NOTHING IS SACRED

In Pakistan, corruption seems to have become a way of life. However, even this jaded country has been appalled at the corruption that has hit hard the sacred act of pilgrimage, with the Hajj scandal unfolding in all its bitter irony. The government’s ministry of religious affairs (RA) is under fire, and rightly so. The 25,000 pilgrims who made it to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan for Hajj this year were not just inconvenienced by the lack of proper arrangements; they were left in a state of disgrace. Accommodation promised by the RA ministry consisted of some five maktabs that would not be located further than two kilometres from the Holy Kaaba. However, the poor Hajis who had paid for the privilege of the government’s Hajj scheme were given accommodation some three to eight kilometres away; in Mina they were not even provided with tents. It is reported that the RA ministry made a hefty amount of money from the Hajis by taking cash for accommodation and facilities that they were not providing. It is shameful for the country that the Saudi government has now felt the need to compensate for the misery suffered by the poor men and women who were carrying out a pious duty. The Saudis are providing 250 riyals per pilgrim for the non-provision of tents and compensation for the money embezzled by Pakistani officials.

The prime minister and president may have ordered probes into this matter that has damaged Pakistan’s image and Pakistan-Saudi relations. However, it is the prime minister’s call for the Foreign Office to handle all Hajj arrangements and organising of the pilgrims’ necessities that is noteworthy as this may serve to rectify in future the ills witnessed this year. There are reports that Saudi Prince Bandar bin Khalid bin Abdul Aziz sent a letter to the Chief Justice asking him to take note of the sham occurring in the name of the government’s Hajj scheme.

After this debacle, the ministry of religious affairs and its officials ought to be kept away from anything to do with this holy rite. As a matter of fact, so badly have they tarnished the country’s reputation that Prime Minister Gilani has given the RA Minister, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, a shut up call after Science and Technology Minister Azam Khan Swati said that without Kazmi’s connivance no corruption would have been possible by other officials. Former Director General Hajj Rao Shakeel was arrested by the FIA when initial reports of the pilgrims’ suffering broke out and his physical remand has just been extended. While the blame game goes on, with Kazmi stubbornly denying any part in the looting of the Hajis and officials pointing fingers at him and each other, the poor pilgrims are now returning after a sorry experience. For many of these ill-fated Hajis, they may never be able to make the pilgrimage again and their loss is irreversible. All those who have made these innocent men and women suffer must be brought to book for the mockery they have made of the religion, the people and their trust.

Whilst many suffered, a lucky few were given enviable privileges. Apparently, Interior Minister Rehman Malik charters a special Hajj flight every year for friends and their family members. Needless to say, these people enjoy the priciest of facilities. However, this year PIA has had to pay a hefty fine of 200,000 riyals to the Saudis because the flight failed to follow the Hajj flight schedule. It does not take a genius to guess that the public exchequer will be funding this abuse of office.

AASIA BIBI, BLASPHEMY, & CHIEF JUSTICE

The general apathy towards Pakistan’s minorities has invited harsh criticism and verbal castigation from the international community, with Pope

Benedict XVI and Amnesty International urging the country to release her immediately. The sentencing to death for the first time of a woman under the controversial Blasphemy Law is sullying Pakistan’s image. The entire world is appalled at this travesty and human rights activists are up in arms to get Aasia’s sentence overturned.

Aasia’s case has drawn such severe criticism that the president has personally looked into this sentence that was delivered by a lower court. There is even talk of a presidential pardon, of the kind that was granted to Rehman Malik some months back. However, in this case, the pardon seems absolutely apt. Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer visited Aasia in jail on Saturday to get her signature on a mercy appeal to the president. The Governor promised to intercede on her behalf with the president. Not only could this be the outcome of the glare of the international media and rights groups but also because of the repercussions of being accused under the Blasphemy Law. Aasia’s case is set for an appeal in the High Court. But, like many cases before this, even if appeals do bear fruit, the accused have been killed outside the courts or in their homes. The president may very well have the foresight to see this eventuality and, hence, there is talk of a premature pardon, even before the judicial process is complete.

