We,the Other Pakistan

NOTE: (I do realize the worth and  universality of this post,in that it speaks to human rationality and emotions regardless of geography. Please keep in mind, that although directed towards the Pakistanis, this piece may as well be for someone sitting in China, Chile or Alaska. So feel free to think of your own country/locality ‘s name whenever the name of Pakistan comes up)

This is dedicated to ‘us’, the ordinary people of Pakistan, the other Pakistan that no one wants to talk about but exists nevertheless, swept under the carpet, waiting for their time to come. We are not movie stars, political icons or revolutionary leaders. But we all have the potential to be revolutionaries unto ourselves.

 

We have our own stories of inspiration and fear, failure and achievement, of struggle in the face of all odds, of hopeless and hopefulness to share.

 

We are victims of child sexual abuse who suffer in silence, trying to save family name(s). We are rape victims who are let down by families believing their dignity and respect lies between our legs and not our individual contributions.

 

We are the religious and non-religious minorities of Pakistan. Thousands and thousands (estimated at 20,000 by some) of Shia killed in an unfair battle for survival that they never opted for in the first place; their fathers handpicked off the buses and killed mercilessly, their mother widowed.

 

We are Hindus whose daughters have been forcefully converted or raped as an even easier target,them being women in the midst of an already marginalized and stigmatized religious group. We, the Hindus, who have yet to be recognized as lawfully wedded couples as per Pakistani law.

 

We are Christians and Ahmadis, suffering the brunt of blasphemy laws, our crime being nothing but of being non-Muslims, or refusing to declare ourselves so.

 

We are Christians whose churches are under attack and Jews who live under false names, with no synagogue to go to. We are Ahmadis who cannot declare themselves Muslims as per 2nd Amendment and Ordinance XX. We suffer the systematic violence and stigma by both, the state and the society.

 

We are Women, who have been suffering domestic violence, acid attacks and honour killings with the only thing we possess of our own, our bodies, being exploited on the daily basis, in one way or another, by our very own husbands and fathers, sons and brothers.

 

We struggle to educate ourselves every day, and that is if we are allowed outside the four walls in the first place.

 

This is about the Balochi women who got buried alive for choosing marry someone out of their own choice. About mothers who got paraded half naked for perceived crimes committed by their sons. Who suffer the repercussions of Hudood Ordinance. About all the unsung heroines of Pakistan’s history and daily life.

This is for thousands of disappeared people that we have grown tired and used to talking about but who we fear might betaken for granted if no one spoke up. Be they Balochis picked up from their homes and their dead bodies thrown on the outskirts of the cities or the Pakhtun nationalists misrepresented in media and public discourse with next no voice of their own or those in the tribal belt held under the anti-terrorism laws and without any trial, making a mockery out of the  ‘innocent until proven guilty’ common and legal sense.

 

This is dedicated to Queer/LGBT/Khwajasara (Intersex) people of Pakistan who have yet to be recognized as human beings deserving love, respect and empathy. Who suffer in silence believing their urge to find love in life a crime, and their sexual desires sinful, as if  consensual love between two men (or women) was responsible for the turmoil our nation has found itself in and not the ineptness of indifferent political elite, the unleashed military High Command or the terrorists and militant outfits yet to be dealt with.

 

To the parents, children and friends of Pakistani Queer/LGBT/Intersex people: Stop being ashamed and embarrassed of your sons and daughters, parents and friends and/or their gender non-conformity for it was not their call to make in the first place.

 

They never chose to become gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, for it that were the case how easy it would be for them to wake up on morning and say ‘from hereon, I am anything but queer’  and lead a heterosexual life.

In fact they have tried. We have innumerable stories of homosexual men who married your heterosexual daughters, only to make their own lives, and those of their wives, miserable. Your Lesbian daughters married heterosexual men thereby stuck in a tragic, yet ironic, situation, of getting raped by consent(?).

If only our Pakistani parents realize how much an embrace of a mother and support from a father would mean to a Queer child. If only our society saw the loving relation between two adult members of same sex and the beautiful bond that exists beyond physical realm.

 

If only a Queer child sitting in some rural,or even urban, area of Pakistan ,could one day understand that he is as ‘normal’ as anyone out there and that it is but a false perception, false consciousness if you will, created by aggressively heterosexual and heteronormative to think otherwise geared towards control and domination.

 This is dedicated to Queers who happen less queer than aggressively heterocentric society excluding them, for what is more queer, more strange, than irrational hatred or fear of another even if based on sexual orientation,religion, gender,religion et al? What is more unnatural than homophobia and what defines it in essence: lack of human reasoning coupled with irrational hatred.

So here is to the hoping that we finally do wake up and move beyond mere rhetoric for change and struggle for a real,and needed, change, lest our children and future generations look back at us hang their heads in shame, questioning us as to why we stood by while their raped, killed and pillaged one by one?

