PROPAGANDA DICTATORS AND VIOLENT MUSLIMS

“Muslims are violent”. “Islam is a barbaric religion”. “Muslims are Terrorists”. These are most commonly heard sentences on social networking sites, blogs and TV debates. Muslims do little to counter these allegations as Muslim voice is muzzled in the ‘Free world’. Who will give platform to a Muslims in this ‘Free world’ where all the platforms are owned by those who are interested in portraying Muslims as killers? Anyone trying to do that finds himself shouted down and silenced. Muslims have been made to believe that whatever the Western and Pro – Western media tells, is true. When non – Muslims commentators claim that “All Muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims”, a gloomy silence is observed by those who know that whatever is being claimed is not true. This is unfortunate that world is experiencing the worst kinds of dictatorships at present. This dictatorship is a manifestation of propaganda unleashed the world over against the followers of Islam. Western media outfits and its puppets in the non – Western world have become demons of falsehood. When Hitler claimed that if a lie is spoken quite often, it becomes the truth, he gave a biggest key for the successful propaganda to the world. This false notion, “Muslims are killers” has been converted into the truth by using the same Hitler method by those who play as the worst victims of Nazi Holocaust. So who is following Hitler and his doctrines? It is a paradox that the method of Hitler’s propaganda war is still relevant today and has been adopted by the victims of Hitler’s holocaust in letter and spirit.

It is painful to flip through the pages of history and find that whatever is being said about Muslims and Islam does not hold any ground. It is equally painful that Muslims themselves do not come up with figures of worst genocides with names of architects of those genocides in front of the ‘Free Media’. It may be history but whatever is happening today is all because of the past. Why should these lies against Muslims and Islam be allowed to be replicated endlessly?

It will not help Muslims to stay silent. Remaining silent makes one think that ‘silence is acceptance of the guilt’. But silence here is not the acceptance of guilt but suppression of voice. Will Fox TV or CNN ever allow a Muslim to come out with right figures? It is not any secret that most of the media sells today because of lies which they have been telling the world. Who will follow them if they start showing the true picture to their gullible audience now? Media which created all the hype against Islam and Muslims can’t tell the world that, “ Hold on ! We have been wrong, please hear the truth now”. This will dent their interests and intrigues. Dictatorships of Falsehood through Media is such a potent tool that lot of Muslims have started to accept their imaginary guilt. I being a Muslims, a peaceful one throughout my life am being told that, I am the follower of a violent ‘cult’. I am unable to find my guilt but still I am forced to accept my undone sin. Is not this the worst kinds of tyrannies? When I want to ask them few questions or want to question their claim, I am being told to stay quiet. This is hurting my soul and killing the prospects of peaceful co existence. I then think, “Since I am being considered as a radicalized follower of a violent ‘cult’ without any reason whatsoever, what is the fun of staying peaceful then. ?”

This is what ‘Propaganda Dictators” cash in on, thus get their stories developed and manufactured . It is a continuing manufacturing process. More the propaganda, more stories they get. And Media sells, intrigues become successful, occupations become ‘peace keeping interventions’, and atrocities on innocents become ‘War on Terrorism’. Civilian deaths become ‘inevitable co lateral damage’ and superpowers remain as superpowers at the expense of Innocents and their natural resources.

I believe that these ‘Propaganda Dictators’ are tools of hegemonic powers. But letting them carry on with their propaganda is equally deplorable. We should do our best to counter their offensive with whatever tools available with us. Let us fight them with their own weapons. Let us bust their myths without being hysterical. I want to put some figures before ‘propaganda dictators’ and want them to identify my guilt in these figures. I have compiled an account of some notable genocide which happened in this world since 1900 till 2011. Let us see how many people Muslims have killed in these 111 years and how many humans have been slaughtered by non – Muslims. I hope these figures shall enlighten you. Let us see how barbaric Muslims are and how peaceful non – Muslims are.

