The Express Tribune Magazine - March 13

MARCH 13-19 2011

Among The Blasphemers FEATURES

REVIEWS

COMMENT

PEOPLE

HOROSCOPE

MARCH 13-19 2011

Cover Story 22 Among The Blasphemers Journeys among the victims and victimisers 34 The Quran Does Not Preach Hatred Does Islam mean intolerance?

38 Terror In The Twin Cities Despite their importance, Islamabad and Rawalpindi are insecure

Feature 42 Back With A Bang-le A bangle seller overcomes the odds

Positive Pakistanis

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44 A Rock For The Forgotten Missing children find solace in Haji Anwar

Interview 46 The Road Less Travelled Mohsin Hamid on his return to Pakistan

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Portfolio 48 Scenes From A Sikh Festival Pilgrims descend on Nanakana Sahib

Fired Up With Frieha 54 The X Factor This is the year of the Ex

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 20 Tribune Questionnaire: Kiran Aman on secrets 56 Reviews: What’s new in film 60 Horoscope: Shelley von Strunckel on your week ahead 62 Ten Things I Hate About: Expatriates in the Gulf

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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

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Sabina Pasha’s birthday bash in Lahore

aira

Murad, Hum and Zara

Bilal Mukhtar and Anoushay

Madiha and Imtisal

Sabina and Bilal

6 MARCH 13-19 2011

Ahsan

Jimmy, Saad and Zainab

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Kiran Fine Jewellery and Sonya Battla displayed a collection at the planetarium

Isani, Aamna Haider lam, Amean J As h te sh re Fa

Sumeha Khalid

Kamila and Yasmeen Shaikh

and Khurram Kasim r we Az Nida

8 MARCH 13-19 2011

Shehla Raza

Navaid, Pinky, Mr and Mrs Premjee

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Lahore celebrated ‘Ishq’ with a bang

man Madiha, Nau l sa ti Im and

Fahad Sheikh and Asher

Farhad and Nooray

d Amna Kardar an Noni

10 MARCH 13-19 2011

Ursula

Hannah Butt and Naima

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Sunuba Spa’s fashion show in Lahore

Minael, Zaree, bael Zalmina and Ra

Amina Saeed

Sarah and Asma Mumtaz

Abbas and Ubab

12 MARCH 13-19 2011

Imrana Shah Sunuba

id of

Danish, Horia and Zahir

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Ferragamo’s new scent Attimo launched in Karachi

esha Rana Khan, Ay ia Wasti ar M d an er Om

Frieha Altaf

Sanam Agha and Anoushay

and Nadia Hussain is An Ayaz

14 MARCH 13-19 2011

leeb Sadaf and Anda

Models at the launch

PHOTO: RIZWANUL HAQ

“I lie to get out of invitations to parties and weddings” Jewelry designer and publisher Kiran Aman on forgiveness, secrets, and being Queen Elizabeth I. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

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

It is attainable, but only for a few moments.

it be?

What is your greatest fear?

Loss of freedom.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

My ability to forgive people.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Deception and a sense of entitlement.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Disposable lighters.

What is your current state of mind?

A secret that unravels with time.

What is your most treasured possession?

My sanity.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

The price people are willing to pay for power.

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

That is not an option I would ever offer myself.

Who is your hero of fiction?

I don’t idolise fictional characters.

Curious — I am answering this questionnaire as I head to Ajmer

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Sharif, a place of wonder and miracles.

Queen Elizabeth I of England.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Who are your heroes in real life?

Chastity.

Street kids, those who overcome adversity and people who risk

On what occasion do you lie?

their lives safeguarding their beliefs .

I lie to get out of invitations to parties and weddings. I am a

What is your greatest regret?

homie in that respect.

None. Things are meant to be.

Which living person do you most despise?

What’s your favorite quote?

Don’t waste energy or time on such negative emotions.

“Complete possession is proved only by giving. All you are unable

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Emotional intelligence and integrity.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

to give possesses you.” Andre Gide

What kind of super powers would you like to have?

To be able to teleport.

Grace.

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

When and where were you happiest?

solitude!

When my sons were born.

My phone, Ipad, cigarettes and coffee and then I would enjoy my

If they made a movie on your life, who would you want to play your

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

role?

Oversight, despite my insight.

Cate Blanchett.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

What would the movie be called?

I am a survivor.

The Method to Her Madness. a

21 MARCH 13-19 2011

COVER STORY

among the

blasphemers

BY TAHA S SIDDIQUI

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Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti may have been the most high profile targets, but countless others are suffering at the hands of the draconian defenders of a misunderstood faith.

MARCH 13-19 2011

The fugitive “I changed my name once I got out of jail,” says Yakoob nonchalantly.