In another example of the state of our minorities, an attack on an Ahmedi house of worship on Eid day is cause for alarm. There is some doubt whether the worship place was intended to be targeted or whether it was two gangs exchanging fire outside, but the terror and panic generated betrays the sorry fact that minorities — real or declared — live in constant fear of their lives.

The social attitudes, prejudiced laws and intolerant world views that breed in our society need to be thrown into the rubbish tip of history. The Blasphemy Law must be repealed. Pakistanis must be made to realise that religious zeal that condones murder and indifference towards the faith and beliefs of others will relegate us to the Dark Ages if we do not reverse these terrifying trends.

WE HAD JOY, WE HAD FUN, WE HAD SEASONS IN THE SUN, but...

A Page of my Diary

By MAHTAB BASHIR

Mein Teri Mastt Nigaahon Ka Bharam Rakh Loon Ga

Hosh Aya Bhi To Kehdoon ga Mujhay Hosh Nahi

Yeh Alag Baat Hay Saqi Ky Mujhy Hosh Nahi

Hosh Itna Hay Ky Main Tujhsy Faramosh Nahi

Kabhi Un Madbhari Aankhon Sy Piya Tha Ik Jaam

Aaj Tak Hosh Nahi, Hosh Nahi, Hosh Nahi

Today I can write maximum but I am numb. My pen is down and mind frozen. I’m virtually dead…. but I just want to write few words- the person is special for me, still in my head, in between my rib cage.

One song that I am crazy in love over, was by Terry Jacks, "Seasons in the Sun" resung by my all time favourite band ‘Westlife’. I am not sure what is / was going on here - is he dying or going to kill himself? (and / or Michelle? ). This was a Love Song! I have included the lyrics because this is a real haunting song that we were ecstatic thinking this was L-O-V-E! ...& I am humming it since the past couple of days!

Dedicated to THAT someone very special to me!!! It says it all to help reduce my words. Here it goes….

Goodbye to you, my trusted friend.

We've known each other since we're nine or ten.

Together we climbed hills or trees.

Learned of love and ABC's,

skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.

Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die,

when all the birds are singing in the sky,

Now that the spring is in the air.

Pretty girls are everywhere.

When you see them I'll be there.

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.

But the hills that we climbed

were just seasons out of time.

Goodbye, Papa, please pray for me,

I was the black sheep of the family.

You tried to teach me right from wrong.

Too much wine and too much song,

wonder how I get along.

Goodbye, Papa, it's hard to die

when all the birds are singing in the sky,

Now that the spring is in the air.

Little children everywhere.

When you see them I'll be there.

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.

But the wine and the song,

like the seasons, all have gone.

Goodbye, Michelle, my little one.

You gave me love and helped me find the sun.

And every time that I was down

you would always come around

and get my feet back on the ground.

Goodbye, Michelle, it's hard to die

when all the bird are singing in the sky,

Now that the spring is in the air.

With the flowers everywhere.

I whish that we could both be there.

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.

But the stars we could reach

were just starfish on the beach …….

http://www.youtube.com/video/TWYKfe3G5wc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHaaFlw476A

'The minute you think of giving up any relation, think of the reason why you held it so long."-

DYSENTERY OF WORDS …….

A Page of my Diary
Muhammad Mahtab Bashir
Islamabad

Dedicated to my dear one!

The innocent smile. The mute story of beauty. The sacred look that does not chase worldly temptations. The voice that is uttered to praise the Creator and the birth envy that person who can stimulate the most sensitive part of your heart and mind. The chastity that is preverbal but the words cannot interpret it. The youth that is desirable. The character that is unparallel. Her beauty is not in her ivory neck but in the bow of her neck. Her beauty is not in her bewitching eyes but in the lashes that covers them from inducement. The captive of her beauty has to adore the bond, which is between two human beings.