HUMAN FATALITIES EXCLUDING CASUALITIES IN WARS

Mao Ze-Dong, Non - Muslim (1958-61 and 1966-69, Tibet 1949-50): 78 Million

Jozef Stalin, Non - Muslim (USSR, 1932-39): 23 Million

Adolf Hitler, Non - Muslim (Germany, 1939-1945): 12 Million (concentration camps and civilians WWII)

Leopold II of Belgium, Non - Muslim (Congo, 1886-1908): 8 Million

Hideki Tojo, Non - Muslim (Japan, 1941-44): 5 Million (civilians in WWII)

Ismail Enver, Muslim (Turkey, 1915-20): 1.6 Million Armenians and others (1915)

Pol Pot, Non - Muslim (Cambodia, 1975-79): 1.7 Million

India, Non - Muslim ( Jammu and Kashmir 1947 - 2011): 0.7 Million

Israel, Non - Muslim (Palestine, 1947 - 2011): 0.4 Million

Palestine, Muslim ( Israel, 1947 – 2011): 12 Thousand

George W Bush, Non - Muslim ( Iraq 2003 - 2008): 1.1 Million

George W Bush, Non - Muslim (Afganistan 2002 – 2008): 1 Million

Kim Il Sung, Non - Muslim (North Korea, 1948-94): 1.6 Million (purges and concentration camps)

Menghistu, Non - Muslim (Ethiopia, 1975-78): 1.5 Million

Yakubu Gowon, Non - Muslim (Biafra, 1967-1970): 1 Million

Leonid Brezhnev, Non - Muslims (Afghanistan, 1979-1982): 1 Million

Jean Kambanda, Non - Muslim (Rwanda, 1994):0.80 Million

Saddam Hussein, Muslim Communist (Iran 1980-1990 and Kurdistan 1987-88): 0.5 Million

Tito, Non - Muslim (Yugoslavia, 1945-1987): 0.6 Million

Sukarno (Communists 1965-66): 0.5 Million

Fumimaro Konoe, Non - Muslim (Japan, 1937-39): 0.5 Million (Chinese civilians)

Jonas Savimbi, Non - Muslim (Angola, 1975-2002): 0.4 Million

Idi Amin, Muslim (Uganda, 1969-1979): 0.3 Million

Yahya Khan, Muslim (Pakistan, 1970-71): 0.1 Million (Bangladesh)

Mukti Bahini, Muslims supported by India (East – Pakistan 1970 – 71): 35 Thousand ( Urdu speaking Pakistanis)

Benito Mussolini, Non - Muslim (Ethiopia, 1936; Libya, 1934-45; Yugoslavia, WWII): 0.4 Million

Mobutu Sese Seko, Non - Muslim (Zaire, 1965-97): 0.3 Million

Charles Taylor, Non - Muslim (Liberia, 1989-1996): 0.22 Million

Foday Sankoh, Non - Muslim (Sierra Leone, 1991-2000): 0.2 Million

Suharto, Muslim (Aceh, East Timor, New Guinea, 1975-98): 50 Thousand

Ho Chi Min, Non - Muslim (Vietnam, 1953-56): 0.2 Million

Michel Micombero, Non - Muslim (Burundi, 1972): 0.2 Million

Slobodan Milosevic, Non - Muslim (Yugoslavia, 1992-99): 0.1 Million

Richard Nixon, Non - Muslim (Vietnam, 1969-1974): 0.1 Million (Vietnamese and Cambodian civilians)

Efrain Rios Montt, Non - Muslims (Guatemala, 1982-83): 70 Thousand

Papa Doc Duvalier, Non - Muslim (Haiti, 1957-71): 60 Thousand

Rafael Trujillo, Non - Muslim (Dominican Republic, 1930-61): 50 Thousand

Hissene Habre, Muslim (Chad, 1982-1990): 40 Thousand

Chiang Kai-shek, Non - Muslim (Taiwan, 1947): 30 Thousand (popular uprising)

Vladimir Ilich Lenin, Non - Muslim (USSR, 1917-20): 30 Thousand (dissidents executed)

Francisco Franco, Non - Muslim (Spain) : 30 Thousand (dissidents executed after the civil war)

Anti Sikh Riots, Non – Muslim ( India, 1984 - 1986): 10 Thousand

Fidel Castro, Non - Muslim (Cuba, 1959-1999): 30 Thousand

Lyndon Johnson, Non - Muslim (Vietnam, 1963-1968): 30 Thousand

Hafez Al-Assad and Bashar Al - Assad, Muslim (Syria, 1980-2011): 26 Thousand

Reza Shah, Muslim (Iran, 1979): 20 Thousand

Robert Mugabe, Non - Muslim (Zimbabwe, 1982-87, Ndebele minority): 25 Thousand

Rafael Videla, Non - Muslim (Argentina, 1976-83): 13 Thousand

Guy Mollet, Non - Muslim (France, 1956-1957): 10 Thousand (aggression on Algeria)