“Why did you do that?” I ask him.

“To live.”

It seemed so aptly put. At the age of 28, he was forced to become someone else — adopt a new name, find a new home, and start a new life. The reason? — he had been convicted for com-

“Aasia deserves death. She should be killed soon,” she said furiously.

“These delay tactics of our judicial system reflect inefficiency.”

mitting blasphemy. Ten years after getting out of jail, he already looked old and worn out. So much for a new life…

“I was in for 3 years, and I was kept in solitary confinement throughout,” Yakoob tells me. “I was kept separate from the rest of the inmates, but the prison guards tortured me and kept saying things which I knew weren’t true.”

“Like what?”

“Like, if I converted to Islam, they would try to get me a pardon.” He seems nervous saying this to me, perhaps because he knows I am a Muslim by faith.

“Why didn’t you convert then?” I ask.

“Sir, why should I? To each his own; my religion is as beloved to me as theirs is to them.”

Religious intolerance — that was the root cause of Yakoob’s misery. If religion is the opium of the masses, I was now beginning to find out why this particular narcotic was so lethal. In the wake of the much talked about case of Aasia Bibi, I had met Yakoob through the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), a human rights organisation that provided legal and financial help to those accused of blasphemy. We had agreed to meet in a church in Lahore where Yakoob felt safe.

Yakoob was from Sialkot but the fear of ‘street justice’ prevented him from visiting his family in their hometown. In the late 90s a rival shop-owner accused Yakoob of pelting stones on religious hoardings during a rally organised by Christians. This happened in the wake of a bishop killing himself in protest against the blasphemy laws. But according to Yakoob, he didn’t even know about the rally, much less attend it. Of course, no one paid attention to his pleas and the court sentenced him to jail. He has now been living in Lahore for many years, afraid that he will be lynched by the people in his hometown, despite already having served his sentence.

23 MARCH 13-19 2011

COVER STORY

A glass half empty Yakoob may have got out of jail in 3 years but Aasia Bibi isn’t so lucky. On death row, her hanging is contingent only on approval from the Lahore High Court, which is still pending. A friend sent me the 15- page court verdict on Aasia. An interesting fact in the hearing was Aasia’s denial of ever having committed blasphemy, but the large number of witnesses against her made her case weak. Aasia’s lawyer also raised objections on grounds of the discrepancy between the time of the incident and the complaint, which was registered four days later, but the district court judge still ruled against Aasia.

Out of the 300 households of Ittanwala, a small village some two hours’ drive from Lahore close to the Indian border, the only Christian residents were Aasia Bibi and her family. Our guide, a local journalist, took us along a road that led to mud houses built close to each other. “That’s Aasia’s house,” he said, pointing to the first house. “Some family members are still living there.”

This was surprising because the media had reported that Aasia’s family was on the run.

Before meeting anyone, we had to see the Maulvi of the village. Qari Salim’s house was the last in a narrow lane lined with concrete and mud houses, next to the mosque where he led prayers. A friendly man in his mid-thirties, he had a long black beard and wore a turban. Salim was the one who had registered the case against Aasia after two village-girls had complained to him.

Salim took us to the exact spot where Aasia and the girls had had an argument. From a dirt road, we were led to an orchard where a man named Idrees, was sitting on a charpoy. Idrees was one of the testifier in Aasia’s case. With Idrees, we made our way further into the orchard until we reached an open spot under a tree. “This is where it all started,” said Idrees.

“It was the summer of 2009,” he began. “I was out here when I heard Asia fighting with the two sisters. It was lunch time and they were having food. When I asked them what the problem was, Mafia told me that Aasia had just committed blasphemy and said things about our religion and our Prophet,” he added.

“Why would she do that?” I asked.

“Well, Aasia and the sisters had just eaten lunch, and Aasia took their glass and drank water out of it. The two sisters did not touch the glass after that. So Aasia inquired why they weren’t touching the glass. The sisters told her that it was because she is Christian and they would not drink out of her glass,” said Idrees.

“This infuriated Asia so much that she went on to say blasphemous things,” Qari Salaam added.

“Like what?” I asked.

“Those are words that we cannot repeat,” the two said in unison.

I wanted to meet the girls who had reported Aasia Bibi to Qari Salim and the maulvi agreed to take us to their house. Of the two sisters, only Mafia was home when we arrived. Her younger siblings and nephews were playing around her. She kept her face covered during our meeting. Her story was a repeat of what we’d heard in the orchard.

When she had finished, I asked her why she wouldn’t drink out of a Christian’s glass.

“As Muslims we should not share it,” she said with conviction.

Then I asked her what she thought of the pardon for Aasia.

