was nicely written and the comparison with Changez Khan was apt. I am an Indian Hindu but I feel strongly for these hapless souls especially after seeing their blackened, bomb-ravaged faces on TV. The murder of POWs is a heartless act of cowardice. Why the US shouldn't treat the defeated Taliban like the Germans or Japanese after WW-II is a pertinent question. Given the right social and governmental set up sans a Mullah Omar or a Bin Laden, they would be perfectly normal individuals just like the Japanese or German citizens were in the aftermath of WW-II. Even the Arab, Pakistani (the most hapless of the lot I would say, ditched by the Taliban and in conflict with their own government) and Chechen fighters can be deported to their countries of origin and made to face a fair trial. But, alas, concern for life in South Asia and Afghanistan seems to be the last priority of its rulers or the International bodies."

Mr Bhatia obviously represents the compassionate and aware global minority which can rise above national and religious sentiments - and the so very subjective rights and wrongs that rule our passions - to see Afghanistan as the great human tragedy that it is. And, as humanity's shame and a great setback to the hopes of a just and humane world order. The irony is that the US could so easily have led the world in a wholly different direction by acting through the UN and bringing those accused of perpetrating the Black Tuesday to trial before an international tribunal - or, better still, the stalled International Criminal Court.

Among the voices of reason and fairness from the US is Mike Greenhalgh. He says: "Hi Anwar Ahmad, I've just read your column, the best I've seen on the human and historical perspective. I've been looking for a reasoned analysis for exactly what you've said as 'disinterred from 400 years deep in Muslim history to do its dirty work against the Soviets'. Know where I can get further info on this? There isn't much reasoned analysis here in the normal media, and it tends to get sanitised pretty quickly. Thanks for an incredibly powerful statement. The benevolent future for our world requires understanding these issues, by millions in the US and elsewhere."

Indeed so! What is most despairing for us on the receiving end of it all is that such good and fair people - as most Americans are - should consistently elect governments capable of such callousness, cruelty and injustice. This seeming incongruity is explained by Prof Noam Chomsky (who, during his recent visit to Pakistan, found Bush and Bin Laden indistinguishable in their pursuit of "evil-doers" and "infidels"). He cities data to argue that American voters have little say in choosing their leaders and the US democracy has, in effect, been commandeered by corporate power and the motivated media which "manufacture" consent behind the "right" causes.

Many Americans realise this too, and their helplessness. Commenting to an earlier column, Ms Gina de Miranda had said: "It was refreshing to get a different perspective on this entire situation. Personally, I believe that attacking Afghanistan would only result in more anger. It seemed likely to produce another baby Bin Laden who would surface some time in the future. Although I love my country, I don't think that it is very wise with foreign policy."

In a subsequent e-mail, she added: "Most Americans are oblivious to the fact that their news may not include all of the facts of any event. I like being able to read other people's point of view and get additional information that I can't get in my own country. There are many people in this country who, unfortunately, don't realise that our government has often acted in a capricious manner particularly with our allies. . . and with 'enemies' as well."

However, she goes on, "not all Americans are so unaware. There are those of us who would argue for restraint, who believe that there are better ways to use our power and strength and who wish that the great wealth in this country were used to help the poor, to raise all our children with better conditions and to make this a better world. Unfortunately, we are not in power. I am upset about both the deaths in the WTC and those in Afghanistan. Killing other people and other people's children will not solve the current situation. I truly wish that I knew what to do. Perhaps just opening a dialogue between people who are not politicians is a start."

Herein is encapsulated the whole American tragedy which, by the sheer power of the US and its unprecedented ability to touch the world, could turn into global catastrophe. Many Americans (and Europeans) seek out alternative views and realise that their government is doing wrong. They, thus, form the vanguard of the human rights and relief bodies, the pro-environment, anti-war and anti-poverty movements.

But they are, presently, not enough in number to translate their views into policies. The majority is too busy making a living to think beyond their pockets and local politics. The system ensures that it stays this way. So the oil prices and inflation are kept low, and the TV-Radio networks - the only source of news and views for most Americans - say soothing things only. The Muslim world helps out by running closed and corrupt houses, and responding to internal and external injustices with rage rather than reason. The West also over-simplifies and externalises many of its internal contradictions. This mutually destructive cycle has to be broken from both sides.

The writer is a freelance columunist

aa52pak@hotmail.com