December 14-20 2014
Peshawar’s nurses defend the city by fighting for everyone who comes through the hospital doors
December 14-20 2014
Feature
Cover Story The white army
The man with a message
The nurses at the Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar stand in the line of fire to help others
Ikramul Haque reminds people of Jinnah’s Pakistan
24 Tech
Wired Pollution
28 Feature
A digital footprint Young entrepreneurs combine an age-old craft with technological tools to create a unique business model
40
4
Cleanse your life of the harmful effects of dirty electricity
36 Regulars
6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people
44 Reviews: Movies, music and art
50 Framed: Americans protest against racism and injustice
Magazine Editor: Sarah Munir and Senior Subeditor: Dilaira Dubash Creative Team: Essa Malik, Jamal Khurshid, Mohsin Alam, Omer Asim, Aamir Khan, Sanober Ahmed & Talha Ahmed Khan Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Alayana, Mona and Rayaan
cold Stone creamery opens its flagship store in Lahore
Amna Ali and Alieya Aftab
Anam and Uma
Anook
6 December 14-20 2014
Amber Liaqat
Asna and Ayusha
Amna Kardar
PhoToS couRTESy LoTuS PR And EvEnTS
Adnan Asad and Ruqhia Nazeer
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Nida Nasim and Zoya Butt
Momina, Nazish, Myra
Mehek and Shehrbano Raza Rizvi
PhoToS couRTESy LoTuS PR And EvEnTS
Maria and Asma
and Aden
Iqra, Zuneria and Saba Natasha Saleem
Maheen Kardar and Saad Ali
8 December 14-20 2014
Waleed
Maliha, Arooj and Neha
Sara Shahid and Nayum
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Aima and Ayesha
Asifa and Uzma Toosy
Anya and Rabel
10 December 14-20 2014
Ashal, Isbah and Arisha
Beenish, Mahin, Rania, Malaika and Amina
PhoToS couRTESy BILAL MukhTAR EvEnTS And PR
The Little Princess Spa opens up in Lahore
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Meerub, Ammara and Eyman
Rania and Sarah Mikaal
Maira Ahmad, Eesha, Mariam, Fiza, Zaynah and Deena
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Maria B, Fatima, Sophia and Najia December 14-20 2014
Butt
Esha and Momina
PhoToS couRTESy BILAL MukhTAR EvEnTS And PR
Nazish and Mahnoor
Dani, Ammara and Zain
Ammar and Awais Ameen Sabeen
Monica
Burger king opens up in Lahore
Zainab and Jahanzeb Najia and Maria B
14 December 14-20 2014
Jannat and Ayesha
PhoToS couRTESy vERvE PR
PEOPLE & PARTIES
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Daniyal, Richard and Zafar
PhoToS couRTESy vERvE PR
Manal, Zainab and Roha
Nimra and Ubab
Sadia, Tayaba and Momina
Shireen, Faryal and Anam
16 December 14-20 2014
Sophiiya Khan
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Munya Raza and Shahla Shareef
Aliya and Mahnaz Shah
TcF holds an art event at Sadequain Gallery Frere hall in karachi
Maliha, Aisha, Hureen, Amna, Saba and Niggi
18 December 14-20 2014
Nishat Ikram and Ishrat Nisar
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Sohail Usmani and Yasmin Salman
Noori, Maneeza and Nilofer Saeed
Romina, Shahid and Mrs Obaid Khan
Mr and Mrs Setna with a friend
20 December 14-20 2014
Saba Obaid
FEATUrE
The man with a message
A lone man attempts to remind people of Jinnah’s Pakistan
TEXT AND PHOTOS By AyESHA Mir
Eighty-five year old Ikramul Haque has been coming to the roundabout at Liberty Chowk, Lahore, thrice a week for the past two-and-a-half years with the same demand. He wants Jinnah’s Pakistan. The message is written boldly on a homemade placard that he holds up while sitting on a chair that he has brought with himself.
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“I come here as often as I can, which is about three times a week,” he says, given of course that he is feeling well and allowed by his wife to leave the house. “She is 13 years younger than me but still takes care of me like a child,” he adds with a laugh. Passersby greet him with mixed reactions, some honking, waving or putting up a victory sign in appreciation of his efforts while others ignore him completely. Haque waves back happily at whoever acknowledges him and his message. According to Haque, the manshoor (manifesto) by Jinnah/All India Muslim League which formed the basis for Pakistan should be revisited and implemented. “The manifesto was forgotten immediately after the creation of Pakistan, because the country became a realm of the nawabzadas (landowners),” he says. Even though [one of the things that] the manifesto declared was that all agricultural land will be nationalised, it never actually happened since the land belonged to the nawabzadas. He cites the monopoly of resources as the reason why a lot of farmers still do not own a piece of land and have to continue working for others. Haque, who postponed his college education at the Dayal Singh College for four years in 1944 to join the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) and participate in the Pakistan Movement, is deeply attached to his homeland. He also witnessed the struggle of Partition firsthand when he, along with students from Punjab December 14-20 2014
University, Islamia College, Dayal Singh College and Forman Christian College travelled to help out at refugee camps in states such as Batala, Bihar, East Bengal and other parts of Punjab that were most affected by HinduMuslim riots. Hence, the fact that the country has not turned out the way it was initially envisioned troubles him deeply. “Roti sab ko mil gayi (everyone got food to eat). Look at the cars on the road. This is all great but this is not what we wanted,” he says. Even though Haque’s own struggle was rewarded sufficiently — he started as a junior clerk at Caltex and worked his way up to being a managing director at Pakistan State Oil from where he retired in 1988 — he feels for those who have not been equally fortunate. “The children of the poor still can’t get an education. We knew that Pakistan would not be perfect but we can at least try for it to be so.” Hence, he comes out on the streets as often as he can to remind people of what the original plan for the country was and forces them to reflect on where they have gone wrong. “All I want is for people to read the [initial] manifesto,” he insists, adding that his efforts are not on behalf of any political ideology but as an average citizen. As the day draws to an end, Haque folds up his chair and prepares to leave when a woman approaches him to appreciate his efforts. “We are proud of what you are doing, Sir,” she says, “and we should be ashamed of ourselves.” But the elderly optimist consoles her saying that everyone can bring about a change in their own way whenever they decide to do so. “People can ask me where I was 50 years ago and why I am doing this now,” he says. “But I am here now and all I want is Jinnah’s Pakistan.” T Ayesha Mir is a photographer for The Express Tribune Lahore desk.