“Aasia deserves death. She should be killed soon,” she said furiously. “These delay tactics of our judicial system reflect inefficiency.”

24 MARCH 13-19 2011

Fear and loathing Our next visit was to Aasia’s house which was on the same street as Mafia’s. Aasia’s sister-in-law, woman in her mid-thirties, opened the door and told me that she was living there to take care of Aasia’s sister who had had a baby recently. By that time a sizable crowd had gathered outside the house and as she opened the door to let us in, I could tell that she was scared. Inside the house, I met Aasia’s sister, Sonia* a malnourished woman holding a baby in her lap.

When asked her if she thought Aasia could say all that she had been accused of, she replied “I don’t know.”

Then she added, “This is not the first time Aasia or her family have been targeted in this village.

They would block the family’s sewerage line, damage the house walls. She was uneducated, she didn’t know about her own religion. How could she come up with such specific facts about the Prophet (pbuh) and present them in a twisted, derogatory manner?” she asked.

“So you think she’s being targeted for her religion?” I asked.

Before she could say anything, a face popped up from the wall beside her. A man was listening to our conversation. Sonia froze, too scared to speak.

“Are you not scared to live here?” I asked her.

“We don’t have a choice. Someone has to live here to protect the house,” she said.

Ashiq, Aasia’s husband, was on the run, and Sonia told me to get in touch with him through Aasia’s lawyer.

But, when I contacted him, the lawyer was reluctant. “Ashiq is in danger,” he told me over the phone. “Salmaan Taseer’s assassination has changed everything,” he added. Finally, he agreed to arrange a meeting in a village just outside Lahore after midnight.

I met Ashiq in a house that was under construction. I was ushered to the first floor where cement and sawdust were strewn on the floor. There sat Aasia’s three children, with their aunt. Their faces were unwashed, their clothes were tattered and uncertainty lingered in their eyes… I wondered how long it would be before they could stop running.

Ashiq told me that he met his wife once a week but the children never went along with him since it was too dangerous. He had lost his job a while ago and only his son was working now. He had a job in some other village, but it was likely that he would lose it soon. The family was barely able to survive.

I asked him why he was on the run but, before he could reply, one of children piped up.

“They were going to kill her that day. She was thrashed for hours. Do you think we could stay there? They beat her almost to death.” The anger in this child’s voice broke my heart. She was barely 12 and that had been the last that she’d seen of her mother.

“So do you think you will ever see your mother again?” I asked her.

“I trust God — He will bring her back to us,” she replied.

25 MARCH 13-19 2011

COVER STORY The road to Gojra Analysts say that because of the circumstances surrounding Governor Salmaan Taseer’s assassination, Aasia has little or no chance of getting her sentence reverted. Following Taseer’s murder, the government announced that it would withdraw the proposed amendments’ bill in the blasphemy law which had been submitted to parliament by Sherry Rehman. With this, any hope of change has died out.

The blasphemy law was amended under General Zia-ul-Haq — a dictator who we all agree brought ‘the Kalashnikov culture’, heroin smuggling, and ethnic tension to this country. Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world that award capital punishment for blasphemy; the other is Saudi Arabia. Other Muslim states do not award death sentences for blasphemy. In that case do Pakistan’s laws really uphold the ideals that the country was built upon? Another round of investigations answered my questions.

In 2009, seven Christians were burnt alive by a mob in Gojra and recently, the Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah claimed the issue had been settled. But NCJP, which had been handling this case, took issue with the minister’s claim. So I decided to see for myself.

The next day I was on my way to Gojra, an hour’s drive from Faisalabad. We had arranged to meet the local priest, Father Younus, in a church. As we sat down for tea, I noticed a nearby wall had ‘The Gojra Tragedy’ written on it. On closer inspection, I saw it was covered with photographs of women crying, injured men and a street with burnt houses… Father Younus introduced us to Haroon, whose wife had been amongst those that died when Christian houses in Gojra were set on fire. Haroon took us to the street where it had all happened.

We reached a noisy street with freshly-painted houses on each side. Kids played in the street and women chatted with each other in corners. A big signboard lauded the government of Punjab’s reconstruction efforts. At the end of the street was a house which the government of Punjab had obviously not reconstructed: its walls were scorched and the dilapidated door had a big padlock on it.

“This is the house where six people including my sister and mother were burnt alive,” Haroon said. “It all started with the sermons in the mosque that day. We could hear them over the loudspeakers: ‘Kill the Christians!’ And even though we were forewarned, what could a few Christians do against a mob of hundreds of people who wanted to kill them?” Haroon had fear in his eyes as he narrated the events of that dark day. He went on to tell us how, following the announcement, mobs of teenagers descended on their street, beating people, throwing petrol bombs into homes, and opening fire at those who were fleeing.

