While going to watch Ajoka Theatre’s new play ‘Amrika Chalo’, I had in mind the pleasant memories from last year when I watched its play ‘Dara’, a beautiful ensemble of colours, costumes, music and dance that brought to life the historical tragedy of Dara Shikoh.  Keeping in context, the history of Ajoka as a torch bearer of progressive art and the quality of its plays, my expectations were really high. ‘Amrika Chalo-Destination USA’, written and directed by Shahid Nadeem, was billed as a ‘satirical response to the love-hate relationship between Pakistan and the US’. Its brochure claimed that it was ‘a light-hearted self-critical view of double standards and hypocrisies’. Unfortunately, it came out neither self-critical nor satirical at the end.

The play is centered at the US embassy in Pakistan where a number of visa applicants face the ridiculously strict security measures. The applicants hail from diverse backgrounds and include a business man, a student, a would-be-illegal immigrant seeking a tourist visa, a puppeteer, a politician and an old couple looking forward to meet their grand children. The diversity within the Pakistani applicants is sharply contrasted with the stereotypical representation of embassy staff. The lack of diversity can be gauged by the fact that the roles of all six interviewers were played by two actors speaking a familiar Anglo-Indian Urdu accent, a predictable instrument used to portray colonial British in our media.  The play comes out more as a practice in Occidentalism that portrays the embassy staff and by extension all Americans as rude and arrogant though stereotyping does not remain limited to Americans. The guard at the embassy gate is a Pakhtun (a predictable stereotyped ‘chowkidar’) who believes in using stick as a ‘correctional measure’ for his wife who also serves part-time as a female security guard. The Pakistani politician is portrayed as a promiscuous and corrupt man who is planning to go into exile after being removed from power. One the other hand, the play does not put much effort in discussing the role of Pakistani military in bringing the country to the current state.

The play was supplemented with a distracting slide show on both sides of stage displaying different caricatures and images, focusing mainly upon US military invasions, drone attacks hence taking the predictable, fashionable and convenient anti-imperialist line that strives to place violence within Pakistani society as a result of American policies. Taking this idea to an extreme, the most horrifying moment in the play came when two jihadi militants broke the fourth wall and addressed the audience, reminding them of the atrocities committed by Americans in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine hence proving their anti-imperialist credentials. An attempt was made to balance it out in the end by highlighting their own desire to seek American visas but it certainly was not enough to undo the already done damage.

The most troubling aspect of the play is the highly objectionable characterization of homosexuals. The lead character named Raymond – played exceptionally well by Furqan Majeed – a gay security guard at the embassy is effeminate, sports long hair and is fond of wearing lip-stick. The writer’s attitude towards LGBT community remains hostile, objectifying them as a source of laughter and strengthening the very prejudices that run in our society against the community. The character is made to deliver innuendos and dialogues that were clearly double-entendre in nature, drawing hoots and whistles from the crowd. At certain points, the dialogues became at-par with the ones delivered regularly in the notorious commercial theatre of Lahore. Raymond – a caricature of the CIA contractor Raymond Davies who was arrested earlier in 2011 for shooting two Pakistanis – is a gun-trotting sexual offender who can harass anybody from a Pakistani businessman to an old woman. The message was more than obvious near the end when the slide show came up with alternating images of gay prides in US and hunger, suffering and violence across rest of the world thus implying that homosexuality is nothing more than an American cultural practise in hedonism. No attempt was made to highlight the fact that LGBT community in USA -quite like the rest of the world – has remained a persecuted minority throughout its history, facing discrimination, social and physical violence and is still striving for equal rights and acceptance in an increasingly religious and intolerant society. Unlike the film ‘Bol’, this play does not make any attempt to sensitize the audience towards the fact that homosexuality and transgender are phenomena with natural roots but rather treats the homosexual character as a subject of amusement for the audience, something that could have easily been a part of a play written by a religiously conservative.

In essence, ‘Amrika Chalo’ is an attempt to court the populist anti-American sentiment and the lure of commercial theatre at the same time. The brilliant acting by Furqan Majeed and solo dance performance by Wahab Shah could be considered as the highlights but overall the play fails in delivering any progressive message to the audience. Rather than bridging gaps during the current trends leading towards a self-imposed isolation, it ends up widening them. The play tries to establish its liberal credentials by poking fun at the mullah (with a disposable beard) but at the same time holds a hostile tone towards sexual minorities and certain ethnicities. One may want to take heed to the writer’s advice at the start of play, requesting the audience to take the play light-heartedly but if stereotyping bearded mullahs, politicians, homosexuals and rest of the world is all that our art theatre can do then one needs to ask what service it has done to the liberal and progressive cause.

Islami Jamhooriya Pakistan ki tareekh Hindustan se bohut purani hai. Balkay Islam se bhi purani hai. Jab aathveen sadi mein Muhammad Bin Qasim Islam phelane bar-e-sagheer tashreef laye tau ye jaan ker sharminda huwe ke yahan tau pehle hi Islami riyasat maujood hai.

Yahan kufr ka janam tau huwa Jalaaludin Akbar ke daur mein, jo Islam ku jhutla ker apna mazhab banane ko chal diya; shayid Allah-ho-Akbar ke lughwi maani le gya tha.

Baharhal, in kafiron ne butparasti aur mehkashi jaisay gheir munaasib kaam shuro kerdiye aur apne aap ko Hindu bulaane lage. Sharaab ki aamad se Pakistan ke Musalmanon ki woh taaqat na rahi jo tareekh ke tasalsul se honi chahiye thi. Iski vaja ye nahin thi ke Muslaman sharaab peene lag paray the, balkay ye kay unki saari quwat-e-nafs sharab ko naa peene mein waqf hojati thi, hukmarani ke liye bachta hi kya tha.

Is ke bawajood Musalmanon ne mazeed do sau saal Pakistan per raaj kiya, phir kuch dinon ke liye angrezon ki hakoomat agayi (hamari tafteesh ke mutabiq yehi koi chalees hazaar din honge).

San 1900 tak Pakistan ke Musalmanon ki haalat nasaaz hochuki thi. Is dauran aik ahem shakhsiat hamari khidmat mein hazir huwi, jis ka naam Allama Iqbal tha.

Iqbal ne humen dau qaumi nazariya diya. yeh inse pehle Syed Ahmed Khan ne bhi diya tha, magr inhon ne zyada diya. Is nazariye ke mutabiq Pakistan mein dau farak qaumein maujood thin, aik hukmarani ke laiq Musalman qaum, aur aik ghulami ke laiq Hindu qaum. In dono ka apas mein samjhota mumkin nahin tha.