The children of the poor still can’t get an education. We knew that Pakistan would not be perfect but we can at least try for it to be so A citizen who was also part of the Pakistan Movement ikramul Haque
ikramul Haque is often found at Liberty Chowk, Lahore, reminding people of Jinnah’s Pakistan.
25 December 14-20 2014
COVER STORY
On the surface, Peshawar is acclimated to bomb attacks — the city witnessed 39 blasts up until November this year according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal. For a city
which goes boom by the hour, unless frantic sirens follow and the death counter careens towards double digits, it seems perfectly okay to turn over in bed and go back to sleep after an attack. However, what is less obvious at first glance is that the resting rate of the city has changed — the heart does not beat 60 or 80 times per minute but pounds in synchronicity with the reverberations of the blasts.
Peshawar’s nurses defend the city by fighting for everyone who comes through the hospital doors BY Halima Mansoor | DESIGN BY Aamir Khan
This seems even truer for the 600-odd nurses at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) — the default hospital for all emergencies in the city — who watch over the city of flowers, their green thumb weeding out the bullets, snipping off the gangrene and building armatures and grafts for broken bones. As four senior LRH nurses recall their run-in with death and suffering in the wake of a blast, the effect of these traumatic experiences can be seen in their posture, gesticulations and the lines under their eyes.
A gurney lying in the trauma room at the Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar.
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PHoTo: MuHAMMAd iqbAL December 14-20 2014
If you want to experience life closely, come to the emergency ward when a blast takes place Nurse at LRH Nuzzat Aslam
COVER STORY When terror strikes “When a blast happens, the patients come straight to our casualty trauma room,” explains Nasreen qayyum, the head nurse who has been working at the LRH since 1979. The trauma room is where the bulk of the aid is dispensed: first aid, iVs and even on-the-spot X-rays. As nurses triage patients, those in critical condition are sent onwards to surgery or the relevant ward. “We see the patient’s condition, how serious it is and treat them accordingly until they stablise or refer them onwards,” adds another nurse, Gulshanara. The trauma ward has at least five beds along with some space in the basement but victims are also shifted to regular wards in emergency situations. “We have even accommodated hundreds here [during catastrophic events] — that’s when we resort to doubling,” explains Nasreen, referring to the practice of having more than one patient on one hospital bed.
Coffins lined up inside the storage area at the LRH. PHoTo: HALiMA MANSooR
stressful times. The acting nurse Sumbal Firdous adds that most of the health care professionals rush to the hospital as soon as they hear the news, leaving their own families in the care of others. When a blast occurs, it’s the ‘girls’ — the nursing staff of the lower cadres, even the ones who are offduty — who spring into motion. “They don’t have to be told [as the nursing hostel has a bell],” says Gulshanara. “it does not matter to them if they just completed a double shift or if they are at home. None of them will ever say, ‘it isn’t my turn.’” And in those moments, it does not matter if you are a veteran nurse or just an impressionable freshman year trainee
It does not matter to the nurses if they just completed a double shift or if they are at home. None of them will ever say, ‘It isn’t my turn’ An injured being rushed to the hospital after the All Saints Church attack. PHoTo: MuHAMMAd iqbAL
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As senior nurses, organising things is as important as the work inside the trauma room, reminds Gulshanara. “Three of us remain on duty, one runs to the hostel to summon the girls, while someone gets on the phone to call in off-duty staff,” she adds. The information is also passed on to the zone supervisor and department heads so they can send in more help towards the emergency room. The matron or head nurse usually has a list in advance of who to call and inform during such
Nurse at LRH Gulshanara
Last breath, first blast Everyone remembers their first blast. The shock sucks all the noise from the air and only the anxious thud of the heart reverberates against the eardrum. “Wudoodsons, in 1993, was my first. i was a second year nurse,” recalls Nuzzat Aslam, the charge nurse for one of the hospital blocks. “A lot of people died and many were burnt.” The senior nurses who have worked through some of the worst blood
