Putting Everything in Perspective 

A letter from Jamal Hassan to Parvin Darabi on the role of America in World Affairs. 

Dear Parvin: 

   In my first communication to you in this series I mentioned clearly that USA was never and is not an angel. I am reiterating the same statement once again. But if we objectively analyze the historical reasoning behind one party being bad or good, I am afraid, we hardly find any angel. 

   It is true the USA was suffering from a paranoid mentality from communist influence. Many of our leftist friends would cite examples of US bombing of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos using Napalm and Agent Orange. Yes, these were extreme measures USA took. History will tell if those were necessary to contain the perceived global expansion of communism. But our leftist friends while criticizing all the wrongdoings of "US imperialism" and "decadent capitalism" fail to mention a single word about the ruthless and heartless totalitarianism prevalent in communism. My own maternal uncle went to the former Soviet Union with high hopes. That was long time ago, probably he was the first Pakistani student who enrolled in a Soviet University. His dream was shattered in no time. He was totally disillusioned to see the real face of communism. Life was lifeless there as  he said later on. Today, as an American he decided to spend his olden days in this country. Most communist countries in the name of proletariat dictatorship did not show any respect for individual life. So millions of people could perish in a short time without any question. The end justifies the means. For building the utopian world of workers' paradise, an individual is treated  like a bolt in a machine. 

   Regarding today's backwardness of Afghanistan, I would blame the Russians more than the Americans and West. The Russians did not have any business sending troops to its neighboring country on the first hand. Afghanistan was already a pro-Soviet country. USA had every right to be alarmed. Again, during the cold war day, no communist entity attacked this country directly. The assessment of globalization of communism or the domino theory was a theory. 

   On September 11, 2001 Islam attacked USA directly. Also, the proliferation of wahhabite mosques and numbers of charities on US soil - all are linked with a spider web of Islamists. While there was hardly any a single instance of Vietcong hijacker hijacking a US plane or a North Vietnamese communist committing terrorist attack on US interest, USA conducted a military campaign in that region with extreme prejudice. Compared to that global Islamism backed by oil rich Arab countries with a sizable percentage of billion Muslim of the world could pose a much bigger threat to US national security. Not only that this threat is as real as night and day; also the entire Western world or in  other words the human civilization could be at a stake. Even if the possible success of domino theory in yesteryear, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos- one after another country could fall under communism. But ultimately those would be regimented godless societies without enough mineral resources could hardly sustain. Arab countries are totally different case. I can confidently say, the religion Islam as it is practiced today could hardly change or reform unless there is radical change in the main source of Islam, that is Arab countries. Proliferation of Wahhabite mosque systems had such an impact on US soil!  John Walker Lindh or Jose Padilla were groomed in this land directly under the influence of mosques. I was shocked to see a few of

Bangladeshis I knew who were quite liberal in Bangladesh, suddenly became extremely orthodox after stepping on in this land of plenty. Most of them live in a virtual world where our mother earth is divided into two parts - for believers and for non-believers. Many of them dream someday USA would be turned into an Islamic paradise. We were aware of this situation for sometime. Uncle Sam was reluctant to poke his nose in mosques. After 9/11, a little paranoid USA is going for a closer scrutiny of US mosques. I do not blame the Unites States. If I were US President, I would watch these potential dens of terrorists. I have no problem saying that to you. 

   Enormous wealth accumulated in some of the Arab countries not only is detrimental to progress like democratization and secularization. Also, reform in Islam would be far fetched idea because of the tremendous influence of the people of this land on Muslims of other regions in the world. In my last letter I talked to you  about Wahhabization in Bangladesh and Indonesia. I am giving a clear scenario. The two military dictators of Bangladesh, General Ziaur Rahman and General H.M. Ershad started a process of Islamization in this overpopulated impoverished country. The size of state of Wisconsin, Bangladesh has a total population of 130 million now. Land is so small, and people are becoming more and more mosque oriented. So a Hong Kong, South Korea or Taiwan model would never be possible to attain. Day by day, Bangladesh is becoming another Afghanistan. The present Prime Minister Khaleda Zia allowed Madrassah graduates to join Bangladesh army ten years ago when she ran the country for the first time. Today, 10 to 11 percent of the Bangladesh armed forces are almost Taleban minded Bangladesh. Middle Eastern oil money has been coming not only from Saudi Arabia and Gulf states, but countries like Libya and Iraq as well. It was alleged that an Islamic fundamentalist daily was patronized by Iraqi money. 

   As a secular freedom loving person with a Third World background (Bangladesh) I am closely watching the events in South Asia. I have identified the Middle Eastern countries' undue influence is the main reason for the backwardness and Islamization of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Unlike communist countries of yore, these oil rich Arab countries are not going away so soon. Primarily these nation states have stable source of wealth, also they have divine toxification and finally the middle class are not in dire strait as their counterparts in any former communist country. This is time to stop the expansion of Arab imperialism. Of course, any unpredictable dictator with potential to harm infidel west must be stopped. And the time is now. 

   That is all for now. 

   Sincerely yours, 

   Jamal Hasan