International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 3, 2012 31
The Circumstances in Pakistan
In the past decade, terrorism and the war on
terror have left Pakistani society very scarred,
and US foreign policy has created anti-American
sentiments in many segments of the culture.
Also as the result of US support of Israel, a
Jewish state against Palestinians, and of
continued US fighting against the Taliban,
Pakistanis see America as anti-Islam. In these
circumstances, it is easy for Pakistani leaders to
put the ordinary Pakistani in a paranoid position
by instilling in him a fear that “they are here to
get you.” It is not only true for Pakistani leaders
but also for leaders around the world. As an
example, George W. Bush very successfully
capitalized on this fact in the United States and
got reelected, scaring ordinary Americans by
calling the September 11 tragedy a war against
the United States instead of a crime committed
by a group of people in the name of a certain
ideology (italics added for emphasis):
On September the 11th, enemies of
freedom committed an act of war on our
country… Americans have known the
casualties of war—but not at the center
of a great city… All of this was brought
upon us in a single day—and night fell
on a different world, a world where
freedom itself is under attack. (George
W. Bush, “Address to Joint Session of
Congress and the American People,
Sept. 20, 2001,” par. 6)
Bush continued with the themes of freedom
being attacked and of being at war till the end of
his presidency. Given their patriotism and
inherently suspicious nature, ordinary people
can easily take a paranoid position. If people
can still be easily misguided in a country such as
the United States, where there is relatively more
freedom, awareness, and education than in many
other countries, one can only imagine how easy
it would be to misguide people in a closed and
less aware society such as Pakistan. Because of
the events of the past decade, the perception in
Pakistan that the United States of America is
against Islam and Islamic ways of living comes
rather naturally among ordinary people.
Religious extremists take every advantage of
this situation and capitalize on any group’s
capability to develop an “us against them”
mentality. The US approach to the war on
terror, with drone attacks in Pakistan and the
associated “collateral damage,” does wonders
for Muslim extremists’ mission of instilling
hatred against the United States of America.
US foreign policy also has contributed to a
common picture painted everywhere across
Pakistan that helps demonstrate the sentiments
of many of these Muslim extremists: “Allah is
the only superpower.” This position is in the
context of the United States and its allies. On
the surface, this is defiance but it still identifies
the United States as a power in a position of
authority. Another statement written frequently
is Jihad qiyamat tak jari rahay ga, which means
“Jihad will continue till Judgment Day.” This
statement has a popular appeal to these people
because perpetual jihad is a justified vehicle for
their unlimited murderous rage. Otherwise, why
not strive for peace and the prosperity of Muslims?
Another example is the following popular verse
of the famous national poet of Pakistan, Allama
Iqbal, which is introjected as the ego ideal
(Freud, 1953–1974) among many other
messages. I am sure he did not mean it in the
context of suicide bombing nevertheless, it is
not a very peaceful message for the nation.
Shahadat hai matloob-o-maqsood-e-
momin
Na maal-e-ghaneemat na kishwar
kushaaee
Martyrdom is the requirement and goal
of a Muslim
And not the booty of war or appraisal
In Pakistan, young, vulnerable individuals are
identified, and hatred is instilled in them. A
man** in his twenties who worked for my office
in Islamabad shared his teenage years’
experience with me. When he was recruited by
jihadis (ones who engage in jihad), he went to
Afghanistan for training, where, from the very
beginning, he was shown pictures of Muslim
women and children killed and raped,
**This man was not my patient and has given me permission to
write this.
The Circumstances in Pakistan
In the past decade, terrorism and the war on
terror have left Pakistani society very scarred,
and US foreign policy has created anti-American
sentiments in many segments of the culture.
Also as the result of US support of Israel, a
Jewish state against Palestinians, and of
continued US fighting against the Taliban,
Pakistanis see America as anti-Islam. In these
circumstances, it is easy for Pakistani leaders to
put the ordinary Pakistani in a paranoid position
by instilling in him a fear that “they are here to
get you.” It is not only true for Pakistani leaders
but also for leaders around the world. As an
example, George W. Bush very successfully
capitalized on this fact in the United States and
got reelected, scaring ordinary Americans by
calling the September 11 tragedy a war against
the United States instead of a crime committed
by a group of people in the name of a certain
ideology (italics added for emphasis):
On September the 11th, enemies of
freedom committed an act of war on our
country… Americans have known the
casualties of war—but not at the center
of a great city… All of this was brought
upon us in a single day—and night fell
on a different world, a world where
freedom itself is under attack. (George
W. Bush, “Address to Joint Session of
Congress and the American People,
Sept. 20, 2001,” par. 6)
Bush continued with the themes of freedom
being attacked and of being at war till the end of
his presidency. Given their patriotism and
inherently suspicious nature, ordinary people
can easily take a paranoid position. If people
can still be easily misguided in a country such as
the United States, where there is relatively more
freedom, awareness, and education than in many
other countries, one can only imagine how easy
it would be to misguide people in a closed and
less aware society such as Pakistan. Because of
the events of the past decade, the perception in
Pakistan that the United States of America is
against Islam and Islamic ways of living comes
rather naturally among ordinary people.
Religious extremists take every advantage of
this situation and capitalize on any group’s
capability to develop an “us against them”
mentality. The US approach to the war on
terror, with drone attacks in Pakistan and the
associated “collateral damage,” does wonders
for Muslim extremists’ mission of instilling
hatred against the United States of America.
US foreign policy also has contributed to a
common picture painted everywhere across
Pakistan that helps demonstrate the sentiments
of many of these Muslim extremists: “Allah is
the only superpower.” This position is in the
context of the United States and its allies. On
the surface, this is defiance but it still identifies
the United States as a power in a position of
authority. Another statement written frequently
is Jihad qiyamat tak jari rahay ga, which means
“Jihad will continue till Judgment Day.” This
statement has a popular appeal to these people
because perpetual jihad is a justified vehicle for
their unlimited murderous rage. Otherwise, why
not strive for peace and the prosperity of Muslims?
Another example is the following popular verse
of the famous national poet of Pakistan, Allama
Iqbal, which is introjected as the ego ideal
(Freud, 1953–1974) among many other
messages. I am sure he did not mean it in the
context of suicide bombing nevertheless, it is
not a very peaceful message for the nation.
Shahadat hai matloob-o-maqsood-e-
momin
Na maal-e-ghaneemat na kishwar
kushaaee
Martyrdom is the requirement and goal
of a Muslim
And not the booty of war or appraisal
In Pakistan, young, vulnerable individuals are
identified, and hatred is instilled in them. A
man** in his twenties who worked for my office
in Islamabad shared his teenage years’
experience with me. When he was recruited by
jihadis (ones who engage in jihad), he went to
Afghanistan for training, where, from the very
beginning, he was shown pictures of Muslim
women and children killed and raped,
**This man was not my patient and has given me permission to
write this.
