The Express Tribune Magazine - February 6

FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

The Jews of Karachi

Faizan Haque on a Special Someone

A few fading landmarks are the only remains of a oncevibrant community

16

Let it Snow

18 PORTFOLIO

42

REVIEWS

COMMENT

PEOPLE

THE HATER

JUNE 13-19 2010

JUNE 13-19 2010

FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

Cover Story 18 In Search of The Jews of Karachi Relics of the city’s once-vibrant Jewish community

Portfolio 32 A Hard Day’s Night It’s all work and no play for the labourers of Pakistan

Comment 38 Iron Man Losing the battle of the bulge

Up North and Personal

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42 Let It Snow A welcome break from what’s been a very dry winter

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 16 Tribune Questionnaire: Faizan Haque on being smitten 40 Reviews: What’s new in books 48 Horoscope: Shelley von Strunckel on your week ahead 50 Ten Things I Hate About: The internet

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Editor: Zarrar Khuhro. Sub-Editors: Batool Zehra, Hamna Zubair Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Anam Haleem, Tariq Alvi, S Asif Ali, Samad Siddiqui, Sukayna Sadik Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi.

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk

JUNE 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Beauty Works

Hina Minhas recently launched Aman’s Salon with

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Aman and Mona

Amina Saeed and Shireen

Amna, Saim and Sadia

Amna and Adeel

FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

PHOTO CREDIT: BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR

much fanfare in Lahore.

JUNE 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Kuki

Rima

8

Nimra , Saman and Maham FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

Mahnur

ba Roota

Mahroosh and Sakib

JUNE 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Sahar and Amna

Uzma and Saboohi

10

Sandeep Raj and Bishaka FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

Sam Ali Dada

Wafa

Samrah and Bilal Mukhtar

JUNE 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Music Mania

Musicians and celebs f locked to the launch of Uth Records in Karachi, an initiative that aims to help young Pakistani musicians develop and showcase their

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Bilal Khan, Sara and Shayan

Ayesha Omar

Mohammad Omer, Gumby and Zeeshan Parwez

Omran Shafique, Eva Shafique

FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

PHOTO CREDIT: KASHIF

talent professionally.

JUNE 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Akbar Khan

Zurain Imam

14

Sara Taher Khan and Shazya FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

Fathma Amir

li Khan

Anas A

Madeeha Syed

JUNE 13-19 2010

“I appear worried when I’m not” Television anchor Faizan Haque on honesty, love, and a certain special someone.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

There are so many things... from trekking in the Karakoram to

My travelogue “Urgentina - An Argentine Adventure” for

sipping juice with a certain someone!

which I travelled alone for three months across the country as

What is your greatest fear?

by myself.

cameraman, presenter and editor, shooting and managing it all

Regret.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be?

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Forgetfulness.

I’d come back as me, but I’d want to live in 1984.

Where would you most like to live?

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Lying.

Buenos Aires, without a doubt.

What is your most treasured possession?

What is your greatest extravagance?

A Conrad-Johnson tube amplifier.

None, if people aren’t possessions.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

What is your current state of mind?

Self-loathing of any nature. Sensing that your loved ones are

Smitten.

slipping away for the wrong reasons. AIDS and death.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

If you didn’t do your current job, what would you choose to do?

Honour.

I’d be an F1 pilot.

On what occasion do you lie?

Who are your heroes in real life?

I can’t think of a situation in which I would, anymore.

Paul Newman. Ayrton Senna. Antonioni. Tarkovsky. Bergman.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Pagani. Lalak Jan. Juan Manuel Fangio.

That I appear worried when I’m not.

Mark Knopfler. David Bowie. Brian Eno. David Lean. Horacio

What is your greatest regret?

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Not taking the steps that would have led me to Formula 1.

Honesty.

What’s your favourite quote?

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Life’s like the surf. So give yourself away like the sea.

Honesty.

What kind of super powers would you like to have?

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“Dude” and “you know.”

When and where were you happiest?

Yesterday, when I was on the phone.

I’d like to be super-compassionate.

What’s the one thing you wish someone would invent?

A little time machine that lets me go back and make little corrections to actions and statements.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you take with you?

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My inability to switch my brain off at times.

A GPS enabled communication device that could locate water, fruits, minerals, people and animals. a

FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

17

COVER STORY

in search

jews of k

BY HUMA IMTIAZ

PHOTOGRAPHS BY HUMA IMTIAZ AND ESSA MALIK

12 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

Karachi’s Jewish community has slowly faded into o with nothing but a few landmarks left to remind us existence.

h of the

karachi

obscurity, s of its

13 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

COVER STORY >> Mereweather Tower (left and below) prominently displays the Star of David on its facade. <<

In the heart of Karachi, amidst the sounds of traffic and the ever-present smog, one can hear shouts of bus conductors calling out “Tower, Tower!”

The object of their affection is the 19th century Merewether Tower on II Chundrigar Road, dwarfed now by tall buildings in the city’s busy financial area, but still unique due to its design. In the middle of the tower is an engraved Star of David, set in stone. Some upholder of religion has thoughtfully spray painted Yahoodi (Jew) on the tower, perhaps to mark it for demolition in the future.

20 12 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

During the British Raj, there was a small but vibrant Jewish

community in Karachi, which was renowned even then for being a multi-ethnic city. One member of the Jewish communi-

ty, Abraham Reuben, was even elected to the post of councilor of the Karachi city corporation, the forerunner of the KMC, in

1919. Many members of the community left after the founding

of Israel and more left after the Arab-Israeli wars led to increased

anti-Jewish feeling in Pakistan. Of those who remained, many succumbed to old age and disease, but urban legend has it that a

few still live on in deliberate obscurity. And those who died here have left their mark on the land.

During the Raj, one member of the Jewish community, Abraham Reuben, was even elected councilor of the Karachi city corporation, the forerunner of the KMC, in 1919.

