One mass murderer is gone; his predecessor is being elected by Shoora. The death of Hakim Ullah Massod will result more deaths and more upsurge of right wing forces. Killing of Osama was hailed; however the religious fundamentalism continued to grow.
The philosophy of killings will never lay down any peace. Religious fanatics are killing, Americans are killing; losers are ordinary people and society moving more towards the right.
We do not morn the death of a mass murderer responsible for thousands of killing like Choudry Nisar, nor we support Imran Khan strategy to please religious fanatics. However there is no joy either. This will not result in lowering the growing feelings of religious fundamentalism.
The American strategy of using drones for eliminating religious fundamentalist leaders is false. They first promoted fanatics and now in business of killing them. This is resulting in opposite directions.
One of the immediate negative effect of this present incident is that Hakim Ullah death has united the right and extreme right wing political forces of Pakistan. Imran khan and Choudry Nisar are using same language and share explanation of Hakim’s death as conspiracy to derail peace talk. His death has not detailed peace process, there can never be peace in presence of religious fanatics and surging American imperialism.
You can not bring peace by talking to neo fascists. Fascists has to be eliminated by a political and physical fight. However, present government politics is linked to promotion of right wing ideas and also linked to implement neo liberal economic agenda. One side, they want to have a peaceful relationship with fanatics and also do not want to spoil their relationship with US imperialism, IMF and World Bank. This is a false strategy.
PMLN can not please the both. Now death of HM has brought PMLN in opting for more difficult choices. It seems they want to keep their domestic politics of pleasing fanatics than keeping normal relationship with US.
Imran Khan went to another extreme. To keep his relationship with fundamentalism, he offered to loose KPK government at his 2nd November press conference. Question of stopping NATO supplies has not that much weight. It has not worked earlier, it will not work now. It is a political gimmick.
Some of our friends are pleased and thanking drones for doing their job. This is not very welcoming political development. Drones will do jobs for war industry and not for us. Drones has promoted fundamentalism and will do so in future after this death.
Fighting religious fundamentalism in a society deeply rooted in religious domination is very difficult. But we have no other choice. As long Pakistani state is linked with religion, the advancement of religious fundamentalism will go on.
One of the main task had to be separate religion from the state. However, PPP in its five years time was not able to further this direction by an inch.
By introducing 18 amendments, they were very careful not to touch any clause of Constitution that is linked to domination of religion. Even wiseman Mian Raza Rabbani of PPP made that absolute clear with pride that we touché that aspect.
We need a political force that is absolutely committed to bring long lasting constitutional amendments or introducing a new Constitution by delinking religion from state.
We need to stop state patronage of madrases and religious political parties. They are not stake holders but are in process of making Pakistan a base for international domination of religious fundamentalism. They want Pakistan a real “Islamic state” more comparable to Afghanistan under Taliban from 96 to 2001.
Fighting religious fundamentalismIt is a political fight, a fight for death and life of progressive forces. We have to build a class base movement as one strategy to fight fanatics. W have to adopt several strategies. Uniting progressive forces on a common programme of democracy, peace, tolerance, defence of religious minorities and defence of the working class.
We do not mourn the death of mass murderer Hakim Ullah Masood nor we are joyful of a successful drone attack to kill a mass murderer. US imperialism can not do our job, we have to do it ourself. Let us continue our fight by opposing the both.
Farooq Tariq
General Secretary
Awami Workers Party