And that we learn to celebrate the  individual acts of courage rather than decrying them in the name of traitory, and that we learn to appreciate the individuality and its contribution to the society as a whole,for we underestimate the individual acts of courage in helping gain the momentum for a collective change when the time has come.That we look beyond their religion, or lack thereof, gender or sexual orientation, ethnicity, or language. That we learn to accept. Accept what is real about Pakistan. Not the ‘Arabization’ or the pretence of being a fortress of Islam, but the ‘other’ Pakistan, that needs to be accepted, talked about,empathized with,and even celebrated!

Thank You

A Short Note On Protest,Solidarity and Our Futile Drawingroom Rants

Respect All,

Consider this as brief a personal ‘blogpost’  as possible, in contrast to my usual way and style of writing. I write this to you,after seeing so many likes on my recent Facebook profile picture demanding action against terrorist outfits perpetrating crimes against Shia and Hazara community. That got me thinking , if you appreciate my action to stand up against militant outfits, why would you be everso reluctant to stand shoulder to shoulder with me in demanding something that appeals to your sense of justice? I know that it sounds inane, and useless,and perhaps even funny and unconcerning,to many of  you when I ask you to accompany me to protests and solidarity events. This would not be the first time. You try to tell me how you empathize with my vigour but that it would bring no big change. Big changes were never brought about in a generation, or a decade or two, leave a night.

You cry out ‘what good will it do?’. Even if nothing, it will send out SOME form of resistance. SOME resistance, I believe, should always be there to keep whatever check there could be, on the status quo. Then you probably would not be having ‘geniuses’ like Tahir Ul Qadri come in and play on populist feelings. You would not be having such merciless killings of Shia and Ahmadiyya.  And this is just a start,and by no means an end.When they were killing Ahmadis in Pakistan, Shia didnt join in and protest against such brutality. Today they suffer for all to see.Today they ask us to shirk aside Ahmadis and Shias as non-Muslim.Tomorrow they will ask us to label anyone a ‘kafir’ who does not sport a beard.And do not be mistaken into thinking that it is far fetched and would not happen. Read between the lines. Its always small successes and achievements for radicals which give them platform for a greater change, whether for good or bad. Those of us living in posh areas and believing it is not going to affect us are mistaken. Please join in next time and register your voice against brutality,whether by state or non-state actors. You might be bringing about revolution, a word you have grown so fond of, but you would certainly be on the right side of history.And when it goes wrong, you could always point out you stood on the right side of the line.We are ALL revolutionaries unto ourselves. We all have a purpose greater than eat,sleep and shit routine. After all,there ought to be a difference between a human and a pig,no?

Either you stop complaining about what goes around, or you better stand up and use your vote,speech et al, to stand up against injustice. Drawingroom rants can only help us so far. Do not pin your hopes solely on elite politicians who may or may not pay heed to you. There have been  many Imran Khan(s) and Tahir ul Qadri(s). Even if they started right and honest, the circumstances brought them down on their knees to compromise the very position they were brought to power for.

You don’t have to be in every protest and solidarity event, but please spare me the exucses like’its too hot and I am fasting, so I would not be able to come’ (and yes,someone did give me that excuse once,much to my shock). Change, if only it could come without us pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones! The power,and the genuine democracy lies in your  hands. Vote is just one way to push forward change. Don’t just settle for that and be complascent. You talk about changing Pakistan while you refuse you move your lazy bodies beyond your Facebook statuses and tweets.Social media activism is just one of the many ways. Try to use your democratic powers as far as you can,and in as many a multitude ways as possible. Before demanding a better Pakistan, act like a better citizen (and a better human being) of Pakistan.

Your Fellow Concerned Citizen

Usmann Rana

 

 

Here Comes The Holy Month

Here comes the Islamic month of Ramadan. When Pakistan becomes all the more of a  playground for the moral righteousness and religiosity which is but a farce, the people either deluded or forcing themselves to believe it to be otherwise. These are the days of make-believe merriment when those who do not fast are looked down upon. When all the entertainment talk show hosts you saw drinking behind the scenes, cover up their heads with  chaddors and stoles and end up preaching orthodoxy, the same brand of wine which itches the genitalia of womankind in this society of patriarchs. As of  right now, twitter’s second highest trend is #MuhammadPBUHSaid but no trend makes it to the top when Bahalwapur blasphemy incident occurs.

The problem of course is not with their religiosity, or the lack of, but the blatant hypocrisy looking Pakistanis in the eyes and them not realizing it. It might well be the case all over the Muslim world (on August 2, yesterday,the Palestinian Authority arrested six men across the West Bank this week for publicly breaking the fast of Ramadan and desecrating the “desecrating the holiness of the month of Ramadan”, possibly earning them a month law prison sentence under the law). Nevertheless you would be considered a silly for expecting anything less in Pakistan, a country whose generation is brought up on the notions which forms the  premises of Ehteram-E-Ramazan Ordinance which prohibits smoking,eating,and drinking in public place during the holy month. Also cinemas and theaters are to be closed til the expiration of three hours after sunset. Not following the rules can result in three months in prison and a possible fine. The logic used is the same one we have inculcated in our psyches: temptation. Because she dressed ‘immodestly’ and tempted my manhood I,not being in control of my senses raped her. Because he was drinking in front of me, temptation got the best of me. And so why should it not be applied by those guilty of unlawful activities on smaller scale : Because you are eating in front of me, and I am on a fast, by my own accord, you are tempting me to break it. Therefore I will ban your eating, drinking, even smoking.