13 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

COVER STORY

Walking into the Jewish cemetery in Mewa Shah, Karachi, one

is greeted by a family sitting on a charpoy, soaking in the sun. “Is this the Jewish graveyard?” I ask. A young boy lisps back, “This is the Israeli graveyard”. To him, the meanings of Jewish and Israeli are interchangeable.

Muhammad Ibrahim, the 62-year-old caretaker of the cem-

etery, was born in a small room located inside the cemetery.

“We’ve spent our entire lives here. My parents, now long dead, also lived here.”

Funds to maintain the cemetery are drying up. “Some people

come once a year, they donate money and leave. We’ve paid for

some of the maintenance ourselves such as the construction of the boundary wall around the cemetery,” says Ibrahim.

Nearly 5,000 graves are present here. Many are broken, and net-

tles and thorns adorn the site. “A woman named Rachel used to come here. But we’ve been told that she’s moved to London now.”

Mehrunissa, a wizened old woman, is a member of one of the

six families that live on the cemetery’s grounds. Raving against

the government for neglecting the place, Mehrunissa says the

land mafia has repeatedly tried to take over the land. “We have repeatedly filed First Investigation Reports with the police about

this. We’re the ones who have been safeguarding this place. Why doesn’t the government do anything?”

Ibrahim shows me around the cemetery; in a room lies the

grave of Solomon David, an official of the Karachi Municipal

Corporation, who also built the Magain Shalome synagogue in Saddar. The room also doubles as a storeroom for a pile of twigs, a clock with no hands marks the time. “The last burial here was

in the 1980s,” says Ibrahim. Some Jewish people were present in the city, according to Ibrahim, but have married within Muslim families.

22 12 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

>> The Jewish Cemetery in Mewa Shah, Karachi Nearly 5,000 graves are present here. Many are broken, and nettles and thorns adorn the site. <<

13 23 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

COVER STORY >> Fraught With Fear Being a Jew in today’s Pakistan would be living a life fraught with fear and constant persecution. The term Yahoodi (Urdu for Jew) is frequently tossed around as a curse word. Dozens of personalities have been accused of being part of the Jewish lobby, and rightwing op-ed writers have frequently accused the Jewish lobby (whatever that may mean) of being responsible for Pakistan’s woes. <<

There was once a Jewish synagogue here too — according to

Karachi’s residents, who had seen it. It was a small building located at Nishtar Road in Saddar. However, it was torn down in the

1980s, and a shopping plaza now stands in place of the synagogue.

Byram Avari, a prominent member of the Parsi community,

says there are now no Jews left in Karachi that he is aware of.

“There were prominent Jews here, one used to be a pilot at the

Karachi Port Trust. I had a friend at school who was Jewish, they used to tell people they were Christians. They moved to Canada, and that’s where he passed away. There was a Jewish synagogue

in Manora, and the Jewish graveyard in Karachi. The Jewish fam-

ilies used to tell people that they were Christians because their features resembled them, and they wore shalwar kameez.” Avari

says he had heard there was a woman who used to pay for the maintenance of the Jewish graveyard, but says he has no contact with any Jewish family in Pakistan.

24 12 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

Being a Jew in today’s Pakistan would be living a life fraught

with fear and constant persecution. The term Yahoodi (Urdu for Jew) is frequently tossed around as a curse word. Dozens of per-

sonalities have been accused of being part of the Jewish lobby, and rightwing op-ed writers have frequently accused the Jewish

lobby (whatever that may mean) of being responsible for Paki-

stan’s woes. From former President Pervez Musharraf to human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir, the Jewish lobby has sponsored

all and sundry according to the colourful imagination of the

right-wing. At protests, the Israeli flag is frequently burned, and slogans are raised against the Jewish community. In drawing rooms, discussions about the veracity of the Holocaust come under debate. In such circumstances, it is little surprise that the

small Jewish population lived a life of obscurity, or migrated to Israel and other countries.

Ardershir Cowasjee, a prominent columnist and member

of the Parsi community says that there were very few Jewish families left in Karachi, and most of them have passed away.

Arif Hasan, renowned urban planning expert, says many left the country after the anti-Israel campaign. “There were Jewish

cabaret artists and film actresses in the city, along with bureaucrats. The bureaucrats left in the 50s, the cabaret artists in the 70s,” says Hasan. The Roma Shabana nightclub that once stood

on Frere road also boasted two Jewish cabaret dancers, who later faded into obscurity.

Attempts to contact members of Jewish families that lived in

Karachi were in vain. Prominent architect Yasmeen Lari, who is

working on a project to conserve the city’s historical buildings, did not have any pictures of the Jewish synagogue that once existed in the city. Hasan says there is only one known picture of

the synagogue that has been circulated on the Internet on various blogs.

“People come here and take pictures, but no one comes to help

us maintain this place,” complains Ibrahim as I leave, “but we will continue to do so.” As one looks at the state of disrepair that the Jewish cemetery and the Merewether Tower exist in, one can

only hope that these symbols of a once vibrant Jewish community remain for the next generation of Pakistanis to witness. a

13 25 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

COVER STORY

blood

ties Could one of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lost tribes have settled in modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan? A look at tribal culture reveals some surprising links.

BY NAVEED HUSSAIN

26 12 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

Every superpower, in its heyday, has been lured into Afghanistan, the landlocked country ravaged by military adventurers and civil wars. It is hard to say what lures them to this land, but no conqueror has managed to tame the unruly, fiercely-independent martial tribes of Afghans.

Some have had to retreat in humiliation while others are â&#x20AC;&#x153;bled to

death.â&#x20AC;? The Afghans, Pakhtuns or Pathans are an ancient people and, if one is to believe their own claim, they are as old as humanity itself. Rough estimates put their population at around 18

million, with the majority of them living in southern and eastern Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan. This makes them

perhaps the largest living tribal society in the world, one that

still cherishes the customs enshrined in its Pakhtunwali or tribal code.