January 6, Peshawar, 1 killed, 3 injured January 14, Regi Model Town / Peshawar / KP, 1 killed, 1 injured Jan 23, Scheme Chowk / Peshawar / KP, 6 killed, 8 injured Feb 4, Koocha Risaldar / Qissa Khawani Bazaar / Peshawar / KP, 10 killed, 40 injured Feb 11, Shama Cinema / Bacha Khan Chowk / Peshawar / KP, 13 killed, 19 injured Feb 16 Budhni / Peshawar / KP 1 killed, 1 injured Feb 22 Juma Khan / Nasir Bagh / Peshawar / KP 1 killed, 0 injured Feb 25 Cantonment / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured Mar 19 Sirki gate / Shah Qabool / Peshawar / KP 1 killed, 2 injured April 6 Murshidabad / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured April 25 C&W office / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured May 5 Badbher / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured May 11 Arbab Niaz Stadium / Peshawar / KP 6 killed, 14 injured June 16 Phase-V / Hayatabad / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 5 injured
June 23 Phase-2 / Hayatabad / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured July 2 Murshidabad / Kohat Road / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured Aug 12 Achini / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured Oct 1 Shabqadar / Peshawar / 1 killed, 2 injured Oct 16 Sikandarpurah / Peshawar/KP 0 killed, 1 injured Nov 21 Warsak Road / Mathra Bazaar / Peshawar / KP 2 killed, 2 injured
January 13, Sulemankhel / Badbher / Peshawar / KP, 0 killed, 1 injured Jan 16, Tablighi Markaz / Pajaggi Road / Peshawar / KP, 10 killed, 60 injured Feb 2, Picture House cinema / Cinema Road / Qissa Khwani / Peshawar / KP, 5 killed, 30 injured Feb 10, Essa Khel Garhi / Peshawar / KP, 5 killed, 3 injured Feb 15 Kuchi bazaar / Peshawar / KP, 0 killed, o injured Feb 19 Javed Town / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured Feb 24 Iranian consulate / Peshawar / KP 3 killed, 10 injured March 14 Sarband / Peshawar / KP 12 killed, 45 injured Mar 30 Bara Qadeem / Sarband / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 12 injured Apr 10, Dir Colony / Chamkani PS / Peshawar / KP, 0 killed, 10 injured Apr 28 Guldara / Kohat Road / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured May 7 Mina Bazar / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 4 injured May 20 Ring Road / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured June 19 Adezai / Peshawar / KP 2 killed, 5 injured June 23 Khushal Town / Bhanamari PS / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured July 18 Bagh / Peshawar / KP 1 killed, 3 injured Sep 23 Peshawar / KP 6 killed, 25 injured Oct 15 Sheikh Abdul Qadoos Shrine / Pishtakhara PS / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 0 injured Nov 9 Hazar Khwani / Peshawar / KP 0 killed, 1 injured
*Data till November 21, 2014
baths Peshawar has seen also take trainees through their ‘firsts’. Nasreen recalls the time when the victims from an attack on the Frontier Corps (FC) were brought to the LRH. one of the FC personnel accompanying the victims was suffering from an aftershock and opened fire inside the hospital. “The nursing students with me were petrified and wanted to flee. i asked them, ‘if we run, who will give the patients courage?’” she says. When Nasreen ran into one of those students a few years later and asked her why she looked familiar, the girl replied, “i am the same girl you calmed down that day with the FC, baji. i am no longer scared of things,” she narrates with a smile. both young and older nurses might conquer their fear but the memories leave a mark for a long time. The blast at Kohati Chowk took place in 2009 but Gulshanara still remembers it as if it was yesterday. “i stepped into the basement of the trauma ward and they were all in a line with white sheets resting on them… death lined up,” says Gulshanara. “My heart just stopped.” As nurses and loved ones picked up each sheet to identify the deceased they came across multiple mutilated bodies. The blast also claimed the lives of many children, which are one of the hardest deaths to deal with for the nurses. “They were lying in gurneys in the casualty ward, with different parts of their bodies torn or bloodied,” says Gulshanara. “We stitched them up and sent them home to their parents. but to see those kids, wearing their nice shoes… Their parents had sent them to school in the morning and instead, a dead body is returned home.” There is a consensus among the nurses that families frantic in search of their loved ones are the biggest challenge at the time of an emergency. “We can’t control the people. We can’t scold or push them away,” says Sumbal. The only way to handle them is subterfuge. Nuzzat recalls the story of Shahzeb, who died in a blast outside a school in Nothia. “His father, who was also injured, was hysterical looking for him.” She had no other option but to lie to him 31 December 14-20 2014
Source: South Asia Terrorism Portal
COVER STORY about his son being alive so that he would allow them to tend to his own critical wounds. The family member is only informed once another relative arrives at the hospital or the body of the deceased is sent home.
