Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 01:29:02 +1000 From: saeed urrehman <think-AT-riseup.net> Subject: RE: Islamist textbooks currently published by the US Well, there was a time when the Afghan Mujahedeen were invited to the White House and compared to the founding fathers of America in public as heroes who were ensuring the continuity of America (Eqbal Ahmed talked about this incident in his lecture "Terrorism: Theirs vs. Ours."). I have also heard some stories of some top gun American politician addressed the Mujahedeen in Aghanistan, holding a copy of the Quran in one hand and an AK47 in the other - as two symbols of freedom, dignity and emancipation. So probably American politicos also took upon themselves the task of spreading militant Islam. No wonder everybody is talking about "blowback" and "chickens coming home to roost" and other harsh things. The bitterest thing about this whole Afghan saga is the way guns and militancy spread all over Pakistan and Afghanistan. The rise of jehadi madrassahs, the combination of corruption and Islamization of the Zia ul Haq era. the Talibenization of the army and secret services of Pakistan, as if they were very pleasant before. The legalization of the Hudood Ordinances. Persecution of non-Muslim minorities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. These were some of the effects of the great game between capitalism and communism. As they say in Urdu, when elephants fight no one counts how many ants are trampled to death. We were third world ants, even Allah did not seem to care much. --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005