The origin of the Afghans has puzzled ethnologists, historians

and scholars for some time. Reason: the Afghans are distinct both in complexion and in character traits from other groups in

the region, such as the Turks, the Mongolians, the Persians, or the Indo-Iranians. Also, in a region where countless nations and

peoples have come and gone, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to trace their descent.

Nonetheless, two theories about their origin are referred to most often: while one establishes their Aryan ancestry, the other, more intriguing theory, traces them as Israelites.

Biblical Beginnings Among the Afghans a widespread oral tradition says that their origin is from the Benjamin tribe of the family of the biblical

King Saul. Afghana, a grandson of Saul, was raised by King Da-

vid and remained in the royal palace during the reign of Solomon

too. About 400 years later, in the days of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezer, the Afghana family fled to Gur (Ghor province in present Afghanistan).

Sir William Jones, English philologist and scholar of ancient In-

dia, also subscribes to this theory. According to him, after the death of King Saul, Nebuchadnezer captured Palestine, and the children

>> The Legend Of The Lost Tribes According to Jewish lore, the ten lost tribes of Israel refer to the ten tribes that formed the Kingdom of Judah and then vanished from Biblical accounts after the kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians around 723 BC. <<

13 27 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

COVER STORY of Israel, including Afghana, fled Palestine and settled in Kohistani-Ghor, Koh-i-Feroz, Koh-i-Khorasan, Kandhar and Kabul.

Shahid Orakzai, a senior lawyer at the Supreme Court of Paki-

stan, has come up with a unique evidence to claim Semitic origin. “The Pashtu word ‘Orak’ means ‘lost’ and ‘zai’ can be trans-

lated as ‘tribe’,” he says about the Orakzai tribe of the Afghans, to which he himself belongs.

Muslim Metamorphosis Now the question arises, how did these Jewish people convert to

Islam? Namiatullah Haravi, the first historian to have penned down Afghan genealogies during the era of Mughal Emperor Jehangir, has the answer. The descendents of Afghana were 10, writes Haravi in his book Makhzan-i-Afghani (Origin of the Af-

ghans). One of them strayed into Mecca where he met Khalid bin

Walid, the fabled Islamic general who also belonged to the Benjamin tribe of Israelites. He invited his Afghan kinsmen settled

in Ghor to embrace the new faith. Led by Kais (a descendent of King Saul in 37th generation), a delegation met the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and converted to Islam.

Olaf Caro, the British governor of what is now Khyber-Pakh-

tunkhwa and tribal areas, also refers to this event in his book, The

Pathan. “The Prophet (PBUH) gave Kais the name of Abdur Rashid

and predicted that God would make his issue so numerous that they would outlive all other people, and their attachment to the

>> So-Called Lost Tribes Across The Globe In the Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur live a 7,000-strong community called the Bnei Menashe (sons of Manasseh).

They claim descent from the Lost Israeli tribe of Manasseh which was exiled by the Assyrians in 723 BC. To this date they still maintain Jewish customs and rituals.

BBC has reported that scientists have proven a genetic link between Semites and the Lemba tribe of Zimbabwe and South Africa. The BBC says that the 80,000 Lemba tribe members abstain from eating pork, wear yarmulke-like skull caps, conduct ritual animal slaughter, and even put a Star of David on their gravestones. <<

28 12 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

faith would in strength be like constructing a ship which seamen call ‘Bathan’. On this account he conferred upon Abdur Rashid the title of Bathan (the ‘b’ converted to ‘p’ later on).”

Tradition says that Kais married Sara, daughter of Khalid bin

Walid and Kais’s three sons — Saraban, Bithan and Ghurghustan — are the ancestors of the various Afghan tribes.

Most Afghans believe in this theory. And they have carefully

preserved family trees on their relationship to Israelites. The names of their tribes speak for themselves: the tribe of Harabni is the tribe of Reuben, the Shinwari is Shimeon, the Levani

— Levi, Daftani — Naftali, Jaji — Gad, Ashuri — Asher, Afridi — Ephraim, and so on. Interestingly, some of these tribes use

Hebrew pronunciation for their names, like Yusufzais, sons of

Prophet Joseph, use the Hebrew pronunciation of Aesop instead of the Quranic ‘Yusuf’ or biblical ‘Joseph’.

Weighing the Evidence Some scholars, however, believe the idea of the Afghans’ Semitic origin was encouraged by their tight tribal structure, their stark

code of behaviour, their strikingly Semitic features, their bearded patriarchal appearance, and their predilection for biblical names.

“They (genealogies of the Afghans) were first set down by

Persian-speaking chroniclers at the court of Mughal emperors in the early part of the 17th century. The sophisticated Mughal

historians, possibly impressed by the same outward signs of Semitic connections that misled the British two hundred years later, apparently made up the descent of the border tribes from

the mythical Kais and improvised a connection for Kais with Saul of Israel,” writes James W Spain, US diplomat and scholar, in his book The Way of The Pathans.

But perhaps the theory about the Semitic origin of the Afghans

cannot be rejected only because their genealogies were created in

the 17th century. Take the Yusufzais, the most blue-blooded of all Pathans — their chronicles are ancient, going back well beyond the Mughal era.

Apart from that, the Afghans to this day maintain Jewish cus-

toms preserved from the recesses of their past, notwithstanding

their conversion to Islam long ago. Jewish scholars A Avihail and A Brin, in their book Lost Tribes from Assyria, have listed some of the

most common customs, which include sidelocks, skullcaps, circumcision within eight days, Talith (prayer shawl), women’s customs (immersion in springs), honouring the father (the son stands

up when father arrives), Levirate marriage (marrying a brother’s widow), forbidden foods (horse and camel: while most Muslims

sacrifice camels on Eid ul Azha, the Pathans never do so), the code

of revenge, the Hebrew amulet (Kamia), blood on the threshold (when a Pathan’s house is built, the blood of a sacrificial animal is

smeared on the doorposts and on the gate), and the Star of David symbol is found on every house in Pathan localities.