The legion of white As the nurses spoke of tending to the dead and injured, it becomes clear that their first and most predominant reaction is fight not flight — not for their own well-being but for others. but the idea of nurses seeking help or counselling for their own trauma seems to be an alien one. According to Chief Nurse Superintendent Gulshan, there is a
When you stuff human flesh in sacks and tear shroud regularly… those things can drive you crazy Head nurse at LRH Nasreen Qayyum,
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psychiatry unit at the hospital and “nurses can talk to the doctors there” but that doesn’t really happen. Experts say that health care professionals in Peshawar who are repeatedly exposed to incidents which can trigger stress reactions are at risk of damaging their coping mechanisms and functionality. but with a complete lack of awareness about stress disorders and their symptoms, these nurses are not even equipped with the vocabulary to identify psychological trauma, let alone seeking help. unbeknownst to them, it is their words and quiet tears which give them away. Gulshanara talks about how she would “start crying in the middle of random conversations as the memories [of families trying to identify bodies] would resurface.” Nasreen also has a similar story to share. “i try to support the girls and give them comfort, though at first i used to cry all the time.” Ajmal Kazmi, a senior psychiatric consultant at Karavan-e-Hayat, Karachi, identifies nurses as a high-risk group for Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSd) along with people hidden in plain sight such as the janitorial staff or ward assistants at hospitals. December 14-20 2014
An ambulance parked outside LRH, which is the default hospital for all emergencies. PHoTo: MuHAMMAd iqbAL “They must have PTSd but there is no system or criteria developed based on a local understanding,” he says referring to how ill-equipped the country is to deal with mental health issues. The current criterion for PTSd has been built on Western studies and there is a desperate need for a study that tailors them according to local realities. However, according to Kazmi, even in its current applicability the criterion would apply to many of these nurses. “After traumatic events, people need to be debriefed about ways to cope with stress and shock — [which includes] everyone from first responders to the general public,” says Kazmi, adding that early diagnosis is key while prevention is even better. “This is a global practice to equip people with the tools that can help prevent PTSd.” He elaborates that creating awareness amongst the general public regarding the stress disorder can help millions. “Early diagnosis, medication and family support can help patients of PTSd recover well,” he says. The strong medico-legal structures in place in Western countries allow patients with stress disorders to claim compensation. However, Kazmi points out that if one of the nurses here wanted to sit at home and get treatment, they cannot afford to shed the role of the breadwinner. “but if you work in a place where the triggers are constant — recurrent incidents are what cause it — a breaking point will come.” And eventually, the chain of PTSd will affect both personal and professional life. However, the battles that these nurses are fighting on a daily basis are not limited to terror or trauma. The senior nurses feel the younger ones are not treated fairly by the government. Nasreen cites the example of the scholarship money promised to them which was increased from Rs3,500 to Rs5,000 late last year. “i ask you, ‘has your child ever woken up in the middle of the night and run barefoot to
help someone?’ is the value of that Rs5,000?” she says. The nurses say the cost of books and uniforms alone can eat through the scholarship funds. New staff nurses get a slightly better deal as they come in on grade 16 and can avail family health care, pension and a conveyance allowance. “Are these girls less human because they come from Chitral or buner?” says Nasreen. “or have they become less human or less worthy by wearing these white uniforms.” one of them comments that the former health minister Shaukat Yousafzai (removed from his post after this interview) — who claims to not know anything about their troubles — should spend a day with them and see what they need.
YEARS
CIVILIANS
SFs
MILITANTS
TOTAL
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
2 60 393 868 1229 607 511 363 603 103
0 13 221 255 471 96 331 98 172 42
2 27 372 1078 3797 509 364 195 161 12
4 100 986 2201 5497 1212 1206 656 936 157
TOTAL
4739
1699
6517
12955
Source: South Asia Terrorism Portal, *Data till February 16, 2014
In sickness and in health “Zindagi ko agar bohat qareeb seh dekhna hai toh aap emergency mein aa jain jis din dhamaka ho (if you want to experience life closely, come to the emergency ward when a blast takes place),” says Nuzzat as she narrates the story of a desperate mother searching for her son.“And you know you just saw the dead body but you keep a stiff upper lip and swear to her that you just dressed his wounds and sent him off, only so she doesn’t have a heart attack,” she elaborates. “As you see her fall to her knees, thanking God for keeping her son safe, you might see the dough that she forgot to wash off her hands because she left her house in such a hurry after receiving news of the blast.” The entrance to the emergency department at LRH. PHoTo: HALiMA MANSooR
Nurses taking a break from their gruelling shift at the LRH. PHoTo: HALiMA MANSooR
What might be seen by most as one of the toughest jobs in the country is considered an act of worship by these nurses. “it is a blessing from Allah that he has given us the courage to be here and tend to victims,” says Sumbal. “otherwise, no one can see fellow humans in such states,” adds Nasreen. “Kiyun ke jab aap gosht khud boriyon mein bhar keh band kar rahay hotay hai, aur kafan dhar-a-dhar phaar rahay hotay hain… Woh dekh dekh ke, insaan khud pagal ho sakta hai (because when you stuff bodies in sacks and tear shroud regularly… Those things can drive you crazy).” in these moments, it is their faith in God and humanity that keeps these nurses rooted. “Humanity means to tolerate everyone, even your enemy,” adds Nasreen. but the enemy in their case appears to be playing by completely different rules.T Halima Mansoor is a senior subeditor on The Express Tribune Peshawar desk. She tweets @hmansoor December 14-20 2014
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TECH
WIRED POLLUTION
Cleanse your daily lives from the harmful effects of dirty electricity By ZoHaiB amjad dESiGN By ESSa malik
