Change is the only Reality

I am part of different groups and circles and for me most difficult aspect of keeping good relationship is increased extremism and decreased tolerance; people no more capable to accept other beliefs. And it does not matter if they are secular or religious in political thought, if they are leftists or rightists, liberal or conservative, looks like we live in age of extreme. And worst is the 'short span' of media attention we are getting used to in this information age and our complete reliance on media to know what should we concentrate on , here everyday has a new hot story, we tend to forget what was important yesterday, I do not believe in conspiracy theories otherwise people blame this to 'illuminati' kind of groups and planned conspiracies to control masses around the globe. May be it is not totally wrong, but this does not answer to the real problem, why more people tend to extremes unlike in past.
As I came abroad, it was very disappointing to see people living in their created ghettos as they can not mix in the host society, they take their prejudices with them and do not understand the fact that there are humans which live here and they have their own centuries old customs and way of life and they have progressed based on these ethos. They fail to understand that mutual respect is the key for success for everyone, and when you enter into a system (in scientific sense as well) you have to adopt to the new environment and it is not that you can destroy that system but you can act as a catalyst to give more strength to that system, and that strength is diversity and tolerance for mutual progress.
Similar is the situation in country, our extremism or lack of knowledge has made us extremists, we do not strive for learning and but we submit to our egos and become for violent and aggressive towards opposition (whoever is not like me is my opponent).
Dialectical theory says that it is continuous process of change, thesis, anti-thesis and synthesis which works in human societies, that is why we see hard resistance to change but change is inevitable and can not be avoided, we can see through history and our own life experiences that societies progressed, nothing around us is what it was when we were born, stories my grand mother used to tell me had bull cart as the only mean of travelling for ladies of a noble family, is it true any more? Lanterns from Goodman were the best to keep light in my father's youth, my son can not even understand what does it mean by 'Goodman the Lalten'. I do not think if believes are not impacted by these changes, how many religious TV channels we have? Modern mosques have complete automatic control systems installed to provide services to devotees. But these 'norms' we do not even consider, these changes too were opposed; Sir Syed was condemned to death by Ulemas when he suggested use of modern inventions for Muslims and claimed it will not harm religion or religious beliefs. We witness same response until now because process of change is continuous and until there is complete synthesis, conflict will continue, no matter how hard it is for us who are in middle of it, change will continue. So these are these 'agents' in this process of history which take different shapes, political, behavioural, religious or revolutionary; there are agents of progress and there are agents of preservation. It is all part of one big grinding machine, which is churning what is old and rusted and recycling it for future.

Pakistan Today- Asia Bibi and Women Cricket team

Two headlines in Dawn’s web site yesterday, two news, two events, one brings hope while other despair. One is about Amnesty International asking for release of Asia Bibi, sentenced to death on blasphemy charges (Amnesty urges release of Pakistani Christian woman, 2010). Other is victory of Pakistan women cricket team in Asian games (Pakistan women beat Bangladesh; win first Asiad gold, 2010).

One can wonder how the Pandits, our scholars and analysts will treat these news? They are about human development, human rights, minorities, and less privileged elements in society. But they are contrasting and show the dilemma of today's Pakistan, a fight between progressive and conservative forces.
There are those who want to take advantage of laws created on religious basis to target those elements in society which are weak, vulnerable and cannot protect themselves against aggressive allegations and become easy target. Asia Bibi was forced not to fetch water as she was a non muslim, that is where it all started, then reportedly she was asked to convert to Islam and during the debate she emphasized on what she believes in. Ironically the report was filed after few days of the what happened between the women, one of them was wife of the Imam of local mosque and it is the Imam who has filed the case against her. One can wonder why the court did not consider the motives behind the allegations, what the lawyers were doing, how the case was defended? We should ask why the judge ruled out any possibility that Asia was falsely implicated (Amnesty Int’l urges release of Pakistani Christian woman, 2010), was she provoked? What were the circumstances she was forced into? How many were the aggressive women abusing her at the time of incident? Why she was deprived of water? What will be the response of a enraged, helpless, angry person against a group insulting him or her and forcing to accept something against will? How would be an average person feeling and reacting in such situation? Does honourable judge considered the circumstances while reaching decision? Now the world is aware of what is happening and it is coming together to rescue Asia, Pope has called Pakistan government to release her and pressure will increase. Surely Asia should not face the sentence, and hopefully she will be spared as the appeal will be heard in higher courts and she might will be released as well. What will happen afterwards? Probably her family will apply for asylum as they have become target of hardliners and they will leave country. Hopefully this is where it should end, and Asia will live happily with her husband, two sons and three daughters. This is what we Pakistanis should demand from the state.
Now referring to the win of Pakistan’s women cricket team; surely an event of jubilation for the nation, specially as their counterparts are not doing well and continuously in crisis with corruption and fixing charges on team members and an inefficient management. Women team has done great and brought us jubilation. They have again shown that women can keep honour of the nation and contribute to their best as much as any Pakistani man can. Well surely any hard line mullah will not be happy on this news, for instance what will be the reaction of the cleric who filed case against Asia? Shall we have any difficulty understanding it? No, clearly he will shout that women are not allowed to go outside of home, for him that photo of Nida Rashid celebrating her team’s victory (Pakistan women beat Bangladesh; win first Asiad gold, 2010) will be sinful. He will overlook what benefits these players have brought for their country, these players have presented their country in Asian games, won a gold medal, and ensure Pakistan’s name will be there as champions in history of the games, they have given their nation a chance to celebrate, a reason to delight, gratification to their fellow Pakistani women and a message to us all that they are the best. Women are as good a resource as men, and they should be given equal chances in every walk of life.
What we learn today is that we have choices to make. One is the way forward, open up your mind, embrace the change, develop and utilise your resources and carry on, while other is to move backward, resist change, keep on indulging into petty issues, preach hatred, promote irrational beliefs so that status quo cannot be changed.
Pakistanis have to decide which way they want to go, still not late but every passing day without being decisive will make it hard to move forward.


