Product Description
Among U.S. allies in the war against terrorism, Pakistan cannot be easily characterized as either friend or foe. Nuclear-armed Pakistan is an important center of radical Islamic ideas and groups. Since 9/11, the selective cooperation of president General Pervez Musharraf in sharing intelligence with the United States and apprehending al Qaeda members has led to the assumption that Pakistan might be ready to give up its longstanding ties with radical Islam. But Pakistan?s status as an Islamic ideological state is closely linked with the Pakistani elite?s worldview and the praetorian ambitions of its military. This book analyzes the origins of the relationships between Islamist groups and Pakistan?s military, and explores the nation?s quest for identity and security. Tracing how the military has sought U.S. support by making itself useful for concerns of the moment–while continuing to strengthen the mosque-military alliance within Pakistan–Haqqani offers an alternative view of political developments since the country?s independence in 1947.
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Mr. Haqqani’s views about his mother country are very dubious. The only question I have for the author as he served in some very corrupt governments as their partner…What has he done for his home land? Nothing!!! This book in waste of time.
Rating: 1 / 5
Mr. Haqqani has dubious credentials as he has served in a number of very corrupt governments in Pakistan’s problematic history. Although I agree with some of his views overall he has vested interests that do not allow him to be a honest contributor to Pakisan tumultous history.
Rating: 2 / 5
I recommend reading this book; however, I am afraid, many Westerners who are far removed from religion in their daily lives and Indians who are anti-Pakistan may draw wrong/tainted conclusions against Pakistan.
1): Whatever Haqqani writes in his book, one must understand military and mullahs can not be separated because Pakistan is primarily a Muslim country and military is a subset of it.
2): Military, an aggressive institution by nature, will remain close to mullah parties (such as Jamat-e-Islami) because these parties are hawkish and anti-India.
3): Since the military brass knows that Pakistan must remain a forward looking country, the same military which seeks the help of mullah-parties does not want mullahs to rule the country. Thus the double game of sleeping with mullahs while supporting a secular minded government (Muslim League/PPP/MQM) which takes into account the geopolitical issues of Pakistan.
4): Military has/had run into extreme distrust with Benazeer for hanging his father, Altaf Hussain of MQM for first propping him against PPP and then cracking him, and Nawaz for getting too close to Vajpai. Until there is a trust between secular minded party leaders and the military, the military would continue to support mullahs for a long time.
5): One view is that military should keep Benazeer, Nawaz, and Altaf out of the country while making deals with their party leaders. Hope this works and a trust is developed between secular minded parties and military.
6): Acquiring nuclear deterrent against India and confidence building measures such the construction of the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline would help reduce military reliance on mullahs.
Rating: 4 / 5
After listening to the author speak on NPR, I purchased this book.
It is an eye opener and troublesome to know what really goes on in the mosques and their connection to terrorism.
This book is both troublesome and worrisome for the reader, but I can think of no better qualified source to write from the perspective of inside of this regime and government.
Cause for concern? Read it.
Rating: 5 / 5
Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military provides powerful and thoughtful insights specially for the Pakistani youth brought up during the heyday of “islamization”.
Haqqani commences with an intense vivisection of the “ideology of Pakistan”, arguably the most overused, misconstrued and manipulated version of Pakistan’s history. An academically inclined audience might consider the first chapter a rehash of views already presented by noted historians like Ayesha Jalal, but his contribution lies in cleansing the literature of its academic complexity and having the audacity to be clear and simple. For the majority of Pakistani youth meticulously reprogrammed in schools to believe that the “two-nation theory” traces its roots to the conquest of Mohammad bin Qasim; the book is nothing less than an “insolent heresy”. Haqqani struggles to place the popular war song, “Aay Rah-e-Haq kay shaheedon” in unfamiliar surroundings.
Though fueled by a captivating start; the book spirals into a monotonous chronology of events. Later chapters, lack the broader analysis and at times the reader would find himself painstakingly sifting through a poorly indexed “encylopedia”.
Overall, Husain Haqqani has done a very good job. Surely not for the well informed but highly recommended for students interested in knowing about Pakistan’s jugglery with religion.
Rating: 3 / 5