The Enduring Friendship: Pakistan and the United States

By Geoffrey Cook, TMO

Part 2

III. The U.S.-Pakistani Relationship and the Film

Medford (Ore.)–Although produced in America secretly under private auspices, the disgusting inflammatorily and defaming film against the memory of the Prophet (PBUH) was done by an individual of North African descent residing in the Northern Continent within the Western Hemisphere.  The government of the United States has denounced it at the very highest levels, and has sponsored ads, etc. within the Islamic world to express their own disdainful position against this historical libel!  If anything, official policy is not culpable for the apostasy, but rather the irresponsibility and insensitivity of individual(s), and, further, the religious and cultural norms prevalent towards the one tradition to the other (e.g. Islamophobia).  If anything, this demonstrates that we have to develop dialogue and understanding. (In the San Jose area, during the height of the aftermath of the 9-11 crisis, Muslims invited outsiders into certain Mosques at pre-arranged times to explain what Muslims believe and how they worshipped, and that it is not that much different from the “Mainstream” American religious sensibility!  (After all, we are all children of Abraham!) This slander to the Prophet PBUH) himself, further, engendered the tragic demise of the U.S. envoy to Libya, Ambassador Stevens (whom, incidentally, studied at Berkeley at the same time as your author), who dedicated his career to correcting American foreign policy towards Muslims.  The incongruity of his untimely death should not go unnoticed by men of good will on both sides of our inauspicious contemporary divide.

Also, (drama) actors within the film have sued in the U.S. courts to have the film withdrawn, for the plaintiffs allege that they were misled upon its intent at the time of production. Even so, twenty-five individuals – including a newsman – have died during the past week of filing of this submission in demonstrations over the width of Pakistan.

Though, the Pakistani Railway Minister has offered $100,000 (U.S.) bounty upon the individual responsible for this murderous travesty, once the facts of responsibility are perceived the U.S.-Pakistani alliance should survive.

Since the YouTube cinema, derogatorily cartoons have appeared in Europe which has only exacerbated tensions between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) ensconced across the Durand Line in Afghanistan.

IV. Dr. Joeck and the Enduring Geo-Political Friendship

Last week we went through Neil Joeck, a predominant expert intelligence analyst and advisor to the U.S.  Administration on South Asia, who is resident at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and the University of California’s, comments in Berkeley on (D.C.’) current relationship with the Islamic Republic there.

He continued that there is a constant potential for the collapse of the Pakistani State, for the income generated to maintain that State is inadequate to meet its challenges.  A social breakdown would be most disastrous for all concerned – both internally and externally.  The Military has constantly stood between political disintegration and order.  “The Army [has] always took over when [it felt it] had the popular support” to do so.

At the same time, Pakistan has a robust civil society, but its International political vision is determined by its perception of its hostile bi-lateral relationship with India.  Neil stresses that Pakistan has to develop a more mature religio-political narrative with their eastern neighbor.

One of the chief factors in the evolution of the three nations (U.S., India and Pakistan) is each’s perception of the terrorist threat and how that relates to the other two.

Succinctly Joeck proclaims India and Pakistan must make economic peace with each other. Dr. Neil Joeck presented a grim assessment of the situation on the ground:  There is a one in five probability for a fifth Indo-Pakistani (if one counts the Kargil conflict of 1999 as a fourth out and out) war.

Further, China should take more responsibility for its interests (i.e., peace) within the Subcontinental geosphere.

Ultimately, though, the Obama Presidency has to realize how deeply the District of Columbia’s concerns lie within Pakistan’s perimeters themselves.

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