But Dr Sayed Wiqar Ali Shah, Professor of History at South Asia

Institute, University of Heidelberg, Germany, says that similar

customs are not enough to prove that Afghans have Jewish origins. “The resemblance of names between the Jews and the Afghans was probably the result of Arab influences in the subconti-

nent,” he says. “The Holy Prophet (PBUH) himself adopted many customs from the Jews living around him.”

At the same time it is important to note that in a region in-

habited by countless nations only the Pathans follow Jewish customs. Why do only the Pathans, from around 21 nations in

Afghanistan, look clearly Semitic? Their countenance is lighter than that of other peoples, their noses are long and some of their tribes have blue eyes, particularly the Yusufzais.

“The Pathans’ ancient code of hospitality, Pakhtunwali, by

which generosity and protection of guests are paramount, is suf-

ficient proof for some of their Jewish affiliation,” says Shalwa Weil of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in her research published some time ago in the Jerusalem Post.

While many scholars are keen to attribute Aryan ancestry to

the Pathans, I find it interesting that so many Pathans cling to

the ‘Lost Tribe’ theory despite the wave of Islamic extremism and anti-Jewish feeling that is sweeping across the Afghan heartlands. In my eyes, this only strengthens the case of those who

>> Proving The Link A few years ago, media reports claimed that genetic testing aimed at proving the link between Pakhtuns and the tribes of Israel was underway in Israel. However, when The Express Tribune contacted Professor Karl Skorecki, the Israeli geneticist reportedly conducting the study, he claimed such a study would be impossible without obtaining extensive samples from Afghanistan and Pakistan’s tribal areas; something he says is unlikely at this stage. <<

believe in a Semitic origin for the Pathans. a

13 29 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

COVER STORY The Road To Zion So when did this so-called witches’ brew first start to get stirred?

For that we have to travel back to 19th century Europe, where

nationalistic ferment and movements were beginning to gain

strength across the continent. Modern Zionism was born in 1896 with the publication of a book titled Der Juddenstaadt (the Jewish

state) by an Austro-Hungarian journalist named Theodor Herzl.

Herzl, who spoke no Hebrew and had little understanding of Jewish culture, was so removed from the religious aspects of Zionism

that he even proposed Argentina and Uganda as proposed sites for the new Jewish homeland, and once even proposed mass con-

version to Catholicism as a remedy to European anti-Semitism.

His idea of a Jewish state was that of a secular nationalist one.

This was the era when the ideas that would ultimately blossom

into the ideologies of Nazism and Fascism first took root and it

was in this atmosphere that the political movement of Zionism was born. So it’s no surprise that Zionists saw the Jews much as

the Nazis later would: as a race, and not simply the followers of a

religion. But where Nazis considered Jews to be the lowest form of humanity, Zionists saw them as the best the human race had to offer.

will the real zionists

please stand up?

BY ZARRAR KHUHRO

If I had a hundred rupees for every time I’ve heard the term ‘Zionist’ or ‘Zionist conspiracy’ used in everyday conversation, newspaper articles or political speeches, I’d be a rich man. But despite the term’s widespread use it is bandied about with little understanding of its meaning, origin or implications. In fact, the words ‘Jewish’, ‘Israeli’ and ‘Zionist’ are used interchangeably. Let’s try to clarify this a bit: Judaism is a religion, Israel is a state and Zionism is an ideology. Dr Alan Sabrovsky, a former US marine of Jewish origin describes modern Zionism as a “witches’ brew of xenophobia, racism, ultra-nationalism, and militarism that places it way outside of a “mere” nationalist context.”

30 12 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

Right at the outset, the concept of racial superiority was in-

grained in Zionist ideology; a concept that would later blossom into the full-blown racism that marks Zionism today.

The ‘other’ Zionists Not all Jews are Zionists, but interestingly, not all Zionists are Jews either. It was the so-called ‘British Zionists’, who were in

fact mostly Christian, who actually played the largest role in the creation of the state of Israel, and their motivation ranged from religious prophecy to imperial ambition. Prominent among

them was Lord Balfour, author of the infamous Balfour declaration 0f 1917 which laid the official basis of a Jewish state on Palestinian land. The declaration reads: ‘His Majesty’s government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national

home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours

to facilitate the achievement of this object’. Ironically, a provision for safeguarding the native Arab population was added by an anti-Zionist Jew named Edwin Montagu. Even today, apart from

the Jewish diaspora, a large part of the political support for Israel in America comes from the mostly Protestant, ultra-conservative Christian Zionists, who see the establishment of the state of Is-

rael and the rebuilding of the temple of Solomon as a prerequisite to the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. The movement, according

to former US ambassador William Dale, “is helping to produce a political juggernaut of such strength that it, together with Jew-

ish organizations, has elevated the US policy of support for Israel almost above public discussion.”

Rise of the Rabbis While religious Jews initially opposed Zionist plans, they gradually began to gain more power in the state of Israel, giving birth

to the religious Zionist movement which mixes the racism of Zionism with the belief that it is God’s will that Jews occupy all the lands of Biblical Israel.

Today, religious Zionists are in ascendance in the state of Is-

rael, using their vote-banks to propel the extreme-right parties

into power. Another trend is the rise of orthodox Jews in the Israeli army. According to an ABC news report, between 40 to 50 per

cent of front-line units now comprise Orthodox Jews, who only make up a quarter of the Israeli population. The increase is not

Ultra-orthodox group Neturei Karta holds a protest against the state of Israel (above) The founder of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl (left).

without consequences, and an Israeli watchdog group composed

of former soldiers warned that army rabbis painted the 2009 Gaza attack as a religious war in which the killing of civilians was jus-

tified. Israeli political scientist Yagil Levy has even written of the generals possibly “losing control” over troops for whom spiritual leaders and ideology may outrank military hierarchy.

