(Nine Years have made no difference. America is the same. Pakistan is the same. This column is the same.)
The self-appointed saviours who emerge frequently in the under-developed or developing countries, and take over the reins of power to the exclusion of all others, may go down into history as the ‘unique’ inventers of their own kind. They have been busy inventing and re-inventing Republicanism and Democracy in a way that the ‘sub-intelligent’ masses are given only a formal and nominal role in the system of governance, and they are made to look thoroughly “satisfied” and “pleased” with their pre-ordained fate as “subjects” to the ruling classes.
What is ironical is that America, the most loud-mouthed champion of human rights, civil liberties and democratic values in the world, has seldom failed to sponsor, patronize and determinedly guard the exploits and the experiments of these zealous inventers of ever-newer versions of democracy—none of which has been friendly to the universally acknowledged concept that in a democracy, only people and their freely and fairly elected representatives have the right either to legislate or to rule.
But there is a rational expediency behind this unpalatable irony. America is the world’s lone Super Power not because it doesn’t want to establish and consolidate its authority on more and more lands—more and more resource-rich regions, but because it has a well-thought-out plan, agenda and strategy to mix ideals with objectives.
Democracy is an ideal that America cherishes. To establish hegemony on the globe is an objective that America pursues. Ideals can be kept alive in speeches, books and manifestos. Objectives have simply to be pursued with relentless single-mindedness.
Hence Washington’s guiltless and unapologetic fascination with the concept of ‘Dictators Running Democracies’.
Mahmood Abbas of Palestinian Authority was a weak man till Rice injected him with vigour and political potency. He has issued a decree that Hamas will not be allowed to take part in the future elections. Meaning thereby that “American Will” and “Zionist agenda” will not be challenged at the polls. Also that people will have no place in the future governance of Palestine.
In Egypt, America backs Hosni Mubarak. In Pakistan, America backs Musharraf. In Afghanistan America backs Karzai.
I cannot pick a Muslim country which is a democracy in the truest sense of the word, and is backed by America as enthusiastically as America backs Mubarak’s Egypt and Musharraf’s Pakistan. Malaysia and Turkey happen to be the two emerging democracies in the world of Islam. And more democratic they grow, the less comfortable Americans feel about them. The reason can be found in the recent elections and their results in Turkey.
Islam is on the March.
Democracy in the World of the Crescent will mean “the mounting of pace”, in “the march of Islam”…………
