The dictator

President Musharraf growled again. As mad as he gets. This is a typical sign of a dictator who, even when sincerely wants to do something good for his country, ends up thudding his nose on the floor. The president, in one of his profound whimsical fits, ordered all foreign madrassa students to leave the country. There is a plenty of examples that when you try to enforce something with an iron hand, you effectively fail in your objective by giving enough stimulus to the weaker to become strong. Such an important ordinance was passed without any public debate or any discussion about its pros and cons, something, as a matter of fact, not quite unnatural in a tyranny. These militant ways to straighten out the society will only breed hatred, bitterness and more extremism. The best way to fight religious fanaticism, I think, is to make way for scientific education, encouragement to learn physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, agriculture etc. and make it accessible to all. Natural and human sciences should be worshipped as religion. However, such accomplishments call for sustained efforts, willingness of the government and undefeatable patience. There is no short cut to that end. Any militant policy to achieve that quickly will create more problems than it solves .