When it comes to the settlements, it is religious Zionists that

are at the forefront, with nationalism no longer enough of a driv-

state of Israel to be against Judaic teachings and have relentlessly

While successive Israeli governments have cynically used reli-

Name’ opposes Israel’s claim to speak for all Jews and condemns

ing force for settlers to endure less than ideal living conditions.

gious sentiments to push settlements, the attempt has also backfired several times. A case in point is when religious settlers re-

campaigned against it. Another Jewish group called ‘Not In Our the fascism and racism of Zionists.

Finally, just as we condemn attempts to depict all Muslims as

fused to evacuate settlements in Gaza. More ominously, an army

terrorists, we should also take care not to paint all Jews, or even

and was disbanded. But for all their differences, religious and

who claim to be representatives of an entire religion, and not just

unit comprised of orthodox Jews also refused to evict the settlers secular Zionists are united in the fact that neither have any place for the Palestinians in their respective visions.

all Israelis, as Zionists. To do so only plays into the hands of those the spokespeople for a dangerously racist ideology. a

Opposing the tide Interestingly, while today’s Zionists are a mix of religious fun-

damentalists and secular-nationalists, so are those opposing Israel. Ultra-orthodox groups like Neturei Karta consider the

13 31 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

PORTFOLIO

a hard day’s night

They exist on the periphery of our awareness, performing tasks

without which so much of what we take for granted would be impossible. To bring these images to the world, the International

Labour Office in Pakistan organised a photography competition funded by the Canadian International Development Agency. a

“Little Red Livelihood” by Raheel Khan. He is an amateur photographer and a student who lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Bangles are considered a good luck charm. But what about this woman, sitting in the corner of a smelly alley in Hassan Garhi village selling bangles for a piece of bread to feed her addicted husband and five children at home?”

32 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

“The Visible Invisible” by Khaleel Shah, a web and graphic designer. “I took this picture while passing through Faisalabad. The family in the rice paddies are planting what is called monji. The women told me ‘we are often used as attached labour and provided just one meal without any payment in cash or kind’.”

“Endless Struggle” by Khaleel-ur-Rehman Waleed Khalil. He is a professional wedding photo editor and an enthusiast who loves photography. “This picture was shot on the way from Lahore to Gujranwala in a village called Emanabad. These men earn daily wages with no job security.”

33 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

PORTFOLIO

“On Burning Ground” by Ayesha Farooq, a housewife and photography enthusiast. “This picture was taken at a brick kiln near Sihaala on GT road. The picture shows men and women working together making a living to pay off the debts they owe their employer.”

34 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

“Work, NOT a Cup of Tea” by SM Rafiq, a freelance photographer.

“This tea vendor in a small town market near Hyderabad survives by serving tea to passersby and nearby shopkeepers.”

“When I Grow Up” by Saad Iqbal, an architecture student at Punjab University. “This young girl is devoted to her studies but has no resources.”

35 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

PORTFOLIO

“Baskets of Hope” by Khaleel-ur-Rehman Waheed Khalil. “This picture was taken in Gujrat near the Chenab River. This woman looked like she had been doing this work forever.”

“Keepers of Art” by Gulraiz Ghouri.“Young Kalash women fetch water and look after livestock and older women make mats, head pieces and woven handicrafts.”

“Life Cycle” by Naveed Gulzaeb, a social worker working with The Cholistan Development Authority.

“This is a typical sight in a Cholistan family — the new bride makes bread (roti)’ and the mother in law 36 guides her.”

FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

25 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

COMMENT

iron

man

If exercise is supposed to be good for you — why does it feel so bad?

BY HASEEB ASIF

I wake up one morning to find that I’m having trouble getting into my jeans. I think the pants have shrunk but the weighing machine disagrees, as does my double chin, so I decide to get into shape. I go to the store that evening and buy some fitness tapes. I settle down with popcorn and watch them for hours every day, but I end up gaining three pounds in a week.

My physician recommends a more active approach to exercise,

calators and walkways before, I know how these things work. But

when I turn the machine on, I fall off the far end. Clearly a faulty model.

My wife suggests a more open environment, you know, fresh air

and all, so I put the treadmill out in the street. It’s gone the next day. So much for that.

Technology is evidently unreliable, I’m forced to take up a more

traditional approach. Jogging.

I wake up at 6 am the next morning, put on a track suit and hit

the road, face first. My legs are still asleep. A softer surface might help with these impacts. I drive over to the local park and start off at a steady pace, so steady in fact that I barely spill my coffee.

I feel great, euphoric. Seconds fly by, as do other people. An el-

derly couple overtakes me and says hello but I can’t reply because my lungs are on fire. Suddenly, something snaps in my thigh and I

38

pull over. It takes me 45 minutes to limp back to my car. Another 50

to get to work. It takes my boss two minutes to send me back home, FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

ILLUSTRATION: S JAMAL K

like getting on a treadmill, and I follow his advice. I’ve been on es-

saying I look like death.

I tell him he’s just not used to

seeing me fit, it’s probably an afterglow from all the endor-

phins. But he isn’t having any of it.

The doctor tells me I’ve

pulled a hamstring, it hurts

At the pool I go jump in at the deep end. It takes two people to get me out of the water and four more to resuscitate me.

water and four more to resuscitate me. They tell me nothing

is worth ending it all over, that I should just talk to someone. I want to tell them I’m trying to

get fit but it hurts to speak as well.

Upon recovery, I book an

to even walk so I turn to

evening of tennis with some

dumbbells under the desk at

thing, I can feel it. Somebody

weights. I keep a couple of work to exercise my arms,

but the first time I bend down to grab them, my back gives.