But then why fast in the first place? Yes, because the fear of entering the hell or seeking the wrath  or displeasure of your deity got into you. But many others did not fast today. Maybe you shall wish you spare them the agony of hunger pangs and thirst? Pakistan may be having a great majority of Muslims but it also constitutes of religious and non-religious minorities along with those Muslims who might not fast. They are left hanging because they did not go out burning and damaging stuff demanding sanity, like Muslim hooligans would,were the Ehteram-E-Ramzan Ordinance to be even amended tomorrow, leave alone struck off.

The Ordinance is the gift from Pakistan’s own version of General Francisco Franco, General Zia-Ul-Haq who was both deluded in his religiously motivated moral righteousness and conniving enough to use it as a populist element. To date sane Pakistanis cuss the General. Men and women are suffering either directly or indirectly from his rule and ideas. Nevertheless like  other laws and Ordinances Ehteram-E-Ramzan Ordinance stays intact, thus preserving the fundamentals of his fundamentalism. The repercussions follow. Those who not fast are dragged into almost a state of one.It seems almost every year there are reports of arrests being made for eating in public and of restaurants being closed down for serving during the time of the fast. Not to those who are fasting. But who are not. Why should they suffer as well? This year two were arrested. A further two were not only arrested but beaten up by the policemen for arguing in their defense, that they were eating in a place where no one could see them and that it is not their business. How dare they?!  It is there business as per the crooked laws of this country. How dare they try to snatch away this golden opportunity for earning some divine blessings right out of their hands?

That is,then, correct. Impose the righteousness on others so you could earn a nod from your deity. Such a selfish deed it is, yet in the name of guarding the other members of the society, and their temptations and sensibilities.

If they are not fasting, then we shall not let them eat or drink in public even if they are darn hungry!

But does that not  defy the very purpose of the ritual in the first place?

A bus nearly full of working class men heading to another city for an important protest, with some of them not fasting. And how I was amazed  at the fact that not only plates of rice were being handed out to those not fasting, but how fine those on fast seemed to be with it. The man sitting beside me did not raise his eye brow. I am sure he must have been feeling hungry as well. But he refrained from both, breaking the fast and lecturing me to guilt about the sanctity of the holy month. That is how Ramadan should be celebrated, especially if,as the conventional explanation goes, the purpose is to make Muslims evermore patient and  determined in their character.

That is the patience and steadfastness Muslims need to inculcate, speculating on their inner being, than going out and about moral policing. Muslims need to learn that it is not their business whether others are fasting or not.And that there is nothing selfless about it but quite a selfish and superficial mindset they need to get rid of. So spare the act and hope your fast is enough to make you a better Muslim rather than superficiality and moral policing. Perhaps then we would not have incidents like Indonesian bar attack where one fifty young people -some as young as thirteen entered De Most bar to create havoc and bring down the house. Perhaps then we would learn to be both better Muslims and better human beings.

And Thou Shall Debate Only On What Is Given To Thee!

                                         

   ”Men are never so likely to settle a question rightly as when they discuss it freely.”

                                                                                                          Thomas Babington, Lord Macaulay

On 10^th July an ‘investigative journalist’ from The News, reported that a certain ‘elite’ school in the federal capital, Islamabad, was all set to debate gay rights under the title of Munich Debates. Who was this journalist, we do not know but a certain Mr. Ahmad Noorani takes credit for the story, tweeting his lament on a long story cut to a few lines and published without his name, which only casts doubt on his real reason behind pursuing the story: Did he write the story for the greater good of the people (an investigative journalist ‘outing’ –pun intended –the story on what he deems is an immoral topic to be discussed in the Islamic Republic Of Pakistan, a sight seen on almost every other Pakistani media forum) or  because he could not find another interesting and/or controversial issue to raise to make some name (since he seems to be rather sorry about it not being mentioned) and so giving in to the sudden surge of media interest in LGBT after US Embassy Pride event, decided to wash his hands in the flowing Ganges?

Given The News’ past history it would not be wrong to stick to the latter option.* Therefore not only the content of the ‘investigative’ report but the fact that it is reported by The News raises certain questions including intentions and real agenda behind it. Furthermore why highlight the fact that the owner of the school chain was a high official of a newly ‘rapidly emerging’ party (now it would not take a genius to decipher the name “Pakistan Tehreek I Insaaf”.) Was the main purpose of the reporting piece to report, moral police the school grounds or malign the name of the owner of the school and thereby target the party? Would it have been reported the same way if the school belonged to any other party official?