Harold McMillans, Non - Muslim (Britain, 1952-56, Kenya's Mau-Mau rebellion): 10 Thousand

Paul Koroma, Non - Muslim (Sierra Leone, 1997): 6 Thousand

Osama Bin Laden, Muslim (worldwide, 1993-2001): 4 Thousand

Augusto Pinochet, Non - Muslim (Chile, 1973): 3 Thousand

Al Zarqawi, Muslim (Iraq, 2004-06): 2 Thousand

TTP and other Groups, Muslim ( Pakistan, 2003 – 2011): 15 Thousand

Note: (I have not included the figures of people killed in different communal riots in India since 1947 as I could not find reliable figures for it on the net or other sources. But still as per the vague estimates nearly 1.1 million people have died in communal riots in India since 1947. Most of the casualties (85 %) happened during the partition of 1947. About 80 % people killed in these communal riots were Muslims.)

• Killed by Non - Muslims: Nearly 141 Million i.e., more than 14 Crore people.
• Killed by Muslims: Nearly 2.7 Million i.e., 27.5 Lac people.

Non – Muslims have killed 53 times more people than Muslims without wars.

These people were not killed in Wars but were killings during peace. These killings happened as a result of aggression; crack down on uprisings, silencing of political and ideological opponents, crushing of freedom struggles, regional hegemony and ethnic as well as religious cleansing.

Now let me give you figures of Two World Wars fought by Non Muslims with each other:

World War I ( 1914 - 1918) : 37.5 Million people (Three Crore and Seventy Lac)

World War II ( 1939 – 1945) : 55. 5 Million (Five Crore and Fifty Five Lac) including Nuclear Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan) by President Truman of United States of America. (President Trueman, sounds funny as well as silly).

Total Casualities in Two World Wars : 93 Million i.e., 9 Crore 30 Lac people + unspecified number of people who died due to Hunger, Illness, Poverty and Radiation after these gruesome wars fought by the civilized and peaceful Non Muslims with each other.

Let us forget other wars. Just sum up with this only.

Total people killed by Non Muslims in 111 Years : 141 Million + 93 Million = 234 Million

Total people killed by Muslims in 111 Years: 2.7 Million

Killings by Non Muslims every year : 21,00,000 (Twenty One Lac) people.

Killings by Muslims every year: 24,000 (Twenty Four Thousand) people.

Non – Muslims have killed nearly Hundred times more people than Muslims in the last 111 years and still Muslims are Barbaric.

Open up your eyes and minds and hurl the truth on their faces.

“Waqul jaa alhaqqu wazahaqa albatiluinna albatila kana zahooqa”

And say: "Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished, for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish."

Koshur Mazloom © 2011

Syed Ali Geelani a person, non-corrupt and upright. with conviction

Dr Sameer Kaul, a Kashmiri Pandit and Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's personal physician, speaks about the other side of the hardline separatist.

Two men at the heart of Kashmiri separatism -- hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front -- are alive today thanks to doctors from the Kashmiri Pandit community, which was forced to flee the valley with the onslaught of militancy in 1989.Some years ago, a team of three doctors performed life-saving surgery on Geelani, now 81, in Mumbai after he was diagnosed with cancer Geelani survives on three-fourth of a kidney, and one of the doctors is now his personal physician.As someone who interacts with Geelani regularly

