Reflections on Elections, Politics, Violence (pt 1)
I'm assuming everyone has read/heard about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. One interesting reaction, however, has been from Irshad Manji, a Canadian Muslim Feminist (that I had the good fortune to hear speak some time ago), who has not taken the easy route of glorifying the dead.
Commentary: Bhutto failed to modernize Pakistan
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/29/pakistan.commentary/index.html
NEW YORK (CNN) -- In the days after Benazir Bhutto's assassination, it will be tempting to reach two hasty conclusions: that she was Pakistan's last great hope and that her geo-politically crucial country has revealed itself to be inherently hopeless.
Irshad Manji is a controversial Muslim feminist and activist from Toronto, Canada.
On each front, I take a different view.
While far more liberal and democratic than Gen. Musharraf, Bhutto disappointed moderate, modern Pakistanis with her adherence to feudal politics.
Writing to me through my Web site, American feminists say they are "aching" over the loss of "our dear, sweet, brave Benazir."
I understand the sentiment. But "brave" is not the word used by Pakistani women from whom I've also heard. They're hurting more over Bhutto's "self-imposed" conformity.
"She never realized her potential," a woman from Karachi tells me. "And not because she was killed but because when she had the chance, she did not effectively challenge the backward mindset that has now led to her demise."
For example, during Bhutto's time in office, Pakistan didn't defy the anti-female rape and adultery laws. Those notorious ordinances, known as Hudood, took their inspiration from tribal politics masquerading as Islam.
Watch Manji argue on CNN why Bhutto's legacy is mixed »
Imagine the opportunity: Bhutto could have championed a purer faith by tackling corrupt cultural practices.
In so doing, she might have created allies among conservatives, who can be persuaded that although Islam is God-given, culture is man-made.
Last year, a media campaign to strike down the Hudood Ordinances achieved this fine balance. But not because of her. And that, say many progressive Pakistanis, amputates Bhutto's legacy.
The fact that cruel laws against women can be publicly debated at all should suggest that Pakistan has hope anyway. An exceptional leader can tap into it. History tells us so.
Don't Miss
There was a time when Pakistan's democratic politicians stuck it to the feudal fanatics. Bhutto's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was once heckled by a religious fundamentalist.
"You drink alcohol!" shouted the critic.
"Yes," retorted the elder Bhutto, "but I don't drink the blood of the people!"
His response captured the spirit of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan's founder. In 1947, Jinnah exuded high hopes for his people: "You are free. You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques, or to any other place of worship in the State of Pakistan.
"You may belong to any religion or caste or creed. That has nothing to do with the business of the state. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens of one state... You will find that in due course of time, Hindus will cease to be Hindus and Muslims will cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense ... but in the political sense as citizens of the state."
Jinnah meant every word of his unconventional vision because he, himself, lived as a maverick. He adored his non-Muslim wife, and his sister often appeared with him on the campaign trail. Her visibility attested to Islam's embrace of women as partners of men.
In the months ahead, the people of Pakistan will need to recall Jinnah's vision. It may be of comfort know that they're not alone.
Countless Americans are now asking about their founders' intentions, desperate to re-discover the better angels of their country after eight years of George W. Bush.
Still, Pakistan must avoid America's enduring mistake. The United States lapsed into profound divisiveness following the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.
Many would argue that today's politics of polarization can be traced to the unresolved trauma of the King-Kennedy murders. For Pakistan, it's high time to transcend both trauma and tribalism.
I pray that in death, Benazir Bhutto will be the catalyst for a deeper democracy than she ever advocated in life.
In addition to this, consider the recent violence resulting from elections in Kenya.
Scores dead in Kenya poll clashes
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7165602.stm
An injured demontsrator in Nairobi's Kibera slum is guarded by riot police
Enlarge Image
About 100 people have been killed across Kenya in violence blamed on the disputed presidential election.
A BBC reporter at a mortuary in the opposition stronghold of Kisumu saw about 40 bodies with gunshot wounds. A witness said police had opened fire.