However this piece is not as much about homosexuals as the right to freely discuss such sensitive issues as abortion, homosexuality, sex reassignment surgery, prostitution, drugs, euthanasia et al. The Munich Debates were going to be a MUN (Model United Nations) event. It would do well for all the Ahmad Noorani(s) to do their homework before they go around creating a fiasco by pandering to populist emotions all in the name of investigative journalism, for in a MUN participants are not to voice their own opinions but those held by the countries they have been assigned.

I was a part of World Health Organization committee in LUMUN 2012 (MUN event held by LUMS in Lahore) and was assigned the country Netherlands. Were there to be a discussion on drugs and health issues in my committee, I would have had to take the same position as my country, the Netherlands, and advocate the legalization of what are categorized as ‘soft drugs’ under the condition of so called ‘personal use’, no matter how much I may or may not be opposed to the whole idea of legalizing drugs.

But more importantly, why cannot we discuss issues of such pertinence? Why the moral policing on the part of The News and others? Are these not the issues prevalent in our society, however marginalized they may be. Such is the problem with Pakistani populace that we suffer from Pigeon’s Syndrome. The problems do not exist if we were to close our eyes and shy away from them.

According to some there is nothing wrong with discussing such issues as LGBT Rights but the fact that our young are being exposed to such ideas. All the more better, I dare say! Our youth, if it were to bring about any real change in future, beyond vapid rhetoric, better be trained in exercising their reasoning faculties to the fullest.

But any debate on sex or human sexuality or religion is deemed a taboo, invasion of our culture, and at times blasphemous, all these words being in need of clear definitions themselves. Such morbid mindset is responsible for the gruesome and horrid state of intellectual stagnation, and affairs, not only in Pakistan, but the Muslim world as a whole. If breaking taboos is to open new vistas for our future, so be it. If our culture is to be invaded by the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights of which we are signatory, and in defiance of, it is still better than being invaded by the foreign Wahabbi culture Arabizing our land of tolerance and diversity leading to a homogenous culture of silence and taboos.

It is worth pointing out that Pakistani parliamentary and MUN debaters, when representing us internationally, can be bound to debate such issues. The motion for the sixth round of this year’s World School Debates was ‘This House Believes That the feminist movement should seek a ban on pornography”; for quarter finals teams debated the motion ‘This House believes that the gay right movement should “out” gay public figures’. Were team Pakistan to make it to the quarters what was it supposed to do? Turn back, pack their bags and leave a good old ‘We are Muslims and too good for this unethical, amoral debate’ note, signed underneath as Team Islamic Brigade?

There is no excuse for the irresponsible and unprofessional behavior shown by The News and its correspondent(s) under the guise of investigative journalism. There was nothing investigative about it. Only that it had elements of pandering to the homophobic sentiments with a subtext of moral righteousness as to what ought and ought not to be debated and discussed.

Umar Cheema, another one of The News ilk, tweeted about it being City School. Either Mr Cheema was utterly stupid to not think twice about the safety of a school campus, if the news were to become even bigger than it already is or he was utterly insensitive and callous regarding that thought which makes him another one of many unethical journalists Pakistan is fortunate enough to possess. (One has to ask, are Mr Cheema and Mr Noorani a representative sample of the quality of The News staff? If not then why have not the words of the report been ameliorated? )

But as he always does, Pakistani talk show host Hamid Mir managed to emerge as a giant amongst his company of guardians of the Gate of Islam and Pakistani constitution (and homophobes). In his show Capital Talk, which aired on 12^th July, and which had nothing to do with either the LGBT issues or the Munich Debates, Mir spins the issue out of thin air and makes it a bone of contention that such debates on Gays and Lesbians are taking place right under the nose of Federal government and how they are unlawful, to which in reply Ansar Abbasi not only accused the private school institutions of taking money from US Embassy but also suggested a solution that only a true Pakistani man of the Right can come up with: shut down such schools. This is the level of intellect of those advocating against any decent and eye opening debate on socio-culturally sensitive and/or controversial issues. One is then bound to ask, have all these Ahmad Noorani(s), Umar Cheem(a), Ansar Abbasi(s) and Hamid Mir(s) ever sat in a decent debate on controversial and dividing issues such as LGBT Rights, let alone engaged in one?

There is absolutely no excuse for curbing intellectual development of our people, especially the young, if we are to progress beyond the mere rhetoric of change. It is not the first time self-appointed guardians of morality have tried to do it, and it is certainly not the last. If anything it is becoming more and more of a harsher reality and so let us be afraid were these hooligans of moral self righteousness to go on without any opposition, our future generations may never forgive us for precisely that crime: silence

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

* Sometime back the English daily had the audacity to publish a rather blatant and homophobic piece a certain Dr Abrar Umar blaming homosexuals for the epidemic of HIV/AIDS. That a doctor was such a moron is incredulous. But that reputed English daily served as a platform for his homophobic rants, neither backed by science nor reason, was outrageous. Of course the news took down the story after a rather upfront, challenging and well thought out article by Rabayl Manzoor Memon appeared on Express Tribune blog taking the The News and Dr Umar to task.