Syed Ahmed Khan ne bhi Musalmanon ke liye anthak mehnat ki, magr beech mein angrez ke samnay sir jhuka ker Sir ka khitaab lay liya. Angrezi taleem ki wah wah kerne lage.

Bhala angrezi seekhne se kisi ko kya faida tha? Har zaroori cheez tau Urdu mein thi. Ghalib ki shairi Urdu mein thi. Mirat-ul-Uroos Urdu mein thi. Quran-e-Majeed ka tarjuma Urdu mein tha.

Angrezi mein kya tha? Urdu lughat bhi angrezi se bari thi. Purani bhi. Sahaba-e-Karam Urdu bolte the. Nabi-e-Kareem khud bhi. Aap ne aksar hadith suni hogi, “deen mein koi jabbar nahin”. Ye urdu nahin tau kya hai?

Baharhal, Iqbal se mutaasir hoker aik Gujarati barrister ne angrezon se chutkara hasil kerne ki tehreek shuro kerdi. Is tehreek ka qaum ne josh aur valvalay ke sath istiqbal kiya.

Is barrister ka naam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, urf Quaid-e-Azam, tha. Inhon ne Pakistan se aam taleem hasil kerne ke baad Bartanya se aala taleem hasil ki aur barrister ban gaye.

Quaid-e-Azam ko bhi Sir ka khitaab pesh kiya gya tha, balkay Malika Bartanya tau kehnay lagi, ke ab se aap hamaray mulk mein rahenge, balkay hamaray mehal mein rahaingay aur ham kahin keraye per gher lay lenge. Magr Quaid ki saansein tau Pakistan se wabasta theen, woh apnay mulk ko kaisay nazar andaaz kersekte the?

1934 mein Quaid wapis aye tau Pakistan ka syasi mahol badal chuka tha. Log mayoosi mein mubtala the. Udhr doosri jangay azeem shuro hone wali thi aur Gandhi Jee ne apni fahosh nang dharang mohim chala rakhi thi. Kabhi idhr kapray utaare beth jaate the, kabhi udhr.

Sath aik Nehru naami Hindu Iqbal ke dau qaumi nazariye ka ghalat matlab nikaal betha tha. Log kehte hein ke Nehru bachpan se hi alehdgi pasand tha. Gher mein alehda rehta tha, khana alehda bartan mein khata tha aur apnay khilonay bhi baqi bachon se alehda rakhta tha.

Nehru ka Quaid-e-Azam ke sath waisay bhi muqaabla tha. Parhai likhai mein, syasat mein, mohallay ki larkian taarne mein; zahir hai jeet humesha Quaid ki hoti thi. Law ke parchon mein bhi unke Nehru se ziada number the, marnay mein bhi pehal unhon ne hi kee.

Azaadi kareeb thi, Musalmanon ka khwaab sacha hone wala tha, phir Nehru ne apna patta khela. Kehne laga ke Hinduon ko alag mulk chahiye. Ye sila diya unhon ne us qaum ka, jis ne unhe janam diya, paal pos ker bara kiya; hamari billi hamay hi bhao?

Nehru ki saazish ke bais jab 14 August 1947 ko angrez yahan se lot ker gaye tau Pakistan ke do hissay ker gaye.

Alehdgi ke forun baad Hindustan ne Kashmir per qabze ka elaan kerdiya. Dono mulkon ke patwari feetay lay ker pohunch gaye. Hamsaye mumaalik fitrat se majboor tamasha dekhne pohunch gya. Khoob tu tu mein mein huwi. Golian chaleen. Bohut sare insaan zakhmi huwe. Kuch fauji bhi.

Phir Hinduon ne aik aur bari sazish ye ki, ke Pakistan se jatay huwe hamaare dau teen darya bhi sath le gaye. Ye poochna bhi gavara nahin kiya ke bhai, chahiyen tau nahin? Kapray waghera dho liye? Bhenson ne naha liya?

Ye muamlaat abhi tak nahin suljhe, is liye in per mazeed baat kerna bekaar hai. Tareekh sirf woh hoti hai jo sulajh chuki ho, ya kamazkam daffan hochuki ho. Jis tarha ke Quad-e-Azam azaadi ke doosre saal mein hogaye.

Woh us saal waisay hi kuch aleel the, aur kyunke qaum ki bharpoor duaaen unke sath theen, isliye jald hi vafaat pagaye.

Jinnah ki vafaat ke baad bohut saray logon ne Quaid banne ki koshish ki. In men pehle Liaqat Ali Khan the. Kyunke Khan Sahab aleel nahin horahay the (aur unko teen saal ka mauqa diya gya tha is asaan mashq ke liye) lehaza unko 1951 mein khud hi maarna para.

Phir aye Khwaja Nazimuddin. Ab naam ka nazim ho aur ohde ka vazeer, ye baat kisko lubhaati hai. Is liye chand hi arsay mein Governor-General Ghulam Mohammaded ne inki chutti keraa di.

Jee han, Pakistan mein us waqt Sadar ki bajaye ‘Governor-General’ hota tha. Anay wale saalon mein ikhtisaar ki munaasibat se ye sirf General reh gya. Governor ghaib hogya.

General ka ohda Pakistan ka sab se bara syasi ohda hai. Uske baad Colonel, Major waghera aate hein. Akhir mein vazeer musheer ati hein.

Pakistan ki azaadi ke kai saalon tak koi hamay ayin na de paya. Phir jab Iskander Mirza ne ayin nafiz kiya tau us mein Gernailon ko apna muqaam pasand nahin aya. Ayin aur Iskander Mirza ko aik sath utha ker pheink diya gya.

Field Marshal Ayub Khan ne hakoomat sambhaal lee. Larkhara rahi thi, kisi ne tau sambhaalni thi. Is faislay ka qaum ne josh aur valvalay ke sath istiqbaal kiya.

Ayub Khan jamhooriat ko bayhaal kerne, hamara matlab hai, bahaal kerne aya tha. Asal mein jamhooriat qaum ki shirkat se nahin mazboot hoti, imaarton aur deewaron ki tarha cement se mazboot hoti he. Fauji Cement se. Jee han, aap bhi apni jamhooriat ke liye Fauji Cement ka aj hi intikhab keren.