References:-
Amnesty urges release of Pakistani Christian woman, 2010, http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/19/amnesty-urges-release-of-pakistani-christian-woman.html, last viewed 19/11/2010
Pakistan women beat Bangladesh; win first Asiad gold, 2010, http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/19/pakistan-beat-bangladesh-in-womens-cricket-for-first-asian-games-gold.html, last viewed 19/11/2010
Amnesty Int’l urges release of Pakistani Christian woman, 2010,
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20101120-304230/Amnesty-Intl-urges-release-of-Pakistani-Christian-woman, last viewed 20/11/2010

Pakistan Today: Asia Bibi and Women Cricket Team

Saw these two headlines in today's Dawn, two news, two events, one brings hope and other despair.
One is about Amnesty International asking for release of Asia Bibi, sentenced to death on blasphemy charges (http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/19/amnesty-urges-release-of-pakistani-christian-woman.html). Other is victory of Pakistan women cricket team in Asian games (http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/19/pakistan-beat-bangladesh-in-womens-cricket-for-first-asian-games-gold.html).
I am wondering how the Pandits, our scholars and analysts will treat these news side by side. They are about human development, about human rights, about minorities, about less privileged elements in society. But they are contrasting and shows the dilemma of today's Pakistan, a fight between progressive and conservative force. One is the way forward, open up your mind, embrace the change, develop and utilise your resources and carry on, while other is to move backward, resist the change, keep on indulging into petty issues and pulling each other's legs, promote irrational beliefs so that status quo can not be changed.
Pakistanis have to decide which way they want to go, still not late but yes every passing day without being decisive will make it hard to move forward.

Thoughts on Iqbal Day

Many rather most have a problem discussing Iqbal, his image is shrouded in respect to the extent of religious belief and people feel a moral obligation against criticizing Iqbal. Problem will be resolved, if you set your expectation level; instead of as a saint, accept him as a human, do not call him hakeemulummat or rehmat ulla eleh, and do not give him responsibility of creation of Pakistan, much of confusion will be gone. Read what his son has wrote about him, look at him without green glasses of respect where he becomes a saint and a mulla. He was not a mulla at all, remember Atiya Faizi if you have trouble accepting Iqbal as a human. There is a very conscious movement to portray Iqbal as a saint, an Islamic die hard rigid philosopher which he was not. He was educated in Europe and had a good understanding of contemporary philosophical thought, he was knighted by British (I think on Israr-e-Khudi) and carry on that title. Wasn't he influenced by Nietzsche? Check Nietzsche's übermenschlich and 'will to power'.
A human specially a poet is very sensitive to his/her surroundings and poetry depends on poet's mood and circumstances that is why poetry can not be regarded as much as a piece of philosophic writing. We made numerous mistakes in understanding Iqbal, for instances I read a remark yesterday that why he is called just Iqbal? he should be called Allama Iqbal. With that much respect you are ought to make a Khanqah of Iqbal and start qawwalis there, not much left for you to understand him as he was.
Problem is that most of us do not really have a sound knowledge of the days and time when he or his contemporaries lived, because that age was so much full of changes and so many ideologies and believes have so much on stack on those days, and so many conflicting views are found that it becomes hard for a mere student of history to understand what really is the truth.
That is prime reason of all confusions not only around Iqbal but around all of his contemporaries, whether it is Jinnah or Gandhi or Nehru or Bose or Sardar or Azad or any one else. And we have conflicting views on events as well. For instance Pakistan's official view on Gandhi is really pathetic so as that of India's on Jinnah. Can we call both of them as our leaders? try it, and you will learn the lessons of your life.

