The Downward Spiral to Anarchy

I write this blog today thinking about how my son will perceive this world. The world we live in today is a far more dangerous place than what it was when I was growing up. Granted, it was still quite dangerous living and growing up in Pakistan, but it was never ever this dangerous. We used to get occasional problems in the country, but never was it a place where your personal safety is at risk no matter what you do and where you go. I write this after watching the images and reading about what occurred in the last couple of days in Islamabad. I am referring to the cowardly suicide attack on one of the icons of Islamabad and Pakistan as a whole, the Marriott hotel. Some people may think that this is just another terrorism attack that has been going on since Pakistan stood side by side with the United States in the so called war on terror. But believe me; this is entirely different and very significant.

The Marriott hotel in Islamabad has been an icon of prestige and life at the high end. Its location makes it a special attraction for foreigners and of course a target for attacks like this. It was as guarded as a hotel can be, for a place where normal public can also have access. I make this point to note that this was not only a place for people to stay – it was a special meeting point, it was a place where people had coffee, enjoyed dinners, had weddings etc. Its location is merely a few kms from the Presidential and Prime Minister’s house, making it even more secure.

This is really worrying to me as this gives everyone the message that no place is safe anymore for normal people. People to eat out and not worry about safety, is not the case anymore.
The people who are in government and in positions of power have been stuck in power wrangling have done nothing to address the urgent need of fixing this major problem threatening to destroy Pakistan. People like Nawaz Sharif keeps giving deadlines for bullshit problems when there is so much killing and suffering in the country. How can these leaders get on with their lives when they are not even trying to address this urgent need? Why don’t these people at least try and put some of the effort they have put in to try and topple the previous leader into addressing this? This decease as Asif Ali Zardari called it in his address to the country has the capability of destroying the entire fabric of society in Pakistan.

I was speaking with a fellow Pakistani the other day who was talking about having some faith in Zardari who hoped that he puts some of his ‘business-man like’ effort into solving some problems in the country. As much as I hate the leaders of Pakistan – what can a normal person do? One has to hope in order to go on. The life of the people on the street is not getting any better – in fact with all these maniacs trying to blow things up, it has made Pakistan even more vulnerable and unstable, economically and generally.

One DOES need to hope that these people in power can try and solve the major threat faced by this country in its 61 year history. I pray that the leaders in Pakistan can take a lead in solving this, rather than worrying about their seats of power. I pray that the religious leaders of Pakistan can take the lead in eradicating this ‘cancer’ and tell people that Islam is a religion of peace and loving. It is a religion that teaches one to be a better person, by being forgiving and having love for his fellow human being. This is a religion that tells one to treat life with respect and shed no innocent blood. I pray for the people who lost their lives protecting other people. They are the real martyrs here not the people who carried out the attack.

Living in a western country you think how people of other faiths must think about people of the Islamic faith. They must think Islam teaches something which these fanatics are willing to die for and cause havoc and destruction. Why would western people even think about investing or even sending their cricket team for example to visit this dangerous place?

All I can say is that God help Pakistan – it is on a dangerous downward spiral towards anarchy