Are We Losing Pakistan?

It appears so. The Counterterrorism Blog provides some interesting statistics.

Two recent polls of Pakistanis show that between 60 and 76 percent of those polled seek the growth of Sharia throughout Pakistan, which is a key principle in political Islamism.  The enforcement of Sharia throughout Pakistan is the stated goal of the Taliban in Pakistan.

The Islamist aspects of these poll findings are not news headlines because America lacks a policy and a coherent position on Islamism. However, these polls are not only informative to American taxpayers funding the Pakistan efforts in the "war on terror", but also should be a red flag to American policy makers regarding its long-term relationship with Pakistan as well as the underlying ideological disconnects between U.S. policy and Pakistani public opinion.

In the most recent World Public Opinion poll of Pakistanis, it was found that 60 percent of Pakistanis believe that "Sharia should play a larger role in Pakistan law" than it does now. Per this recent World Public Opinion poll, only 26 percent say Sharia should play the same role (15 percent) or a smaller role (11 percent) and 15 percent do not answer.

Most of the news stories based on the recent World Public Opinion poll of Pakistanis have been focused on the limited support within Pakistan in pursuing Al Qaeda or in fighting "insurgents", and these are legitimate tactical war concerns: (a) only 44 percent favor the Pakistani Army pursuing Al Qaeda, (b) only 48 percent would support the Pakistan Army acting against "Taliban insurgents who have crossed over from Afghanistan", and (c) nearly 80 percent are against US pursuing Al Qaeda or Taliban in Pakistan. But the underlying problem in U.S. relationships with Pakistan are demonstrated by the polls indication of significant Pakistani support for Islamism.

Nor is this the only poll that shows such Pakistani sentiment.  A month earlier, a poll of Pakistani opinion, taken for Terror Free Tomorrow, yielded similar results on Islamism and support for Jihadist groups.  Once again, the Islamist results were not the headline story, but they were a significant finding. To the question regarding Pakistani positions on the need for "implementing strict Sharia law throughout Pakistan", 76 percent of the Terror Free Tomorrow poll responders viewed this as "important".  This 76 percent was comprised of 41.2 percent that viewed this as "very important" and 34.8 percent that viewed this as "somewhat important".

The Terror Free Tomorrow Pakistani poll also showed 46 percent of Pakistanis in that poll having a favorable view of Osama Bin Laden (and only 26 percent having an unfavorable view). Other results of the Terror Free Tomorrow Pakistan poll showed: (a) 74 percent opposing US pursuing Al Qaeda or Taliban in Pakistan, (b) 37 to 49 percent approving local Pakistani Jihadi groups, and (c) half of those responding approving of the Taliban.

The American long-term strategy with Pakistan must be clarified if 60 to 76 percent of its population seek to turn Pakistan into an Islamist, Sharia-based nation.

The growth of sharia means trouble for non-Muslims.

Islamic militants threatened to bomb a Christian family for refusing to convert to Islam as fighting between militants and government troops resumed in northwestern Pakistan yesterday.

“Become Muslim – otherwise, we are going to destroy your house with bombs,” an anonymous caller told a Swat Christian family last night.

The family, who requested that their name and village be kept anonymous for security reasons, said that they stayed awake all night praying after the 10 p.m. threat. They said that a Muslim neighbor, a close friend, spent the night in their front room as a token of solidarity.

Last month the family received a similar threat; militants delivered the threat in writing to a campsite the family operates.

The search for moderate Islam goes on.

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