Is mauqay per sha’ir na kya khoob kaha hai, “Fauji Cement: paidaar, lazatdaar, alamdaar.”

Ayub Khan ne apnay daur mein kuch makholya election keraye taaqay log achi tarha vote daalna seekh len, aur jab asal electionon ki baari aye tau koi ghalati na ho. Magr jab 1970 ke election huwe tau logon ne phir ghalati kerdi, aik fitnay ko vote daal diye, is per agay tafseel mein baat hogi.

Waisay Ayub Khan ka daur taraqqi ka daur bhi tha. Unhon ne daava kiya tha ke woh pakistan ko Manzil-e-Maqsood tak pohnchayenge. Maqsood kaun tha aur kis manzil mein rehta tha, ye ham nahin jaante, magr is elaan ka qaum ne josh aur valvalay ke sath istiqbal kiya.

1965 mein Hindustan ne hamari malkiyat mein dubara taang arayi. Jang ka bhi elaan kerdiya. Lekin bayimaan hone ka poora saboot diya, hamein Kashmir ka keh ker khud Lahore pohnch gaye. Hamari fauj vaadion mein thand se bayhaal hogayi, aur yeh idhr Shalimar Bagh ke seirein kerte rahe.

Is daghaybaazi ke khilaf Ayub Khan ne Aqwam-e-Mutahhida ko shikayat lagayi. Woh khafa huwe aur Hindustan ko aik konay mein haath ooper kerke kharay hone ki saza mili, jaise ke milni chahiye thi. Is faislay ka bhi qaum ne josh aur valvalay ke sath istiqbal kiya.

Magr Hindu woh, jo baaz na aye. 1971 mein jab ham sab ko ilm huwa ke Bangaali bhi darasal Pakistan ka hissa hein, tau Hindu udhr bhi hamla aavar hogaye.

Ab ap khud batayen, itni door ja ker jang larna kis ko bhaata hai? Ham ne chand hazaar fauji bhej diye, itna keh ker, ke agr dil kere tau larr lena, waisay majboori koi nahin hai.

Magr Hinduon ko khaloos kaun sikhaye; unhon ne na sirf hamare faujion ke sath badtameezi ki balkay unhein kai saal tak wapis bhi nahin anay diya. Bangaal bhi hamare se juda kerdiya aur tashaddud ke sachay ilzamaat bhi lagaye. Akhir sacha ilzaam jhoote ilzaam se ziada khatarnak hota hai, kyunke woh saabit bhi hosakta hai.

Iske baad dunya mein hamari kaafi badnaami huwi. Log yahan ana pasand nahin kerte the. Balkay hamaray hamsaye mumaalik bhi kisi doosre bar-e-azam mein jaga talash kerne lage, ke in ke paas tau rehna hi fazool hai.

Aise mauke per hamein aik mustaqil mizaaaj aur daanishvar leader ki zaroorat thi, magr hamare naseeb mein Zulfikar Ali Bhutto tha. Jee han, wohi fitna jiska kuch deir pehle zikar huwa tha.

Bhutto aik choti soch ka chota admi tha. Uske khyal mein Musalmanon ki taqdeer roti, kapray aur makaan tak mehdood thi. Uske Pakistan mein mahlon aur takhton aur shehanshahi ki jaga nahin thi, hamari apni tareekh se marhoom kerdena chahta tha hamein.

Bhutto se pehle ham Roos se istimaal shuda hathyar mangaate hote the. Bhutto ne Roos se istimaal shuda nazariya bhi manga liya. Lekin istimaal shuda cheezein kam hi chalti hein, na kabhi woh hathyar chalay, naa nazariya.

Tamaam sanat zabt kerke sarkari khatay mein daal dee gayi. Sarmayakaari ki khoob aatma roli gayi, usko majaazi taur per dafna ker uski majaazi qabr per majaazi mujre kiye gaye.

Logon se unki zameenein cheen lee gayin, woh zameenein bhi jo unhon ne kisi aur ke naam likhwai huwi theen. Yeh zulmat nahin tau kya hai?

Ye Pakistan ki tareekh ka sab se tashvish naaq marhala tha. Aise mein qaumi salaamti ke liye agay barhay Hazrat General Zia-ul-Haq (Rehmatullah Aleh).

Unho ne Bhutto se hakoomat cheen li aur us per qaatil aur mulk dushman hone ke ilzamat laga diye.

Zia-ul-Haq ne qanoon ka ehtraam kerte huwe Bhutto ko adalat ka waqt zaya nahin kerne diya. Bus ilzaam ki bina per hi faisla le liya aur Bhutto ko phansi dilwa di. Is harkat ka qaum ne josh aur valvalay ke sath istiqbal kiya.

Hazrat Zia-ul-Haq Pakistanion ke liye aik namoona the, hamara matlab hai, misaali namoona. Unhon ne yahan shariat ka taaruf keraya. Hadd ke qawaneen lagaye. Nashabandi kerayi. Is iqdaam ka qaum ne hosh aur valvalay ke sath istiqbal kiya.

Un ke daur mein hamari fauj-al-azeem ne Roos per jangi fatah hasil ki. Roos Afghanistan mein jang larnay aya tha, usnay socha hoga ke yahan Afghanion se larayi hogi. Yeh uski khehmkhayali thi.

Is mauqe per shair ne khoob kaha he, “Tera joota hai Japani, ye bandooq Inglistaani, sir pe laal topi Roosi phir bhi jeet gaye Pakistani.”

Akhir afsos ke Islam ke is mujahid ke khilaf baahri taqatein saazish ker rehin theen. 1987 mein Yahood-o-Nasara ne inke jahaz mein se engine nikaal ker paani ka nalka laga diya. Is liyay parwaz ke duraan asmaan se gir para, aur toot ke choor hogya. Zia-ul-Haq bhi toot ke choor hogaye, aur Pakistan tootay bagheir choor hogya, kyunke hakoomat mein wapis agya Bhutto khandan.

Jaisa baap, waisi beti. Ikhtiyar mein aate hi Benazir ne is mulk ko woh loota, woh khaya, ke jo log Zia-ul-Haq ke daur mein bunglon mein rehaish pazeer thay, ab sarkon per rulnay lage.