There were running battles in Nairobi slums, and violence was reported in the coastal town of Mombasa.
Mwai Kibaki was officially re-elected president while Raila Odinga says he was robbed of victory by voting fraud.
See how the vote was split around the country
Mr Odinga has called for a million-strong rally by supporters in Nairobi on Thursday.
'Bodies laid out on floor'
'I chartered a plane to flee'
Voters' views
Tension rises after polls
Police banned his supporters from holding a mass alternative inauguration ceremony in the centre of the capital on Monday, a day after Mr Kibaki was sworn into office again.
In his New Year's message, the president urged reconciliation but warned that his government would "deal decisively with those who breach the peace".
On Sunday, Washington congratulated President Kibaki on his victory, but a state department official declined on Monday to repeat these congratulations when asked by reporters.
The US Ambassador to Nairobi, Michael Ranneberger, told the BBC there had been serious problems in a minority of constituencies but he said this did not necessarily mean the election had been rigged.
Live rounds
Shortly after first light, thousands of angry Odinga supporters started setting fire to buildings in Nairobi's vast Kibera slum while gangs of youths blockaded a nearby main road.
Violence has spread to the resort city of Mombasa
Police fired live rounds and used tear gas and water cannon as thousands of protesters tried to move out towards the city, the BBC's Josphat Makori said.
In the coastal town of Mombasa, angry crowds on the streets set fire to cars and buildings and at one point hundreds of frightened tourists were trapped at the airport, unable to leave by plane or road.
The situation there was going from "bad to worse" as hundreds of armed police poured into the streets to tackle marauding youths and angry demonstrators, the BBC's Odhiambo Joseph reported early on Monday evening, local time.
Our reporter said he had the impression that the security forces had actually been overwhelmed by the number of youths in the streets.
International news agencies have counted at least 100 deaths across Kenya, either in clashes between protesters and security forces, or ethnic violence
'Peaceful mass action'
Mr Odinga said he and his colleagues would not be intimidated by violence, and he urged people to join "peaceful mass action".
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Mwai Kibaki (pictured): 4,584,721 votes
Raila Odinga: 4,352,993
Kalonzo Musyoka: 879,903
Kibaki: Dream or nightmare?
Odinga: King-maker
He told the BBC that people had taken to the streets in protest because their "democratic right had been usurped by a small clique".
Those killed in Kisumu include two women and three children, the BBC's Noel Mwakugu reports.
Police fired indiscriminately, even after the protesters started running away in the Kisumu suburbs of Manyatta and Nyamasira, an eye-witness told him.
Local police chief Grace Kahindi said she had no knowledge of any deaths.
A daytime curfew (0600-1800 local time, 0300-1500 GMT) was imposed in the town.
Some of the violence took an ethnic dimension with the Luo community seen as pro-Odinga and the Kikuyus viewed as Kibaki supporters.
Results changed
European Union monitors were barred from counting centres in the Central Province, chief EU election observer Alexander Graf Lambsdorff told the BBC.
HAVE YOUR SAY
It's a sad day for democracy in Kenya
Arthur, Nairobi
Send us your comments
UK teacher's ordeal in Kisumu
Results declared by the electoral commission in Nairobi from one constituency differed from those announced locally, he said.
He reported seeing altered voting forms where "all the changes favoured the same candidate".
Anomalies amounted to 20,000-25,000 votes in one constituency alone, he continued.
Mr Kibaki's national margin of victory was 230,000 votes.
Elections chief Samuel Kivuitu has admitted some problems, including a reported voter turnout of 115% in one constituency, the Associated Press reports.
