The Dangers of Free Speech Absolutism
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton’s words can also be applicable to free speech.
Mir Adnan Aziz holds that free speech absolutism—speech that knows no restrictions or limitations—has disfigured the sanctity of free speech.
He makes his case by centering the piece around how Charlie Hebdo abused free speech, by continually publishing extremely offensive, and sometimes blasphemous cartoons.
Pakistan’s Governance Implosion Syndrome
Mir Adnaz Aziz finds there to be discordance between the people of Pakistan and the ruling elite.
Citizens are now beginning to realize that the government has never really served them. In fact, the public has been on the receiving end of the injudicious and hasty decisions of the politicians.
Karachi, the City That Was
Mir Adnan Aziz points to the cause of Karachi’s decline: corruption of the ruling parties and mafias. These corrupt practices have battered and ravaged the city that had the potential and resilience.
He views prudent leadership and accountability as the main determinants of Karachi’s revival. Image credits: Mustafa Hussain/The New York Times
Imran Khan—Challenger of the Status Quo
Former leaders took advantage of the inchoate state, and marred Pakistan by insulating themselves.
Mir Adnan Aziz considers Imran Khan’s political existence, and PTI’s unswerving influence the perfect opportunity for the citizens to resolve the pitiful state of the country themselves.
Lords of Misrule
Mir Adnan Aziz discusses the blatant disregard for disaster management by the former and current governments in Pakistan. He stresses that the innumerable casualties and massive destruction caused by the recent natural disasters were certainly preventable. This gross negligence by the lords of misrule has left the people of Pakistan walking on a tightrope.
The Myth of Secularism
While President Erdogan’s decision to change Hagia Sophia to a mosque has been criticised for being religiously motivated, one must also take note of the West’s use of religion in various political endeavours. Mir Adnan Aziz reveals that even in the most ‘secular’ Western democracies, several major decisions (such as the Iraq war) were based on the religious beliefs of those in power.
The Untouchables of Pakistan
In a nation that had been lulled into political apathy, Imran Khan awakened the masses and brought their attention to the widespread corruption, institutional conflicts, and economic distress in Pakistan. Given the public’s unyielding support, Mir Adnan Aziz considers Imran Khan to be an important piece in the political chessboard of the country.
Sultan Mehmed II’s Ottoman Empire Compared to Atatürk’s Secular Turkey
In 1453, Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. The reign of the sultan saw the Ottoman Empire grow exponentially and the city become a world refuge, a center of arts, literature, and culture. Mir Adnan Aziz compares the Ottoman Empire under Mehmed the Conqueror with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s secular Turkey. He reveals the loss of identity of the people of the once magnificent empire in the name of “westernization”.
United with Imran Khan
After removing Imran Khan – the former Pakistani prime minister – from power, Pakistan’s new government has adopted the very policies the PTI leader stood against. The author, Mir Adnan Aziz, notes that Pakistan has once again fallen into the hands of politicians dancing to America’s tune. He asserts that in their insatiable greed for power, these corrupt politicians have overthrown the one person who attempted to break free from the chains that bound Islamabad to Washington.
The US-backed Regime Change in Pakistan
The United States has freely been using regime changes as tools for subjugation. If unable to “convince” a leader to comply, the US simply has him/her removed from power. Ironically, the US Senate had to formally pass an “assassination ban” on US citizens/officials since CIA/US assassinations and coups in states run by “unfavorable” governments were becoming too frequent. The author, Mir Adnan Aziz, argues that for the US, Pakistan’s former prime minister, Imran Khan, represented one such unfavorable government. Though Pakistan is not a stranger to America’s interventionist policies, the recent regime change in Pakistan has revealed the true extent of covert American networking in the state.