Being constantly wired to the cell phone, laptop and Wi-Fi not only clutters the mind and affects one’s inter-personal relations but can also harm one’s health. The phenomenon of dirty electricity or electrosmog — currents in a wire generating frequencies above 2 kHz (those below 2 kHz are characterised as clean currents) — shot to limelight in 2010 when an epidemiologist investigating a California school where 16 staff members were diagnosed with 18 different types of cancers by 2005 found high levels of electrical pollution that exceeded his meter’s ability to measure them. The phenomenon has since sparked a global wave of concern with its potential health hazards, including cancer, asthma, diabetes, headaches, joint pain, sleep disorders and neurological problems. Dirty electricity, however, is not a recent discovery. In the 1950s special clinics were set up in Moscow, Leningrad and other cities in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe to study an occupational disease termed as the radio wave sickness. The patients included those who were in constant contact with electrical equipment and exposed to harmful electromagnetic fields. Many reported symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, weakness, sleep disturbance, heart palpitations, irritability, dizziness, sexual dysfunction and occasional sensitivity to sunlight which were documented in a report produced by the study. As a consequence, the first programme called the US/USSR scientific exchange was 36 launched to further study the phenomenon. December 14-20 2014
Based on a report by Dr Ollie Johnson in the Electromagnetic Biology Medicine journal, electromagnetic hypersensitivity is on the rise and by 2017, 50% of the total world population will be electro sensitive Since then, numerous studies have been carried out on the subject of radio wave sickness. Based on a report by Dr Ollie Johnson in the Electromagnetic Biology Medicine journal, electromagnetic hypersensitivity is on the rise and by 2017, 50% of the total world population will be sensitive to electric current. The World Health Organization has already classified electromagnetic fields produced by mobile phones as possibly carcinogenic to humans. One of the first scientists to conduct studies on dirty electricity, Sam Milham, who also authored the book Dirty electricity: Electrification and the Diseases of Civilization, writes, “All the diseases of the 20th century, which we may consider to be the so-called ‘diseases of civilisation’, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and suicide, are caused by electromagnetic radiation.” While today’s ubiquitous technology affects almost all of
It is important to help people who have developed this electrical sensitivity. We need to have wireless free zones. We need to protect children in schools who are at an increased risk from electromagnetic hypersensitivity and antennas need to be kept away from communities Professor dr magda Havas us, the risks are reduced for those with the genetic or epigenetic makeup to withstand the harmful effects. Certain environmental factors can also make one less vulnerable to dirty electricity. Magda Havas, an associate professor of Environmental & Resource Studies at Trent University and a PhD graduate from the University of Toronto, has conducted a series of experiments which show that consumption of dirty electricity can lead to a rise in the blood sugar levels. One of those sampled was a 57-year-old female diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar became normal whenever she went for a walk outdoors as opposed to running on a treadmill indoors. Similarly, a 27-year-old male diagnosed with multiple sclerosis did not need a cane just a week after reducing the electrical pollution in his home. The neurological effects, however, are not limited to multiple sclerosis. Other researchers have shown that dirty electricity is also the primary cause for brain cancer and neurodegenerative diseases which include Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. Havas even went to the extent of testing her own blood after exposing herself to dirty electricity. After using a laptop for 70 minutes she observed her blood under a microscope and noted that the red blood cells had aggregated together in a way that deprived them of their ability to effectively oxygenate the body, leading to fatigue. Even though there are no safety standards set on an institutional level worldwide, a number of steps can be taken on an individual level to reduce the negative effects of exposure to dirty electricity. Once the source has been identified,
which could range from compact fluorescent bulbs, plasma TVs, cordless phones or wireless routers, the first instinctive reaction should be to maintain a distance from it when it is plugged in or switched on. One can further replace a cordless phone with a corded phone, use an ethernet cable for computers instead of Wi-Fi and maintain a minimum two centimetre distance from the mobile phone whilst receiving a call. Further, installing the Graham-Stetzer filter, which removes or reduces high-frequency pollutants from electrical wiring, can be highly effective in minimising the health risks. According to Dr Havas, “It is important to help people who have developed this electrical sensitivity. We need to have wireless free zones. We need to protect children in schools who are at an increased risk from electromagnetic hypersensitivity and antennas need to be kept away from communities.” The power to contain electrical pollution therefore lies in our own hands. Zohaib Amjad is a scientist with a major in Biology. He tweets @infecuni
Here are some magnetic field strengths measured near household appliances (at a distance of 30cm). An individual’s safety limit, however, measures at 5,000 volts per metre (V/m) beyond which the magnetic fields can be harmful to health. Electric appliance Stereo receiver Iron Refrigerator Mixer Toaster Hair dryer Colour TV Coffee machine Vacuum cleaner Electric oven Light bulb
Electric field strength (V/m) 180 120 120 100 80 80 60 60 50 8 5
[Source: Federal Office for Radiation Safety, Germany, 1999]
37 December 14-20 2014
FEATURE
A digital footprint Sidra Qasim and Waqas Ali preserve an indigenous craft by providing it with an international platform By MARiAM SAEEd KhAn PhOTOS By MARKhOR COMPAny dESiGn By SAnOBER AhMEd
40 December 14-20 2014
Knowing how to effectively use various technological tools to create a market that is not limited to physical boundaries has become the new key to success. Young entrepreneurs, Sidra Qasim and Waqas Ali structured their business model around the same concept and started counselling local craftsmen in their hometown Okara on how
to move their business online. In the process, they ended up teaming up with a reluctant shoe-maker Muhammad Hussain and gave his handcrafted shoes a much-needed digital footprint. In 2012, the duo launched Markhor — an online shoe brand that connects indigenous shoe-making craftsmen to global customers — but their jour-
We hired a local designer and gave him an idea of what the international market demands and what works. He made sketches keeping these things in mind Markhor co-founder Sidra Qasim
Markhor is an online shoe brand that gives indigenous craftsmen a global clientele.