Now it hurts to stand up

straight. The doctor suggests

swimming but not one to quit,

I decide to try another day of weights.

I place the dumbbells on top

friends. This is going to be my serves to me, I swing the rack-

et with all my might and the ball lands across the net, out of reach of my opponents, in

an adjacent court. They aren’t amused.

Perhaps

sports

are

not

the answer. Perhaps I need professional assistance.

I join an aerobics class but I

of the desk the next day. Feel-

have to quit because I manage

start working out but after a

and the injured woman threat-

ing clever, I pick them up and

while my arms go limp and the weights drop to the floor, taking me with them.

Swimming it is then.

At the pool I can barely get

undressed, it hurts to do most things now. I somehow maneuver into my trunks and go

jump in at the deep end. It takes

two people to get me out of the

to break a toe on my first day ens to sue the club. I join a yoga

class but the instructor asks me to leave because my screaming

bothers the other customers. I think about karate but I’m not

comfortable with the idea of paying someone to beat me up. I can’t think of anything else.

Maybe I should just buy new

jeans?

a

39 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

REVIEW

featured review of the week

book new perspectives

BY AMMARA KHAN

Naveeda Khan’s Beyond Crisis: Reevaluating Pakistan is both a revelation and a comfort because of its innovative perspectives on Pakistan’s persistent problems. The result of a conference held at Johns Hopkins University in April 2006, it is a compilation of what leading scholars from various fields think about Pakistan and resists the kind of labelling which would confine it to a particular social discipline over another.

Beyond Crisis takes us away from the usual discourse on Pakistan that focuses on the various threats endangering its very existence, and delves deep into the essence of what it means to live in Pakistan. Rationalising the problems in our society is the most common mode of cognition in Pakistan but it can be replaced by a method that focuses on studying the diversity that is found in our culture and its relation with state, law, religion and ethnicity.

This work does not aspire to present a picture of Pakistan in its totality, but rather examines different strata of society to reveal how an understanding of the bigger issues faced by Pakistan can emerge as a result of this engagement.

Divided into four parts — (i) The Artificiality of the State, (ii) Nationalist Visions, (iii) The Foreignness Within, and (iv) The Everyday — each of which consists of four essays on the essence of what it is to be a Pakistani, Beyond Crisis is a detailed study of a number of central spheres of Pakistani society.

In the section Artificiality of the State, the problematic relation between state and citizens shows how the discomfort with the state should be seen not as “seeking separation from it but assimilation within it”. The first article, titled Towards a Lyric History of India, presents a vivid analysis of the poetry of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, the progressive Pakistani poet. Amir R Mufti shows how the legacy of partition haunts Faiz’s poetry and the predominant themes of exile and homelessness in his poetry can be seen as an exposition of the artificiality of state: “what Faiz’s love lyrics give expression to is a 40 self in partition”.

FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

the ugly truth Nationalism is often considered an unsuccessful venture in Pakistan because of the “failure of citizens to fully subscribe to a nationalist vision, as of the state in successfully naturalising such a vision,” says Naveeda Khan.

An engaging, informative study tracking the specificities of Pakistan’s history, politics and everyday life, it helps us ask new questions and goes beyond the prevalent nostalgic rhetoric which makes for refreshing reading.

The second section, The Difficulty of Nationalist Visions, shows how the theme of foreignness can be found in the failure of different attempts at a national vision. Registering Crisis: Ethnicity in Pakistani Cinema of the 1960s and 1970s by Iftikhar Dadi is a masterpiece of film criticism in Pakistan. According to Dadi, the decline of Urdu films is the cinematic articulation of the failure of Urdu as a national language and the absence of a single nationalist vision.

In another article in this section titled Learning to be Left: Jamaat-e Islami in Pakistan, Humeira Iqtidar reinterprets the history of JI by showing how this belligerently anti-left political party’s oppositional engagement with the ‘left’ had a deep impact on its strategies, constituencies and ultimately, its stance on various issues.

The third section titled Foreignness Within presents a radical analysis of ‘internal’ foreignness instead of a traditional account of external influences on Pakistan. The fourth section takes us to everyday life in the country and by concentrating on otherwise

mundane aspects suggests how power relations are embedded in social life. In the book’s final essay Mosque Construction or the Violence of the Ordinary, Naveeda Khan presents an ethnographic picture of three mosques in Lahore as places for experimenting being Muslim at both the individual and communal level. Her intellectually penetrating take on the ordinary unveils the extraordinary beneath it.

Despite the book’s academic jargon, the work is relatively clear and accessible. An engaging, informative study tracking the specificities of Pakistan’s history, politics and everyday life, it helps us ask new questions and goes beyond the prevalent nostalgic rhetoric which makes for refreshing reading, with no sense of a contingent apocalypse. The multidisciplinary nature of the work ensures that those with a taste for intellectual investigation will find it intriguing. In short, it is a valuable and inspiring addition to Pakistani scholarship. a 41 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

UP NORTH AND PERSONAL

let it sno TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS BY ZAHRAH NASIR

Four things happened simultaneously: a flash of lightning, dazzling in its intensity, turned the room an eerie shade of electric blue; the external modem on the desktop computer blew with a terrifying sizzle and the lights went out; I walloped my right elbow belatedly diving for the switch, and the pair of love birds perched on the livingroom window sill let rip with an ear-splitting squawk as the dogs shot underneath the bed in panic!

It was 7 pm on a Friday night and I,

in my writing, had failed to noing storm. When I am alert, promptly disconnected to pre-

modems - this is the third one in

having been engrossed

tice the approachthe computer is empt

exploding

all times, to lay an egg. On reflection, perhaps she was frightened into doing it… instantaneously and miraculously too!

