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| Zaeef's book review: 'Your Excellency, you are no more Excellency' |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Saturday, 22 July 2006 | |
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Former Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef has disclosed the naked violation of diplomacy, brotherhood, democracy and hospitality not in an un-Islamic country but in the neighbouring Pakistan, that the rulers called a fort of Islam.
Zaeef, s/o, late Mullah Noor Mohammad was born in June 1967, in Panjwayee district of the southern Kandahar province. He was appointed ambassador to Pakistan in 2001 during the Taliban regime. In a riveting book authored by him, Zaeef has bared the harsh realities and the subservient nature of Pakistani forces to America. Pakistani forces, the so-called guards of Islam and honour, but the ignoble in the real sense were standing dumb and watching the ceremony in which the former ambassador was handed over to American forces, the book revealed. Titled as Guantanamo's Picture, the post-bellum book chides the Pakistani army, who were silent spectators and considering the thrashing and tearing clothes of a Muslim brother as a feast to their drowsy eyes. Widely regarded as straight shooter in the Taliban leadership, Zaeef's views are in no way coloured by pride or arrogance. Photocopies of all the documents provided in the book like identity card of diplomat, 2000-Protocol (exempted body search only), letter from Pakistan's foreign ministry and his passport, showed that the religious scholar was once a respectable guest of Islamabad. Such copy of the passport has also uncovered the false statement of Pakistan's former foreign ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan, who said Zaeef was deported from Pakistan as his visa was expired. Though the photocopy of passport showed that visa of the Guantanamo detainee was valid for ten months at the time of his handing over to US forces. Still a question virtually perturbs any sane mind, what law demands from Pakistani government in case of visa expiry? Obviously, the government has to deport a person to his ancestral country if he did not comply with the order to leave the host country in a told time, or he would be handed over to America and should be sent to Guantanamo Bay, the notorious prison of the world. "Your Excellency, you are no more Excellency. You know America is super power, none can combat it. None can dare to be rude before the Americans. They were in need of you for investigation. We want to hand you over to America, just to get its favour and to save Pakistan from threat," were the words of one of those Pakistani officials that met the 39-year-old at his home, writes Zaeef. Some officials of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) then shifted him to Peshawar in a car that was vibrating with music all the way and was escorted by two other four-wheelers, the ex-ambassador writes. Zaeef was not allowed to offer prayer on his repeatedly requests by these Pakistani officials, the act that would perhaps not practiced even by non-Muslims. Zaeef writes: "I got only one answer to my time and again beseech, I can offer prayer in Peshawar. I was requesting the Muslims, who were themselves less worried about this supreme obligation." The book also elaborates Zaeef's experiences in Peshawar that may pierce one's heart. Some officials, who only spoke few words of regards, visited him, but they could hardly help to hide their inner storm, despite their failed struggle to suppress. "One official entered my room. First he sobbed and then lost consciousness," he witnessed. Eventually, the day came when Pakistani forces unloaded their shoulders with their once honourbale guest, trampling under feet all the principles of diplomacy, democracy and human rights. In the first part of the book, Zaeef writes: "I was handed over to American forces, who kicked, punched me and tore my clothes. Depriving me of my dress, they pushed me in a copter and tied me with chains. I received a severe blow for any involuntary movement." The journey goes on and ended in another heart-breaking episode than the previous one. The writer reflects it thus: "The American forces started chatting while sitting over my back, as I was a wood or stone. I was impatiently waiting for death, when my soul will fly from my body, when Azrael (Angel of Death) will put its claw on me, oh Pakistan." Zaeef, a man of firm intention and iron nerves, glaringly against the meaning (weakness) that his name suggests, was first shifted to Bagram air base. "This is the big one" while uttering such sentence the American forces welcomed him with sticks, punches and butts, the book elucidates. The son of revered religious scholar Mullah Noor Mohammad, Zaeef has also mentioned the most enquired questions during his investigation in Bagram, Where is Osama? Where is Mullah Omar? What did you do in New York and Washington, referring to the 9/11 incidents? "I was laying naked among them. What justice?" the writer lamented. Now I am going to quote that sentence from the book that may feel the readers giddy, the abusive language that the religious scholar heard from a soldier in his 39, that one cannot tolerate in his 5, "Don't talk I will f**k you." From Kandahar to Guantanamo After some enquiries and a meeting with former Afghan foreign minister Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil in Bagram, the former ambassador was asked to prepare for his journey to Guantanamo. Presenting a picture of Guantanamo, the American forces told Zaeef: "On July 1, you will be sent to Guantanamo. We send the people to this prison where they will live till their death. And their return to home is not clear even after their death." The Yankees offered him some conditions for his release. The former ambassador writes: "Cooperation with American forces and spying for them were the conditions offered me for my release. God Almighty forbids me from such acts." Not complying with their conditions, the religious scholar was shifted to the notorious prison where he was again tied with chains and quizzed by a man, who introduced himself as Tom, flanked by a Persian interpreter. Zaeef has also confirmed the desecration of the Holy Quran by the American forces in Gitmo in his book. He writes: "Desecration of the Holy Quran was a routine work by American forces and they were even expecting such things from us. More than ten sacrilegious incidents were noted in the Gitmo, five of them were confessed by the American forces." In his three years and six months captivity, Zaeef has experienced, seen and heard the troubles beyond human tolerance. By evil luck, they were exposed to such hardships not by animals, but by the brutal American forces, the book reveals. Zaeef writes some detainees could not bear the brunt of American forces in Gitmo, and soul flew from their bodies towards heaven during such rough-and-tumble punishments. The former ambassador writes: "Slogans of Allah-o-Akbar echoed in the Indian Block, and sound of thrashing could be heard clearly. Later, we came to know that forces tortured and killed a Saudi brother named Mashal." The book comprises details of the various hair-erecting cruelties that poor Muslims suffered in Gitmo. The former ambassador writes: "Hair of head, beard, moustaches and eyebrows of the detainees were shaved. Even, they also shaved half moustache of some prisoners and left the other half." American forces were doing all this to have fun, as they have lost taste in all others immoral acts they are doing in their routine life. (BY: Rahmanullah Pajhwok Afghan News, Kabul) |
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