I suppose it's time to be thankful to be in the US, where we have enjoyed remarkably civil political disagreements for several decades now. It's said in many political science venues that the real test of new democracies is the second turnover of power. If it goes peacefully and smoothly, with little to no election irregularities, that's when you can call that new democracy an initial success. That's a big hurdle for many nations, especially where colonialism ruined traditional systems and new democracy is often viewed suspiciously by more conservative elements as cultural imperialism rather than a progressive step by the people. As in any kind of major cultural change, it takes time, best measured over generations, and it usually doesn't come cheaply, as much as we'd like to see otherwise.
At the same time, however, it's worth drawing attention to the widespread apathy that many Americans have towards their government, as if it's totally unconnected to them. This is as much a threat to democracy as violence and crackdowns. I do believe the consolidation and corporatization of Media in the US should bear a significant part of the blame. First, consider Norman Solomon's article "Big Media Myths" from Project Censored (A good article: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Project Censored/BigMediaMyths_ProjCensor.html). To recap, Solomon's myths are:
The corporate-insider hegemony over media policy debates, and the lack of public participation, are encouraged and protected ideologically by eight myths surrounding media in the United States.
The Preface to this EXCELLENT book is available here (http://www.freepress.net/mediaproblem/TPOTM-preface.pdf) and tackles those myths head-on (introducing the rest of the book). McChesney's Myths have some major similarities to Solomon's, as would be expected, but he goes farther:
Commentary: Bhutto failed to modernize Pakistan
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/29/pakistan.commentary/index.html
NEW YORK (CNN) -- In the days after Benazir Bhutto's assassination, it will be tempting to reach two hasty conclusions: that she was Pakistan's last great hope and that her geo-politically crucial country has revealed itself to be inherently hopeless.
Irshad Manji is a controversial Muslim feminist and activist from Toronto, Canada.
On each front, I take a different view.
While far more liberal and democratic than Gen. Musharraf, Bhutto disappointed moderate, modern Pakistanis with her adherence to feudal politics.
Writing to me through my Web site, American feminists say they are "aching" over the loss of "our dear, sweet, brave Benazir."
I understand the sentiment. But "brave" is not the word used by Pakistani women from whom I've also heard. They're hurting more over Bhutto's "self-imposed" conformity.
"She never realized her potential," a woman from Karachi tells me. "And not because she was killed but because when she had the chance, she did not effectively challenge the backward mindset that has now led to her demise."
For example, during Bhutto's time in office, Pakistan didn't defy the anti-female rape and adultery laws. Those notorious ordinances, known as Hudood, took their inspiration from tribal politics masquerading as Islam.
Watch Manji argue on CNN why Bhutto's legacy is mixed »
Imagine the opportunity: Bhutto could have championed a purer faith by tackling corrupt cultural practices.
In so doing, she might have created allies among conservatives, who can be persuaded that although Islam is God-given, culture is man-made.
Last year, a media campaign to strike down the Hudood Ordinances achieved this fine balance. But not because of her. And that, say many progressive Pakistanis, amputates Bhutto's legacy.
The fact that cruel laws against women can be publicly debated at all should suggest that Pakistan has hope anyway. An exceptional leader can tap into it. History tells us so.
Don't Miss
- Where Bhutto's death leaves the world
- U.S. lawmakers who were to meet Bhutto describe shock
- U.S. reflected on risks in CNN.com article
- Bhutto: Career of power and exile
There was a time when Pakistan's democratic politicians stuck it to the feudal fanatics. Bhutto's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was once heckled by a religious fundamentalist.
"You drink alcohol!" shouted the critic.
"Yes," retorted the elder Bhutto, "but I don't drink the blood of the people!"
His response captured the spirit of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan's founder. In 1947, Jinnah exuded high hopes for his people: "You are free. You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques, or to any other place of worship in the State of Pakistan.
"You may belong to any religion or caste or creed. That has nothing to do with the business of the state. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens of one state... You will find that in due course of time, Hindus will cease to be Hindus and Muslims will cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense ... but in the political sense as citizens of the state."
Jinnah meant every word of his unconventional vision because he, himself, lived as a maverick. He adored his non-Muslim wife, and his sister often appeared with him on the campaign trail. Her visibility attested to Islam's embrace of women as partners of men.
