Uptil June 1977 Pakistan was a free thinking - extremely moderate Islamic country. Mullahs kept their noses out of everything. In fact if a mullah were to create scene he would be taken away by the police for disturbing the peace. Liquor shops, bars were open, massage parlors, there were discos and night-clubs. The main advertisements of the newspapers were about the latest foreign stripper in town.
When protests against the ZA Bhutto the late prime minister, he thought by banning the sale of alcohol would end the demonstrations - he was mistaken, he was removed by most terrible military dictators. His agenda 'Islamise' Pakistani society. Evertything that existed till June 1977 disappeared.
Even then time no party was without liquor being served in secret. It was normal pattern of life. Everything was there but remain hidden. General Zia may have been preparing Pakistan for something far worse. A communist government had overthrown the King Zahir Shah in Afghanistan, during the term of late prime minister ZA Bhutto.
The US was seemed to be concerned about this development. The PPP the party which was Bhutto's party also had a socialist agenda. The US did not want Afghanistan and the rest of South Asia fall in communist hands or become satellite states of the former USSR. So General Zia-ul-Haq introduced the most convulated and distorted version of Islam in Pakistan. It was preparation for something far worse.
When former USSR's military entered Afghanistan, it was invited - it was not an invasion. The US started a proxy war, uniting the disunited Afghan tribes in the name of Islam to resort to Jihad. General Zia had thousands of Madressahs opened the training was of the Koran and how to fight, these were cannon fodder to combat the former Soviet Union's army.
The Mujahideen emerged. It was the US which wanted militant Islam, fundamentalist Islam to fight its worst enemy. Like the American always said 'rather be dead than red'. The war devestated Afghanistan - the war ended with to do later, the country fell into anarchy and Pakistan was the victim of a fanatical version of Islam. The Mujahideen comprised of poor Pakistanis conscripted to fight a war which served the interest of the USA. Pakistan became known as an absolute Islamic country instead of a socialist country or a communist country which the US would never have liked.
After General Zia-ul-Haq, Pakistan has been desperately trying to get back to normal. Everyone hates the Mullahs, everyone hates the Mujahideen/Taliban. Pakistan wants to become the country which would be free of religious fanaticism. People imagine that Pakistan is some ultra-conservative society - it is not. Once the harmful effect of the Mullahs goes - Pakistan could become its old self again.
The slow steps back to normalcy is the recent Miss Pakistan pageant held in New York. Had it been held here the Mullahs continue to have some influence would be in a position to start a massive demonstration apart from that resort to rioting.
The beauty pageant is a sign that there still are sane people in Pakistan who are for the most part are secular and liberal.
If a true and honest election were to take place no Islamic party would be able to win a seat in the parliament. People want their rights restored. They do not want religion to dictate their lives. It is unanimous faith and all things which have anything to do with religion should stay at home. The mushrooming number of mosques should be eliminated by any means. Mosques are a booming businesses. Madressahs should be abolished and proper schools should take their place. The Madressahs teach nothing except the recitation of the Koran without understanding what it means, because no one speaks Arabic.
Now that the Mujahideen have done the USA's dirty work the Taliban who went over to restore order - suddenly became the USA's enemy - new terms were coined 'Islamic Terrorism', 'Islamic Militants' as long as they were fighting the soldiers of the former Soviet Union they were the brave Mujahideen fighting a Jihad against an Evil Empire. The very creation of the USA has become the USA's biggest enemy it is very strange.
When protests against the ZA Bhutto the late prime minister, he thought by banning the sale of alcohol would end the demonstrations - he was mistaken, he was removed by most terrible military dictators. His agenda 'Islamise' Pakistani society. Evertything that existed till June 1977 disappeared.
Even then time no party was without liquor being served in secret. It was normal pattern of life. Everything was there but remain hidden. General Zia may have been preparing Pakistan for something far worse. A communist government had overthrown the King Zahir Shah in Afghanistan, during the term of late prime minister ZA Bhutto.
The US was seemed to be concerned about this development. The PPP the party which was Bhutto's party also had a socialist agenda. The US did not want Afghanistan and the rest of South Asia fall in communist hands or become satellite states of the former USSR. So General Zia-ul-Haq introduced the most convulated and distorted version of Islam in Pakistan. It was preparation for something far worse.
When former USSR's military entered Afghanistan, it was invited - it was not an invasion. The US started a proxy war, uniting the disunited Afghan tribes in the name of Islam to resort to Jihad. General Zia had thousands of Madressahs opened the training was of the Koran and how to fight, these were cannon fodder to combat the former Soviet Union's army.
The Mujahideen emerged. It was the US which wanted militant Islam, fundamentalist Islam to fight its worst enemy. Like the American always said 'rather be dead than red'. The war devestated Afghanistan - the war ended with to do later, the country fell into anarchy and Pakistan was the victim of a fanatical version of Islam. The Mujahideen comprised of poor Pakistanis conscripted to fight a war which served the interest of the USA. Pakistan became known as an absolute Islamic country instead of a socialist country or a communist country which the US would never have liked.
After General Zia-ul-Haq, Pakistan has been desperately trying to get back to normal. Everyone hates the Mullahs, everyone hates the Mujahideen/Taliban. Pakistan wants to become the country which would be free of religious fanaticism. People imagine that Pakistan is some ultra-conservative society - it is not. Once the harmful effect of the Mullahs goes - Pakistan could become its old self again.
The slow steps back to normalcy is the recent Miss Pakistan pageant held in New York. Had it been held here the Mullahs continue to have some influence would be in a position to start a massive demonstration apart from that resort to rioting.
The beauty pageant is a sign that there still are sane people in Pakistan who are for the most part are secular and liberal.
If a true and honest election were to take place no Islamic party would be able to win a seat in the parliament. People want their rights restored. They do not want religion to dictate their lives. It is unanimous faith and all things which have anything to do with religion should stay at home. The mushrooming number of mosques should be eliminated by any means. Mosques are a booming businesses. Madressahs should be abolished and proper schools should take their place. The Madressahs teach nothing except the recitation of the Koran without understanding what it means, because no one speaks Arabic.
Now that the Mujahideen have done the USA's dirty work the Taliban who went over to restore order - suddenly became the USA's enemy - new terms were coined 'Islamic Terrorism', 'Islamic Militants' as long as they were fighting the soldiers of the former Soviet Union they were the brave Mujahideen fighting a Jihad against an Evil Empire. The very creation of the USA has become the USA's biggest enemy it is very strange.
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