ney was not a walk in the park. “The idea started with our small digital media company that provided assistance to people who were not familiar with technology. We would train them on how to use the internet for communication and business proposals,” recalls Ali. It was during this time that they first met Hussain who was striving to keep the craft of shoe-making alive and was convinced the internet was a dangerous tool. When they managed to finally reason with Hussain on their second visit to Okara, they did not have the finance to take the project forward and for a brief while returned to focusing on their digital media company. “When our company failed, Sidra and I took up different jobs to make money. Meanwhile, we applied for various grants and competitions as well,” shares Ali. Their big breakthrough came in September 2011 when the Pasha Fund for Social Innovation, a programme sponsored by Google Inc, awarded them $10,000. But since the money was handed in installments of $2,000 it took them a while to firmly establish themselves. “We basically launched our company at a local fast food joint. For three months we held 41 December 14-20 2014
FEATURE
Founders of the Markhor brand Sidra Qasim and Waqar Ali with a shoe-maker from Okara.
Whoever buys from us knows where these craftsmen are from. It is [with their] stories and hard work that we have established this [online] community Markhor co-founder Waqas Ali
42 December 14-20 2014
meetings with suppliers there and in June 2012, Markhor launched its website,” adds Qasim. The brand combines an age-old craft with modern designs to cater to a global urban clientele. All the shoes are made from leather and are therefore priced on the higher end. The ‘mark loafer’ which is made from just one piece of leather and the ‘black loafer’ which is made from full-grain cow leather both cost $235 (approximately Rs23,800). Similarly, their ‘Kaptaan Chappal’ is priced at $169 (approximately Rs17,000). “We hired a local designer and gave him an idea of what the international market demands and what works. He made sketches keeping these things in mind,” says Qasim. Initially since the designer sketched out only loafers and the shoe’s frame was designed accordingly, they invested more in tools and the raw material in-
stead of the shoe’s design. The brand is also presently limited to shoes for men as the team strives to build a loyal clientele that can ensure a steady demand. According to the duo, women tend to switch between various brands and the project needs consistency in sales for now. So far, 60% of Markhor’s total sales have come from customers based in the United States. Building a quality brand for Pakistan that can compete internationally remains the sole focus of Markhor.“Whoever buys from us knows where these craftsmen are from. It is [with their] stories and hard work that we have established this [online] community,” explains Ali. He elaborates that the project has ensured employment for a large number of local craftsmen and allowed them to polish their skills by learning new designs and techniques which is also the project’s top priority. The company has also received further support from Plan9, one of the country’s largest technology incubator, and through its Kickstarter Campaign raised over $100, 000 in less than a month. The campaign also helped them cater to a wider clientele, which was earlier limited to just 500 individuals who knew the brand through word of mouth. “People were talking about us in the Silicon Valley which is the capitol of innovation,” says Ali. The campaign lifted his spirits and further strengthened his confidence in the brand. “Things will change slowly. People are talking about us in places we would have never thought we’d be able to reach,” says Qasim. The campaign has also helped market the brand within Pakistan. “You have to be at the right place at the right time and it is not coincidental,” says Ali about the success of his brand. “It is all part of a God’s plan.” Although Qasim’s parents were not supportive of the venture in the beginning,
The company has also received further support from Plan9, one of the country’s largest technology incubator, and through its Kickstarter Campaign raised over $100, 000 in less than a month. The campaign also helped them cater to a wider clientele, which was earlier limited to just 500 individuals who knew the brand through word of mouth they warmed up to it after witnessing their daughter’s achievements. “Starting a company is not an easy task whether you’re a man or a woman. But being a girl from a small town, I had to face a lot of challenges,” shares Qasim who belongs to a family where most of the women’s career choices were limited to teaching and she was expected to do the same. The duo who have survived against several odds is now known among their friends as the ones who never give up. Those who approach them for help are never turned away either. Mariam Saeed Khan is presently a student of Political Sciences and Media Studies at the Lahore School of Economics. She tweets @mariamsaeedkhan
Markhor shoes are made from leather and are therefore priced on the higher end. Markhor’s sole focus is to build a quality brand for Pakistan that can compete internationally.