Our Inane Leader (Thoughts on Imran Khan’s NDTV Interview)

 

(Simultaneously published at Pak Tea House)

 

One of the rallying points in favor of the rise of Pakistani politician Imran Khan, apart from the utter disillusionment of the masses and corruption of both the major and leading parties, has been his charismatic personality. But Khan’s recent interview to NDTV’s Barkha Dutt, seemed to have lost that element and for once laid bare the stark contradictions between his own statements showing his inanity.

Imran Khan: Hope for Some, Good-For-Nothing Rhetoric for Others

For example, Khan believes, to quote him, ‘the age of martial law is over… Whatever happens I don’t see military takeover.’ Yes, Mr Khan it is. But the ‘military Raj’ has not ended, it has found new ways to penetrate back into the Pakistani society. To believe that military makes its presence felt only through martial laws and coups is naïve. Furthermore according to Khan the parliament may be sovereign but the ‘constitution is supreme’. No doubt that constitution must be upheld at all times and given utmost respect. But if the constitution is supreme and not the parliament, what about the fact that the parliament can amend the constitution? Would that not be against the supremacy of constitution? If not, then would that not make parliament supreme and not constitution?

Khan has a problem with stereotyping but would not hesitate to label Pakistani liberals across the board as drone loving ‘fascists’, or ‘scum of Pakistan’ against the interests of Pakistan. One is but bound to wonder the expression Shirin Mazari and Yasir Lateef Hamdani must be wearing while the great Kaptaan uttered the words. Ironically he uses the typical image of a liberal woman in Pakistan, wearing jeans, to show how his jalsas had garnered the presence of Pakistani people across the board from all sections of society.

The inspirational philanthropist and cricket legend deems the corruption of PPP and PLMN so despicable, and perhaps rightly so, that he would not join hands with them. Not until they declare their assets. According to him once they honestly do so, they would lose out in the game even before he accepts or rejects partnership with them since they are corrupt and an impartial Election Commission of Pakistan would preclude them from running.

However Khan seems to have made corruption the only criteria, or so it seems. That may not be wrong. But one is to ask some questions on that account. He may have problem shaking hands with PPP and PMLN but is alright having representative from his party, Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf, attend Defaye Pakistan Rally holding hands with the religious zealots such as notorious Hafiz Sayeed, whose inflammatory speeches the talk show host Barkha Dutt raised issue about. Khan failed to answer adequately why he would send PTI representatives to Saeed, save the explanation that one needs to reconcile the polarized sections of society than to marginalize themg. But not marginalizing the voices of the likes of Hafeez Saeed would in turn mean silencing the voice of progressive Pakistanis, and sanity. Is that really the price Mr Khan is ready to pay in hope that Hafeez Saeed and company might have a change of heart given their status quo depending on blind Islamic nationalism? How mature of Khan to believe that people like Saeed once brought to table may leave aside their fundamentalist demand for further rigid application of Shari’ah laws. It is true that the strategy would most probably work for the low levels of such fundamentalist movements, where the support and muscles are derived from the poverty stricken sections of society but let us not forget the strategy would most probably fail for the higher cadre of these movements where more than poverty it is power status quo and rigidly jihadi mindset at work. How can you reconcile them, without compromising on fundamental principles of democratic and open societies in 21st century, is my question.

One may deem it easier to imagine that if given a chance to reconcile and leave their old ways, PPP and PMLN, including notorious Zardari may turn all saints and leave corruption. On what grounds is it exactly that a misogynistic, anti-religious minority party with no sense of what the demands of a 21st century open and democratic Muslim society are, is to be given leverage over corrupt albeit progressive and secular parties. The point is not to defend any party in particular but to raise a serious question regarding the future prospective partnerships between PTI and others. While Khan is not ready to work in alliance with liberal ‘fascists’ (read: drone loving liberals), he is fine having talks and attending rallies with Islamist fascists.

For many perhaps such questions may sound moronic. Are not PPP or PMLN guilty of such crimes, leave alone almost all the so called secular parties in Pakistan? Correct. But not in the way Khan and company does it. If it was a political alliance only, we could have justified it in the name of real politik. But the darling takes it a step further and repletes his speeches, interviews and even on stage actions with ‘I Used To Be A Playboy But Now Am A Humble Sinner’ statements, while openly promising us a religious freedoms and rights in an ‘Islamic welfare state’. We know how well that promise works, in an Islamized society. Also, not only freedoms and rights Mr Khan but religious equality should be the goal of any man seeking to change the ‘status quo’ to quote you favorite word.

But how would Khan be able to change status quo when he is not ready to take on the Military/Mullah axis in Pakistan? Do the problems of Pakistan begin and end with PPP and PMLN? Surely corruption by political parties is a serious crime but one ought to ask are these parties and their corruption the disease themselves or mere symptoms of a much more serious issue lying underneath? If Khan wish to change status quo in Pakistan he would have to be a bit more courageous and call spade a spade. It comes with a price of course. But wait! Was he not the one promising us unprecedented change and the one Pakistani society deems to be an honest and upright man of principles? After all according to Khan “Religion liberates you from fear; fear of being killed.”

