Participating in my first ever MUN (Model United Nations) and being a member of the UNSC Crisis Summit has vitally made me aware of the world out there. I never dug into the reasoning of drone strikes by the US. I never chose to have a view of the Talibans. But all of this eventually happened. It wasn't until I came across a familliar yet not-completely known crisis as follows:
"The Tehreek-e-Taliban have captured the US Embassy in Karachi. They threaten to kill 3 men as the clock ticks ever hour until or unless, the US agrees to fulfill three demands:
1. The Obama Administration chooses to evacuate US Military from all Pakistani areas.
2. NATO supply should not pass within the borders of Pakistan.
3. Drone strikes should be called off at once."
I wouldn't doubt calling it my favourite crisis as it has, certainly, widened my knowledge. Anyhow, looking at the demands- would you not you call it the demands of us Pakistanis and not just the Tehreek-e-Taliban? We want the same to happen, don't we? Our safety, our demands arise as the first priority here.
What interested me the most was the 3rd demand. I recalled my flashbacks- sometimes when I read the newspaper with headlines claiming the loss of civillians in drone attacks, sometimes the TV shows that outlined the miserable lives of the victims and sometimes, my family having a 15-20 minute 'debate' on this topic. And it also happened to be that I was always the first one to run out of the room to avoid that disturbing, confusing talk! But in the real world, it's not confusing at all. Not the slightest bit. It is all clear, right in front of our eyes. Of course, it is still disturbing though.
The United States of America claim they give off orders of drone attacks in order to completely kill or, destroy in other words, the terrorists. Anyone ask about their succes so far? Meanwhile, U.S. drones are killing children and terrorizing families abroad. Earlier this year, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that 176 children have been murdered in Pakistan alone. And along with drone attacks, an average of 4.8 children are killed per day in Afghanistan where earlier this year, a U.S. sergeant is reported to have killed 9 children. Will these murders be deemed worthy of our thoughts and prayers, or even our news headlines? (Source: PolicyMic)
My say to USA out loud: Something about this seems entirely hypocritical; you as Americans largely ignore when your own government, in countries around the world, murders innocent children but when an American child dies, your media and your nation can focus on nothing else.
Pakistan’s president while terming the US drone attacks as “counterproductive” said these were damaging popularity of both the governments and stressed the need to find a way out. Speaking to a delegation of US Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the presidency in Islamabad, President Asif Ali Zardari also voiced concern over continued militant attacks on Pakistani troops from the Afghani side of the border. The president pointed to the sacrifices Pakistan had made in the fight against militancy and said there was a need for acknowledging and appreciating these sacrifices. He said terrorism was a global issue and there was a call for global and international efforts to eradicate it. What I think is that the blame-game will not serve the common purpose of defeating the militants. Instead of calling off the entire world to take action against the Talibans, why not demand the US take a step back?
Sadaullah Khan, a 15-year old boy who lost both legs in a drone strike says, "I used to go to school … I thought I would become a doctor. After the drone strikes, I stopped going to school." There in the U.S., parents worry that they might have to attend the funeral of their own child. But there government strikes fear into the hearts of parents abroad when it kills their children during funerals. When they worry about the safety of their children, apparently they forget that it is their drone strikes, their money and their democratically-elected government that cause the same fear in select countries around the world including Pakistan.
It is humanity what counts here. Wrecking houses will not get any of us anywhere. Every single person in this world should worry about the lives of not just children but civillians and the worldwide community. Not just the Americans, or the French or the Pakistani. But every single person out there. Security is the right of the people on this earth and we shall strive hard to give it equally.
"The Tehreek-e-Taliban have captured the US Embassy in Karachi. They threaten to kill 3 men as the clock ticks ever hour until or unless, the US agrees to fulfill three demands:
1. The Obama Administration chooses to evacuate US Military from all Pakistani areas.
2. NATO supply should not pass within the borders of Pakistan.
3. Drone strikes should be called off at once."
I wouldn't doubt calling it my favourite crisis as it has, certainly, widened my knowledge. Anyhow, looking at the demands- would you not you call it the demands of us Pakistanis and not just the Tehreek-e-Taliban? We want the same to happen, don't we? Our safety, our demands arise as the first priority here.
What interested me the most was the 3rd demand. I recalled my flashbacks- sometimes when I read the newspaper with headlines claiming the loss of civillians in drone attacks, sometimes the TV shows that outlined the miserable lives of the victims and sometimes, my family having a 15-20 minute 'debate' on this topic. And it also happened to be that I was always the first one to run out of the room to avoid that disturbing, confusing talk! But in the real world, it's not confusing at all. Not the slightest bit. It is all clear, right in front of our eyes. Of course, it is still disturbing though.
The United States of America claim they give off orders of drone attacks in order to completely kill or, destroy in other words, the terrorists. Anyone ask about their succes so far? Meanwhile, U.S. drones are killing children and terrorizing families abroad. Earlier this year, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that 176 children have been murdered in Pakistan alone. And along with drone attacks, an average of 4.8 children are killed per day in Afghanistan where earlier this year, a U.S. sergeant is reported to have killed 9 children. Will these murders be deemed worthy of our thoughts and prayers, or even our news headlines? (Source: PolicyMic)
My say to USA out loud: Something about this seems entirely hypocritical; you as Americans largely ignore when your own government, in countries around the world, murders innocent children but when an American child dies, your media and your nation can focus on nothing else.
Pakistan’s president while terming the US drone attacks as “counterproductive” said these were damaging popularity of both the governments and stressed the need to find a way out. Speaking to a delegation of US Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the presidency in Islamabad, President Asif Ali Zardari also voiced concern over continued militant attacks on Pakistani troops from the Afghani side of the border. The president pointed to the sacrifices Pakistan had made in the fight against militancy and said there was a need for acknowledging and appreciating these sacrifices. He said terrorism was a global issue and there was a call for global and international efforts to eradicate it. What I think is that the blame-game will not serve the common purpose of defeating the militants. Instead of calling off the entire world to take action against the Talibans, why not demand the US take a step back?
Sadaullah Khan, a 15-year old boy who lost both legs in a drone strike says, "I used to go to school … I thought I would become a doctor. After the drone strikes, I stopped going to school." There in the U.S., parents worry that they might have to attend the funeral of their own child. But there government strikes fear into the hearts of parents abroad when it kills their children during funerals. When they worry about the safety of their children, apparently they forget that it is their drone strikes, their money and their democratically-elected government that cause the same fear in select countries around the world including Pakistan.
It is humanity what counts here. Wrecking houses will not get any of us anywhere. Every single person in this world should worry about the lives of not just children but civillians and the worldwide community. Not just the Americans, or the French or the Pakistani. But every single person out there. Security is the right of the people on this earth and we shall strive hard to give it equally.
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