In the months ahead, the people of Pakistan will need to recall Jinnah's vision. It may be of comfort know that they're not alone.
Countless Americans are now asking about their founders' intentions, desperate to re-discover the better angels of their country after eight years of George W. Bush.
Still, Pakistan must avoid America's enduring mistake. The United States lapsed into profound divisiveness following the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.
Many would argue that today's politics of polarization can be traced to the unresolved trauma of the King-Kennedy murders. For Pakistan, it's high time to transcend both trauma and tribalism.
I pray that in death, Benazir Bhutto will be the catalyst for a deeper democracy than she ever advocated in life.
In addition to this, consider the recent violence resulting from elections in Kenya.
Scores dead in Kenya poll clashes
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7165602.stm
An injured demontsrator in Nairobi's Kibera slum is guarded by riot police
Enlarge Image
About 100 people have been killed across Kenya in violence blamed on the disputed presidential election.
A BBC reporter at a mortuary in the opposition stronghold of Kisumu saw about 40 bodies with gunshot wounds. A witness said police had opened fire.
There were running battles in Nairobi slums, and violence was reported in the coastal town of Mombasa.
Mwai Kibaki was officially re-elected president while Raila Odinga says he was robbed of victory by voting fraud.
See how the vote was split around the country
Mr Odinga has called for a million-strong rally by supporters in Nairobi on Thursday.
'Bodies laid out on floor'
'I chartered a plane to flee'
Voters' views
Tension rises after polls
Police banned his supporters from holding a mass alternative inauguration ceremony in the centre of the capital on Monday, a day after Mr Kibaki was sworn into office again.
In his New Year's message, the president urged reconciliation but warned that his government would "deal decisively with those who breach the peace".
On Sunday, Washington congratulated President Kibaki on his victory, but a state department official declined on Monday to repeat these congratulations when asked by reporters.
The US Ambassador to Nairobi, Michael Ranneberger, told the BBC there had been serious problems in a minority of constituencies but he said this did not necessarily mean the election had been rigged.
Live rounds
Shortly after first light, thousands of angry Odinga supporters started setting fire to buildings in Nairobi's vast Kibera slum while gangs of youths blockaded a nearby main road.
Violence has spread to the resort city of Mombasa
Police fired live rounds and used tear gas and water cannon as thousands of protesters tried to move out towards the city, the BBC's Josphat Makori said.
In the coastal town of Mombasa, angry crowds on the streets set fire to cars and buildings and at one point hundreds of frightened tourists were trapped at the airport, unable to leave by plane or road.
The situation there was going from "bad to worse" as hundreds of armed police poured into the streets to tackle marauding youths and angry demonstrators, the BBC's Odhiambo Joseph reported early on Monday evening, local time.
Our reporter said he had the impression that the security forces had actually been overwhelmed by the number of youths in the streets.
International news agencies have counted at least 100 deaths across Kenya, either in clashes between protesters and security forces, or ethnic violence
- An AFP news agency count puts the death toll in Kisumu at 53 and that in Nairobi's slums at 48
- Seven people were killed in Nakuru, in the Rift Valley, and three in the western city of Kakamega
- At least four people were killed in Mombasa
- At least two people were killed in the Nairobi slum of Korogocho
'Peaceful mass action'
Mr Odinga said he and his colleagues would not be intimidated by violence, and he urged people to join "peaceful mass action".
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Mwai Kibaki (pictured): 4,584,721 votes
Raila Odinga: 4,352,993
Kalonzo Musyoka: 879,903
Kibaki: Dream or nightmare?
Odinga: King-maker
He told the BBC that people had taken to the streets in protest because their "democratic right had been usurped by a small clique".
Those killed in Kisumu include two women and three children, the BBC's Noel Mwakugu reports.
Police fired indiscriminately, even after the protesters started running away in the Kisumu suburbs of Manyatta and Nyamasira, an eye-witness told him.