Jald hi Benazir ko hakoomat se dhakel diya gya aur uski jaga bitha diya gya Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif ko. Lekin Mian Sahab zyada deir nahin beth sake, unhon ne agay kahin jaana tha shayid, aur kuch arsay baad Benazir wapis agayi. Benazir ka doosra daur-e-hakoomat mulk ke liye aur bura sabit huwa. Per ye abhi sabit ho hi raha tha ke unki hakoomat ko phir se khatam kerdiya gya. Aik martaba dobara Nawaz Sharif ko le aya gya. Is kutkhaanay ka qaum ne josh aur valvalay ke sath istiqbal kiya.

Han, Nawaz Sharif ne is dauran aik acha kaam zaroor kiya. Woh hamein atomi hathyaar de gya. Iske hote huwe hamein koi kuch nahin keh sakta tha. Iske balbotay per ham Dilli se le ker Dilli ka ird gird kuch bastion tak, kahin bhi hamlaa kersekte the. Agr aapko bhi log baatein banate hein, tang kerte hein; gher per, kaam per; tau atomi hathyaar bana lijiye. Khud hi baaz ajayenge.

Magr ye baat Amreeca ko pasand nahin ayi aur Nawaz Sharif unke sath woh taluqqaat na rakh paya jo ke aik Islami riyasat ke hone chahiyen (maslan Saudia weghera). Ooper se Mian Sahab ne Kargil operation ki bhi mukhalifat ki, halanke hamare se qasm uthwa lein jo Mian Sahab ko pata ho Kargil hay kahan.

Is buzdili ka saamna kerne aur Pakistan ko raah-e-raast per laane ka bojh ab aik aur General, Pervez Musharraf ke galay para. Aur woh is azmaish per poora utre. Unho ne aate sath qaum ka dil aur khazana loot liya.

Pervez Musharraf ka daur bhi taraqqi ka daur tha. Mulk mein bahir se bohut saara paisa aya, khaaskar Amreeka se.

Amreeka ko kisi Osama naami aadmi ki talash thi. Hum ne forun unhay dawat dee ke Pakistan aker dhoond len, yahan har doosre admi ka naam Osama hai. Musharraf Sahab ka apna naam Osama parte parte reh gya tha.

Musharraf Sahab ka daur insaaf ka daur tha. Koi nahin kehta tha ke insaaf nahin mil raha, blakay kehte the, ke itna insaaf mil raha hai ke samajh nahin ati is ke sath keren kya.

Magr unke khilaf bhi saazishi karwai shuro thi. Aik bhenge judge ne shor daal diya ke inhon ne qaum ke sath zyadti ki hai. Qaum bhi inki baaton mein aker samajhne lagi ke uske sath zyadti huwi hai.

Laug Musharraf ko kehne lagay ke verdi utaar do. Ab bhala ye kaisi nazayba darkhwaast hai. Waisy bhi verdi tau woh roz utaarte the, akhir verdi mein sotay tau nahin the.

Magr log mutmayin nahin huwe, verdi utaarni pari. Taakat chorni pari. Aam intikhabaat ka elaan kerna para.

Benazir Bhutto sahiba mulk wapis ayin lekin sehat theek na hone ke bais woh apne ooper jaan leva hamla nahin bardasht ker payin. Syasat mein jaan leva hamlay tau hote rehte hein, Musharraf sahab ne khud bohut jheelay, abhi tak zinda hein, yehi unki leadri ka saboot hai.

Phir bhi in intikhibaat mein jeet People’s Party ki hi huwi. Benazir ki bevaa, Asif Ali Zardari ko Sadar muntakhib kerdiya gya. Is se Party mein badla kuch nahin, farak itna para ke Benazir sirf baap ki tasveer laga ker taqreeb kerti thi, Zardari ko dau tasveerein lagani parti hein.

Ab Pakistan ke halaat phir bigarte ja rahay hein. Bijli nahin hai, gas nahin hai, aman-o-imaan nahin hai, iqitidar mein lootere bethe huwe hein, fauj phir se muntazir he ke kab awam pukaare aur kab woh aker muashre ki islaah keren.

Achay khaasay lagay huwe Martial Law ke darmyan jab jamhooriat nafiz hojati hai tau tamam nizam ulta seedha hojata hai. Pichli Islaah ka koi faida nahin rehta. Naye Siray se islaah kerni parti hai.

Abhi kuch hi roz pehle hi Sadar Zardari dil ke dauray per mulk se bahir gaye the. Peeche se sabiq-cricketer Imran Khan jalsay pe jalsa ker reha hai. Log kehte hein Imran Khan fauj ke sath mil ker hakoomat ko hatana chahta hai. Logon ke mooh mein ghee shakkar.

Sha’ir ne bhi Imran Khan ke baare mein kya khoob kaha hai, “Jab bhi koi verdi dekhun mera dil deewana bole, ole, ole, ole.” Umeed rakhen, jaisa log kehte hein waisa hi ho.

Aur is ke sath hamaray mazmoom ka waqt khatam huwa chahta hai. Hamein yaqeen hai is baat ka qaum josh aur valvalay ke sath istiqbal keraygi.

(Haseeb Asif is a student of literature in Lahore. He tweets as @haseebasif and blogs at Iblees.)

A well is a perfect place for frogs, especially when they are born there and have no idea about a bigger world out of the dark hole. It is a comfort zone to live a short life, reproduce and die. What a peaceful life and painless death they live! I wish I was a frog of the well, but then a little kiss of knowledge broke that dream.

Some frogs are quite intelligent than the others. The intelligent ones have an idea that there could be more frogs living in the same kind of well. I feel that this little knowledge is quite useful in making an imagination and using it to control lots of frogs sharing the same well.  The imagination of the other well is that frogs are living horrible lives there and we live in a blessed heaven. This imaginative fear prevents some frogs to jump into the bucket that sometimes descends and water is taken out of the well. The bucket is a part of imagination and sometimes used by the controlling frogs to punish the rebellious fellows. Rarely frogs return back to the well and the other fellows behave well for they do not want to be thrown out of this blessed hole. Perhaps the ones thrown out of the well go into the other wells and create their own kingdom.

We are human beings and we know what the frogs in the well may believe, I have noticed that the principle of living life on the surface and in the dark hole is not much different. The problem is that we live on the surface marked by lines and we call them national boundaries.  The lines are imaginary and they only appear on the page of a paper when someone draws them. We are not frogs, but we behave very much like them. We are not supposed to cross the boundaries and like frogs we have imaginative stories about people on the other side.  The strength of imaginary boundaries is more than the solid walls of a deep well.  In case of wells it is not a problem to hold the solid walls, but in case of imaginary boundaries there are more fearful laws required in order to control people.

