The Only Way forward

Image via Wikipedia As someone who has somehow modest experience in management, I can say without an iota of doubt that the survival of Pakistan lies in unbiased and frank assessment of current state of affairs and then taking a rational course of action. In management whenever we come across any challenge we confront it by taking account of strengths and weaknesses within our organisation. As managers our efforts are almost entirely based upon understanding our immediate and remote environments in which we operate. If we have strengths then we take all important measures to turn this new situation into an opportunity and maximise profits. If we do not have necessary attributes to confront new situation, then we try to either neutralise threat or to make necessary changes to minimise its negative impacts on our business. But an important thing to remember is as managers we have to evaluate our environment without any bias or prejudice. As we know it very well that tempering with evaluation by replacing facts with fictions or personal whims and prejudices render it inaccurate and biased. If implemented it would be a disaster for any business.
Pakistan as a society has failed to assess its environment realistically and result of which it has been repeating same mistake over and over again. And they are bent on making same mistake on the issue of Wikileaks revelations. Irrespective of its contents majority of Pakistanis think it is west’s conspiracy against Pakistan in particular and Muslim world in general. Because their assessment is biased therefore either they dismiss it altogether or make a wrong decision to tackle it. Decision would be wrong because it is A- based upon personal biases and prejudice and B- has failed to incorporate operational or inherent strengths and weaknesses. And this is not limited to Wikileaks unfortunately this unrealistic approach can be seen in every other situation such as terrorism, blasphemy, sectarianism, violence, women rights issues, natural disasters so far and so forth.
The best way forward is to take a break from old ways of assessing situation and make a fresh start. Some basic rethinking is involved in making fresh start. These include:
1- Pakistan is not centre of this world.
2- World is not against us.
3- We are part of this world and do not and cannot live in isolation.
4- Every Pakistani is equal irrespective of class, creed, sex or religion.
5- We have to work along other countries to achieve our national goals.
6- We should recognise our size and power before making any decision.
7- Fully aware of our strengths and weaknesses.
8- Anyone having different point of view cannot necessarily be an Israeli, Indian, American or foreign agent. He/she is as patriotic as anyone else.
9- Do away with anything that stops or hinders progress either by making it private or reject it altogether.
10- Sanctity of human life should be given prime importance.
I certainly believe that if Pakistanis start taking unbiased and realistic approach towards any political or social issue they will start making good decisions which in turns leads to the path of bright and successful future.

Let Us Join Human race

Image via Wikipedia If there is anything positive that has come out of current public debate on death penalty of Aasia Bibi on blasphemy charges, it ruptured the ostensibly thick and immutable veneer of rightist argument that there was unanimity among all sections of religious elements on death penalty of blasphemy. Now a very sizeable and serious section of religious elements has come forward with challenging views on present state of blasphemy laws in Pakistan. Interestingly, all those who are opposed to any change or repealing of this inhuman and obnoxious act from the statue book belong to politico-religious parties. And those in favour of changes or repealing of this act have no vested interests or have little or no political stakes.
Apart from that Pakistani media especially electronic media with exceptions of few have been dominated by rightist views. People with orthodox, out-dated and oft-repeated views have been given more air time and have never been taken to task by asking strong probing questions. It seems it is an exercise to strengthen the status quo and stifle any voice which prompts someone to think out of the box. If you want to win an argument it has been the most effective and common practice to quote some Hadith or Quaranic verse in favour of your argument and nobody would dare to oppose you. It would normally not because he/she does not want to oppose you but only because of fear of his/her life. It is because rationality and religion are mutually exclusive. Or should I say sanity and religion do not mix very well.
I have always been of the view that if you bring something in public you must accept the public scrutiny. If you want to protect or preserve something then keep it safely away from public domain. Therefore if you bring your religion in to political or public sphere then you must have strong defence. Religion should be subject to same parameters that we normally use to dissect any other social phenomenon. Anywhere in the world when societies tried to stop the clock of evolution on religion after making it political it morphed into a source of great destruction.
Religion is a human experience and let it be this way. It was a great event in common history of human beings but clock did not stop there. It has moved on, we are evolutionary beings our economics, our science, our industry, our culture, our language in fact every facet of our life is evolutionary. There is nothing constant in this world and religion is no exception. Therefore let us embrace big wide world and become the part of human race that is our true identity. Let us preserve human race by preserving human life.

