Bin Laden's popularity wanes in Pakistan

Peshawar, Pakistan, Nov 10, 2001 (EFE via COMTEX) -- Osama bin Laden and the Taliban still have rabid supporters in Pakistan, but their fervor is starting to fade after more than a month of U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan.

"During the first days of the war, I used to sell 100 to 200 T-shirts with the picture of bin Laden, but I am hardly selling any now," said a shopkeeper in the border city of Peshawar.

The city, which lies some 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Islamabad and 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the Afghan border, has a large population of Pashtuns, the ethnic group from which most of the Taliban are drawn.

Peshawar, a crowded city of 3 million people, is already filled with sights characteristic of rural Afghanistan, such as women wearing burkas and turbaned men with black kohl around their eyes.

Between Peshawar and the border are the areas known as the tribal agencies, where Pashtunwali, the ancient tribal code of the Pashtuns, takes precedence over Pakistani law.

Foreigners require a special permit to enter the tribal agencies during these turbulent times, must be accompanied by police at all times and must leave before sunset.

In broad daylight and in full view of police, Islamic militants seek funds and recruits for the Taliban from market stalls in Peshawar, though with less success than in the early days of the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan, according to some witnesses.

The man in charge of a stall belonging to the student organization of Jamiat-u-Islam (JUI) claims to have raised 50,000 rupees ($813) daily and recruited 500 volunteers for the Taliban's "holy war."

These volunteers, who must be "young and staunch Muslims," are trained at a camp in the region, though there are said to be thousands who go to the camp without formally enlisting.

Asked how they enter Afghanistan when the border officially remains closed, they burst into laughter. "It is closed for you, but we know every each of the territory," one said.

At the next stall, a fresh-faced boy is in charge of collecting the donations and writing down the names of the volunteer. Though only 14, he wants to fight alongside the Taliban, but his chief prefers that he help with logistics.

The chief later collects the donations and delivers them to the Afghan Consulate in Peshawar.

A crowd gathers next to the stalls, but virtually no one gives any money. Most of them are simply curious, attracted by the presence of foreigners.

Next to the stalls, pictures of bin Laden praying or on horseback - with U.S. warplanes flying above him - are sold, and while many people stop to look, few buy them.

A vendor selling bin Laden T-shirts calls the Saudi-born terrorist a "hero of Islam," but sees no inconsistency in also selling pictures of scantily clad women, saying "this is what people buy."

"Look, we are Pakistanis, what bin Laden is saying is not practical for us," he added.

I think it's in the nature of Islam to admire winners and despise losers. Mohammed himself showed that you can do virtually anything, as long as you succeed in winning and killing or enslaving the infidels.

The fear among the chattering classes was that attacking Bin Ladin would stir up more fanaticism. Far from it. The fanatics will remain fanatics no matter what you do, but the great mass of Muslims in Pakistan are now beginning to understand that Bin Ladin's boasts were empty. Nobody likes a loser.

We should be applying the same philosophy in the Middle East, instead of bending over backward to keep Arafat happy. As long as the Arabs think that Arafat can get his way with us by promoting terrorism, they will admire him. As soon as they see he can't, they will repudiate him.

"I think it's in the nature of Islam to admire winners and despise losers."

You are so right about this. Islam is a conquering, dominating, worldly religion. It seeks to enact Allah's kingdom here on earth. Every victory is seen as evidence of Allah's mandate. There is little of Christianity's or Judaism's emphasis on the transcendent, and no concept of rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar's.

This has made it a powerful political force throughout its history. In fact, Muslims have rarely remained a minority for long in regions where they establish a foothold. Compare this with the experience of the Jews--a permanent minority in every place on Earth--or of the early Christians who suffered for centuries under Roman and pagan domination.

The downside is that if Muslims lose militarily or politically, it has the potential to create a theological crisis of confidence. Christians thrive under persecution. "It is good to be a Jew, and it is hard to be a Jew." There is no such parallel for Muslims.

Think also of the comments by, I believe, the head of the US War College at the Military Academy some time back. He said that a Western victory is inevitable because of cultural reasons. The West is capable--culturally as well as militarily--of what he called "sustained relentlessness." The Eastern mode of warfare is more episodic, relying on subterfuge and surprise rather than overwhelming might. The history of the last 1000 years shows that overwhelming might coupled with sustained relentlessness tends to prevail.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.