I read the above proverb a few years ago, but never reflected myself through it. I thought that frogs are those who have never gone through institutionalized education system. How could my world view be so narrow, when I had received ‘education’ from ‘proper’ schools and universities in my country?  I would say that I had an opinion on the world, but I could not understand that the world was much bigger than what I had seen or read about.  As they say learning is a continuous process, I would add that largely the learning is oriented towards strengthening our existing opinion. I am not against making an opinion rather I say it is good to have some opinion, but one can avoid stamping the opinions as definite truth. I am one of those few frogs who struggled and moved out of the well. The perspective of reality changed and I found that the world is not what I imagined in the hole. People are much the same in their nature and they react in the same manner when imaginary fears are induced.

Now when I am sitting on the edge, I feel fear as a real misery of life. The world without this fear and control is a beautiful place to live, experience and explore. As long as we do not dare to jump in the bucket and desire to see the world, we are just miserable frogs of the well who may believe that the world is just a dark hole.

(The article has been first  published in the research newsletter of Univeristy of Birmingham)

Published Daily Times – November 23, 2011

The recent killing of Yemeni-American Imam, Anwar al-Awlaki, in a drone attack has brought to front the significance of Islamist propaganda in cyberspace and its effects on terror recruitment. Hundreds of sermons by Awlaki were available on the internet. He operated a Facebook page, ran a blog and was described as ‘Osama bin Laden of the internet’. His online influence has been linked with more than a dozen terror investigations including the Fort Hood shooting by Major Nidal Hasan and the Times Square bombing attempt by Faisal Shahzad.

The relationship between religious fundamentalism and technology has remained complicated. Religious fundamentalist movements have been widely described as reaction to modernity though the movements are themselves modern in nature. Hence there exists an inherent conflict where these movements reject the underlying notions of rationality, secular and scientific constituting modernity. On the other hand, these movements continue to appropriate modern symbols and technology to further their cause. Historically, fundamentalist movements vehemently opposed natural sciences and technology but that does not hold true anymore. As stated in a paper titled ‘Postmodern Conservatism and Religious Fundamentalism’ by Geoff Boucher, the fundamentalist movements of today harbour a selective, instead of a wholesome, hostility towards natural sciences and try to engage in an understanding of the world that remains compatible with the commercialised science of today encompassing applied sciences and technology. Hence, these movements hold a significant appeal among technical professionals such as engineers, doctor and lawyers. Carrying forward this correlation between technical education and fundamentalism, a 2009 study published in The European Journal of Sociology showed that engineers constitute 20 percent of all Islamist militant organisations, a value remarkably greater than the expected 3.5 percent figure.

One of the striking features within Islamist propaganda is the appropriation of post-modern criticism of modernity. As many observers would be familiar, this appropriation is not just limited to a critique of science. Islamists make a very effective use of post-colonial discourse in order to attack the ‘west’ and reject liberal democracy. During this process, they portray themselves as anti-imperialists and present political Islam as an alternative to ‘western democracy’. A similar attitude has been adopted towards science, which, manifesting itself through technology in a globalised world, threatens their traditional ethos and beliefs.

I recently came across an Urdu article available on an online Islamist journal. It was originally published in a monthly journal named Sahil from Karachi and strives to ‘expose’ the reality of scientific method, which remains, as per the editor, ‘irreligious’, ‘worldly’, ‘greedy’ and ‘jealous’ in nature. The article starts with an introduction of the inductive method of reasoning and takes on the classical ‘Problem of Induction’ that has perplexed philosophers such as David Hume since enlightenment. Karl Popper’s attempt to go around the problem through his ‘Criterion of Falsifiability’ is discussed to imply that science remains a crude hit and trial method of accumulating knowledge. Moving forward to the post-modern critique of science, the article cites Thomas Kuhn’s ‘The Structures of Scientific Revolutions’ to introduce the concept of ‘paradigm shift’ and the role played by personal bias while formulating conclusions based upon scientific data. This post-modern critique serves as an easy vehicle for the author to claim that science remains an ideological, subjective and relative form of knowledge that may not claim any objectivity and superiority over other forms of knowledge. This selective use of critique is then used to jump some wild conclusions; since scientists cannot know anything for sure, they make up hypothesis to obtain research grants and that science is itself a religion. The author refers to the post-modern critics as ‘western philosophers’, hence making sure that science and its criticism both remain foreign and ‘western’ ideas that an Islamist discourse can easily reject.

Such attempts by Islamist writers always remain selective and agenda-driven. These writers gladly appropriate post-modern ideas to deconstruct scientific method but never apply the same critique to their own foundationalist set of beliefs. These fundamentalists find the demolition of a grand narrative that claimed progress through science convenient but never ponder upon the irony that their own project of ruling the world under a strict religious code remains another of the grand narratives. Moreover, the plurality espoused by post-modernism, due to its relativism and acceptance of multiple truths, remains strange to these Islamists claiming the ownership of absolute truth. The most evident irony lying in the fact that they are using the fruits of modern science to put forward their message is obviously lost upon them.

The writer is a Lahore-based engineer and an activist volunteering with Institute for Peace and Secular Studies. He can be contacted at awais.masood@gmail.com

I will not hide and I will not cover

Let the world face my truth

I am the life and I am the lover

I am living and that’s the truth

No god, no rules and no fear

Fake is your world,

Of honour, respect and dignity

Let my body feel the sun

Not the burning gaze for your play and fun

The revolution has yet to deliver

My freedom, my desires and my truth

Not submission to your laws,

But a fight to avail my only chance.

I am the life and I am the lover

I am living and that’s the truth.

by Sonia Wahab

These are the last words of Sarfaraz Shah, murdered in cold blood by six paramilitary rangers in Karachi. There is very little known to us that how this video was shot so closely and how it got a chance to spread so quickly through electronic media. Usually, the military incidents are kept highly confidential from public viewing and most of the time any activity of military rangers is never made available to the public media. It is becoming harder with the emerging advanced technology to control the information recording tools. The recording of Sarfarz Shah’s daylight murder is an alarming point for our institutions to consider their actions as the evidence can be made available. Now the technology has empowered people to share their views and bring their realities forefront.

