Not Committing Another Mistake

he expressed his astonishment at how peaceful a country India was and how great the progress Indian Muslims were making. For the Pakistani scholar this was totally unexpected, because through the Pakistani media, he had come to regard Indian Muslims as suffering in every respect, having neither freedom nor any opportunity to make any progress, etc. The truth is that progress is not related to carving out a separate block for the Muslims, or being highly vocal in launching movements in the name of Nizam-e- Mustafa. Such movements are totally irrelevant to progress. Only two things are required for progress—peace and freedom, both of which exist in India. These are the things that have given the opportunity to Indian Muslims to make progress. Progress is possible only in normal circumstances, and such circumstances are called peace. The secret of securing peace, in one word, is “status quoism”. Those who want to make progress should never adopt the way of so-called revolutionary movements. They should accept the status quo for whatever it is. They should make peaceful use of the available opportunities, and leave all other things for the future. Another name for this constructive method is wise planning. Any result-oriented goal can be achieved in this world through wise planning, and not through movements driven by emotion. Emotional politics only exacerbates the situation; it is not going to yield any positive result. The observations of the Pakistani visitor to India should be taken seriously by the people of Kashmir. The Double Standard of the Leaders Osama bin Laden, who was killed in Abbottabad in Pakistan on May 3, 2011, had always figured as a dire enemy of the West, and the greatest champion of violent activities directed against the West in the name of jihad. Such was his character as a leader. But his character as a father was totally different. Zakaria al- Sadah, brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden, stated in an interview with the Sunday Times (London) which was reproduced in the Times of India, New Delhi, February 14, 2012, p.20, that he (Osama bin Laden) had told his own children and grandchildren, ‘Go to Europe and America and get a good education, and live a good Not Committing Another Mistake