Islamabad Atmosphere in the wake of Crisis

By Zeba Khan

"USA: Unrighteous, Selfish, Arrogant!"

Such was one banner flown at a major intersection last week here in Islamabad. It was taken down the next day and replaced with eight banners expressing solidarity with the Pakistani government's decision and the fight against terrorism. That doesn't mean that the sentiment has been replaced, only censored.

The atmosphere here is tense but calm, despite whispers of war, civil or otherwise. "People get angry!" a man said to his friend as I passed them in the hallway of an office building, "You keep pushing them and pushing them and then they push back and you're surprised? This was bound to happen."

Shopping at Aabpara bazaar, ground zero for anti-US demonstrations, a man was yelled at for playing his radio while the news was being broadcasted from a TV repair shop. A few feet away, old men playing chess glanced occasionally at the American who had accompanied me to the bazaar, but that was perfectly ordinary, foreigners are subject to curious glances, even during peacetime.

The only major changes to come to Islamabad since Musharraf announced his support have been an increase in military and police personnel in the city and the introduction of dozens of foreign news crews in the city. Most of the scenic spots around the Parliament house are dotted with reporters wearing olive-drab vests with multiple pockets, apparently standard issue for "hotspot" reporting. If Islamabad is a hotspot, then this has to be the most peaceful hotspot in the world. Men still play cards in the median of the street. Near the F-7 bazaar, fifteen old men still sit on the corner and share one hookah and chat.

Anti-US demonstrations have been mainly peaceful, with the exception of last week's strike in Karachi where four people were killed. Political graffiti, the forerunner to political violence, is conspicuously missing in the city. Bear in mind that there is no lack on benign graffiti, and the only slogan that might attract attention is painted on the side of a government college. It reads "Look at what the Jews are doing to us," in red paint, and it's been up since way before September 11th.

Attention has been called to the US's unfair policy in the Muslim world, their support of Israel, their ten-year bombing campaign on Iraq, their years of silence during the Bosnian Genocide. The newspapers here are filled with editorials that point out that America has done everything to make itself the target of revenge. A popular sentiment here is that America deserved it, had the attacks coming, and would you like to buy an Osama bin Laden T-shirt?

Others are not so staunch in their support of bin Laden, their faith in his innocence shaken by the powerful finger the US has pointing at him, and by the appalling nature of the crime he has been accused of. A young relation of mine contacted me over the internet last night, "Phoopo, (auntie) I'm confused, Osama is our hero, isn't he?" I told her that I didn't know, and that if he was innocent he wouldn't mind coming out for a trial before an international court. This sentiment seems to be shared by most
politicians as well.

Retiring Minister of Communication, Saadiq Swati explained his personal point of view during an interview, "Once, during the time of the Prophet, a woman from a very wealthy and influential family was accused of theft. There was evidence against her, but her wealthy and influential family asked that she be acquitted on the grounds of her status. At this point the Prophet said 'Even if Fatima (the Prophet's daughter) had stolen, I would cut off her hand.' It was this kind of mentality that took Muslims to the top, not the mentality where if he's your brother he must be right, even if he is wrong. Osama has been indicted, let him stand trial."

At this point in time, Pakistan's future seems uncertain, and rests heavily on what the US decides to do in Afghanistan. If the US invades Afghanistan, then Afghanistan will almost certainly invade Pakistan. The Afghani Ambassador to Pakistan promised this very early in the situation. If the US somehow succeeds in moving Osama out of Afghanistan for an international trial, then Pakistan will be spared the threat of retaliation and the disrepute of helping America torture an already tortured people for crimes they had nothing to do with. Osama bin Laden in not even Afghani, but the Afghanis are still being punished with sanctions and embargoes, a deadly plight for a land-locked country already suffering from drought.

Since the US announced their suspicion of bin Laden, foreign relief agencies have pulled out of Afghanistan and suspended aid. The World Food Program announced that they have only enough wheat for two weeks of distribution by their local personnel. After that, the five million Afghanis that remain in the country will be facing famine. As for the four million Afghani refugees in Pakistan and Iraq, they fare only slightly better. Though they are meagrely fed, they are still subject to disease, lack of medical facilities and the impending winter. The majority of causalities in the refugee camps are children, none of which, are linked with Osama bin Laden.

Unfortunately, an international trial of bin Laden seems to take the back seat to Bush's campaign of revenge an instant gratification. Based on the fact that US troops, carriers, and bombers have already taken up position around Afghanistan, conflict looks unavoidable. In fighting terrorism, the US will become one, and Pakistan may be dragged down into this crime against humanity as well. Lets us pray that's not the case, too many lives are at risk not to.

Date/Time Last Modified: 6/17/2002 3:36:55 PM

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