FILM
The reluctant revolutionary The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I isn’t nearly as interesting as the previous two installments BY SAIM SAEED
There are times when the third installment of The Hunger Games — the awkwardly titled The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, complete with colon and hyphen — looks more farce than a teenage dystopian thriller. The rebels who are fighting the tyrannical rule of the Capitol claim to be free and democratic, yet they live in a glorified dungeon wearing what resembles a prison uniform. Their symbol is a mockingjay but pets aren’t allowed. For all the grandstanding chief antagonist President Snow (Keifer Sutherland) is shown doing, the speeches of their own leader Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) are hardly much different. In fact, for all the fighting the protagonist Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has been doing in the past two movies, in Mockingjay her role is reduced to a literal caricature of herself; she is asked to shoot propaganda shorts in an effort to sustain the rebellion. Coin and her strategist, Plutarch (Phillip Seymour Hoffman brought to life) spend pretty much the first half of the movie churning out those videos or ‘propos’ as Plutarch affectionately calls them. This is indicative of the more political turn Mockingjay has taken, away from the main prospect of watching another 90 minutes of children slaughtering each other Gladiator-style like the earlier movies. To explain this turn, some context is necessary. The films, based on the eponymous books, are set in a future dystopian country called PanEm, a fractured federation of 12 districts held tenuously by the tyrannical President Snow. The Hunger Games were designed to be a gimmicky Olympics-style battle to promote intra-district rivalry thereby sustaining the Capitol’s rule. Katniss and her partner, the perennial don-in-distress Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), won the games in the first movie, unsuspectingly kicking off a rebellion, and were surviving another round in the second until Katniss literally blew up the whole 44 thing. When the third film begins, Katniss has been whisked away by DECEMBER 14-20 2014
a rebel organisation aiming to overthrow President Snow and Peeta, much to Katniss’s dismay (and to nobody’s surprise), needs rescuing. This gender role reversal is at the heart of what makes The Hunger Games series so compelling. In arbitrary acts of affection (or charity, if you’re cynical) Katniss courts both Peeta and Gale (Chris Hemsworth), a friend from her district, neither of whom seem to occupy her thoughts or feelings for long. In Mockingjay, Gale finally says what everyone’s thinking (except, perhaps Katniss) and tells Katniss after another one of those kisses that she only gives them when she sees him in pain. The admission also underlines another fact about Katniss: she giveth and she taketh away as she wishes. It’s this subtle, but powerful defiance of patriarchal order that Plutarch wants to capture in his ‘propos’. Whatever the merits of propaganda videos, Katniss is at her very best when she’s out and about shooting down multiple aircraft with a single shot or when she’s out hunting. The latter half of the film is taken up by a rescue operation that Katniss isn’t part of and like the audience she too must settle for watching other people on a screen. It leads to a flaccid ending, already ill-timed because of the corporate need to split a single book into two movies. The previous Hunger Games movies ticked all the boxes of a Hollywood blockbuster — action, sequels and star actors — but crucially, it also added subversive, even genre-defining feminism for good measure. By design it seems, ‘Mockingjay’ does not do the same.T
Rating: Saim Saeed is a sub-editor at the Express Tribune. He tweets @saimsaeed847
MUSIC
The giants call it a day Pink Floyd closes a chapter in music history with their new album that isn’t really new BY FYEZ AHMED
It’s strange how 140 characters have the power to awaken an entire spectrum of conflicting emotions. Elation, hope, optimism, regret — all these emotions were in play when Polly Samson, wife of Pink Floyd’s present leader David Gilmour, tweeted this July that the Floyd would be coming out with a new album in November. This would be their first studio outing in nearly 20 years and it would also be their last. The music world drew in a collective breath. Dreams do come true and they have a soundtrack — it’s called The Endless River. To understand Pink Floyd’s final record, one has to know that it’s a record of largely ambient music and instrumentals. Only the last track, ironically titled ‘More Than Words’ has lyrics, save the robotic musings of Dr Stephen Hawking in ‘Talkin’ Hawking’ ala “Keep Talking” from The Division Bell. This is no coincid coincidence. All the 18 songs that have made it on this record are actually fragmen that did not make it fragments onto that 1994 record, but that th band decided to re-play, the re-master and release as a tribute to Richard Wright, Floyd’s keyboardist/multiinstrumentalist who died of cancer in 2008. By the time ‘Things Left Unsaid’, the first track, is a few seconds in and you hear that ambient swell, i to the jingly jangly sound leading in effects, there’s a singular thought that you head: “It’s so Floyd.” And goes through your unmistakabl so. There is something it is, unmistakably
about the band’s ability to trademark disjointed sounds where even if a portion were sampled into layers upon layers of unrelated music, the trained ear would know the original source, or at the very least, cite the inspiration. Gilmour stated in an interview that The Endless River is a “21st century Pink Floyd album.” It does not come across as such at all. The entire album seems to be reminiscent of the days when Roger Waters was still at the helm, before the mansions and the antique car collections. Back when the band was playing impossibly long, improvised sets — to make up for their lack of rehearsing — to crowds in London comprising of spaced out teenagers tripping on LSD. Listen to ‘It’s What We Do’ and you hear ‘Wish You Were Here’. Listen to ‘Allons-y’ and there’s the unmistakable riff of ‘The Wall’. ‘Eyes to Pearls’ brings forth ‘A Saucerfull of Secrets’, as does ‘Skins’. For the uninitiated listener this will seem like a record without direction. For the rabid Floydians this will be a time machine. And so ends the final chapter of one of the greatest and most successful bands in the history of music. A delicate swansong to lead in a new era that will continue in their absence. However, just like a river seeps into the earth, so will the legacy of Pink Floyd. The Endless River and everything that precedes it will be immortalised as an inspiration for the future — the source from which all things grow. Rating: Fyez Ahmed is a Dubai-based writer. He tweets @fyezeatscake
Members of the band Pink Floyd during their early days.