A Burden for Generations

It was a mild winter day, as it should be in Karachi, I was standing in line to enter to the University, we were almost daily ordered to enter only from a particular gate from four or five at the front side facing University Road, it was done in the name of security, but it was more like a psychological trick to teach who is in control, and that was Pakistan Rangers. We were not allowed to use any gate to enter our Alma Meter but the one chosen by authorities each day, it could have been the same gate as of yesterday or different, it was more like going to a labour camp. And it was a sight to see people running from one gate to another, as sometimes order was coming late and one gate was closed and another one opened for entry.
So there I was in the line, my turn came, Rangers’ Jawan (Soldier) checked my university ID card (not sure if he knew how to read it, he could have hold it upside down if there was not my photo on it), looked at it, then looked at me and asked “Hindustani ho?” (You are an Indian?). Well, for few seconds, blood stopped in my veins, I felt a cold running through my body and I looked at him with so much anger that he took two or three steps back. I did not say a word and he handed me my card back, I took few steps forward and then came back to him, “I am a Pakistani” he smiled nervously and looked at his senior for help who was standing few steps away, but he preferred to look away as well, that was a mistake which could cost them heavily and best way for them was to ignore as nothing happened. Students any way were challenging and unexpected for these human machines trained to obey and follow.
This was not first neither the last time I was called a Hindustani, Muhajir (migrant) was the usual identity I had to carry since I started to go out into society, in school, in hospitals, in bank or to any social event and gathering, I was and I still am a Muhajir, though I was born in Pakistan, though I have never been to India, but strange how many generations have to carry the burden of this decision.
Strange that decision to divide India was not taken by any of them, but millions had to carry that burden as well, I am sure a majority in those millions who were affected did not even understand the meaning of partition and so as their leaders and those who actually took the decision or agreed to it. And that is the tragedy of that partition, it was a decision taken on assumptions and fabricated realities, and its after effects were not even considered, no one was able to see how generations to come will pay the price of this decision, how whole region will be compromised, and billions of its inhabitants will be forced to adopt a psychology of hate and war and will be asked to sacrifice on their progress, health and education to defend this partition.
There is this story of Ghulam Ali in a book by Zamindar (The Long Partition by Vazira Zamindar, 2007 OUP, Karachi) ; a soldier in British Army who chose to join Indian Army at the time of partition, but he was not stationed in Chaklala which was to be Pakistan, for one or another reason he was not able to go back to India till the time his service was terminated by Pakistan Army on the grounds that he opted for Indian Army, they sent him back but by that time Permit or Passport had been devised and Indians refused to accept him as he was not an Indian ID holder, back in Pakistan he was imprisoned as an Indian without authorised papers to be in Pakistan. Then he was thrown on both sides few times till he ended up in Hindu camp in Lahore. I am not sure how his life was ended, no detail of it in the book and may be nowhere else, in no papers or documents.
I want to step in his shoes for a moment and understand how must be his feelings till the last of his breath, but I cannot, it is perhaps impossible for me and anyone else as we have long passed that historical drama, but is it the reality? If that episode of partition is over, why people are still haunted by it? Somewhere deep in sub conscious of every Indian and every Pakistani, there is this ambiguity, a psychological issue, a challenge of identity which expresses itself in our behaviour towards each other.
If it is thought that statement given in above lines are an exaggeration, kindly look at the treatment we give each other, browse through newspapers, check the headlines, listen to the politicians, check what scholars say, go to the cricket field to watch a match between Pakistan and India, do a research on the literature written on both sides which is mostly based on hatred and bias and a conscious attempt to justify what happened (and it is here problem lies, why we want to justify? why fabrication is required?). For instance take the syllabus taught in Pakistan; by calling Hindus and Sikhs murderers and impostors and omitting the crimes made by Muslims, what is really the objective? Why truth is a problem? Surely because truth comes as a challenge and raises questions which cannot be answered easily. This partition is used by extremists and religious bigots on both sides as an excuse and a reason to convince people on militancy and violence. Indians and Pakistanis do not realise that the demons of religious extremism in this region are fed and brought up by this partition dilemma, and as such the debacle of partition is not over. It is not over, not for our generation neither for the generations to come, unless we understand what mistakes were made and agree to resolve them.