Terrorism

Knowledge at work

Terrorism is the most pressing issue of this century and needs a solution. Terrorism is the use of violence in order to create a general fear in a population and thereby to bring about a political objective. This is the main issue of the article is the terrorist attack that Mumbai faced on 26th November.
The writer of the article claims to know facts about the trial of the prime accused of the attacks. He is really not arguing for anything but is merely stating facts. However these facts do allude to many things that he has not explored. There is a sense of detachment and the writer is really not using emotionally laden language to communicate anything. The article is centred on the terrorist Kasab and his trial. Even though the writer gives information, one cannot help but see how late the trial has started as the article has been dated for April 17th 2009, nearly 5 months after the attacks. The writer does not expand on this fact and thus show the lax in the Indian government. He also does not expand on the reasons for the change in a lawyer and what really happened during the attacks which would give the article a holistic appeal. It is more filled with reason as the writer does not let the emotions of anger and sadness over power him and scrutinize Kasab. It in a way it is right. Terrorism is not really born naturally, as the movie Khudha Kai Liye shows it is instilled in the young men by religious leaders who use the Quran as a confirmation bias. These religious leaders present their own interpretation (backed by their emotions) of the Quran as the truth and brain wash the men with fallacious reasoning.
In the end it is going to be Kasab who is hanged and killed yet the fact is that he has been growing up in a culture and society that perceives whatever they are doing to be ‘the right’ thing to do. Even if they do object, they cannot voice their views out of the fear of being killed. There is a famous saying that states 'one man's terrorist is another's hero. This may really imply to freedom fighters like the Mau Mau in Kenya and the Bhagat Singh in India but in a small way it does fit in with the Pakistani and Afghanistan society as well.
Our reason enables us to perceive holistically as what they have done as wrong. But males in Pakistan are trained ever since they are 5 to kill and hate the western world. So can we really call Kasab evil? This is very debatable and has not been explored by the author.
Due to the detached tone the writer really does not seem to be taking anything for granted as such except the fact that his readers have really not been following the trials that closely and hence gives an overview of the whole issue.
What really impacts one as they read the article is how distant the writer is. Kasab and the other terrorists were responsible for murdering 184 people. The fact the he is still living after 5 months is astonishing. People should hence care about the issue as the victims deserve justice for the pain the families went through. The debate that he is evil from within is a different matter. The fact is that the government should press his trial with a sense of urgency and pressure in comparison to the other cases so as to atleat give some peace to the relatives of the victims.


http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?658415

26/11 Mumbai Attack Trial Begins
Mumbai | Apr 17, 2009 PRINT


The trial in the November 26 Mumbai terror attack case has begun at a special sessions court in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, with the prosecution opening its case against the sole surviving terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab and two others.

Special Public Prosecutor (SSP) Ujwal Nikam opened the arguments against Kasab, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed for their alleged involvement in the 26/11 attack case in which 183 people were killed.

Kasab has already got a new lawyer with the court appointing noted advocate SG Abbas Kazmi on Thursday (April 16) to defend the Pakistani terrorist. Unlike Kasab's previous lawyer Anjali Waghmare, Kazmi is not from the legal aid panel.

Kasab, the prime accused in the case, would be charged with murder of 166 persons in the attack unleashed by Pakistan-based terror outfit the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) on November 26, 2008. Kasab and two others have been booked in 12 cases related to the terror strikes.