The single biggest question confronting the world vis-a-vis Pakistan in particular and Islam in general is this:
How do you defeat an enemy who does not share the same set of values and ideals as any rational human being would.
Even the most uneducated and underprivileged societies share the same basic goals: A better life. A life filled with dignity, prosperity and a better future for their children and grand children.
Most muslims share this goal as well. But only upto a point. If asked to chose between material wealth, a better quality of life and Islam, even the most educated of Muslims will chose the latter. Some may do so out of fear of social ostracism but a vast majority will chose Islam above all else. Even the safety and future of their children.
Survey after survey conducted across Islamic societies reveal this ugly truth. Ofcourse the anecdotal overwhelmingly supports this theory. For Muslims Islam trumps all.
This unflinching love for a primitive, tribal doctrine breeds a value system which is at odds with a post-religion, rapidly unifying 21st century Global village. A core tenet of this emerging global village is tolerance and acceptance of contrasting belief systems.
Even educated and prominent Muslim journalists such as Medhi Hasan believe that non-Muslims are animals and inferior to practicing Muslims.
Perhaps Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu put it best "Nazis believed in the Master Race, these Muslims believe in the Master Faith".
To put it mildly, this is a head case where hundreds of millions of rabidly religious people not only crave a 7th century existence but want to drag the rest of the non-muslim world back with them - kicking and screaming, dead or alive.
One could argue these being doctrinal differences should have little to no impact on India's dealings with a professional Paki Army.
But dig deeper into the Paki mindset and some startling truths become obvious. The Pakistani doesnt care if his nation prospers or even survives as a unified entity. Their raison d'etre is the decimation of India.
The average Paki is bitter every time India is celebrated from sports to bollywood to software. Much as the average Muslim hates America and resents the prosperity achieved by the West.
The thought that most haunts Muslims is this "How can these infidels with their bikini clad women and their monkey gods be smarter and more prosperous than us - the true believers".
Every day that the infidel prospers is a middle finger to the religion of peace. His very existence is an affront to Islam and its sociopolitical belief system.
It is this mindset that drives Pakistan's India policy and unless we address this mindset we can never defeat Pakistan.
It is this mindset that makes Muslims view concessions less as a peace offering and more as a incremental surrender. One step closer to Darul-Islam.
Along with this love for all things Islamic, lies another dangerous misconception. That no matter the odds Islam will prevail. That Islam is unstoppable and one day mother Earth will have the rule of Islam.
I have spoken to highly educated Muslims, raised in liberal non-Islamic societies who share this belief.
There's some basis to this belief in Islam's inevitable triumph. Demographic change will have Islam as the largest religion by 2050. If current growth trajectory continues vasts parts of the world will have sizable muslim constituencies. At the 25% mark, Islams begins to exert itself in most societies. Kerala being a great example of this phenomenon. Even the draconian measures adopted by China in XinJiang have failed to arrest the rise of Islamism.
The twin evils of an uncompromising belief in an outdated sociopolitical religion and belief in its eventual triumph lie at the heart of the crisis of Islamism facing the world today.
In Part 2 we will examine the options available to India given the staggering constraints left at our doorstep by historic mistakes and miscalculations.
How do you defeat an enemy who does not share the same set of values and ideals as any rational human being would.
Even the most uneducated and underprivileged societies share the same basic goals: A better life. A life filled with dignity, prosperity and a better future for their children and grand children.
Most muslims share this goal as well. But only upto a point. If asked to chose between material wealth, a better quality of life and Islam, even the most educated of Muslims will chose the latter. Some may do so out of fear of social ostracism but a vast majority will chose Islam above all else. Even the safety and future of their children.
Survey after survey conducted across Islamic societies reveal this ugly truth. Ofcourse the anecdotal overwhelmingly supports this theory. For Muslims Islam trumps all.
This unflinching love for a primitive, tribal doctrine breeds a value system which is at odds with a post-religion, rapidly unifying 21st century Global village. A core tenet of this emerging global village is tolerance and acceptance of contrasting belief systems.
Even educated and prominent Muslim journalists such as Medhi Hasan believe that non-Muslims are animals and inferior to practicing Muslims.
Perhaps Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu put it best "Nazis believed in the Master Race, these Muslims believe in the Master Faith".
To put it mildly, this is a head case where hundreds of millions of rabidly religious people not only crave a 7th century existence but want to drag the rest of the non-muslim world back with them - kicking and screaming, dead or alive.
One could argue these being doctrinal differences should have little to no impact on India's dealings with a professional Paki Army.
But dig deeper into the Paki mindset and some startling truths become obvious. The Pakistani doesnt care if his nation prospers or even survives as a unified entity. Their raison d'etre is the decimation of India.
The average Paki is bitter every time India is celebrated from sports to bollywood to software. Much as the average Muslim hates America and resents the prosperity achieved by the West.
The thought that most haunts Muslims is this "How can these infidels with their bikini clad women and their monkey gods be smarter and more prosperous than us - the true believers".
Every day that the infidel prospers is a middle finger to the religion of peace. His very existence is an affront to Islam and its sociopolitical belief system.
It is this mindset that drives Pakistan's India policy and unless we address this mindset we can never defeat Pakistan.
It is this mindset that makes Muslims view concessions less as a peace offering and more as a incremental surrender. One step closer to Darul-Islam.
Along with this love for all things Islamic, lies another dangerous misconception. That no matter the odds Islam will prevail. That Islam is unstoppable and one day mother Earth will have the rule of Islam.
I have spoken to highly educated Muslims, raised in liberal non-Islamic societies who share this belief.
There's some basis to this belief in Islam's inevitable triumph. Demographic change will have Islam as the largest religion by 2050. If current growth trajectory continues vasts parts of the world will have sizable muslim constituencies. At the 25% mark, Islams begins to exert itself in most societies. Kerala being a great example of this phenomenon. Even the draconian measures adopted by China in XinJiang have failed to arrest the rise of Islamism.
The twin evils of an uncompromising belief in an outdated sociopolitical religion and belief in its eventual triumph lie at the heart of the crisis of Islamism facing the world today.
In Part 2 we will examine the options available to India given the staggering constraints left at our doorstep by historic mistakes and miscalculations.
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