Facts are Facts: [Abstract Analysis] Ghazwat-e-Hind and Zaid Hamid’s Intellect!

The very form and format of this series, Abstract Analysis, does not permit me to write a full fledge critical article against anybody, but the last programme I saw on a Pakistani Satellite Television Channel has ignited the flare of critique in me to tackle this middle aged, silver bearded, red capped self proclaimed Defence Analyst.

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By Naeem Shamim | March 5th, 2010

If you are a Pakistani young man and are frustrated by the current socio-political scenario in the country and if you are not fully aligned with any of the religious or political parties; and if even Imran Khan has also not fascinated you as an alternate forward looking leader; and if you think that Pervez Musharraf was an agent of the Zionists; and if you are, like most young men , an opponent of the sitting government and the current Head of State; and if you think that India as a country must either be disintegrated or must be eliminated from the face of the planet; and if you love to believe that Jinnah was a practicing Muslim like Molana Maududi and was as eager to introduce the Shariah and Caliphate as Dr. Israar Ahmed ; and if you like to see Iqbal something more-than-a-philosophical-poet ; and if names like Ghauri, Ghaznavi and Qasim put your patriotism on a pedestal and elevate your morale and urge, to conquer the world, to the seventh sky; and if you have heard phrases like Economic Terrorism, Radio Pakistan – Delhi,Takmeel-e-Pakistan and United States of Islam then it is least likely that you could not figure out correctly that I am mentioning none other than Mr. Zaid Hamid.

The very form and format of this series, Abstract Analysis, does not permit me to write a full fledge critical article against anybody, but the last programme I saw on a Pakistani Satellite Television Channel has ignited the flare of critique in me to tackle this middle aged, silver bearded, red capped self proclaimed Defence Analyst.


I have been following his show ‘Brass Tacks’ for more than a year now and have examined his views about Islamic ideology and Pakistani Nationalism. He has also been floating conspiracy theories and linking Illuminati and the so-called New World Order to almost all known problems in Pakistan; Social and political, religious and cultural . He in this hour long show plays PowerPoint-styled presentations showing scanned images of the one dollar bill and of Marlboro Red cigarettes and concludes that the Jews have everything to do with the conflict in Balochistan and Waziristan. This programme is very popular among the well-educated-burger-generation of Pakistan. The host is also a fine-looking female who just speaks to commence the programme then to take breaks and finally to announces the end; the rest of the time it is either Zaid Hamid and Zionism or Zionism and Zaid Hamid!

Mr. Zaid Hamid has also ventured outside the domain of defense and political analysis. Lately he has attempted to interpret and expound a long Persian poem written by a Muslim saint of the medievals, Nematulla Shah Wali. During the course of this TV show Mr. Hamid demonstrated his lack of knowledge of the Persian language and his tangled taste of literature. He was not even able to read the poem correctly.

Ghazwa-e-Hind is the latest one in this row. His supporters most of whom are apparently patriot, loyal and devoted young men but actually are so unaware and unacquainted that they have started campaigning for this cause by sending chain emails and starting facebook groups without even understanding the basic concept of this terminology.

Without going into the critical details, I would like to keep the discussion literally literal. What I mean is that we need to know what a ‘ Ghazwa’ means in the first place. The word ‘Ghazwa’ is usually is used to refer the battles that were fought during the blessed time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(pbuh), and his very participation in those combats actually made them ‘Ghazwaat’ (plural of Ghazwa). Here I would like to clarify that in Urdu Islamic literature this is the only meaning of the word ‘Ghazwa ‘. Therefore the battles of Badar, Uhad and Hunain were all referred to as Ghazwaat by prominent Muslim scholars and commentators. The battle of Panipat or the Muslim adventures over Andalusia or for that matter the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 cannot be called as Ghazwas.

I know that this will not be liked by most of my friends, but I also know that someone has to somehow come up against perpetrators like these. The appetite for emotional reasoning is at its heights in Pakistan and people like Zaid Hamid are like parasites who feed on this urge of the new generation by their charisma and hysterical mode of pursuit. May his soul rest in peace!!



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