During the interview Khan somewhat admitted he thinks it dangerous to discuss the whole blasphemy law controversy. His solution to the problem? Reconcile the polarized society by eradicating poverty (and of course drone attacks). But is it that simple? To deal with the controversy of the misuse of blasphemy laws we would always need an unpopular iron fist move. Is Khan ready to speak up for real change? Nobody wants to end up dead but nobody should be allowed to give such reductionist explanations, making him seem like a simpleton and misleading people.

Khan speaks of revolution but why is it that there is little attention paid by him to the issue of Balochistan and how military is using its might? Why is it that he is silent on the persecution of religious minorities, especially Ahmadiyyah and Hindu community? Similarly if Khan believes, as he stated elsewhere, that ‘any law that discriminates between human beings is unjust’ and if one is to believe ,as he puts it, ‘Tehreek-I-Insaaf stands for justice’ why is it that Khan has not talked about the unjust religious laws against religious minorities in Pakistan, in the face of their ever more increasing persecution day in and day out, save the same old mantra by almost all of the political class in Pakistan stating under their rule religious minorities would enjoy liberties and freedoms? But by playing his Islamic cards he is doing exactly the opposite. His explanation that Allah is Rabb-Ul-Aalaameen (Lord of the Worlds) and not Rabba-Ul-Muslimeen (Lord Of Muslims) sounds just in an idealized Islamic state. But the fact is Khan is more than sixty now and would soon be with his Rabb-Ul-Aalaameen. What about then? Would the next leadership of PTI show the same reformed mindset while pandering to the Islamic voters on the party lines set down by Khan? That is the reason a clear cut party line for PTI must be set out now, a party line which is all-inclusive, a secular one. If Imran Khan has reached such an enlightened understanding of Islam ( “In my opinion someone who is religious, who is spiritual is going to be compassionate, leftist,” he says while his party’s Ijaz Chaudhry along with religious parties declare al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden the ‘martyr of Islam’ at the Istehkaam-e-Pakistan Caravan on The Mall in Lahore), it does not mean every PTI voter would think like him nor would be watching every interview of his explaining his understanding of Islam. For voters, the Islamic symbols that adorn Khan’s speeches may well represent a common understanding of ‘Muslim identity’, and thus add to the present status quo’s power Khan would like to deconstruct, without an intellectual exercise to comprehend the real meaning behind Khan’s usage of them. That is the reason playing with religious politics, even with a reformed mindset, is a dangerous deed. That should answer Khan’s question to Dutt, “Am I not respecting the sentiments of my own people?” when asked about his praying on stage in front of 100,000 people.

Khan goes on to tell Dutt how “if I was not spiritual I would not have been in politics” and “if I did not have faith in God I would not have been in politics”. Good Mr Khan. Now stop shoving your spirituality down our throats. Pakistan has religious minorities, and nonreligious minorities, apart from Liberal and Secular Muslims. Do you not count them in when you tell Ms Dutt that PTI “is a party that hopes to get all the country on the platform”?

In 2002 when he was elected into the parliament as the sole spokesman from PTI, Imran Khan aligned with Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), and criticized the idea of madrassah reforms as well as the mixed sex races being held. Can we be sure now that he has support even from the moderates Khan will shake off the earlier influence of MMA? To convince his critics just as he has conceded his wrong by once supporting Musharraf, he ought to concede publicly being wrong on this note as well. Above all he ought to admit how wrong he was in his reservations on the Women’s Protection Bill in 2006. If he did have the problem with bill and not the freedoms and rights of women it was seeking, Khan could have proposed amendment(s). But he did not. Unless he does so his saying to Ms Dutt that “youth and women are always in the forefront of the change” is futile and contradictory to his actions for he would have failed to protect the very harbingers of change he is counting his support and hopes from a change on.

What then is the alternative seems to be the favorite question of PTI supporters. You, one should tell them. Supporting Imran Khan does not and should not mean pinning down all on him. Your vote does not mean you have lived off your responsibilities as a citizen. It is time that PTI youth should start asking Khan critical question and form a pressure group within party to pressurize him into not only fulfilling his commitment but to move beyond rhetoric and contradictory statements. Today Imran Khan may be Pakistan’s symbol of hope, but the real force is the support behind the symbol. Liberals (if they have any shame and self-respect they should have left the party by now) and Moderates within the party must pressurize PTI to bring itself in line with common sense. Or else, if what we are seeing is the coming of a revolution, a tsunami, we better cross our fingers and hope it dies out soon.

