Islamic parties lose support in Pakistan

If one is wondering why the Taliban and Al Qaeda are beginning to more directly seek battle with government force in Pakistan, one only has to read the Santa Barbar News-Press.

As Pakistan confronts an uncertain future after former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's slaying, one thing is clear: Islamic parties sympathetic to al-Qaida and the Taliban have lost a great deal of support since they won their greatest political victory in the country's history five years ago.

This statement echoes a similar statement made by Amir Taheri in his latest article for the New York Post. The article goes on to state,

The parties have been hurt by internal splits, leadership rivalries and widespread disdain for the hard-line Islamic rule they advocate. An outpouring of sympathy for Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party unleashed by her death Dec. 27 appears to have drained more support.

After the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan,

Six Islamic parties formed the United Action Front, or MMA, widely thought to have been engioeered by Pakistan's powerful intelligence service and former Taliban patron, Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, to contest 2002 elections. The MMA rode the wave of anger against the United States with pledges to create a theocracy and denunciations of television, co-education and alcohol to achieve unprecedented political gains. It formed governments in the North West Frontier and Baluchistan provinces, and won 60 seats in the 342-seat national assembly, making the Islamists the largest opposition bloc.

The article continues with,

The provincial governments have failed to make good on promises to end corruption and improve social services. MMA parties themselves are accused of graft, which they deny. Moreover, some Pakistanis have come to associate the religious parties with the explosion in suicide bombings and other violence that's shaken Pakistan since Musharraf ordered troops to assault an extremist-held mosque in Islamabad last July. The MMA split from the government last year when its largest component, the Jamaat Islami, the country's oldest Islamic party, declared that it would boycott the elections.

As in Iraq and Afghanistan, Al Qaeda and the Taliban promise certain things only to deliver suicide bombers, other violence, graft, and oppression. What is currently happening in Pakistan has the same underlying tones in Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other region where Al Qaeda establishes a presence. Al Qaeda promises:

1. A return to traditional ways (which is appealing) of tribal leadership and self-rule.

2. They begin to limit individual freedom (radios, internet, smoking, etc). While limiting individual's freedoms, Al Qaeda often does not put the same restriction on its own members.

3. They repress women (fully covering them with Burqas), alienating a large, apparently non-vocal segment of the population. However, this segment of the population has their husband's ears at night.

4. Anybody who speaks up against these repression is immediately kiled.

5. This one killing leads to another and to another as the people are more and more repressed.

6. Islamic extremists begin to lose popularity; however, their power now may be so strong to go against (sounds eerily similar to Nazi Germany).

7. Popular revolts begin to happen. If large enough, significant parties or clans detach themselves from Al Aqeda.

8. Mass death and mayham occur from suicide bombers. As a result, innocent women and children are killed.

9. Tacit and/or active support of Al Qaeda continues to wane.

10. The forces of freedom and demcracy begin to battle these dark and evil forces.

11. Killings increase as does unwarranted destruction.

12. If not backed by a signifanct external or internal power, the voices of the people are stifled and continue to live in despair. However, it backed by a significant external/internal power, slowly, the voices of the people become louder and louder, eventually defeating Al Qaeda.

As in Iraq, freedom and democracy started as the underdog because these two things were something the infidel brought. However, freedom and democracy will always win out in the end because that is all most decent people want. They want security for themselves and their family. They want the ability to work a days works and get paid so they can support their familiy. And if given extra income, they want the ability to enjoy some of the finer things of life, like listening to a radio, which they may find intellectually stimulating. Alternatively, they may just want a cigarette to smoke as they sit and watch their children play soccer in the street. Or, they may want to surf the internet to see what liberties and freedoms others are enjoying in other parts of the world. Some come to different parts of the world to get educated and return to their homeland to bring more prosparity.

Al Qaeda does not let people have simple freedoms. Because of this simple fact, Al Qaeda will be defeated, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, and whereever else it choses to impose it extremist ideology.

The U.S. is a leader of the free and democratic world. Afghanistan and Iraq sparked a popular protest against pain, suffering, and tyranny that has been ongoing in the third world regions. While many times initially rejected by people who believe we are an occupying force, they soon realize that all we want is the same peace and security that they long for. Once we can ensure our own peace and security, by bringing them their peace and security, we leave.

But typically, at that point, we are asked to stay.

This pattern has repeated itself since the U.S became involved in world politics in WWI. The only difference between WWI and WWII, is that when asked to stay, we did not. That fatal mistake brought about WWII.