Let Us Make a Difference

Yet another Aasia Bibi convicted of blasphemy and condemned to death by hanging. While reading this news piece I was looking for a surprise. Something unusual, extraordinary and thought provoking debate followed by concerted efforts from all sections of Pakistani society to make a difference. To stand up and say good bye to old ways, shun the past bigotries and march in a new and refreshing direction. But as usual there is not a single voice of change. Not even a feeble one. Pakistani media particularly television anchors who claim ad nauseum to be the harbinger of change could not muster courage to ask right probing questions. Some days back when ‘true Muslims’- according to Minister of Tourism- Taliban butchered Ahmadi Muslims in Lahore in the middle of their Friday prayer in their mosque no one bothered to question the validity and usefulness of the concept of an Islamic state. You will not be able to get to any where if you are keep on asking wrong questions. It does not matter how many times or in how much louder tone. It would only generate more confusion and chaos.
You want to develop a society based on the concept of equality then how on earth you can achieve such a lofty goal if your underlying principle discriminates people in ‘us’ and ‘them’. This is as simple as I said. For the last sixty odd years we have been treading on beaten path. Repeating mistake after another mistake and finding ourselves foolishly surprised to have same dreadful outcomes. How many more years do we need to know that in order to develop a peaceful society we need to have a concept that is inclusive not exclusive. A concept that can bring people together. A principle that does not divide people in ‘us’ and ‘them’ but says ‘we the people’. This can only be achieved if we decide to change our direction. If we make a resolve that we are not going to repeat that same foolish mistakes. We are committed to select a different path. Let us say once and for all that survival of Pakistan is in secularism as it is the only concept that is inclusive. It treats everyone equally and without any discrimination. Everyone is equal in the eyes of law and honour is for those who contribute towards the economic well being of his/her fellow citizens. If we managed to do this we can get our rightful place among humanity and that decision will make all the difference.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference
(The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost, 1915)

Que Cera Cera: Haan Magar Tere Siwa Tere Siwa Tere Siwa

Que Cera Cera: Haan Magar Tere Siwa Tere Siwa Tere Siwa

Haan Magar Tere Siwa Tere Siwa Tere Siwa

Let us be honest with one another. We are a nation who has been taught distorted histories. We have been inculcated with absurd notions of religious pride. For us the source of honour and pride is not based upon once contribution towards humanity but how religious one can be. Everything we see around the world we see it with religious angle and more often we see a plot and conspiracy against our religion. In our social values we attribute great value to so called family pride. In our social values we hardly debate why there is complete lack of sanctity of human life in our society? We kill our daughters and sons in order to save our family pride. We destroy public and private business to protect our religious pride. We protest vehemently against foreign invasion and killing at the hands of foreign solidiers but keep a criminal silence when we kill our own people. Whole country protested angrily at the killing at Data Darbar but there was deafening silence at brutal murder of 95 Ahmedis at Ahmedi Mosque in Lahore.
Let us be honest there is ‘something’ within us which robbed sense of fair play and honesty in us. That ‘something’ has reduced us to mere hypocrites. This ‘something’ has deformed our thinking faculties and we strive and act only to protect this foreign ‘something’ in us. Over the years this ‘something’ has grown bigger and bigger and its appetite for human blood is now insatiable. Unless we recognise this evil within us this madness and bloodshed will never ever be stopped. This evil is religious extremism. This extremism so pervasive, it crept into our ordinary life. It forced us to change how we value our fellow citizens, how to greet them, how to share our sorrows and happiness with them. We forgot to help the fallen one in the time of their needs all because those fallen ones happened to be Ahmedi Muslims. We fail to register our anger when Christian villages were being torched and people were being burnt alive. We turned away when Imam Barghas were being bombed and mourners of Hazrat Imam Hussain were being slaughtered in broad day light. Now this extremism turned Data Nagri in to valley of death and still we are unable to locate the problem. We point fingers towards outsiders sometimes calling them ‘Pakistan ke dushmin’ and sometime labelling them ‘Islam dushmin’.
Let us be honest for our own survival and accept categorically that this problem exist inside ourselves. We are the problem and only we can solve it. Unless we change ourselves we cannot change anything. First and foremost thing that we have to do is accept the notion that all Pakistanis are equal. Honour is only for those who contribute towards the scientific, economical or social well being of fellow Pakistanis. From now on sanctity of human life will be given prime importance in our society. We will never entertain any kind of violence legal or illegal in our society. Pakistan as country is for Pakistanis not only for Muslims. State of Pakistan should be renamed into Democratic Republic of Pakistan and religion must be a personal matter.
If we could do this then I can see a ray of light at the end of tunnel. On the other hand I dread the day when we will be telling this story . First they came for secular and rationalists I did not object because I was not a secular or rationalist. Then they came for Hindu it did not bother me as I was not a Hindu. Then they came for Christians I kept my quiet because I was not a Christian but an ordinary Pakistani. After sometime they came for Shias. I did not stop them as I was an ordinary Pakistani not a shia. Recently they came for Brelivis. I did not do anything because I was not a Brelivi. Then they came for ordinary Pakistanis and when I looked around there was no one to defend me.
Tere Azar ka chara nahin nishtar ke siwa
Aur ye suffaaq maseeha mere qabze mein nahin
Is jahan ke kisi ze roh ke qabze mein nahin
Haan magar tere siwa tere siwa tere siwa

Hum Jo Tareek RahooN pay Ma-ray Gaiy

Hypocritical Mourners

If you have seen Taliban apologists like right-wing media outlets and Islamic parties in Pakistan, you must have seen them justifying Taliban atrocities by claiming them as justified reactions to drone attacks in tribal areas of Pakistan. Therefore according to their flawed arguments if Ahmedis decided to take up arms against Sunni fundamentalists Ahmedis would justified to do so.