An Open Letter To Marvi Sirmed

Respected Ms. Marvi Sirmed,

Let me start this letter by applauding your courage to stand up and defend your beliefs in the face of bullying bigots pervading the talk show scene of Pakistani television channels and discussing issues of importance that are often swept under the carpet, the pretext being issues such as nudity, gay rights and secularism being irrelevant to a country where people are struggling to survive on the daily basis or them being Western imports. How very convenient, is it not,to denounce the logical extensions leading from our cherished deals of humanity and democracy, albeit unacceptble to guardians of honor and shame, under the subterfuge of real politik and realistic grounds.

But what is repugnant is not how guardians of tradition and self proclaimed saviors of faith have no sense of a reasonable dialogue but the way they have taken to pose threats to lives of Pakistani journalists. It is preposterous that certain people should be condemned to death for voicing their peaceful protests in favor of need for reason, sanity and humanity to prevail in a country where ‘holier than thou’ mentality has seeped in,while certain others share fair amount of on air time to spew hatred against religious and sexual minorities, wihout being held accountble for the damage their hate filled speeches might do to members of the concerned communities being targeted. It becomes all the more of a worrying factor in a ‘post-Salmaan Taseer’ Pakistan where everyone of us deems it his responsibility to save Islamic order from alleged youth corrupting western intoxicated agents on the pay rolls of foreign governments and agencies, the allegations being mere delusional with out evidence, of course.

But you are not alone Ms. Sirmed. Given the fact that Pakistan rates as the worst country for journalists, I’d say you, along with Mr.Hamid Mir and Mr.Najam Sethi, are in a good company(in fact Mr. Sethi’s recent discussion of threats from state and non-state actors was alaming). However the fact remains that this nation can not afford to lose yet another Saleem Shehzad.

We have sacrificed far too many lives for a ‘free’ Pakistan to end up as a sham democracy where, as you stated in your note on Let Us Build Pakistan blog, instead of taking any action to protect you, an eminent Punjabi politician calls up your father and informs the old man how a militant group has decided to ‘eliminate’ you. So much for democracy.

Pakistani Journalist and Human Rights Activist, Marvi Sirmed

What is outrageous is the way your family is having to deal with the situation. Being stopped by self righteous individuals on streets to be told how one ought to be ashamed of raising a daughter who defends immorality is enough to put one under extreme mental duress. Even more so for a man of seventy. How can one blame your family for publicly disowning you, no matter how heart wrenching it was.

I can relate to your concerns for your family. Often there are times when I think twice before voicing my opinion, my birth right to protest against what I deem unjust. Not because I am concerned about my well being for the day I chose to take a firm stance, I picked up the other end of the stick as well, knowing full well the repercussions of honesty in a country like Pakistan.

But Ms.Sirmed this is not only about you, Mr. Sethi or Mr. Mir. It is about the basic freedom of free expression no matter how much we disagree with one another. About facing the discriminatory world and defending what is just and humane. About fighting ‘hate speech’, which our ‘free’ media and nascent democracy has still not been able to demarcate from ‘freedom of expression’. About the troubles that we have to face, that we must ensure are not there for our children so that they can reach their optimum potential and work for the betterment of the world instead of trying to figure out the next best survival tactic. It is against the message of the moral police, the ghairat brigade,if you may, to the youth of Pakistan. A message of subjugation, hate and fear. And thus the need to take a stand.

Might seem like rants of a brainwashed tweeter who wouldn't do anything expect rant. But the fact that 29 journalists have been killed in last 5 years in relation to their work, might make you think otherwise

 Let me clearly state that I have disagreements with you. And you may not subscribe to my opinions, ideals and thoughts. But that is the beauty of democratic ideals. We all hold some small part of the objective reality and it is only through reason and dialogues and constructive criticisms that at the end of the day we may still be having a peripheral vision of truth, goodness and reality, but we are still somewhat more closer to them than before.

 But alas, how difficult it is to explain it to the defenders of faithful bigotry. You are right to argue that these hooligans know nothing of the humane underlying principles of Islam, and in fact of any religion in the world. For understanding the verses they so often quote in the socio-historical context would be a direct blow to their political ambitions and power dominations. It is to save Pakistan from such sub-humans that we must continue speaking for what is humane, regardless of our differences.

It is a fight not only for Pakistani Liberals but every sane Pakistani out there whether conservative or secularist as the threat looms over the head of us all by letting militant organizations and terrorist student wings of political parties operate effectively while the politicians pander to the voters on the ‘democracy is the best revenge’ and anti corruption slogans and the religious ulema decry the discrimination faced b Muslims by being tagged as terrorists who can not be integrated into open and democratic non-Muslim societies, arguing for the compatibility of Islam and democratic principles.

Leave the utter idiocy reeking off the comments, there should be a prized challenge for NOT laughing at the English used (if you call THAT English!)