, Dr Sameer Kaul is probably better placed than anyone else to observe the real man behind the stubborn politician we know about.Speaking to Rediff.com's Krishnakumar Padmanabhan, not only does Dr Kaul give us an intimate view of Geelani, he also provides valuable insights into the current unrest, and how Delhi can rectify mistakes of the past.I am quite close to Geelanisaab, as a doctor should be. But my interaction with him is mostly restricted to medical discourse.As a person, he is non-corrupt and upright. He has conviction.He is disciplined and is a very meagre eater. He doesn't follow the philosophy of consumption in life. He is satisfied with the basic things.That must have helped him in becoming incorruptible.I didn't know him personally before the surgery.In my childhood, I used to ask my father who he was. My father used to say he is the man who says 'Kashmir banega Pakistan.' Such a man is anathema for me.But when I saw that even after 20 years he had not changed his stand and said the same thing, I respect that. When we met he started by offering me my fee.I reminded him about this and told him that I respect him for his steadfastness though I did not agree with his philosophy.He just had a smile and kept quiet.He was called for a interview before that for a US visa. When he was asked questions about his political beliefs, he said he is against American policy. He was very forthright.What does that tell you? He didn't lie for the sake of going to the US. He is beyond that.There are very few things you can hide from your doctor. So I can vouch that he lives a spartan life and so does his family.After an operation in Delhi, he was living in a cramped quarters with his daughter in Malviya Nagar. I warned him he might get an infection.But he told me that if he shifted, his daughter might be heartbroken that her house was not good enough for her father and he stayed put.Such a fellow has to be humane.Things like this is why I find a large part of his public image discordant. He is always with a smile. He is not a wimpy patient.I do not concern myself with his political affiliation and ideology, but I find him to be an honest and sincere man to his people, which is a far cry from what we get these days.Eighty per cent of Kashmiris will not agree with his ideology, but they respect him for being non-corrupt.They have seen all their other leaders get corrupted at some point or the other. In these two decades of strife, he is the only guy whose influence and respect among the people has only increased.I have seen all the chief ministers of the state in recent times and interacted with almost every other politician.I think a major reason for that is that he is not concerned with petty politicking and doesn't get down to the nitty-gritty.He keeps reading and writing books, and is busy translating Islamic texts.He lives in a spartan home. A lot of people put up spartan exteriors, but are quite different on the inside. But in his case, having been close to him for two decades, he is nothing like that. And you can't hide those things forever.I think he is a man of convictions who has been forced into a particular situation. I admire him for sticking to it. I don't know too many politicians who stick to their convictions for long.To top that, he is extremely humble and not greedy.He is not into dynastics and does not seek any favours for his children or sons-in-law. Neither is he into shady deals nor does he have any secret benami property.

One thing I have always thought is that he was never handled well. He was just labeled as an anti-India hawk and thus, he continues to be called so.In reality he is quite a soft guy. I do not agree with the picture that is being painted about him.I think he has always been put in a reactionary situation -- you do something and he has no way else but to react to it.He has always been pushed to a corner, where the only thing that he can do is react in the way he has.He has been demonised throughout. I don't think he had any option.There is also the angle that he is the only one who did not bend and dance to your (New Delhi's) tunes.I have so many patients who have seen him and they can't believe he is the same guy they see and hear about in the news.

am basically a Sufi at heart. Which is not what he adheres to, and I don't mix two things together.We disagreed only once. There was a Sufi saint who died three months ago. They used to call him the naked fakir. Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs throng to his place. I visited him often.Once he (Geelani) tried to tell me that it was not right. I told him it was my philosophy and was best left alone. After that, not once did he ever touch that topic.Among his greatest strengths are that he is humble, sober, incorruptible, and a man of principles, convictions and discipline.In the last 18 years, I have been doing a free (medical) camp in Srinagar .I don't think even a Muslim politician can venture out today. If you go on to the roads, you can be pulled out and skinned.For a Kashmiri Pandit to tell you that, it has a big meaning. A part of it is that what you give is what comes back to you.When I conduct my camps -- I don't take any security with me as I have never perceived a threat -- never do I get the feeling of not being wanted.I think it is because I do not believe Kashmiris are fundamentalists. Only 10 to 15 per cent are.What is actually happening on the ground is that a sustained class war is going on there.Simultaneously, there is also the phenomenon of one kind of Islam trying to overtake another kind of Sufi Islam.In the last 15 days I have heard from many Kashmiri friends that their houses are being targeted.What is happening is that a frustrated section is taking out its anger on a well-off section. He doesn't like what he sees, and so sets out to destroy it.What worries me is that it is now even worse than 1989. Then, a lot of people got into it because there was a romanticism associated with it.

