Many books have been written about Islam in Pakistan, so two years ago I thought I would write a book on the history of liberalism in Pakistan, which is an ongoing project and requires further research.
But one realization is reinforced by this study: that Pakistani liberals and so-called “progressives” are the creepiest embodiments of so-called “useful idiots.”
A “useful fool” is a gullible person who is manipulated to further the ends and agendas of others. Liberals and progressives continue to be the instruments that actually bring about the opposite of whatever liberalism claims to be. And I am sure I am not referring to what former Prime Minister Imran Khan claims when talking about liberalism. He imagined himself to be a “true liberal” not because he was a committed democrat, but because, apparently, he was “anti-war” – rather, a particular war, the war against Islamic extremism.
To him, the militants were fellow Pakistanis fighting US imperialism, and Pakistan’s conflict with them was part of a war imposed by the West. At a time when militants were blowing up suicide bombers in markets, mosques, schools and shrines, Khan opposed military operations against them, arguing that security forces should rather help root out “corruption”.
For decades, self-proclaimed “liberals” and “progressives” in Pakistan have unwittingly promoted causes and agendas that are antithetical to their ideals.
He slammed those who supported the possibility of military operation, whom he called “fake liberals” and “coons.” [murderous] But he never condemned those who were actually committing the murders. When a prominent Indian journalist asked him why he didn’t condemn the extremists, he conveniently replied that it was too dangerous for politicians to do so. In other words, “real liberalism” meant damning political opponents as “corrupt” but never saying a word about terrorists and delaying action against them because “liberalism is for peace.”
Any sensible person can see the stupidity of this story. But real liberals are not that smart either. They are some of the most convenient fools in the country. In 1974, when Islamist parties decided to introduce a bill in parliament to expel Ahmadiyyas from Islam, the then government led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto blocked all debate on the issue in parliament.
Muslims took to the streets (mainly in Punjab) and began attacking Ahmadiyya homes and worshippers, and Bhutto threatened to send in the army, but instead of condemning the violence, newspapers (especially the “liberal” ones) began criticizing the government for not giving the opposition its “democratic right” to introduce bills.
Newspaper commentaries and editorials from the time show that this point was “debated” rather than the intentions and possible effects of the bill. Ultimately, the pragmatic Bhutto changed course and allowed the bill to pass, especially after being told by her trusted advisers that the bill had substantial support within her own “progressive” party.
After the bill was passed, newspaper editorials hailed the event as an act of strengthening Pakistan’s parliamentary democracy. And here’s another interesting fact: it was only in the mid-1980s that the liberal and progressive intelligentsia really started to reexamine what had happened in 1974. But it wasn’t a reflective acknowledgment, it was a blanket condemnation of the Bhutto regime. The liberal/progressive journalists and intellectuals conveniently exonerated themselves of any questionable actions in the whole affair.
The report puts the blame entirely on the Bhutto government, ignoring the fact that the idea for introducing the bill was hatched by the Islamist right-wing parties in parliament, which had the support of various secular and left-wing parties. The report also ignores how the Bhutto government tried to dissuade the opposition from introducing the bill, but both right-wing and liberal newspapers began to denounce it as an “undemocratic” act. In a sense, they were suggesting that the right to declare a community non-Muslim against its will was a democratic right.
In April 1977, the Bhutto government was pushed into a corner by violent protests led by Islamist parties, but which also enthusiastically included many left-wing and secular groups. During my research, I came across an interesting photograph from an Urdu newspaper housed in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, showing an anti-Bhutto rally in 1977, with Islamist party activists holding banners demanding “Sharia law,” joined by Communist faction activists and secular Pakhtun nationalist supporters. It couldn’t get any more surreal than this.
When Bhutto was executed by a right-wing dictatorship in 1979, some of these useful fools were honest enough to admit their stupidity. But most did not. In 1986, the death penalty was introduced into the country’s blasphemy laws. During my research, I struggled to find any meaningful editorials about this decision, even in the most liberal newspapers, except for the now-defunct monthly Herald.
Just a few days after the death penalty was introduced, a well-known “progressive” intellectual wrote in a column in a liberal English daily about Karachi’s dust problem and how it was causing an increase in allergies. I couldn’t help but laugh.
The 2007 Lawyers Movement had a lot of useful idiots. Apparently, the movement aimed to restore dignity to the judiciary, remove dictators, and bring in “true democracy.” But the rallies during the movement quickly turned into very surreal events.
At just one rally, I saw flags of mainstream pragmatic political parties, left-wing and liberal student groups, and even groups displaying posters of Osama bin Laden.
Indeed, the movement weakened the dictator General Pervez Musharraf but strengthened General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who was seeking to become the next army chief. Perhaps he was secretly encouraging the “uprising” through useful fools, especially of the “democratic” variety. The movement also introduced a nasty tide of judicial populism into the courts.
Lately, typical liberal/progressive useful idiots have become mouthpieces for their former tormentor Khan. They claim that they are only fighting for democracy and justice. But the truth is that the useful idiots are exacerbating the tensions between the judiciary and the military by trying to influence the judges to respect the “will of the people”.
The consequences of these tensions would be particularly dire for democracy.
Published in Dawn, EOS, July 21, 2024