ART
The perfect cover Muhammad Ali comments on complex issues using subjects that everyone can relate to
Beauty With A Chance Of Meatballs
By ShAnzAy SuBzwARi PhoToS couRTeSy cAnVAS GALLeRy
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Muhammad Ali is an artist of the senses — his paintings are so visually complex, realistic and detailed that a good look at them awakens all the senses. Typical of his style, Ali’s recent exhibition at Canvas Gallery, Karachi, titled ‘Rainbow of Y-Our Own’ evokes many emotions using familiar imagery and famous personalities. For Ali, the act of painting in itself means something: it highlights his frustration as an artist in a commercialised world where his paintings act as commodities. His piece, Beauty With a Chance of Meatballs depicts Bollywood beauty Deepika Padukone in a sultry pose, inviting the viewer to look at her. However, each of Ali’s paintings has a twist. While Deepika looks alluring, a dollop of spaghetti and meatballs placed on her midriff and hair mars the perfect scenario and irritates the viewer. Why was it placed there? It seems Ali is highlighting how beauty and ugliness go together, and people/situations are never perfect, nor what they seem to be at first glance. Fruit Chaat displays a pink sari-clad melody queen Madam Noor Jehan, lounging in a royal setting amidst an array of beautifully painted, succulent food and flowers that look tangible. Her pose reminds one of Edouard Manet’s 1863 painting, Olympia, and the use of chiaroscuro (contrasted light and shadow) takes one back to the Renaissance. Ali finds food to be second nature to flesh. Perhaps, the placement of his subject amidst it denotes the way with which women are often looked at — something that can be devoured — as well as the luxury and excess that comes with celebrity-status. The Immaculate Ejection is one of the most exciting pieces. It reminds you of a Renaissance painting gone awry; it is at first December 14-20 2014
The Immaculate Ejection
No Place Like Home
Death By Chocolate
glance, amusing and startling. Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh looks at the viewer cheekily as he goes about his business in the toilet, while cherubs carrying toilet paper hover above him affectionately. Not only is the actor painted to perfection, his perspective of the floor and walls give the impact of a tight, closed-in space. Also, he pairs conflicting emotions successfully — in this case, amusement and disgust. How excrement can be ‘immaculate’ is ironic hinting on how the media glosses over trivial things and makes them appear glamorous and larger-thanlife. Like a few other pieces, Death by Chocolate does not use the celebrity as a tool to convey ideas. Here, Ali depicts a dead, faceless man smothered will all kinds of delicious treats, while hooded women in black mourn him. However, a closer look reveals the presence of insects on his body, and the fact that the ‘women’ aren’t really mourning him at all — they seem to be harbingers of death that will take him to his next journey. This painting depicts a morbid theme by fetishising it with gourmet delicacies and sexualising it. It is as if the luxurious lifestyle of this man is eating him away — the hopelessness of the material world takes over any hope of salvation after death. Apparition displays Pakistani dictator General Ziaul Haq lifting his veil. The painting seems to suggest the return of a ghost from the past, which speaks of the repetitive political climate of Pakistan. The veil is an important symbol here. It replaces the subjects with the ruler who subjected them to his Islamisation policies such as making women cover their heads on television. Also, it represents how often the true nature of politics is shrouded from the public. Ali’s work is about social commentary that aims to explore social and political narratives through the appropriation of celebrities’ images as well as depictions of ordinary people. According to Ali, “If you’re using a popular face you can talk about a lot of things in a sophisticated manner. Since everyone either knows them or of them, they become part of the conversation.” Since Ali’s work speaks for itself, the short statement — borrowed from Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins — describing the exhibition was an apt choice: “People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy. As a man, I’m flesh and blood. I can be ignored. I can be destroyed. But as a symbol I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting.” This is very true of the symbols used in Ali’s work, which will leave an impact that will last for a long time. Shanzay Subzwari is a Fine Arts student. She tweets @ShanzaySubzwari
49 December 14-20 2014
Protestors in New York take to the streets to express their disappointment and anger with the police force and justice system that appears to target African-Americans disproportionately.
Equal in the eyes of law? Protestors in the US take a firm stance against racism and police brutality
TEXT AND PHOTO BY DONOvAN X RAmsEY
50 December 14-20 2014
Protests erupted across different cities in the United States last week as a grand jury decided not to press charges against the white police officer who illegally held an unarmed African-American man in a chokehold and killed him earlier this year. The decision
came barely a week after another grand jury allowed the police officer, who shot and killed a young unarmed AfricanAmerican in Ferguson, Missouri, to walk away scot-free. Both cases have immense repercussions for civil liberty and justice in the country. The cases also shed light on structural racism inherent in the American police force as African-Americans find themselves disproportionately facing police brutality. Statistics by the US Census Bureau reveal that 32% of people killed in arrest-related incidents between 2003 and 2009 were black. Soon after the decision was announced, protestors in various cities such as Miami, Oakland, Chicago, Boston, Los Vegas, New York, Washington, Philadelphia and New Orleans poured onto the streets to register their disappointment in what they see as a corrupt system. They chanted slogans expressing solidarity with the victims and carried signs protesting against racial inequality. The image above shows a group of protestors in New York city soon after the grand jury decision. Donovan X Ramsey is a New York-based journalist. He tweets @iDXR