The incident recorded clearly shows that six people from Pakistan paramilitary rangers who were fully armed, captured a young boy and on gun point they forced him to get in to an open space of the park. In this complete footage of 1 minute and 20 seconds Sarfarz Shah seemed begging for his life and fluttering like a Qurbani ka Bakra. The killers had no emotions on their faces and it seemed as if they all knew what they had to do. I don’t know the reason why this video clip reminded me exactly the time when every year we sacrifice animals on Eid day. I could feel a similar sense of determination and power in those eyes of butcher and those who force the animal lie down and then say ‘takbeer’. The nervousness and screams of Sarfarz were exactly like an animal who knows that there is no escape but one could at least beg for mercy. The scene of blood showering on the floor and a living body writhing in pain is not very unfamiliar to us. We see once every year how the animal bleed to death and in the mean while the butchers just stand there and wait when the animal shudder its body as a last sign of life. The surrounding is just filled with painful scream and nobody steps forward for help…

The last words of Sarfaraz Shah uttered in pain get recorded in the camera and we could hear and see that the young boy struggled for life until last few moments of his life. He still had hope that the killers had shot not to kill him and he could be saved with some quick medical aid. The last few seconds of the video ends with his cries for mercy to take him at least to the hospital and then he collapses on the ground all filled with his blood… again it resembles a site of animal sacrificed who could still smell the stench of its own fresh blood and perhaps expects mercy from those who stands there and watch the show.

According to the reports, Sarfaraz Shah was escaping from the rangers after committing some robbery. The military rangers caught him and the directives given were to shoot the criminals on the spot. In a media report it has been clarified by a military official that no man of rangers could shoot an unarmed man and the only fatal shot would be in their self-defense. In this clip Sarfaraz Shah is unarmed and visibly asking for mercy for life before bullet shots and then for medical aid before dying. The animals of sacrifice have no rights to life and medical aid when they are on alter, but at least human beings should be given this last chance. There are just little differences that separate crime and criminals from law and justice. We quite often forget to abhor crime not the criminal knowing the fact that capital punishments are still practiced in our system of law and justice. As I have learned from the lessons of civilization, the value of life and human blood is never so cheap. Although I know that we honor death in certain circumstances but life in itself is a biggest honor bestowed upon every living being with complete rights on it. I agree that sometimes human beings are vicious in taking this chance from others, but what difference lies if we still practice a decadent principle of a life for a life. As a nation we have seen a lot of bloodshed and have wasted many lives in just honoring death. I think that we should learn now that there is nothing valuable than a human being’s life and we should stop valorizing death in any form.

Just three weeks and a few warm-up revenge ventures later, reportedly 15-20 Taliban militants stormed Pakistan’s naval air force headquarters on May 22. An overnight battle ensued and lasted till early office hours next day, enabling our overzealous media to make a boatload of money. However, this was a cowardly act, as rightfully pointed out by our dear Prime Minister:

“Such a cowardly act of terror could not deter the commitment of the government and people of Pakistan to fight terrorism”^[1]

It was as spineless as their attack on the Military GHQ in Rawalpindi back in October 2009. However, one cannot help but wonder as to what would qualify as audacious.

Anyhow, apart from the usual, they also managed to blow up two of our recently acquired P-3C Orion aircraft, which were supposedly bought to gain “a control capability over land against transnational terrorists and narcotics smugglers.” ^[2] Now this has American conspiracy written all over it. How could Lockheed or DSCA have failed to mention that this aircraft is utterly useless against domestically bred terrorists? A point categorically made and empirically proven by TTP in their latest assault. However, here we cannot blame our drunkard generals (or admirals in this case) who may have misread the specifications printed on the box. We all know how hard it is to procure quality liquor in this country and who in his right mind can resist the free open bar at the Lockheed Sales Office specially designated for customers from Muslim countries?^[x] These Americans are devious I tell you.

In view of keeping our escapist tradition alive, one can rudely point out that if they were so worthless, why bother? Well, they were not worthless; they were a marvel of sheer technological beauty despite their apparent shortcoming – but more on that later. And fortunately enough, we are yet to receive six more of these aircraft by 2012. Yes, we generously ordered eight P-3C Orion aircrafts back in Nov, 2004 for a measly sum of $970 million.^[2]

By way of background, these land-based maritime patrol aircraft were originally introduced in the 1960s during the Cuban Missile Crisis and are among the most elderly still in service with over 14 million hours of collective service time proudly under their belt.^[3][4] But now the US is having a hard time keeping these old buggers in air. So, US Naval Air System Command commissioned Lockheed with $81.2 million just for ‘enhanced special structural inspections’ and maintenance of its P-3 fleet. These inspections are considered vital to keep these aircrafts flying safely as they reach the end of their airframe lives. ^[5] Some imprudent analysts also consider this gem of a technology to be merely used in a ‘stopgap capacity’ until the next generation replacement becomes available. ^[6]

India, our nemesis, leading monster of our recurrent national nightmares, displayed the usual penny-pinching in this case. They initially only showed interest in buying two such aircraft, (duh, buying anything below half a dozen looks so shameful) and then unabashedly cancelled the deal for its expense, support costs and timing^[7] – I say, typical Hindu mentality. And now they are pretending to buy a few Boeing P8I aircrafts, supposedly next generation MMA (Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft), expected to be operational around 2012-2014.^[8] They say P8I will replace P-3 Orion series around the world. Well, not ours, unless we like the curves of its tail, or our home grown fanatics punctually blow up the rest of the P-3Cs as they arrive.

Now one should be able to appreciate our love for classical war machines by the amount we have so generously spent on these aircraft so far. We started with a $970 million deal in 2004, then requested “40 AGM-84L (air-launched) and 20 RGM-84L (surface-launched) Grade B Canister HARPOON Block II missiles”^[9] partly to equip these aircraft along with their predecessors P-3B aircraft that we have (oh dear lord! my earnest apologies for this lapse of memory, these P-3B PMAs are a beauty even more splendid, but I’ll resist my urge to digress here). We were still not satisfied with the paint job on some of these missiles, so we ordered an upgrade of a mere $15.8 million for 10 of them. Then we ordered some more missiles and other assorted accessories for another $370 million in 2006. In Jan 2007, our first aircraft was polished and ready to be handed over to us, but they chose to keep it for a while and we gladly paid them for taking care of it. However, by now we had realized that they still lacked that oomph factor and had obsolete radar technology, so, with the uncompromising attitude that is one of our national characteristics, we got them upgraded too, this time for just around $186.5 million. After that, over the course of the next three years, we spent a few more hundred million dollars just to shape these little rascals up until, in Jan 2010, our second aircraft was ready to be handed over. We wept in joy. The momentous day dawned and the US Navy handed over these two refurbished aircraft on 30^th April 2010 and on 1^st Jun 2010 we finally, ever so lovingly, inducted them at PNS Mehran.^[9] But before these baby boomers could see their first birthday in Pakistan, 51^st internationally (roughly speculated), they were mercilessly ripped apart by bearded bazookas in the shadows of a humid night.

