Book Reviews

Mary Anne Weaver, Pakistan – In the Shadow of Jihad and Afghanistan (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002). 284 pages. $24.

Reviewed by Scott B. MacDonald

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Without any doubt, Pakistan, sitting in strategically located South Asia, has become a pivotal nation. What happens in Pakistan will have an impact on India, Afghanistan and the Middle East. The ripples will extend outward into Europe and, of course, into Washington, D.C. Yet, Pakistan is a relatively poor nation, divided by ethnic, regional and religious differences, and has a long history of political upheaval. What elevates the South Asian country is its location next to Afghanistan, a former base to al-Qaeda and India, its long-term rival. Add in the importance of location is the fact that Pakistan is the only Muslim country to be a declared nuclear power. Consequently, there are pressing reasons to have a better understanding of this country. Mary Anne Weaver, a foreign correspondent for The New Yorker, provides an excellent tour de force in her Pakistan – In the Shadow of Jihad and Afghanistan.

Weaver’s book is well worth reading. The style is easy, though at times, meandering, as one door after another is opened to the reader through various interviews with Pakistanis of all levels – from prime ministers and generals to mullahs and workers. Weaver has a strong love for her subject matter. One ultimately walks away from Pakistan with an understanding of how this country was transformed by the decade-long war fought against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. In particular, the creation of militant Islamic groups fighting a jihad against the godless Soviet invaders had a massive impact on radicalizing Islam in Pakistan.

As Islamic groups became involved in Afghanistan, Pakistan was the ideal base – predominantly Muslim, extensive and porous borders, and a culture supportive of weapons. Indeed, Pakistan became an attractive recruiting area for radical Islam. Poverty is widespread, central authority is often weak or inept, and corruption is widespread. While Weaver is critical of the Pakistanis for allowing this situation to evolve, she is equally critical of the United States, with its poorly thought-out policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Weaver has done an admirable job in presenting Pakistan, a country that sports nuclear weapons and at the same time runs the risk of becoming a failed state. Although hopeful about the future, she is savvy enough to understand that Pakistan’s challenges remain substantial.