Aurangzeb Wattoo
| The Janissaries was an elite force of Ottoman empire that worked very closely to Sultan for centuries. This highly trained and most powerful section of Ottomon army consisted of christian war captives, the captives who remained under strict discipline to become loyal forces of Sultan. These Christian youth fought for their Sultan against their native countries and brought them to knees. Here in modern global world, empires are using certain section of post colonial societies for same purposes which has refreshed the idea of hiring guns from ones enemies to kill them. These neo-janissaries are recruited from post colonial societies as intellectual captives to fight against their own society and culture. The empires have recruited them to popularize the idea that unless and until oriental nations don’t adopt western ways of existence, they would continue to create troubles inside their homes. They work as agents of empires and try to penetrate inside society. These empires feed them and use them to create a space for foreign ideology. This ideology comprises a thought pattern, way of living, social and political stance. They are recruited through imperial institutions which call them as young aspirants of higher education and skills and enroll them into a machinery to brainwash them through continuous enforcement of western narratives. They are taught to look upon their culture and history as inferior and western modern scientific ideas replace their native traditional, religious, cultural and social beliefs. Universities, media and NGOs work as organs of imperialism to recruit these neo-janissaries who penetrate in social and political structure of their society with their liberal ideas. In Pakistan, these foreign educated professors work to bring a liberal change and try to see things with western eyes. Once in our postgraduate class, our teacher recounted a historical incident and demonized a Muslim hero Muhammad Bin Qasim. Our professor cited a controversial book “Chachnamah” and that whole episode turned into a farce when that book proved to be incorrect and fictitious in that account. I and many other fellows fell into a deliberate silence over the issue. These westernized academics work to promote an idea that unless and until we don’t change our social political cultural and ethical standards according to western system, we can’t move forward. To support their argument, they refer towards unprecedented progress and prosperity of western world in modern era. They argue that as west said goodbye to traditional dogmas and followed a pagan, democratic, liberal and rational system, the course of history changed. These academics work as “generals” in ranks of neo-janissaries and their battlefield is youth of Pakistan. Their politically guided knowledge works to distort the face of history, heroes and institutions that are revered in our society. These ideals include Islamic interpretation of life, concept of ummah, institutions of family and traditional reverence for cultural and moral standards. They frown and feel frustration upon our idea of Islamic roots and sense of belongings. They criticize the very foundations of our country and insist upon western secular ideals. This is often seen on celebrations of so-called “Valentine’s Day”, Women Days. When I call them Neo-Janissaries, I indict them for being treacherous to their own people and they always stand with aggressors. In 1980s, USSR invaded Afghanistan and a created a history of oppression and bloodshed. They tried to enforce communist system on people of Afghanistan who had been bound to their great traditions and culture of triable life. Afghanistan,who had a diverse ethnic population but a uniform religious society stood against oppression and foreign rule. Afghans fought a great war of Independence with very limited resources and defeated largest military force of the world. USSR also recruited people to cut roots of afghans and to propagate communist system in a dominantly religious society. Misrepresentation of indigenous cultural practices which had remained a favorite ground of Orientalists, is now a function of these agents of imperialism. For demonizing the culture and cultural symbols, these agents use liberal media as its most dangerous weapon against native culture.In Pakistan, westernized Beacon House Education System, Vagina Monologue Events, Aurat- March,endorsement and encouragement of court marriages are some of the examples of misrepresenting its history and cultural fabric which is made of Indo-islamic traditions. A Pakistani filmmaker Sharemen Obaid Chennoy represented Pakistani culture as violent, misogynist and outdated without considering the historical and political implications of a brutal process of colonialism. And how can we expect them to represent the true face of a civilization which stands parallel to western modern and secular world? In the name of empowering women, they want to exercise their socio-cultural ideals on the cost of indigenous women. They are remnants of colonialism and work to destroy the self esteem of a certain nation. They stand against nationalist feelings and groups and promote the feelings of insecurity and vulnerability among masses. Imperialist nations exercise their political and economic powers to impose their ideals on global front. These unjust and unpopular acts are favored by these neo-janissaries to create a divided opinion among a society. Due to their easy access to propaganda machinery, they easily manipulate the events of great political significance and create an air of acceptability among initially hostile societies. Unless and until, post-colonial societies don’t get rid of this internal enemy by bringing radical changes in political and social system,their societies will remain under great threat and these penetrators would continue to cut their social, cultural and religious foundations. |