To say the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team this morning was a revolting and heinous crime, and to hope for the severest punishment for whoever is responsible for it would be stating the obvious. The attack is a crime not just against a sport, two different countries, the people who were injured and the policemen who lost their lives during the incident, it’s also a crime against humanity as a whole. I don’t think anybody would disagree with that.
But this is not just a matter of “condemning” a terrorist attack and then moving on with jolly life. Sadly, it’s so much more. Today’s events are significant not just because an international sports team was targeted like this. Today’s events are important also because of where they happened, when they happened and why they happened. This happened in Pakistan, a country being eaten away from the inside by many factors, too numerous to list in this post. This happened in a time when this country is in an especially weakened state, both internally and in the international arena. As to why it happened…well, I think I’ll leave the speculation as to whodunnit (and why) to the ‘analysts’ and ‘pundits’ on TV.
The political, economic and social turmoil Pakistan is going through is no secret. While everyone may have a different opinion on who caused it and why it’s persisting, the problem at hand is much bigger than the mudslinging we’ve seen on TV all day. While Pakistan has been continually humiliated time and again in they eyes of the international community (for reasons that may or may not be valid, that’s not the point), our politicians choose to continue indulging in their favorite past-time: the tug of war. The power struggle, musical chairs, politicking or mudslinging, call it whatever you like. The fact remains that it does nothing to improve the situation. In fact, this worsens it exponentially.
The terrorist attack was unsuccessful, thankfully, in what it’s ultimate objective was. But I fear it was very successful in achieving its secondary goals. And what were those, you ask? Why, switch on the idiot box, friend, and all shall be revealed to you. Switch to one of the news channels — any one of the gazillion we have. Our already feeble government is falling apart (or so it seems), institutions are engaged in a continued power struggle and the mudslinging that comes with it, and media men (and women) add fuel to the fire under the guise of ‘journalism.’ Society falling apart, lawlessness, economic disaster, religious degradation — you name the social malady, we’ve got it. In abundance.
But perhaps most importantly, this nation has no sense of unity, and this is a time when we need it the most. The much quoted and perhaps cliched example of a fist comes to mind. You can break a finger when its stretched out alone; but when all five fingers are clenched together, you can’t break the fist as easily. Under fire from all sides, unity is what Pakistan needs the most, and it is sadly, what we are lacking the most at this critical juncture. In spite of all our failures as a country, as a nation, as a people, I truly believe unity can pull us through — if not through all of it, at least to a point where we can begin to crawl our way back to a position suitable for a nation of our importance.
What I hope to achieve with this post, I don’t know. This is a change from the usual type of stuff I put on here, but I just felt I had to voice an opinion. What started out as the condemning of a terrorist act has transformed into a rant on what Pakistan needs to survive. But perhaps those things aren’t as divergent as one might think. Is it not after all, humanity and the sense of repulsion from this violence that sets us apart from the terrorists? Shouldn’t that also unite us against our common enemy?
All I can say beyond what I already have is that God will help us, and that it is only just before the dawn that the night is the darkest.
For now, I’ll sign off with a quote I just read on the BBC website that saddens me beyond belief.
“I won’t be coming back here while I’m still living, there is no chance. I don’t think international cricket should return to this country”
– Dominic Cork; commentator and former England cricketer who was caught in the attack this morning.
Feel free…in fact, feel very welcome to comment with any thoughts.
. Oleg Teterin says he won’t go after individual users for infringing on his trademark (so I won’t get sued for writing this post), but plans on extorting a yearly license fee from businesses and organizations using the smiley.