Today, what you see is extreme anger.The central political system was in deep slumber. Everything was going on under the surface and nobody woke up to it.Regarding Geelani's role in the current unrest, I am sure a lot of what is happening outside is beyond his control.He wouldn't get children out (on the streets of Kashmir), that is absolutely not on in his book. I can't believe that. I don't think that can be true.He appealed for calm and there was a lot of dissent against that. I can't speak about where is it coming from and who is supporting that.I still maintain my home in Srinagar. I have not moved out. I am part of that society.As to whether he had a role in the persecution of Pandits, when there is a mass exodus, massive things happen on a large scale, you can't single out things. You have to rise above these things.And if he was so anti-Pandit he wouldn't have come to me. I am a neutral Sufi.I believe he probably participated in the movement against the Pandits because his philosophy is fundamentalist.But there is an action-reaction situation also.The Pandits, while they were there, did not exactly have a positive disposition towards him ever.When you get relegated to a corner, you realise there is only one place open. You stay alive and occupy the space.Regarding the way he was treated he speaks about past experiences when he says he was approached, but things never happened.Had he been approached and accommodated, we would not be here today. All the time that the valley was fine, the government did nothing.We are only worried when the house catches fire. And people also realise that to get your attention, they have to burn something.This is the same story in the Maoist belt also if I am not mistaken.When it comes to Kashmir, I believe in soft power, which is the non-political space. It is non-utilised in Kashmir.We have only shown the hard face of India ] to the Kashmiris.If you realise the way our government functions it is not exactly a straightforward situation.As a nation -- this is my personal view -- we have never had a comprehensive and continuous policy towards Kashmir. It changes with various desks that handle Kashmir, and has always been discontinuous.If you talk about indoctrination, that starts at the age of 4 in rural schools. But we have never had a comprehensive group of dedicated people whose only motive is to keep Kashmir with the Union.Had that happened, would we be in this situation today after 63 years?

Indian Government trying to change demography of J&K state

Chairman Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani has said that the government of India was trying to settle non-resident slum-dwellers in Jammu and Kashmir and alter the state’s demography.

Geelani said his amalgam had proof that government was planning to settle 498000 non-resident slum-dwellers.

“India is following Israeli tactics. In fact, both the issues were born at the same time and today you see 40 lakh Palestinians living as refugees in their own land,” he said.

“The puppet government says that they will raise houses for state-subjects, but these are hoax claims. State-subjects have a right in the constitution but under this garb, just like dogra certificate, the government is trying to settle slum-dwellers knowing the devastating impact they are having on our society.

“And this is the puppet government which is accusing us of exploiting youth, disrupting peace, when they are responsible for the slavery of people, filling colors in sketches of India,” he said.

“I want to ask them that it was your leader (National Conference founder, Sheikh Abdullah), who surrendered after 22 years for chair of chief minister, who passed the land grants bill which allots land to outsiders on lease for 90 years. The same man, who you are trying to project as hero today passed black laws like PSA, the land grants bill,” he said.

“Ironically it was the (last Dogra ruler) Hari Singh who passed a law that that non-residents cannot buy land here or property, but then the man who paved way for all this today his son, grandson, and other agencies and pro-India parties are filling the colours in sketches of India,” he said.

Geelani said the puppet government was raising hue and cry over environment protection while no attention was being paid towards the adverse impact on environment due to “uncontrolled” rush of yatra .

“No Kashmiri is against the annual Amarnath Yatra; we fed them when RSS backed fanatics had imposed a blockade on us in 2008, but we want the numbers of the pilgrims to be regulated just as there are restrictions (on the number of pilgrims) in Gangotri,” he said.

“The puppet government boasts of 6.5 lakh yatris visiting Kashmiris this year but nobody talks of the degrading effect it has on the environment.”

New Delhi is using cultural aggression to “prolong its occupation in Kashmir,” Geelani said the educational institutes were being “used” for the same. “Our boys and girls are lured to dance and stand up in esteem when jana gana mana is played, and this cultural aggression is more dangerous than forcible occupation,” he said.

Geelani said the media should give space to the “voice of oppressed”.

A Victims Open Letter (To The Then) C M Of J&K : Breathtaking Story

In an open letter (to the then) Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Asima Mohiudin, a resident of Fatehgarh Baramulla, pens down the bundle of tregedies that sum the and her sisters have encountered so far.