After going through this heartfelt tale myself, I have come to realize that it was not the Americans’ fault, neither the drunkenness of our generals (or admirals in this case). Alas, all we have to blame for this fiasco is our blind love, and forlorn we stand in it.

In the end, without further pun and verbosity, even under a prudent estimate we have spent at least more than $1.5 billion on these archaic aircraft alone, two of which were blown to smithereens by TTP militants in a single night. For a rough comparison, just to put it in perspective, consider the total amount we allocated for education and health combined in 2009-2010 as a country: a staggering $0.64 billion.

I realize that I have titled this article ‘Blood and Money’ but as you know, blood comes extremely cheap in comparison to all this in our land of the pure, so it is only wasteful to spend time and energy on its loss. It is merely there for dramatic effect.

[1] – http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/23/loud-explosion-heard-near-paf-museum.html
[2] – http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2004/Pakistan_05-07.pdf
[3] – http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=1100&tid=1400&ct=1
[4] – http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/lockheed-opens-wing-production-line-to-keep-p3-orions-flying-01534/
[5] – http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/812m-to-help-keep-p3-fleet-flying-0561/
[6] – http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/india-leases-two-p3cs-for-133m-01492/
[7] – http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/indias-navy-holding-maritime-patrol-aircraft-competition-updated-01991/
[8] – http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/india-leases-two-p3cs-for-133m-01492/
[9] – http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Pakistans-P-3-Orions-05972/
[x] – http://www.brasstacks.pk/

I want to talk about it and I want to open this topic for discussion. Before I start, I applaud the initiatives taken to provide better living opportunities to transgender community. Still we are far behind in accepting and letting the transgender community to be a part of the larger community. I think as humans and citizens of Pakistan, they all have the right to same education as other children. I must say it is a matter of inclusive education. But the big question to be thought about; is our society prepared for including the transgender community in mainstream schools? I don’t think so. My point is that only accepting that the particular community has rights, does not necessarily give them the rights. There is a need to change our attitude and behaviors toward the community, which has to be a societal change. We have to stop demoralizing them, considering them as objects of mockery, subject to demeaning and start treating them as HUMANS.  Let us also think that do our religions allow this kind of negative behavior toward other humans or is that we don’t consider them as humans because they’re not physically normal like us? Have we ever thought that the transgender community is sexually abused by physically normal humans?

Similarly, don’t we have gays and lesbians in Pakistan? Closing eyes to a problem or not having discussions about it, doesn’t mean that the problem doesn’t exist. There are reports by the United Nations that highlight the agony many male children go through in few areas (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/248219.stm). One of my Pakistan friends said and I quote, “USA is a secular country but Pakistan is an Islamic country and this is not allowed.” I agree with her too. I know that in our society, where declaring your sexual orientation as gay is subject to punishment by law. Therefore, people having different sexual orientation than heterosexuality will never accept it. But this does not mean that we don’t have gay community in Pakistan. For instance, the report I referred to shows how male children are sexually molested by adult males. This is a gay behavior. If not convinced, well then what such websites as this one shows; http://www.gayegypt.com/pakfregayper.html or stories about lesbians in Pakistan (see http://www.npr.org/2011/01/17/132711102/pakistans-lesbians-live-in-silence-love-in-secret). Think of the misery that this community is going through. It is not about their misery only but also the way a forceful heterosexual marriage can ruin lives of humans involved in the act. Fatima (pseudonym: Read the whole story from the above npr.org link) got married to a male, following the religious and societal norms but fell in love with another female after 6-months of marriage and got divorce. An acquaintance of mine got married and found on her wedding night that her husband was gay. She got the divorce. But she was stamped as a “divorcee” and our society unfortunately does not accept them too. Though she married again but was divorced again, this time with a child in her womb. I must say she is brave as being a single-parent to her son.  Just think how many lives were affected in these two forceful marriages. Believe me; this isn’t going to stop at any given point.

There can be and will be hundreds of such stories that call for considering a reorientation of our society. It is the time that I think we should talk about it, about sexual orientation and issue related to gender and sexuality. We cannot stop our children from getting exposed to such aspects of human behaviors through internet and media. Therefore, it is the need of the hour that we talk and discuss what our children read and watch as educationists, parents and policy makers. I would end my thoughts by borrowing conclusion from my friend’s article (whom I much appreciate for being a listener to all my frustrations). He wrote “We should ask: How do we best reach kids, how do we defeat for them, before they start, oppressive and cruel socializations? Redirecting the focus in this way would also make moot the need for painful and pragmatically problematic explorations of our abilities, as adults, to reprogram our attitudes and actions away from our (decades of) socialization. Ultimately, after all, citations, talks, papers, conferences, protests, case studies, books, and any other work we put in is rather irrelevant if today’s and tomorrow’s children will pick up these adult conversations where we left off, and see that we were egocentric and inefficient enough to have left the mess to them.”

Please wake up– Don’t just watch– think and discuss about it!

The writer is a PhD Scholar at Michigan State University and a Lecturer at Fatima Jinnah Women University, Pakistan

Interesting claim that han! Well, born in an orthodox Christian family, brought up in a very traditional system, going church regularly and o yes! Singing in choir and participating in Christmas and Easter programs as well. My parents were blessed Christians and wanted their children to be like them too. They struggled hard to be a role model for my siblings and me. I truly appreciate their efforts and acknowledge that they didn’t fail. All of us believe in the word of God and strive to live our lives accordingly. People belonging to various faiths who belief in oneness of God, have always been against idol worshipping and there are instances stated in the Holy Scriptures where God forbids us not to worship any idol. For instance, a major part of Christian faith is based on the Ten Commandments revealed to Hazrat Musa (Mosses) by the Almighty. The Bible clearly states, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Exodus; 20:4). And I strongly believe in this commandment. Still I consider myself to be an idol worshiper. How? You will know as you read this article.