Local police chief Grace Kahindi said she had no knowledge of any deaths.
A daytime curfew (0600-1800 local time, 0300-1500 GMT) was imposed in the town.
Some of the violence took an ethnic dimension with the Luo community seen as pro-Odinga and the Kikuyus viewed as Kibaki supporters.
Results changed
European Union monitors were barred from counting centres in the Central Province, chief EU election observer Alexander Graf Lambsdorff told the BBC.
HAVE YOUR SAY
It's a sad day for democracy in Kenya
Arthur, Nairobi
Send us your comments
UK teacher's ordeal in Kisumu
Results declared by the electoral commission in Nairobi from one constituency differed from those announced locally, he said.
He reported seeing altered voting forms where "all the changes favoured the same candidate".
Anomalies amounted to 20,000-25,000 votes in one constituency alone, he continued.
Mr Kibaki's national margin of victory was 230,000 votes.
Elections chief Samuel Kivuitu has admitted some problems, including a reported voter turnout of 115% in one constituency, the Associated Press reports.
I suppose it's time to be thankful to be in the US, where we have enjoyed remarkably civil political disagreements for several decades now. It's said in many political science venues that the real test of new democracies is the second turnover of power. If it goes peacefully and smoothly, with little to no election irregularities, that's when you can call that new democracy an initial success. That's a big hurdle for many nations, especially where colonialism ruined traditional systems and new democracy is often viewed suspiciously by more conservative elements as cultural imperialism rather than a progressive step by the people. As in any kind of major cultural change, it takes time, best measured over generations, and it usually doesn't come cheaply, as much as we'd like to see otherwise.
At the same time, however, it's worth drawing attention to the widespread apathy that many Americans have towards their government, as if it's totally unconnected to them. This is as much a threat to democracy as violence and crackdowns. I do believe the consolidation and corporatization of Media in the US should bear a significant part of the blame. First, consider Norman Solomon's article "Big Media Myths" from Project Censored (A good article: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Project Censored/BigMediaMyths_ProjCensor.html). To recap, Solomon's myths are:
- MYTH: "THE LIBERAL MEDIA"
- MYTH: FREE PRESS = PRIVATELY-OWNED PRESS
- MYTH: AT LEAST WE HAVE PUBLIC BROADCASTING
- MYTH: NEW TECHNOLOGIES ARE CREATING MORE DEMOCRATIC MEDIA
- MYTH: NEWS REPORTS CAN BE "OBJECTIVE"
- MYTH: NEWSPAPERS CORRECT THE MOST IMPORTANT INACCURACIES
- MYTH: IN THE U.S.A., JOURNALISTS WORK FREE OF CENSORSHIP
The corporate-insider hegemony over media policy debates, and the lack of public participation, are encouraged and protected ideologically by eight myths surrounding media in the United States.
The Preface to this EXCELLENT book is available here (http://www.freepress.net/mediaproblem/TPOTM-preface.pdf) and tackles those myths head-on (introducing the rest of the book). McChesney's Myths have some major similarities to Solomon's, as would be expected, but he goes farther:
- The first myth is that media do not matter that much-that they merely reflect reality, rather than shape it.
- The second myth-that the corporate, commercial media system is “natural,” the intent of the Founders, and the logical outgrowth of democracy.
- The third myth is that debates concerning media policy in the United States have accurately reflected the range of public opinion and public interests.
- The fourth myth is that commercial media unquestionably provide the highest quality journalism possible-the caliber of journalism a democracy necessitates for informed self-government.
- The fifth myth is that the news media in the United States today have a “left-wing” bias.
- The sixth myth is that the commercial media, due to the competitive pressure for profit, “give the people what they want”-so the only
- policy option is to unleash the market.
- The seventh myth is that technologies determine the nature of media.
- Finally, there is the myth that no alternative to the status quo will improve matters. No matter how many flaws are present, the status quo offers the best of all possible media worlds.