Starting her letter with a quote, she writes; “Kehtay hai jis ghum ka elaaj nahe hota ussay sehna he padhta hai” (The sorrow that cannot be cured has to be endured) “ Ye dard bahri kahaane aik khushaal ghar ke hai jo pehlay buhat acha aur khush tha, aura bb jaisay issay kisi ke nanzar lag gaye ho” ( This is the story of a family that used to be happy, later evil spirit struck it) Asima Outlined her tale of woes in the letter, a copy of which was handed over to the author, while narrating her woes and trauma.

At the top off letter she mentions ”A TRUE STORY” On “22 JUNE 1993” At “11:30 PM” at night everyone was sleeping and there was complete darkness due to load shedding. Suddenly there was a knock at the door, a sense of fear prevailed. Somehow our grandmother with a torch in her hand stood up, went downstairs to open the gate. As she was moving towards the gate the frequency of knocks increased and as she was about to open the door broken open with some persons barging in.

Immediately her grandmother lit the torch and asked “who they were”. One of them in turn broke her torch with gun he was carrying. Then they went upstairs and broke all the window panes.

Asima’s Uncle Abdul Rasheed was married just six months back. First, he was taken into custody, then one of them fired upon her grandmother. The bullet pierced her body and hit the wall. She began profusely bleeding and fell unconscious.

After sometime they caught hold of Asima’s father Ghulam Mohiuddin and took him along. Asima’s mother tried to console her daughters as they were too young. “Though I was very young, but I exactly remember that day which changed our lives forever,” Points Asima.

Since that day her father and uncle are missing and nothing is known about them. “However, hope is there,” she says adding “we hope that both father and uncle will return someday as their daughters are waiting for them and they have to return”

Her mother, Haleema Begum tried hard to trace the whereabouts of her husband and brother-In-law from whatever corner she got the clue. Dejected with the situation she was in, and getting tossed from pillar to post, Haleema developed heart ailment.

“I remember whenever she left in the morning she used to say that she might get some information, but in the evening sadness was visible on her face reflecting the situation which she was facing,” writes Asima in her letter.

It was during this time that her other uncle was killed. “Think of the mother who lost her three sons this way. Consider about that mother who had to look after her four daughters and had to trace the whereabouts of her husband and brother in-law,” Says Asima

After sometime, Asima grandfather Wali Muhammad Lone Expired. He was waiting for news of his son’s return, but fate had something tragic in store for him and death laid its icy hands on him, Writes Asima.

Asima has three more sisters. “To Whom shall I narrate my woes and how many times shall I repeat the same tragedy? Enough is enough now. Many times I think that I should take the poison as I cannot tolerate anymore now,” she says.

Asima’s mother died on July 10, 2006. “She was our lone support but that too was taken away by the Almighty. Had She for some years things would have been different for us,” she said, “our father had left us to the support of our mother but he never knew that she would leave us halfway, stranded.”

She would have survived had we been able to provide her timely medical treatment, Asima Said. She expressed regret that she could not provide proper treatment to her mother due to economic compulsions at home.

The sisters lost their parents. They yearn to have a brother as they live in rural setup where conservative norms prevail. According to Asima, girls working out in their area are not treated with repect.

Her Sisters Rukaya, Fatima and Tahira were forced to discontinue their studies due to financial difficulties. “ We know it is extremely important to receive education the present circumstances. But wherever we went for admission they first asked if we could afford tuition fee. After that we dropped the idea,” she said.

Asima and her sisters want justice to be done to them. “no one knows the way we sisters live,” she said. Expressing her pains she said, “ zaane soie jaey yath jaeye naar lagge” (only the sufferer knows how painful it is…

Sayed Zaid Zaman Hamid : A Profile

Mr. Zaid Hamid is a security consultant and strategic defense analyst. He is the founder of BrassTacks, a unique Pakistani Think Tank devoted to the study of regional and global political events and their implications for Pakistan's security and interests. As an expert on the subject, he is frequently invited to speak on national television networks, and runs his own dedicated program on the News1 channel, named "BrassTacks with Zaid Hamid". This program has pioneered a new trend in currents affairs programming in Pakistan, where he skillfully knits together the undercurrents of apparently disconnected global events, and builds a bigger perspective on the threats that we face and where our true national interests lie. Owing to the tremendous appreciation received by these educational program series, a number of people have expressed interest in learning more about Mr. Zaid. We present below a brief overview of his personal life, interests and expertise.