The sweet fragrance, the seven colours, the splendor of sky and green forests, the precious gold and the mountain brook, the chirping birds and the playful kitten, the calm sea and the moonlight night, the smiling face and the mischief of a child, the power of pen and the magic of words, the sensitivity of a bubble and the conscience of a believer, the mercy of mother and the devotion of a soldier, the valor of a lion and the gentleness of a lamb, the sweetness of love and the determination of a freedom fighter, the heart of a woman and forgiveness for those who do her harm- all these qualities are a part and parcel of her character.

AUTUMN in ISLAMABAD

Mahtab Bashir

Islamabad

0333 53 63 248

O', how I love these shady lanes Where autumn colour gleams The tuft of grass so yellow and bare And not a flower seen As I walk along the lane Wind flicking through my mane Blowing away the pain and sorrow And all that was in vain The mist arising from the sky Was forming tiny shapes

So I watched the pixies play Tumble down and dance away The picture gradually grew so fine I lost the count of passing time … Falling leaves then touched my face My mind alight, I stood and gazed – Rust and gold, Red and Brown Colours falling all around The world was smoldering, I was there

I saw the autumn everywhere.

REBUILDING A LOST CAUSE

By Andleeb Abbas

The real crisis is not of floods or recession but of the deterioration in the moral fabric of society due to corrupt leadership, no law to punish criminals and no justice for the deprived and marginalised of society

Not too long ago the word Rwanda was synonymous with genocide, bloodshed, political chaos and economic ruin. It was quoted as an example of how a nation has driven itself back to the Dark Ages without any hope of recovery. The economy was in shambles, the infrastructure in ruins and law and order were words taken out of the Rwandan dictionary. It was written off as a country that would never recover from its bloody past and would never have a rosy future. However, Rwanda has proved its critics wrong and is now being quoted as a miraculous example of how even the worst of circumstances and events can be overcome and overturned by the will of a few committed people who lead the renaissance with their vision and passion, and become a force to be reckoned with as other people share belief in the resurrection of a lost cause. Today, from the think tanks to the donor agencies, it has become the darling of investors and donors.

The transformation is remarkable, considering the history of barbaric events in the country in the last 16 years. 800,000 people were hacked to death in three months, an event almost unparalleled in its scale and brutality. This was the result of years of ethnic strife between the Tutsi minority and Hutu majority. The country is not blessed with natural resources and is landlocked in the centre of Africa, thus not really enjoying any coastline geography like some of the other tourist countries of Africa. To make it worse, nothing moved in the country without payoffs and corruption.

However, the country has totally transformed in the span of a few years, presenting a complete contrast to the rest of Africa. Roads have been built that are clean and with strictly adhered to speed limits. Transparency International rates Rwanda as one of the most honest places to work in Africa. The World Bank terms it as one of the fastest improving places to do business.

All this transformation has been one man’s doing: President Paul Kagame. He changed the country from a savage nation to a disciplined example by his vision and determination. Kagame adopted the Singapore model where corruption and law breaking were severely punished regardless of rank and position. Discarded bottles and bags are banned and severely fined to maintain a uniquely clean look on its African streets and countryside. He also realised that they needed to discover how to compete in this ruthless, globalised world and concentrated on building the economy on the core competence of scant Rwandan resources. He decided to focus development in three local industries, i.e. tea, coffee and tourism. In 2001, he launched the Rwanda National Innovation and Competitiveness Initiative and developed a ‘National Coffee Strategy’, which is the main produce of Rwanda. The objective was to build a world-class brand and thus he invested millions of dollars to improve coffee washing, production, capacity and marketing. This paid off in 2006 when Starbucks gave Rwanda Blue Bourbon brand of coffee beans its Black Apron award and introduced it in its cafés.

