Paris Attaks, Background Straddled

Night 13-14 Nov was a tragic time in Paris when shooters and suicide bombers killed around 200 innocent citizens, leaving another 99 in critical condition. President Francois Hollande of French Republic declared these attacks as "An act of war against France". Terrorists selected 6 different soft targets to attack including a football stadium where a match was underway and was being witnessed by French President.

This act of brutality and terrorism is highly condemn-able and cannot be justified under any rationalization, whatsoever. Loss of lives of innocent children, women, and men is a collective loss of entire humanity, may it be in any part of the world. No religion, ethics, or human behavior allows or can justify such act of ruthlessness.

Apparently the responsibility of Paris attacks is accepted by ISIS; a terrorist militant group, active in Iraq and Syria but there is a need to analyze the incident more deeply, keeping in view some of the similar terrorist attacks in different parts of the world in the past. In the last three decades, our planet has seen severe surge of violence, intolerance, and terrorism. Its roots can be traced as back as the 50s to 70s era of cold war between USA and former USSR. Cold war had split the world in two major groups namely Capitalist bloc and Socialist bloc. At the face of it, the split seemed like two economic systems but in real these blocs were created in the hunt of power and supremacy against each other. This voracity caused a race of military might, ICBMs, WMDs and other lethal nuclear and NBC arsenal. Countries included in respective blocs signed mutual agreements of military defense namely NATO and WARSA pacts and undertook to mutually fight against any attacker. Besides building on military might, signing agreements of safeguarding mutual interests on economical fronts, and issuing guarantees to protect each other, a lot of covert activities started in opposite blocs as well as within the blocs. These activities included espionage through intelligence agents, scientific/ electronic monitoring and planting moles. These activities were two fold, one: to gain timely intelligence of opponents activities and two: to keep a check over own allies and ensure they were not in any sort of secret contact with opponent bloc. This kind of constant watch over allies was also necessary because besides political and geographical ideologies of different countries; who had joined a specific bloc, their religious and social cultures and attachments forced them to have relationships with countries in other bloc. Such dogma was more common in Arabic and Middle Eastern states as those were split in both blocs but were yet united being Arab/ Muslim states.

After USSR's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the situation worsened and NATO bloc proactively struck against the invasion. As a result of NATO's efforts, USSR not only withdrew from Afghanistan but also split into pieces. On the other hand, through passive support of USSR; in opposition to USA, Islamic revolution overthrew the rule of Pehlavi dynasty in Iran, who under the reign of Raza Shah Pehlavi, was a strong ally and the biggest protector of USA's interests in the region. USA considered these events in Afghanistan and Iran as transformation of geopolitical situation in Middle East (ME). After disintegration of USSR and claiming to be the sole super power in the world, USA decided to alter the paradigm to keep the region under her invulnerable control in future.

USA had sought help of Pakistan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Afghanistan and other Muslim countries by naming the fight against USSR in Afghanistan as Jehad (holy war of Islam) against pagan/ atheist oppressor. This moved religious pressure groups to enroll young men in private militia and through USA funding, Islamic seminaries were established to train the youth in war craft, especially guerrilla warfare. These trained militia were named as Taliban and were launched in Afghanistan to fight against USSR Army. USA provided them arms, ammunition, food, shelter and financial aid through the puppet military regime of Zia ul Haq. These Taliban were sponsored through rich business and interest partners of USA in KSA and other Islamic countries e.g., Bin Laden Group of Saudi Arabia who were partners of USA top leadership in oil exploration and extraction. Osama bin Laden, an employee of CIA was made in-charge of aid program to Taliban and was sent to operate in Afghanistan. After the withdrawal of Russia from Afghanistan, USA disregarded Taliban in Afghanistan and wanted to rule the country through a dummy, moderate, and incompetent ruler of Kabul. Taliban revolted against USA at this point and demanded their right to rule Afghanistan which they claimed to have earned through their physical participation in war to defeat USSR. USA in turn declared Taliban as terrorists (which were earlier labelled by her as Jihadis - Holy warriors of Islam). Osama bin Laden, seeing the transposed view of USA founded an Arabic based extremist group and named it as Al-Qaeda. He, through his vast financial resources, enrolled Arabic, Chechen, Uzbek, and other radical Muslims to form a rigid group who rejected to accept any other faction or jurisprudence of Islam and declared all other Muslims as Kafir (non-believers).