Early Life & Afghan War

Early in his youth, when Mr. Zaid started his graduate degree, the muslim ummah got challenged by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan – a landmark event that started Mr. Zaid’s career as a soldier and a mujahid. Staking his life and career, he signed up as a volunteer in the Afghan war, and actively participated in the jihad right up to the liberation of Kabul. Over all, Mr. Zaid has spent more than six years of active participation in the jihad. Being a black belt second dan of Shotokan martial art, coupled with his charismatic leadership qualities and in-depth familiarity with modern weapons, (which he inherited from his father, a distinguished veteran of the ‘65 war), Mr. Zaid quickly became a notable contributor in the Afghan jihad.

It was through this first hand participation in the finest guerilla operations of their time that he gained his valuable insights and expertise in Irregular Warfare, counter Insurgency, Low and High Intensity Conflicts and strategic war planning. His travels in Afghanistan allowed him to network with a number of key figures of the jihad from both Afghanistan and Pakistan, and gave him his unique insights into the psyche of the Afghan people, the political undercurrents of the region, the inside story of the whole operation, as well as the role of the CIA and other clandestine agencies in the great game.

To top all of that, he still managed to visit the university campus every now and then, and finished off on his Computer Systems Engineering degree.

Professional Profile

After the war, Mr. Zaid started his career as a security professional covering subjects like electronic security solutions, security systems design, and training of security personnel. His years in the war significantly contributed in sharpening his expertise of perceiving security threats and developing successful counter measures. After a successful stint as area head of Security Alarms Systems Division of an eminent security company, he launched his own private consulting company in the late 1990s, called BrassTacks Security. This company specializes in corporate security systems design, security systems audit, and security intelligence reporting.

Education & Training

With his backpack full of books even in the barren hills of Afghanistan, Mr. Zaid has always lived by the Prophet’ saying to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. Even today he considers himself a student, and is ever willing to learn from others, as much as he is willing to teach of what he has learnt and experienced. As you converse with him (in your choice of five languages that he speaks), you can quickly realize the depth and breadth of his knowledge on topics related to religion, philosophy, world history and military subjects. In particular, he is passionate about Islam, and possesses in-depth knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah, as well as extensive study of Islamic political history, Islamic social and economic history, the mechanisms and foundations of Muslim’s economic and social achievements, as well as topics on contemporary issues of the Muslim world and the practical steps to reclaim our lost glory.

In his quest for learning from his elders, Mr. Zaid has had personal acquaintances with many eminent authors, thinkers and scholars of our time, and is strongly inspired by the thoughts of Wasif Ali Wasif and Ashfaq Ahmad. He has also travelled to many countries and places, including numerous visits to Hjiaz-e-muqaddas, turkey, and other friendly Muslim countries.

Mr. Zaid is himself a prolific writer and author of dozens of published articles and handbooks on various defense and security related issues and appears regularly on mainstream media as Analyst on various security and defense matters. His views on security issues especially are taken as authority by clients including multinationals, Government of Pakistan and embassies of friendly countries.

Religious Affiliations

A number of people question us about the religious affiliations of Mr. Zaid. As a true muslim, ofcourse, the ideal role model of us all is the Prophet(saw).

After him, in order to understand Zaid Hamid's religious view points, if there is any other person about whom we can say that Mr. Zaid believes and follows his ideology, then it is Hz. Allama Iqbal. Mr. Zaid has extensively read the revolutionary philosophy of Iqbal and his message of Islamic unity and Muslim renaissance, and strongly believes in practically following Iqbals message of Ishq-e-Rasool and Khudi. Like Iqbal, Mr. Zaid, dismisses the factional and sectarian divions among Muslims, and advocates for the Ummah to rise above its differences and meet the bigger challenges that we collectively face.

Butaan-e-rang o khoon koe tod kar millat mein gum hoe ja

Na toorani rahe baqi, na irani, na afghani

Other than following the pristine message of Islam as brought by the Prophet (sm), Mr. Zaid has absolutely no affiliations with any political, sectarian or religious group or party.

