When it comes to politics, I like how Zaid Hamid gets defensive of Pakistan, since there is a current "blame Pakistan" hysteria created by NATO loosing in Afghanistan. This hysteria is deliberately enhanced by the Pakistan-obsessed Indian media.
In that sense Mr Hamid can serve as a shield against Indian political propaganda which is quite popular amongst many self-hating prone Pakistanis especially these Bollywood loving ones.
Mr Zaid Hamid's tactics should also be admired. Just by appearing on talk shows, writing to the press and starting his website, he has managed to gain a large number of followers in Pakistan and amongst Pakistanis living abroad.
This large following has brought him more public attention and credit when it comes to politics.
But with all that mentioned, I have an overall negative view of him. As I wrote, I admire him for trying to deflect false propaganda against Pakistan, but his best defense has been a countless number of conspiracy theories, which I really dislike.
What's more is that so many of these theories have no proof or any evidence supporting them.
As an example, he has claimed the killings of Baloch nationalist leaders as a CIA job to destabilize Pakistan. His claims have been that the Pakistan army has nothing to gain by doing something that would go against public sentiment.
Many counter claims can be used against that. The American government needs Pakistan to stay stable, by doing something that would threaten this stability, it would be difficult in getting Pakistan's support to defeat Al-Queda and the Taliban.
Another theory of his which I find despicable is that the 1971 rebellion in Bangladesh against Urdu or Undri domination was entirely an Indian conspiracy to disunite Pakistan. His claim is that Urdu was going to "unite" Muslims of the Subcontinent and that the Indians didn't like that.
There is nothing wrong with having a federal language that can act as a tool for common communication, but asking the Bengalis or anyone to adopt a new language in place of their own is wrong and ethically immoral. No culture or linguistic group will give up such a thing and here Mr Hamid actually tries to justify what happened in Bengal.
The Bangladeshis might have accepted Urdu as a dual language to go with their native Bengali, but to force them to give up their first language resulted in the language movement of Bangladesh.
Zaid Hamid's Pan-Islamist ideologies are also unhealthy for Pakistani youth. Pan-Islamism has always taught Pakistanis to get involved in the problems of other Muslim countries in the Middle East and ignore Pakistan's own problems which are far greater.
Many Middle Eastern people look down upon Pakistanis and consider them "second class Muslims."
Zaid Hamid parades the Israeli and Pakistani air forces almost coming to war, when no Arab air force has come to fight at Pakistan's side or even openly condemned India's genocide in Kashmir.
When it comes to history, Zaid Hamid is your typical Pakistani Pan-Islamist with the same slogan "we 'Muslims' ruled over Indians for a thousand years and brought them civilization".
I have already discussed in this post that the Muslims who ruled over South Asia were not the ancestors of most present day Pakistanis.
But the typical Pan-Islamist Pakistani cannot seem to comprehend this. Instead of identifying with their true ancestors, Pan-Islamist Pakistanis see themselves as "descendants" of those who colonized their forefathers.
Having a person like Mr Hamid using his popularity to spread ignorance in a third world gullible society like Pakistan is a bad influence from my point of view.
I even come across "patriotic" Pakistanis who quote him to win arguments as if his word is the absolute truth.
It reminds me of my childhood days in Pakistan where children at school would quote the Quran to win arguments as if it's something unquestionable.
The same pattern of making Zaid Hamid into an unquestionable icon is dangerous.
No leader no matter how loved must be questioned in every teaching or order he/she gives.
Even as I a Pakistani nationalist am critical of Jinnah whom I see as my icon and hero.
Though Mr Jinnah was a great man in my eyes, he was not perfect and made many mistakes that cannot and should not be forgotten.
Mr Zaid Hamid deserves the same criticism and in my overall view he is a bad influence on Pakistanis. The worst part about people like Gandhi or Zaid Hamid that their good qualities completely cloud up their negative side like a curtain.
This is something that only leads people in the wrong direction.
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