In Iran, USA lost her grip as soon as Islamic revolution was enforced, which was covertly supported by USSR. This caused general hatred against USA and a soft and sympathetic corner for USSR in the hearts of Iranians. USA did not accept this change and wanted to carry out her covert operations to regain her hold in the region. This time USA decided to activate 1400 old rift between Muslims in the name of sectarianism. KSA and Iran are very old rivals and their rivalry is rooted back to the times of Umar bin Al-Khattab, the second Caliph of Islam. It was during his time that Islamic forces of Arab peninsula attacked and captured Faris (present day Iran that was a super power of that time). The rivalry of both countries kept going till present day because KSA was ruled by Aal e Saud (Saud dynasty) who followed Wahabi jurisprudence of Islam where as in Iran Shia jurisprudence of Islam is followed. Wahabi and Shia factions of Islam has major differences in belief and these create a rift between the two sects. USA and her allies decided to start a proxy war in Pakistan and Afghanistan and further spread it to all the countries where Shia and Wahabi split was present. This would help the cause of USA and Western world as they were to obtain following goals:; -

• Immediate hold on oil and natural resources of Middle Eastern states.
• Gain control in Afghanistan and Pakistan to keep a check over China and Iran.
• Keep Iran pitched in uncongenial and troubled situation against Saudi Arabia and other ME states.
• Ensure that Muslim Arab states remain busy in sectarian violence so that the state of Israel; surrounded by Muslim states, is safeguarded.
• Put a check on speedy spread of Islam in the West and create a wave of hatred amongst Muslims and natives of Western countries so that vast migration/ emigration of Muslims can be controlled.
• Control spread of Islamic seminaries and Mosques in the West. 
• Weaken Muslims through internal disputes and polemicise to the extent that they indulge in bloodshed.
• Keep Muslims away from modern education, science, and technology by propagating only the rituals of prayers, fasting and other practices as the total purpose of religion, through planned course by foreign funded and sponsored religious clerics.
• Keep tyrant and illegal monarchs imposed over people so that Muslims remain oppressed, poor, uneducated and enslaved.
• Make them afraid of performing their religious obligations and making them believe that religion is a private affair. This is aimed to be achieved through demolishing holy and sacred places like tombs of Prophets, Family and Companions of Prophet Muhammad on the one hand and by bomb explosions, suicidal attacks etc on Mosques and Imam Bargahs.

To achieve above goals, a heavy sectarian war was imposed in the ME and religious extremists organizations like Hizb ut Tehreer, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Taliban were funded and supported to fulfill above goals in different Islamic countries. 

Recent attacks in France have been owned by ISIS after two days, while international leadership and media had already started associating them with ISIS. This is not unprecedented as similar tactics was used after 9/11 in the US when the blame was ultimately accepted by Al-Qaeda. USA needed an excuse to launch physical attack and take control of Kabul so that Taliban were pitched in the battle in the name of "War on Terror" and puppet government of Hamid Karzai could be installed. In Iraq the legitimacy of NATO attack was bluffed on the plea of destruction of WMDs, Iraq was building up but till date no weapons of that sort have been recovered from Iraq where as about fifty thousand people have lost their lives in the war and post war Shia-Sunni conflicts. At the cost of blood of innocent civilians and state of unrest and uncertainty, USA, however has gained full control over Iraqi Oil and state resources.

To turn ME spring into autumn, USA/ NATO went further deep and raised armed and trained organizations like ISIS to fight against the governments in ME/ Arabian states. These militants were funded and equipped by the West to fight and create unrest in favor of USA/ NATO. This is a matter of serious concern that ISIS is being supported in Syria to fight against the government forces where as the same terrorist organization is opposed in Iraq.