For tourism the president discovered that Rwanda has a unique feature to market — gorillas. Rwanda is home to approximately two-thirds of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas and they are a tremendous source of national pride. The Volcanoes National Park is a highlight of tourism in Africa where the gorilla population in the natural environment has been preserved to protect an endangered species; hence it has become a spectacle of interest for visitors. Most foreign visitors to the park apply more than a year in advance for a tracking permit and the visits are strictly regulated. This unique eco-tourism has played a major part in the rebirth of Rwanda as a place to visit rather than avoid.

The lesson is that if Rwanda can come back from a political funeral and become a case study in renaissance in just a decade and a half, so can Pakistan. In many ways, its critics have written off Pakistan, like Rwanda, as a failed state with the economy on the brink of bankruptcy, and ethnic conflicts and terrorism resulting in mass killing. Pakistan, with its abundance of natural resources, needs a man at the top with sincere vision and a passion to rebuild the country.

Pakistan is a very vibrant and viable nation with an abundance of natural resources and the raw talent of a young population. What we need is one man whose integrity to change the destiny of the nation is unquestionable. If a genocide of almost a million people can become a passing nightmare in just a few years and decades of civil war amongst two ethnic groups can be controlled, Pakistan’s problems of terrorism and target killing are also a matter of making local and foreign policies linked to our national interests, and then a disciplined approach of ensuring implementation with ruthless persecution of all violators of these policies regardless of position and rank.

The real crisis is not of floods or recession but of the deterioration in the moral fabric of society due to corrupt leadership, no law to punish criminals and no justice for the deprived and marginalised of society. In Rwanda, to overcome the mass killing and differences between the two opposing groups, the president launched a mass drive based on two values: reconciliation and forgiveness. Based on these two values, committees and structures were created to resolve conflicts while, through laws and rules and strict adherence to these values, procedure was ensured.

You need to select and promote the people who uphold the principles you value. If as a nation we feel that the values of integrity, peace and sovereignty are the most important foundations for this country to pull it out from its multiple disasters, then we need to value and select people who adhere to these values. The typical answer to this question is that there are no more people of this character left in the country. That is not exactly true. They may be a dwindling minority but they are there and it is our responsibility to, instead, do whatever we can to promote them and facilitate them in whatever little way to abide by our own principle of integrity. Having faith in your own ability and faith in the nation’s ability to bounce back are mandatory prerequisites for rebuilding a lost cause.

The writer is a consultant and can be reached at andleeb@franklincoveysouthasia.com

Courtesy Daily Times Sep 5, 2010

CRICKET, YOUTH & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

By Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi

The state is expected to fulfil its obligations towards the citizenry by providing security, basic services, facilities and economic opportunity. On the other hand, the reciprocal obligation of citizens to the state is weak or non-existent. An individual is more committed to the notion of the Muslim ummah

Three Pakistani cricket players are under investigation in the UK on charges of ‘spot fixing’ in cricket matches during the current series. Even if these charges are not fully substantiated, the fact that such charges surfaced against leading Pakistani cricketers is a major disappointment to cricket fans in Pakistan.

This is not the first time that Pakistani cricketers stand accused of malpractice. In January this year, Shahid Afridi was caught biting a ball in the Perth One-Day International (ODI). He later claimed that he resorted to this “in the heat of the moment as the match was a close one”. Prior to this, Pakistani players have been accused of ball tampering or match fixing in collaboration with betting bookies or their agents.

An incident of unfair means relates to the game of golf. In May 2010, Pakistani golfers were found guilty of deceiving the organisers of a world amateur golf competition in Malaysia.

All cricket players know what constitutes an offence in cricket. The key question is, why do they get involved in such affairs without paying any attention to the negative fallout for Pakistan? Immediate and quick material gains may be one important consideration, but how come the ‘self’ becomes more important than society and the nation-state they represent?

Material gains are important considerations but these incidents represent a far deeper crisis in Pakistani society, caused by the failure of the Pakistani state to socialise the youth into the notion of social responsibility and the citizen’s obligations towards the nation-state. This leads them to ignore the negative implications of their behaviour for the image of Pakistan and fellow countrypersons, especially those living outside.