Why should  Muslims , and this case Pakistani ones, not be tagged as terrorists and religiously motivated self righteous thugs, Ms.Sirmed, if it is them posing death threats with the most spiteful and vilest language one could imagine to anyone breaking the spell of bad traditions and misuse of religion’s name and rule f the deep state? Is it not the Muslim world which is boiling with anti-Semitism, homophobia, sexism and racism? Of course this is not a letter in defense of the likes of Pamela Gellar whose bread and butter depends on spewing hate against and fears of Muslims. But these are some thoughts worth pondering over. If Muslims, in general, and Pakistanis, in particular, all over the world wish to change the perception regarding their communities, they must speak out and walk the walk, instead of empty talks, including the so called ‘moderate’ elements within the societies. No 21^st century open, humane and democratic state ought to allow violation of its citizen’s rights to life, security, free expression et al.

Best regards,

Usmann Rana

 

Shame, Honour – and the Fig-Leaf

Veena Malik's Controversial For Him Magazine (FHM) Cover.

(This article was first published in The Review of the newspaper Pakistan Today. An online alternative version can be found here)

 

Veena Malik’s nude photo shoot for Indian edition of FHM men’s magazine has raised quite a hue and cry in her homeland ,Pakistan, – incidentally, a country ranking third on the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s most dangerous countries for women to live in.Malik denies posing nude for the magazine and has sued FHM which insists the photgraphs are real and has in retaliation sued her with a hefty amount of 250 Million Indian Rupees. In another part of the world, Alya Almahdy, an Egyptian blogger in the midst of the ongoing revolution posts photographs of herself online, clad in nothing but boots. Even the Egyptian Left is quick to wash their hands off her for fear of falling out of favor in the first democratic elections after a four decade dictatorship.

Though the contexts are wholly separate,Malik and Almahdy bring to the fore the issue of nudity, a serious taboo for majority of the world, especially in third world Islamic countries such as Pakistan or Egypt.

It is not the first time that conservatives have whipped themselves into frenzy over the issue of nudity. Take the case of American Robert Mapplethorpe’s nude art which still remains a controversial topic to date. While the supporters of the exhibition entitled Robert Mapplethorpe : The Perfect Moment saw the homoerotic and sado-masochistic nude photographs as a sign of artistic excellence, the opposition saw it as a blatant and obscene display of immorality.

For Almahdy her nude photographs were a means to struggle against a misogynistic society. For Mapplethorpe, it was the aesthetic beauty of the nude human form which inspired his art. And for Malik, and FHM, it was an easy road to big bucks,

But what is so inherently wrong with nudity that it should cause such blanket denunciation? After all, if everyone’s consent is involved and the photos are not shoved in to the faces if tge Puritan-minded, what’s the big problem? The sanctimonious outcry about how it is against the honor of women and is an immoral act is precisely what  Alya Almhady is fighting against – the notion of shame/honor that our society so cherishes which has long denied women sexual autonomy , turning them into caged virgins. Ironically, this line of argument is not only used by conservatives and the right wingers, but also certain factions of feminists who believe that nudity results in the objectification of the female body.

The argument goes thus: women flaunting their bodies and sexuality leads to vulgar and cheap objectification of women. Firstly, does this mean I, a man, have the permission to pose nude for Playgirl magazine’s next cover? Why was there no brouhaha over tge nude shots of Antonio Banderas  for Playgirl magazine? What about the nude photos of male subjects?  Or the alpha male projection of male heroes in Hollywood? Does that not objectify men in a certain manner? How many of us are Hugh Jackman?

The word ‘vulgar’ has an overtly value judgment attached to it and morality, as long as it does not harm someone, is subjective. If you deem Veena Malik’s bare shoot immoral and unacceptable, don’t buy the magazine or look it up on a website.

Then there are some feminists who argue that nudity leads to the commodification of the female body for the capitalistic ends.On the flipside, there are those who believe that burqa is a form of objectification. What am I getting at? The argument of objectification can very well be used afaubsr the guardians of tradition and female honor themselves, keeping in mind how socially constructed  sense of propriety, femininity and honor is forced on women to suppress their natural sexuality.

Then there is the other equally significant argument that people like Malik and Almahdy do not represent Pakistan and Egypt. For the starters, they are not Cultural Ministers of their countries. Yes, to a certain extent they do have certain obligations under the silent contract with the society. But does that mean they have to compromise on their art or intellect?

Who represents Pakistan? That is the question troubling the country, with or without Veena Malik. But the fact is Malik is very much a product of this society and so another representative of it. She maybe a reaction to Pakistan and its conservative values as am I, someone who has been tagged ‘Liberal Fascist’ for merely challenging orthodoxy, sexism and homophobia. In all honesty, a nation known for being a safe haven for terrorists all over the world ,and with Munawar Hasan, Zaid Hamid and Ibtisam ilahi Zhaeer purporting to represent our society, Pakistan has little to fret over as to how Malik’s nude, real or morphed, photos are a concern for national pride and proper representation of Pakistan. As Nosheen Iqbal’s Guardian article put it : “The fuss over Veena Malik’s ‘nude’ FHM over is Pakistan’s real shame”. She goes on in the article to point out quite rightly , “A flash of skin causing more frenzied controversy than jihadists posting beheading videos online.That, by a long measure, has to  be the real national shame”.