In the west, in the name of "freedom of expression", incidents like publishing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad, burning of copies of Quran; holy book of Islam, and putting restrictions on observing hijab by Muslim women were supported by the governments. This attitude created a wave of hatred among Muslims of the world and they felt that such incidents were against the honor, respect, and sanctity of protocols of Islam. West must understand that becoming Policemen of the world, creating rift between different factions and sects of any religion, planting and nurturing radical fundamentalists and supporting/ aiding bloodshed will always have its negative fallout. It is a universal truth that "what goes around, comes around".

Although the loss of innocent citizens in Paris attacks are high condemned, the producers and suppliers of arms and ammunition to terrorists must notice that the blood of innocent women, children, senior citizens and young people is as precious as the blood of people who died in 9/11 attacks in USA or recently in France. Let the peace prevail and stop aiding/ supporting terrorist organizations operating in any part of the world otherwise, "what shall you sow, so shall you reap."        

Role of Madrassah in Pakistan

With the upsurge of terrorist activities in the country, madaris (Islamic seminaries) (plural of madrassah) have come under enormous criticism of nurturing terrorists. Since most of the terrorist activities in Pakistan and Afghanistan have their linkage with religious enthusiasts, it has provided ample opportunities for anti-Islamic activists to condemn madaris with ample and tangible evidence. No one can deny the fact that some of the madaris have been proactively involved in training of their students in use of arms, explosives, and have acted as nurseries of producing terrorists. There are yet a few which, apparently have not involved in direct armed training but have indulged in brainwashing young minds to create hatred against those who do not follow their faction of religious beliefs. But it is highly unjustified to object to madaris in totality as they are serving as alternate welfare institutions in the country.

Historically, madrassah has been an institution of formal religious and scientific sciences and its tradition can be traced as back as in the time of Islamic state in Medina. The first madrassah is believed to be established jointly by Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (companion and son in law of Prophet Muhammad) and Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (companion and cousin of Ali and Prophet Muhammad) - May Allah's peace be upon them. The institution of madrassah has played an important role during the golden times of Islam. Famous early Muslim astronomers, biologists, nutritionists, chemists, economists, geographers, mathematicians, doctors, political scientists, and scholars were the product of madaris of their times. Many madrassah students were employed by the rulers in their courts for statecraft and were appointed to the ranks of prime ministers and chief justices.

As Islam spread in different parts of the globe, the institution of madrassah also traveled with Muslim traders, invaders, and preachers. In subcontinent madaris were established right after the Muslim conquest of Sindh and Multan. Although in the beginning these institutions were informally established by Sufis and preachers on local levels and adopted ways and means suiting local population. Proper madrassahs were later instilled during the times of Muslim rulers of Delhi and later during Mughal rule of India. During the rule of Muslims in subcontinent, state machinery and bureaucracy was based on scholars, statesmen, engineers, judges, doctors, and political scientists, who were graduated from Islamic seminaries. After unsuccessful revolt of 1857 against British rule, British took over the control of India and made it their colony under the viceroy appointed directly by Queen. In British India, all degrees awarded by madaris were declared null and void and the government announced that only those persons, well versed with English language and modern sciences were eligible to get government jobs. This created a clear demarcation between madrassah education and modern schools.

Three of the major types of madaris in subcontinent were established as Darul Uloom Deoband (Devbandi Sunni University, estb 1866), Madrassah Manzar e Islam, Bareilly (Islamic University of Brailvi Muslims, estb 1904), and Bara Imambara Lucknow (where Hawza Ilmiya Lucknow (Islamic University of Shia Muslims) was estb in 1791). At independence in 1947, there were only 189 madaris in Pakistan which grew to 783 in 1971. After Iranian Islamic (Shia) revolution and Russian invasion of Afghanistan during very late decade of 70s, Pakistan was inundated with madaris and training of militant wings became as part of madrassahs education. During this time Pakistani madaris of particular factions; mostly Wahabis and Deobandis, were funded for following reasons: -