Take the example of Faisal Shahzad who attempted to explode a bomb in Times Square, New York. He never gave any consideration to the implications of his action for Pakistan’s image and its social consequences for the youth with Pakistani backgrounds living in the US and other western countries. These considerations were not a part of his orientation.

Such incidents can be traced partly to the shift in the Pakistani youth’s mindset over the last two decades from social responsibility and societal good to religious obligations. The Islamic orthodoxy-dominated worldview emphasises an individual’s obligation to God Almighty (Allah) as the primary concern. This requires the strengthening of ties with Allah by pursuing prayers and other basic rituals of Islam. The obligations to the community are secondary and flow completely from an individual’s obligations to Allah. The notion of humanity is replaced with the idealisation of the Muslim community (ummah) and the scope of societal responsibility is articulated with reference to Islam. All matters relating to individual and collective life, and domestic and international politics are viewed as a function of religion.

The Islamist worldview manifests an ambiguous attitude towards the nation-state. On the one hand, the state is expected to fulfil its obligations towards the citizenry by providing security, basic services, facilities and economic opportunity. On the other hand, the reciprocal obligation of citizens to the state is weak or non-existent. An individual is more committed to the notion of the Muslim ummah (trans-national Muslim community) and the political discourse is dominated by phrases like “We, the Muslims” rather than we, the citizens of the state. The state is relevant to the extent it helps to achieve individual and collective ideals as articulated in orthodox Islamic discourse.

The loyalty ladder has two dimensions. The primary loyalty of an individual is to Allah whose closeness can be achieved by following the teachings and prayers of Islam. The other rung of the loyalty ladder is from an individual to Islamic movements and then to the trans-national Muslim community. The state does not figure except as a facilitator for achieving these goals. Further, most Islamists question the legitimacy of the rulers of Muslim states on the grounds that these rulers do not serve the cause of Islam. Rather, they function as agents of the west.

This perspective views the world as a dichotomy: the Muslims and the rest of the world, and that the Hindus, Jews and Christians continuously conspire against Islam and the Muslims. In other words, the state and its rulers are viewed as illegitimate and there is a negative disposition towards the non-Muslim world.

Such a skewed worldview of the Pakistani youth has been shaped gradually by the policies of the Pakistani state, going back to the early 1980s. It was not merely the madrassa education that socialised the youth in a uni-dimensional worldview derived from Islamic orthodoxy and conservatism. The state education system also instilled in the young people these values. For over two decades, starting in the early 1980s, the military government of General Ziaul Haq promoted Islamic orthodoxy and militancy through state education. The state apparatus, the media and patronage were also used to strengthen these perspectives. The US supported General Zia’s efforts to promote religious orthodoxy and militancy because it served the American agenda against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

Any review of high school and college education between 1983-84 and 2004-2005, especially the course content of Pakistan Studies, will make it easy to understand why the notion of citizenship of Pakistan as a nation-state has been replaced with religious obligations as a Muslim, and societal good has been diluted in favour of Islamic activism.

The intellectual and emotional linkages of this generation with Pakistan are ambiguous, viewing domestic and international developments within the parameters of Islamic orthodoxy. The emphasis is on a display of religiousness and they tend to live in a self-created world of religious illusion that distorts or rejects the realities of domestic and international politics.

With such a blinkered worldview there is nothing wrong in engaging in activities that cannot be condemned from a purely religious point of view. There is nothing wrong in match fixing or ball tampering if it does not dissuade an individual from fulfilling one’s obligations to Allah. Further, a victory in sports against the non-believers is a desirable goal and, thus, the rules of the game take a back seat in their priorities.

The cricket issue is going to be resolved soon in one way or another. However, the biggest challenge is how to retrieve the Pakistani generation that has been lost to religious orthodoxy and militancy. There is a need to underline the primacy of the nation state and emphasise social responsibility and societal good as the foundation of a stable society and world order.

The writer is a political and defence analyst

Courtesy Daily TImes Sep 5, 2010