Now, before going any further, let me explain how the Joes

happened along. My dogs adore treats like liver, heart and tripe

and I buy these from a guy who also sells chickens. On my last

trip to his shop, I noticed that he had decided to brighten up his

dingy little store by hanging a tiny bird cage right next to where

he slaughters chickens. When I spotted two blue and white bud-

gies looking absolutely miserable inside, I confiscated them and took them home, although not before finding a larger cage for them to live in.

The two young birds settled in rapidly, enjoying the tranquility

the last eighteen

of my little home, and as the weeks went by and they matured,

means the phone is, and direct lightening hits on the phone line

ally didn’t want them to start multiplying. Sadly, six months

months and they are not cheap. If the

computer isn’t on, it

are not uncommon. Exploding phones put on an even more spectacular display than frazzled modems, jolting you awake, terrified and quaking if the hit occurs at 3 am, as it has in the past.

Stumbling around in the dark, I stepped on the puppies’ rub-

ber duck and almost had a heart attack at its loud squeak. As I lit

candles, listening to the deafening thunder rattling the roof, I

suddenly realised that the light coming in from outside had that special muted quality which could mean only one thing. So, forgetting everything else, I rushed to the front door, flung it open and grinned at the rapidly whirling flakes of… snow.

Finally, something wet!

I stood mesmerised at the open door for a good five minutes be-

42

been in residence for all of 18 months — had chosen this, of

fore I recalled the ‘squawk’ and rushed to investigate. What I saw

was simply astounding: Mrs Joe — she and her husband Joe have FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

I realised that they were both males. This was fine by me as I relater one of them fell off his perch and died. The remaining one,

Joe, was heartbroken, only cheering up when I gave him a mirror. At one point he fell madly in love with his reflection, spending hours talking to himself and prancing gleefully in his cage.

This, I thought, wasn’t quite right so, on my next trip down to

Islamabad, I bought him a pretty blue and yellow lady friend which is when Mrs Joe entered the picture. Joe was petrified of

this female intruder in his cage and, what’s more, a female who came between him and his reflection. Mrs Joe, being older and, as it turned out, a bully, thrashed Joe thoroughly at least twice a

day for the first two weeks, but slowly they became a pair with

one major problem. Mrs Joe expected something from her new

husband and he, poor immature thing, didn’t have a clue what it was until finally, everything fell hilariously in place. Mrs Joe

promptly got on with the business of cleaning out her nesting pot with serious intent… hence the arrival of the egg. Now both Mr and Mrs Joe are sitting in expectant pride.

Meanwhile… back to the snow: Hell-Bella, the aforementioned

puppy — who happens to be an unlikely cross between a pug and

a poodle — didn’t really get the benefit of the previous one day of

ow

snow as that was horrible wet stuff. This new fall was the kind

of dry, crisp snow that piles up inches deep in no time and prom-

ises to hang around for a while. Hell-Bella had a ball in it, totally

after a frigid lemon and

in it, rolled in it, raced around making tracks like the utter lu-

enjoy my morning coffee

refusing to come back in until she had chased it, caught it, dug natic she is, caught it again and searched in confusion trying to

discover where the melted flakes had gone. The other three dogs,

elderly and sedate in comparison, joined in the fun for a while

when I ventured out and began throwing snowballs around.

Soon though, they retreated to thaw out by the stove, leaving me and Hell-Bella to play on until we surrendered.

Night-time temperatures plummeted. Early morning, soon

that the water-pipes were

the kettle the previous eve-

that has served me well. As

throwing rainbow prisms off

setting the icicles dangling the pipes slowly thawed out.

ferocious wildcat, which has

for some time, sneakily crept

wall I use to feed the birds

pink dawn, I discovered frozen solid. I could still

though, having filled

ning — a winter habit the sun rose higher,

the glistening snow and from the roof dripping,

At the same time, a been hanging around

along the top of the

on. It has now taken up

residence in the dry nullah

running underneath the

and I am equally desperate to

prevent them, as the

woodshed. The dogs are des-

beast would tear them to piec-

the cat around, I don’t want to life being under tremendous having it pop up wherever it found is just not on. The dogs

up the nearest tree to snarl and

perate to drive it away es. Though I don’t want

harm it either, wild-

pressure as it is. But figures food might be bark and it retreats

spit at them while

they run frantic circles underneath; I yell and it glares at me from untamable yellow-green eyes, ready to pounce. Throwing stones in its general direction only serves to anger it. I even resorted to aerial firing which promptly sent it fleeing for life but it was back in place the very next day so I guess I’m stuck with it for now.

The much-awaited snow didn’t, much to Hell-Bella’s disap-

pointment, stay for long. It glistened and sparkled for all of two

days before the day time thaw turned it first soft, then slushy

Hell-Bella.

and then zilch!

a

43 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

JUNE 13-19 2010

JUNE 13-19 2010

JUNE 13-19 2010

JUNE 13-19 2010

HOROSCOPE

BY SHELLEY VON STRUNCKEL

Aries March 20 – April 19 Several ventures are going well and, bet-

ter yet, you can expect a few welcome surprises. Do not, however, allow any of this to fool you into thinking decisions are entirely

yours to make. This period is more about eliminating baggage from the past than organising the future. Equally, most plans

must involve others. While this slows your pace, a joint effort leads to exciting new concepts.

Taurus April 20 – May 20 Sometimes obstacles are nothing more

than that. But those you’re facing now are actually forcing you to broaden your horizons in terms of both existing arrangements Shelley von Strunckel is an internationally acclaimed astrologer who created the first horoscope column for the London Sunday Times in 1992.

A frequent lecturer, she writes daily,

and future plans. The circumstances you’re dealing with are in transition. Consequently, what once worked splendidly no longer will, as becomes increasingly clear this week. While, inevitably, the resulting changes are disruptive, you’ll soon recognise them as breakthroughs.

weekly and monthly horoscopes in publications around the world including South China Morning Post, The Gulf News, Tatler, French and Chinese Vogue and now The Express Tribune Magazine.