• Prepare militants to fight against USSR in Afghanistan in the name of Jehad e Islami (Islamic holy war) against paganism - a strategic move by USA to fund and replenish human resource for using them in Afghanistan.
• There was a threat that Islamic revolution in neighboring Iran might expand in other Muslim countries of the region This speculative expansion was against the interests of USA and Saudi Arabia. Both provided free resources to madaris of Deobandi and Wahabi factions for countering expansion of Islamic revolution. New madaris with grand buildings and ecellent facilities were built, religious scholars were provided with latest amenities of life, transport and protocol.
• General Zia ul Haq had imposed martial law in the country and he wanted to gain public support. He used the name of Islam for this purpose as people in subcontinent are raditionally very sentimental about religion. Through the support of US and KSA funding, he paid high amounts to religious clerics for his nefarious political and religious designs.

Jamaati Ulama Islam ... figured as a fairly minor part of Pakistan's religious scene until the regime of General Zia al-Haq ... who used an Islamic policy to buttress his military dictatorship. Part of his policy to `Islamize` Pakistan was a campaign to expand religious education with funds for thousands of new madrases. Their number grew from around 900 in 1971 to over 8000 official ones and another 25,000 unofficial ones in 1988. With financial support from Saudi Arabia, Deobandi madrasas were part of this vast proliferation in religious education, much of it located in Afghan refugee camps that sprang up in the 1980s. This rapid expansion came at the expense of doctrinal coherence as there were not enough qualified teachers to staff all the new schools. Quite a few teachers did not discern between tribal values of their ethnic group, the Pushtuns and the religious ideals. The result was an interpretation of Islam that blended Pushtun ideals and Deobandi views, precisely the hallmark of the Taliban.    

--- The Wahabi Mission and Saudi Arabia by David Commins (2009), p:191-2

This caused sectarianism, hatred, and militancy in relatively moderate and peaceful Pakistani society where Muslims of all sects lived in the past with mutual tolerance and brotherhood. Wikileaks, based on reliable evidence has published a detailed report on Saudi financed Wahabi madaris. The report is an evidence of how different political and religious proxy wars have been fought in pan-Pakistan areas and has left their long damaging impacts.

     

Beside the clear evidences of involvement in militancy, recruiting terrorists, brainwashing and spreading hate, and training the youth in handling arms and explosives by some madaris, the importance of madaris can not be undermined keeping in view the the socioeconomic situation of Pakistan.

Pakistan is the land of 21 Million people and official reports suggest that only 2.1% of total GDP is being expended in education sector. With deteriorating data of children enrolled in governmental schools, increasing drop out rate due to poverty and limited access to schools/ teachers, lot of children of the school going age; especially in rural areas, are left out of schools. Madaris, under these circumstances, act as alternate and parallel system to share the burden of government. Madaris not only act as seminaries but registered madaris also impart education of science, computer, and other modern sciences. These madaris are run under governmental control and have to submit their syllabi for approval. Such madaris provide boarding and lodging facilities to students as well as financial assistance to the poor families. Thus they are a source of providing support which a welfare state shall provide to its citizen. With the introduction of modern sciences as part of the syllabus of madaris, the degrees awarded to madaris graduates are recognized by HEC and such degree holders are provided with equal job opportunities in all sectors of central and provincial government jobs.

Till the time Government of Pakistan (GOP) is unable to provide food, shelter, health, and education facilities to all of her citizen, the role of madaris is very vital in supporting the poor and middle classes of population. The need is that a prudent monitoring system be employed to ensure that following is ensured to keep madaris free of any anti-state/ anti-Islamic activities:-

• Source of funding to madaris to ensure no funding (local or funding) is done to support any sort of proxy wars.
• Regular and professional external audit of accounts of madaris to ensure every penny donated to madaris is accounted for.
• Vigilant supervision to check that madaris are imparting training of peace, brotherhood, and equality on humanity, instead of spreading hate against other sects/ religions.
• Syllabus is prepared to broaden the minds of students and to create a sense of patriotism, loyalty, national integrity and mutual co-existence of society.
• Besides religious education, knowledge of modern sciences and foreign languages like English, French, German, Arabic, and Persian are also imparted.
• All chances of training for militancy, supporting terrorism or extremist approach is curbed with iron hands.