What is an idol? The three main web definitions are: 1) a material effigy that is worshipped- the religious one that I defined in the above paragraph; 2) someone who is adored blindly and excessively; and 3) paragon an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept. I would try to exemplify the second and third definition by saying that “Romanticizing places and people, materialism and loving someone” well-fit in these definitions. How these all fit to be idols? Simple none of these respond back as you expect them to. Have you ever observed anyone worshipping an idol? They just keep on sharing their wishes with the idol with a hope that it is listening and it will respond, but it doesn’t because it is an idol.

Let’s take all these things one by one. Before I do that, I think the third definition of idol is suitable for both romanticism and materialism because these both are ideal instances which we desire to have.

First, romanticizing places and people; is it idol worshipping? Yes, it is indeed. I spend so much of my valuable time thinking about the places where I have been with someone, just making myself happy about that particular time and wishing time to have stopped or may repeat it. I wish, value and pray at times more than those places, people or particular situation really require; which tends to make me forget that romanticism promotes impractical ideals and attitudes. What do I get? Hurtful memories, which many times increase my anxiety rather than comforting me. But romanticism doesn’t help and never responds because it is an idol and idols don’t wish and value what I wish and value.

Materialism, hmmm ! a desire to possess wealth and material with little interest in ethical and spiritual matters. What does this idol give me? A status quo- people in my community respect me because I have a social status, expensive car to drive, a large palace cum bungalow to live or I may end up in having nothing but some or many unfulfilled desires. Whole of my life is spent in worshipping materialism but what do I receive? A false respect that may end if I lose every material thing that I possess or a struggling life running after worldly desires. Does worshipping materialism help? No, because it is an idol and it doesn’t possess worldly desires as I do.

The last but not the least I hope; the person I love.  Of course he is a human. No doubts about that. This idol fits the second definition that defines an idol to be adored blindly and excessively. I adore him and show care for him. He also likes spending time with me. I sent dozens of emails daily to tell him that I miss him and I have been thinking of him. I call him, send him text messages, and do many other things to show that I really care. But I am worshipping an idol. He never feels what I feel and he never does and says things that make me realize that he cares too. Why doesn’t that person respond? Because he is an idol and idols don’t feel and show care I as do.

I would like to share a Buddhist’s notion told by someone, not to proselytize but to support my argument. He said and I quote, “We are often the agents of our greatest misery.”  Now I agree when I realize all these idols I have been worshipping and adding up to my misery.

We all have these idols in our lives and there could be many more besides these three. The reason I thought of discussing them explicitly in this article because we all need to realize that idols don’t respond no matter how much we worship them; it is a never-ending crave. We usually don’t realize the love of God for us and start worshipping idols who don’t have anything to offer in real sense. Their worship makes us more anxious and makes us realize what we don’t have rather than what we have. We can never show our gratitude to people that we have in our lives and materials that we possess. We tend to love all these idols unquestioningly and uncritically; deeply and excessively. What should we do??

While writing this article, I continuously thought about the last paragraph and what I would be doing after realizing my misery and anxiety. I am mature enough to understand all this stuff. To be honest, deep in my heart I know that I might not run after worldly materials but I would go back to that place where I dined or walked and romanticize it and I will still love that person, even though he might not respond. Believe me God knows His creation called Human well. He is gracious enough to over look our minor desires but yes, excessiveness of everything is usually damaging. Romanticizing places and people or situations or loving someone or even having desires for worldly things not necessarily add to my misery. They only do when I pay them attention more than they really deserve. WHY to pay them attention or romanticize? Because I am an idol worshipper not an idol; I have emotions and I respond.

The writer teaches at Fatima Jinnah Women Univerity, Rawalpindi and is currently pursuing a doctorate at  Michigan State University, USA

Kohsar market seems to be flickering back to life, but an unmistakable aura of dread and apprehension persists. This was the site of the tragic assassination that took place on the 4th of January. I visited the market yesterday, and it is no longer the place I recall. According to an employee at the Gloria Jeans cafe, the shop has lost much of its business since the attack. Many important customers (including Shereen Rehman, or so he claimed) haven’t returned since.

The moderate voices are being drowned by the cacophony of religious hate-mongers. It seems that the mullahpocalypse is finally upon us, and it’s a threat possibly greater than anything we’ve ever faced…and this is coming from a nation that has recently had three-fifths of its surface inundated by floods. We’re heading for a point where Qadris of this country are going to start shooting teenagers for playing loud music in public, and the Pakistani masses, being the Einsteins that they are, will applaud the killings because the teenagers had been “openly defying Allah’s law”. They will not use their brains to figure out whether the punishment fits the crime..or if a punishment is even prescribed! They’ll just nod mindlessly.

There is substantial support for the killer, and these supporters are making every possible effort to hinder the deliverance of justice. And I’m not talking about a small group of ignoramuses, but a clear majority of the Pakistani public is of the opinion that Mr. Taseer’s murder was understandable, if not fully justified.. Most of them are of the opinion that if the  that is treating the killer as a hero. Ghazi, is what they’re calling him. This shows that Qadri was only the tip of the iceberg. The dagger of Islamism has penetrated way deeper into this country’s bosom.

On the 12th of January, a Christian woman and her mother were brutally beaten by a self-proclaimed aashiq-e-rasool mob that broke into their home, on charges of blasphemy. And what evidence did they possess to prove such an allegation? The word of a Muslim woman who had had a dispute with the Christian woman earlier that day.

At what point in the history of Pakistan did people decide to stop using their God-gifted frontal cortices?

A few days, while parked outside a market in Rawalpindi, I was approached by a number of persistent vendors offering merchandise like balloons, books, toys etc. I shooed them all away. But then came an equally stubborn man selling small plaques with Quranic verses engraved onto them. He hovered behind the car window, refusing to go away. His tone was acerbic, unbefitting of a good salesperson. But not only did I buy a plaque from him, but paid him way too much. Why? Because in this country, you never know when and where a devotee (or a plain miscreant) is going to slap with you a blasphemy charge. If people here can get charged for throwing  Muhammad Faizan’s sales card into the bin, I see no reason why I can’t be charged for refusing to buy a plaque of Quranic verses.

I read the report yesterday by Baroness Warsi on how prejudice against Muslims has become a norm in UK. It is absolutely tragic, but with scores of Muslims around the world supporting people like Qadri and Anjem Choudary, does this prejudice come as a surprise? It’s becoming increasingly difficult for the  moderate Muslims to defend their own faith and demand that they be left alone to live their lives in peace. We’re at a point where Muslims need to cease conveniently blaming everything from Israel to the United States, and consider their own faults for a change.

It is time for some solemn introspection..