Zaid Hamid

Zaid Hamid presents a strategic affairs program on the News1 channel in Pakistan, by the name of "BrassTacks with Zaid Hamid". Professionally he is a security consultant, and runs his own security consulting company and think tank, BrassTacks, from which the title of his television program is derived. He is noted for his bold statements against the American, Indian & Israel governments working againsts Pakistan's interest. He is the first person appearing on the Pakistani media to claim that Baitullah Mehsud and his aides are actually funded by the CIA to destablize Pakistan. He is also critical of the present government of Pakistan, declaring it as the 'CIA-sponsored democracy.'

Early life

Zaid Hamid has obtained his Electronics Engineering degree from NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi. Early in his youth, when Mr. Zaid started his graduate degree, Afghanistan got challenged by the Soviet invasion – a landmark event that started Mr. Zaid’s career as a soldier and a mujahid (volunteer Islamic fighter). Staking his life and career, he signed up as a volunteer in the Afghan war (or Afghan Jihad), and actively participated in the Jihad right up to the liberation of Kabul. Over all, Mr. Zaid has spent more than six years of active participation in the Jihad. Being a black belt second dan of Shotokan martial art, coupled with his in-depth familiarity with modern weapons, (which he inherited from his father, a distinguished veteran of the India-Pakistan 1965 war), Mr. Zaid quickly became a notable contributor in the Afghan Jihad.

Career

After the war, Hamid worked as a security consultant and became area head of the Security Alarms Systems Division of a security company. He launched his own consultancy in the late 1990s, called BrassTacks Security.

Currently he is doing a TV Program on News 1 channel called Brass Tacks. The Program has completed series regarding,

The Grand Strategic Objectives of American Foreign Policy, Neo-Con Ideology, Concepts of Zionism, Concept of Greater Israel, Re-drawing of Middle-East Map and Threats to Pakistan;

The strategy by Hindu Zionists to deploy sinister Chankya ideology , the war of 1965 and the India convert plan to support insurgency in east Pakistan leading to the high intensity war and dismemberment of the country in 1971;

War on Terror, Pre and Post 9/11, scenario, role of Pakistan and threats to Pakistan's security; Pakistan's Afghan Policy. The historic opportunities and mistakes in managing the Afghan affairs. Ever-growing terrorism in the region. Steps for damage control;

Concepts of Political Islam and development of global Jihad. Legitimate resistance to occupation or Terrorism? History of Religious and Sectarian Violence in Pakistan;

Economic Terrorism; How the World Economy is hijacked and being controlled by Jew Zionists; the truth about the western banking system & fake paper currency; the power of Gold and Silver as real wealth & along with steps needed to involve radical change in world economy

After Economic Terrorism on Brass Tacks, Mr Zaid Hamid conducted a different Program Yeh Ghazi, On the same Channel. This program was aired everyday in Ramadan 2008. This program was a narrative history of eminent Muslim figures from the time of The Prophet S.A.W to recent past. Paying tribute to their roles in shaping the geography of the Muslim Empire, shining light upon their own personal character, and how their endeavors should be used as guidelines to help understand the strategic game plan unfolding in modern times. This time line of Muslim history also gave an over view to the dynamic shift of power between great civilizations. By explaining how one civilization and ideology rises as the other falls, and how the cycle continues, Mr Zaid Hamid has concluded the "Yeh Ghazi" Series of Ramadan 2008.Brasstacks is also a security firm being run by Sir Zaid Hamid in Islamabad.

Zaid Hamid frequently writes articles for ahmedquraishi.com

Criticism

Zaid Hamid is seen by many as a voice of extremism, who preaches Islamic superiority over other religions and has even used derogatory terms such as" "Paleed'(untouchables) for the Hindu people. Through his carefully arranged talk shows which are essentially monologues and where he is referred to as a "defence and strategic expert" probably on the back of his extensive experience as a private security firm owner, he presents an overly romanticized view of various Historic and Political events that portray forces of "Islamic Ummah" as divinely guided and unequivocally righteous and their opponents as the scourge of the earth. He preaches a militarist and expansionist route to Islamic renaissance which would lead to a supposedly well functioning Muslim empire/caliphate from Egypt to Central Asia, a apparently distorted view of Allama Iqbal's vision of spiritual alignment of Muslims around the world.

Even though most Pakistani's agree with the threats faced by the nation from the Indian and Israeli establishments (not the people) and the lack of responsibility shown by USA as an ally over the past 3 decades, his views that Pakistan's need to prepare for Jihad for the final showdown with these forces seems passionately naive. His assumption that Pakistan's Atomic bomb enables the nation to have a final answer to all forces acting against the interests of Muslims around the world seem to gravely underestimate Pakistan’s precarious socio-economic and political problems and most importantly its defence capability vis a vis the combined might of India, Israel and USA.

Official Website

Please refer to http://www.brasstacks.pk/zaidhamidprofile.aspx - the official page for Mr Zaid Hamid's introduction on his company's official website.