Newsweek International has an interesting story penned by Fareed Zakaria about how the world should accept that a radical Islam exists and how to live with it.
It is not just in the Swat valley that Islamists are on the rise. In Afghanistan the Taliban have been gaining ground for the past two years as well. In Somalia last week, Al-Shabab, a local group of Islamic militants, captured yet another town from government forces. Reports from Nigeria to Bosnia to Indonesia show that Islamic fundamentalists are finding support within their communities for their agenda, which usually involves the introduction of some form of Sharia-Islamic law-reflecting a puritanical interpretation of Islam. No music, no liquor, no smoking, no female emancipation.
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Were he to hold Western, liberal views, Shinwari would have little credibility within his country. The reality-for the worse, in my view-is that radical Islam has gained a powerful foothold in the Muslim imagination. It has done so for a variety of complex reasons that I have written about before. But the chief reason is the failure of Muslim countries to develop, politically or economically. Look at Pakistan. It cannot provide security, justice or education for many of its citizens. Its elected politicians have spent all of their time in office conspiring to have their opponents thrown in jail and their own corruption charges tossed out of court. As a result, President Asif Ali Zardari’s approval rating barely a month into office was around half that enjoyed by President Pervez Musharraf during most of his term. The state is losing legitimacy as well as the capacity to actually govern.
What I would like to understand is why the United States continues to call them extremists and Islamists, while negotiating to bring them into power in Afghanistan? If the United States feels comfortable with Gulbadeen Hekmatyar in power in Afghanistan, how can you honestly criticize Pakistan for making a peace deal with the militants in Swat?
And for reference, when Swat was still a Princely state, prior to 1969, the rule of law in the area was Sharia. Justice was effective, quick and accepted by all, which today’s Pakistan doesn’t have. Being a native of Swat, I know the old system because my family was part of it. It was also part of the agreement made with the Government of Pakistan to when it was included in the Federation.
Is Sharia bad? No. It is an extremely effective form of justice, but it must be interpreted with the honesty and clarity of Solomon. The problem that most of us are concerned about is with the interpretation, not with Sharia itself.
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