Anatomy of fear
From the Blog PkColumnist.com: Anatomy of fear - Two weeks after the assassination of Salmaan Taseer in a market in Islamabad, social activists in Karachi had a hard time finding a proper venue to hold a memorial reference for the slain leader of the ruling Pakistan People's Party. Initially, the reference, organised by Citizens for Democracy, was to be held at the Arts Council. But the Arts Council management withdrew the permission just a day before and the conference could also not be shifted to the Karachi Press Club, with its so far illustrious tradition of providing space to dissident voices. Fortunately, the Pakistan Medical Association, also reputed for its progressive and pro-people allegiances, provided its premises for the conference. And it was held without any incident, though there were some apprehensions about security. What does this mean? Obviously, we need to mourn for a lot more than the murder by a fanatic of the very person he was assigned to protect. Indeed, it was not just the killer who played a villainous role in this episode. The entire leadership of non-religious and supposedly enlightened political parties, particularly the PPP, the ANP and the MQM, is found guilty of ideological treason. The media, with the news channels setting the tone, must also engage in a serious reflection on how it dealt with a story that was surely very sensitive but here was one occasion when it could have invested its power in raising popular awareness about the destructive forces of religious extremism and intolerance. When we recall, after some time, the timidity of our media in covering the Salmaan Taseer murder, we may find it hard to believe that it actually happened. Yes, there was some rethinking as time passed and the initial panic that had gripped our media managers began to subside. There were some commendable attempts to deal with relevant issues. After all, the focus should not have been on blasphemy laws but on the murder itself and on the nature of fanaticism that exists in our society. Let me confess that the fact that our venerable institutions like the Arts Council and the Karachi Press Club were this week afraid to allow the memorial meeting to be held on their premises, irrespective of the intimidation they may have experienced, has totally derailed my thoughts. Otherwise, I was hoping to locate a silver lining in the aftermath of an event that should be seen as some kind of catalyst in our struggle against religious fanaticism and obscurantism. I was also watching the impact in the United States of the shooting in Tucson, Arizona, and how it seems to have become a turning point in the civic life of the country. There, the focus has been on the assassin who is seen as mentally disturbed. Why have we not submitted the killer of Salmaan Taseer to a proper psychiatric examination? We should also be looking at the mental health of those who applauded his action. Besides, what have our political leaders done to promote reflection and rational debate on the lethal nature of public discourse at a time when we desperately need to be judicious and attentive to the dangers we confront? For instance, President Obama made an inspiring and emotional address to the nation on the Tucson killings and pleaded for temperance in these words: "If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let's make sure it's worthy of those we have lost". I was encouraged to read the statement made by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairperson of the PPP, in a memorial service for Salmaan Taseer in London in which he said that Mumtaz Qadri and his supporters were the real blasphemers. However, it was also noted that he was the only PPP leader to condemn the killing in strong terms. As for the PPP leadership in Pakistan, its state of paralysis is evident not just by its response of the assassination of Salmaan Taseer. Karachi may serve as an example of the ability of the party to deal with difficult situations. But the real tragedy is that it is also unable to exploit opportunities that arise – and the killing of Salmaan Taseer could have been a defining moment to rescue the concept of a liberal and democratic polity in Pakistan. In that sense, we should not worry that the assassination has deepened the ideological divide in the country. We should welcome the opportunity to properly identify this divide and mobilise the forces that parties like the PP can marshal, considering their traditional stance. They should have changed the terms of the debate, highlighting the values of democracy and tolerance and rule of law. Only political parties are able to mount such a movement. With their inaction, they left the brave social activists to face the onslaught of the fire-spouting religious brigade. In fact, some leaders of the PPP seemed to be a part of that brigade. Why has this happened? When the high tide of fear seemed to have left the society in a state of terror, our rulers made no attempt to contain its disastrous impact. This utter inability of the rulers to at least protect the reputation of its own leader, who is believed to have had the backing of the leadership in his dispute with the religious extremists, is likely to have consequences in the context of the evolution of our society. Come to think of it, those emotionally charged zealots who applauded Mumtaz Qadri had, in fact, provided a potent argument for the creation of a secular polity in Pakistan. That argument has not materialised because the so-called liberal and non-religious parties are fearful of the popular backlash. That it should be so is remarkable, considering the support these parties have repeatedly demonstrated in general elections. Whether our ruling parties are able to deal with this crisis in a creative way or not – and they are at this time totally bogged down in largely self-created difficulties – we do have a glaring evidence of what can happen when religion is used as an instrument of politics and the public space is usurped by clerics. Incidentally, when I talk about how fear is able to paralyse our society, even some religious leaders appeared to be afflicted with this emotion. They hesitated to offer candid judgments on some aspects of the tragedy and shamefully resorted to ifs and buts. Meanwhile, let us recall that famous quotation of Franklin Roosevelt from his first inaugural address in 1932, in the depth of the economic depression. He said that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyses needed efforts to convert retreat into advance". . Read Full Post
Daily News Bulletin 23 January 2011
From the Blog pkpolitics - > Daily News Bulletin 23 January 2011 pkpolitics.com — Watch today's detailed News Bulletin from Dunya News aired at 9:00PM. . Read Full Post
Not only Government, the individuals too are responsible
From the Blog pak-times - > Not only Government, the individuals too are responsible pak-times.com — A society is like an organization where different people perform various functions for the sustenance and upward growth. Poor performance of workers or management can lead company to the verge of destruction. Similarly a society ... . Read Full Post
Standing Up to Real Blasphemy
From the Blog pakteahouse - > Standing Up to Real Blasphemy pakteahouse.wordpress.com — By Amaar Ahmad The aftermath of the murder of Salman Taseer has shown the growing scale of the problem of religious extremism in Pakistan. Garlanding his attacker in flowers, showering him with praise and condoning a cruel murder is a … Continue reading → . Read Full Post
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