BrassTacks Think Tank

Through out his life of jihad, self-development, and learning, the issue of Islamic renaissance, and resurgence of Pakistan as a prosperous and strong Muslim country, has been a personal passion of Mr. Zaid. The creation of BrassTacks think tank is a culmination of his life long efforts and aspirations.

The mission of Brasstacks Think Tank is exactly what the mission of mr. Zaid himself has always been: to strive for creation of a stronger Pakistan, by creating awareness and providing education on issues of strategic national importance, and providing guidance to the people on how to develop a comprehensive strategy for safeguarding our national interests, and ideological frontiers. You can learn more about BrassTacks on our About us page.

BrassTacks is a private venture of mr. Zaid, and some close like-minded friends who all share the common cause of commitment and patriotism to Pakistan. BrassTacks accepts no funding from any outward source, and is not affiliated with any political party or institution. However, brasstacks maintains a friendly and advisory role to key institutions of Pakistan including the government of Pakistan, the foreign office, Pakistan army, and embassies of friendly Islamic countries.

BrassTacks think tank has attracted a lot of talent from the youth of Pakistan, and is already playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of pakistan’s domestic and foreign policy.

Mr. Zaid welcomes all of you to join hands with BrassTacks and play our role in Islamic Renaissance and Muslim unity through the agency of this God gifted country of Pakistan "

Irfan S. Kashmiri©

LEST WE FORGET

By: Irfan Kashmirie

..

In shaheedu’n ki diyat ahli kaleesa se na maang..

Qadro keemat main hai khoon jin ka haram se badkar

I remember I was a kid reading in 4th primary. It was Friday that I will never ever forget. Everyone was enthusiastic about Friday prayer. Everyone was requested to offer Friday prayers in Jamia Masjid, Bijbehara where from a peaceful procession was to be carried out to show the solidarity with the fellow brothers who were caged in Holy Hazratbal Shrine, Dargah Srinagar. Indian Army's siege of the holiest Muslim shrine in the Kashmir Valley rekindled resentment at India. I along with my brother were strictly advised to stay back home.

Tayghon key saaye mein hum, pal kar jawaan huwey hain

Khanjar hilaal kaa hai qaumi nishaan hamara

More than 15,000 protestors gathered in the courtyard of the Jamia Masjid after finishing Friday prayers. The protestors marched through the streets shouting slogans, demanding an end to the Hazratbal siege and supporting Kashmiri independence. When the procession reached the main road (Goriwan National Highway), BSF blocked the street and started firing indiscriminately, killing at least 40 people on the spot and injuring more than 200 others. The firing continued and the streets were painted red. The firing continued and troops targeted the crowd and those, who lay injured on the ground. No ambulances or medical staff was allowed access to the injured persons although hospital was only few yards away from the site of the massacre. Later, when people managed to shift some of the injured to hospital, the BSF men even fired on them inside the hospital complex, killing and injuring more people.

The incident sent shockwaves across the length and breadth of vale. All this was being done to weaken the resolve of Kashmiris but history is a testament that falsehood is bound to perish. The playfield in which I along with my friends used to play cricket was turned into martyrs graveyard. People were busy digging the graves and one after the other countless dead bodies poured in and were laid to rest. This saga of burying the martyred continued the whole night.

An FIR (No 90/93) and a magisterial inquiry was ordered but to no avail. The Inquiry report, vide number EN/BFC/93/23-24, prepared by the Inquiry Magistrate and submitted to the government on 13th November, concluded that firing on the procession was absolutely unprovoked and the claim made by the security forces that they fired in self defense after militant firing is baseless and concocted. The inquiry report further stated that the security personnel have committed offence out of vengeance and their barbarous act was deliberate and well planned. The report indicted Deputy Commandant of BSF JK Radola for tacit approval given by him to indiscriminate and un-provoked firing. Eighteen long years have passed, the scars of the incident are still fresh and victims are still awaiting justice which is not expected till we are under the clutches of India. Can we afford to forget all this against a good job or economic packages?

wo ujda gulshan veeran galiyan wo jalte bag aur udaas kaliyaan

jamari maau’n kay behtey aansu’n kasam hai tum ko bula na dena

May Allah grant them Jannah and fulfill our dream of free Kashmir.

One Slogan One Track, Go India Go Back