Gemini May 21 – June 20 If others are pressing you for decisions,

tell them they’ll have to wait. At the moment several of the plan-

ets, including your ruler Mercury, are focusing on exploring your

options. And because you’ve a few yet to discover before you can even think of committing, you really can’t be rushed. However,

put them off diplomatically, since although the individuals involved needn’t be anxious, they are.

Cancer June 21 – July 22 There’s a difference between caring about the issues that partners or close associates are dealing with and

allowing them to dominate your life. True, ultimately potential changes will shape certain of your own activities. But that’s in the future, and by then elements of your own circumstances will

have evolved, some beyond recognition. Knowing this, you’ve reason to be optimistic and to encourage it in others, as well.

Leo July 23 – August 22 Don’t try to convince yourself that the more

swiftly you tackle tricky situations, many of which involve others, the faster you’ll put them behind you. Since most won’t even

come to a head until the Leo Full Moon, on the 18th, taking action now could complicate matters. Besides, this week’s revela-

tions could alter your thinking, and in some cases, your attitude about certain individuals and ventures.

Virgo August 23 – September 22 You’re in a lengthy cycle of

change. Since even the simplest of plans are unlikely to last for

long, you needn’t worry about getting things just right. Hopeful-

ly, in fact, you’re busily exploring new ideas, and occasionally, riskier options. It’s a smart move, since with little remaining at

it was first organised, you can easily abandon what doesn’t work

48

and move on to what suits you.

FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

Libra September 23 – October 22 Ordinarily you’re regard tense moments as reason to worry. But now they’re actually giving you a chance to get to the bottom of persistent issues. When

they arise, instead of glossing them over, speak frankly about your concerns and encourage others to do the same. The resulting discussions will move swiftly from clearing up those issues to discussions that strengthen these most significant of alliances.

Scorpio October 23 – November 21 Sometimes difficult situations

demand a certain toughness. At the moment, however, diplomacy will get you a lot further. Not only that, several of the situa-

tions you’re dealing with are themselves in transition. So instead

of your usual painstaking approach, make more casual plans.

Ideally, they’ll avoid anything so precise that changes would

cause problems. Most of all, give people priority over achieving your objectives.

Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Exciting as the developments swirling around you may be, you’re urged to think careful-

ly about them before you commit. First, there’s the issue of time.

But also with the actual circumstances you’re dealing with shifting, and often dramatically, what seems your best option now could change. As could your priorities. So show interest in what intrigues you, ask lots of questions but steer clear of promises.

Capricorn December 22 – January 19 After months of careful

thought, organisation and, occasionally, plotting things are falling into place magnificently. So much that you’re getting a little

anxious. While pivotal details involving various alliances will need

attention, it’s unlikely there’ll be problems. Still, bear in mind that the foundation on which these are based is evolving rapidly, and which means even these lovely plans are unlikely to stay the same.

Aquarius January 20 – February 18 The recent Aquarius New Moon

raised serious questions about certain objectives that you’ve re-

garded as fundamental. Take time reviewing these. Not only will one issue lead to another, the climate in which this process of

inquiry is taking place is itself one of upheaval. Actually, this is best, since what once seemed unchanging elements of your life could be transformed, and in a twinkling.

Pisces February 19 – March 19 Trust instincts that are telling you

that the strange and often inconvenient decisions others are making won’t last, and you won’t over-react. Rather, you’ll appear to

go along with them but will discreetly avoid making any radical changes. Not only will their situation shift, and within very

For more information, to order personal charts and to download & listen to detailed audiocasts, visit www.shelleyvonstrunckel.com

soon, so will yours. In the meanwhile, therefore, explore your op-

49

tions. Once unachievable objectives could soon be within reach.

FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

THE HATER

10 things I hate about ...the internet

1 2 3 4 5

BY NADIR HASSAN

Steve Jobs. Think of the most preening know-it-all you have ever encountered. Say, Pervez Musharraf. Now imagine if he was always right.

6 7 8 9 10

Buffering. The internet is supposed to be all about in-

stant gratification. Why, then, do I have to wait four hours for songs to load on YouTube? I want to spend my entire workday pretending I’m doing something other than listening to Bruce Springsteen, not just half.

The constant reminder of my immaturity. As a pimply

14-year-old, you probably thought your lovelorn poetry deserved a wider audience. As a college freshman, you

fancied yourself an astute political analyst. Congratulations, your ramblings are only a Google search (probably to be conducted by a prospective employer) away.

Fan boys and early adopters. Before the advent of the internet, it used to be easy to ignore those who claimed to love bands before they hit it big. No matter how hard you try, Linux scolds are impossible to tune out.

Online commenters. If people who write on the internet are the pond scum of humanity, those who leave comments on their posts are the algae.

The death of irony. Try and write something satirical.

Then sit back and wait for everyone to take you liter-

ally. Irony has now been replaced by sarcasm. And as Neil Patrick Harris one said, “Sarcasm, how original.”

50 FEBRUARY 6-12 2011

Websites that use Flash. When I go to a restaurant’s

website, I want to see an address, a menu and a phone number for reservations. Making me wait five minutes

while a rabbit in a top hat dances across the screen isn’t going to help your business.

It’s yet another way to measure your self-worth. There is nothing worse than having fewer followers than

anyone else on Twitter. Actually, there is: having fewer friends than everyone on Facebook.

The rise of inane lists like this one. The average internet-user has the attention span of a gnat. Information has to be bite-sized, numbered and not too taxing on the miniscule brain.

Justin Bieber. The internet made this alleged human

famous. There is something seriously wrong with a 16-year-old whose voice hasn’t yet broken.a

JUNE 13-19 2010

JUNE 13-19 2010