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Journalism of Courage
This weekend8217;s devastating earthquake in northern Pakistan reminds us once again of Mother Nature8217;s overpowering capacity to humble mankind. That the battered people of Kashmir 8212; some of the most beautiful and peace loving on earth 8212; were forced to accept the loss of everything material during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of sacrifice, seemed incomprehensibly unjust.
But from every injustice and tragedy also arises opportunity to correct what has gone wrong before. This is one time the opportunity should not be lost. There is a global need to correct how governments manage humanitarian crises caused by natural disasters; there is a regional need for Pakistan and India to engage each other in a way that for once genuinely benefits the people of Kashmir by using the humanitarian crisis as the face-saving cover to resolve their half-century old feud; there is an opportunity nationally for Pakistan8217;s government to redefine its commitment to provide for its disaffected citizens, and there is a grand opportunity for America to redefine itself as the caring and supportive nation it has always been, but that nobody in the Muslim world seems to see anymore.
But rising up to the challenge will only be possible if the nation8217;s leader, in this case President Pervez Musharraf, inspires his countrymen by example as he first cares for and then leads the nation to rebuild the shattered lives of its citizens. He should consider, for example, taking up temporary residence in the devastated areas and showing that he is prepared to sacrifice his own conveniences just as much as those who have lost everything to help them dig their loved ones out8230;
At a regional level, he has already made a good start by accepting India8217;s helping hand. He should take that a step further by inviting India8217;s prime minister to come across the battered Peace Bridge and visit Pakistan controlled Kashmir when the ground is more stable so the Indian leader can console Muzzafarabad8217;s residents in person. What better way to seal the confidence of two nations that their leaders care more about people than their nuclear weapons and blustering politicians, and are committed to finding a politically acceptable framework for settling their differences over Kashmir?
Then he should send his finance wizard of a prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, to every Arab country whose princes come and enjoy Pakistan8217;s countryside for hunting and falconry and ask them to cough up the cash needed to pay for the reconstruction effort. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, particular favourites of Pakistan8217;s culture, are rich enough and stand to benefit globally for their largesse both inside the Muslim world as well as on the international stage. Japan and China can provide the heavy machinery and skilled work forces to complete the tasks efficiently and without political hyperbole.
There8217;s a huge opportunity in this tragedy for us Americans as well. The Muslim world perceives us today, rightly or wrongly, as an arrogant nation of people adamantly opposed to Islam8217;s ideological and philosophical grounding, and that we are prepared to go to any military extent necessary to prove we are right. Against the terrorists, you bet we will, and we should. Rational Islam needs to understand why that is necessary and help us battle their demons from within.
But as a fiercely loyal and patriotic American of the Islamic faith, I know we are not entirely without blame in the way we are characterised. And I also know that we don8217;t do enough to reach out in a way that touches the hearts and minds of Muslims where it matters. Can anyone honestly say, after watching the highly intelligent faces of the young men and women who lost their children and everything they ever had telling us their stories on TV8230;that they wouldn8217;t respond to us if we reached across an ocean to help make them whole again? Let8217;s take the game directly to the people who matter rather than letting their mullahs and fanatics define it for us.
Let us not be known as a people who offer paltry sums of money and handouts that nobody can practically use. Let8217;s marshal our resources in a different way to help Pakistan rebuild the lives of its Kashmiri citizens 8212; as one people of a civilization to another, with respect and dignity that honors their sacrifices. President Bush should call on the mayors of a representative list of major cities across the US to each adopt one small village or town in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in order to help restore the public school systems, hospitals, and pharmacies that provide critical services to ordinary citizens8230;
Finally, we need to rethink at a global level how we manage natural disasters. With over 300,000 lives lost and tens of billions in damage done from three natural disasters in the past 12 months, the time has come to create a multinational Natural Disaster Emergency Management Organisation NEMO that is capable of rapid response in the case of any natural disaster, no matter where it occurs. Reserves of heavy machinery and equipment bulldozers, cranes, tractors, etc, the necessary transportation to get this equipment on site like heavy lift helicopters, temporary shelters, cots, blankets, foodstuffs and fresh water supplies need to be kept on demand at strategically located points around the world that within hours, not days, the right equipment and personnel would be at the scene of a disaster8230;
Management of these assets could reside with existing regional command and control facilities, like NATO. The assets could be paid for on a GDP ratio basis that puts the burden on rich countries over time to insure there is a ready pool of assets for on-demand situations like earthquakes and tsunamis. With enough legislative groundwork, multinational companies, like Caterpillar and John Deere, or Mitsubishi and Daewoo, could be granted tax breaks for contributing assets to these global pools. And all those who contribute, even poor nations, would be asked to never hesitate in letting the assets be used, when needed, even in New Orleans or Miami when a hurricane strikes.
If we can replenish our military assets to fight wars against terrorists, we can do the same to insure the livelihoods of men, women and children, no matter their creed, color, religious beliefs or ethnicities, to safeguard mankind from the wrath of nature8230;
The writer, an American of Pakistani ancestry, is chairman, Crescent Investment Management, New York. Excerpted from a piece that appeared in 8216;National Review Online8217; October 11 and carried here with the writer8217;s permission