“Why wasn’t this house reconstructed?” I asked him.

26 MARCH 13-19 2011

“They were going to kill her that day. She was thrashed for hours. Do you think we could stay there? They beat her almost to death.” The anger in this child’s voice broke my heart. She was barely 12 and that had been the last that she’d seen of her mother.

“Because the son of the man killed in this incident has not withdrawn the case yet,” he said. Apparently, the Punjab government has rebuilt only those houses whose owners have withdrawn charges against members of the mob. And all have done so, except for the owner of this house where seven human beings had been burnt alive.

So that’s what the Punjab Law minister had meant when he said the issue had been settled.

Haroon took us to the Muslim preachers of the area. “That’s the mosque,” he said. “The mullah there is from Sipah-e-Sahaba.” According to reports from the interior ministry, Sipah-eSahaba, a banned organisation, was behind the Gojra attacks.

I waited for Maulana Kashmiri to finish Friday prayers so that I could talk to him. His sermon that day is something that I cannot forget even today. He was screaming through a microphone and claiming that he was quoting most of it from the Quran. The crowd was mesmerised. “The infidels will lead you astray. They do everything for money — a worldly pleasure that will not last,” he shouted.

While waiting for him to get done with the prayers, I met some teenagers outside the mosque. One of them pointed to the mosque and said, “Maulana Kashmiri is not affiliated with Sipah-e-Sahaba anymore but he was with them. He left it after coming back from jail.”

When I joined Maulana Kashmiri at his home, I asked him whether he was a member of Sipah-e-Sahaba.

“No, I don’t belong to any religious organisation. I am just an imam of this mosque,” he replied. He told me that he had been in jail for fourteen months after the Gojra incident and had gotten out a few months ago. But his fourteen month detention was illegal, he claimed.

He flatly denied having made anti-Christian statements in his sermons. “I have made no such announcements. Nothing of the sort happened that day,” he said, referring to the day of the Gojra tragedy. “Actually some Muslim youth were attacked and injured by Christians. That led to the ‘riots’. You should check the hospital record which shows that Muslims were brought to the emergency room before the time quoted on the FIR registered by the Christians.”

He went on to defend himself and I realised that Maulana Kashmiri was not going to change his version of events. “It was just that people were angry because of the blasphemy committed by a Christian family in Korian, following which Christians tried to attack and ridicule Muslim youth in Gojra. This is what caused the riots.”

“So now you’re out and free?” I asked him.

“Not really, I still have to go to the hearing in the court,” he replied.

27 MARCH 13-19 2011

“This is the house where six No Witnesses, no case A few days later, I was at Maulana Kashmiri’s hearing at the Anti people including my sister Terrorist court in Faisalabad. I found out that none of the victims would be present at the hearing, because all had withdrawn their and mother were burnt alive,” cases except Almas Hameed. Almost all of Hameed’s family including his wife, son, daughter, sister-in-law, mother, aunt and Haroon said. “It all started with father had died that day. Hameed himself had left the country for Thailand a few months ago, owing to security concerns. Now it the sermons in the mosque was just the state and one Christian that pursued the case.

A few minutes after 9.00 am, a bus stopped in front of the gate that day. We could hear them and a group of around 50 people got off.

“Who are these people?” I asked the man leading the group. over the loudspeakers: ‘Kill the “They are the nominated accused in the FIR of the Gojra incident,” he said.

Christians!’ And even though we The man I had spoken to was Rehmatullah, who belonged to the Jamaat-e-Islami and was providing legal support to these vilwere forewarned, what could a lagers. few Christians do against a mob of When Rehmatullah came out of court he said, “The court has deferred the hearing for the next week due to a lack of witness accounts and has asked the state to present the witnesses next hundreds of people who wanted time.”

“We are innocent!” cried one of the men standing next to to kill them?”

Rehmatullah. Maulana Kashmiri, who had also come out, nodded in agreement. “There are no witnesses because they know they are wrong,” he said. “We will get justice.”

“Do you know what happened at Gojra and Korian?” I asked him.

“Yes, I do, and even though none of us did it, the Christians still deserved it. They are blasphemers!” he shouted angrily. And a chorus of people echoed his words.

28 MARCH 13-19 2011

Among the believers So whether it was the villagers, the educated masses or the politicians — the stance against blasphemy was the same.

I saw all these people come together under one umbrella the following week at a rally in Lahore organised by Islamist parties in support of the blasphemy law. The Jamaat-e-Islami representative Rehmatullah, who I had met outside the ATC in Faisalabad, was at the rally which was to begin from Nasir Bagh on Kachehri Road near the District courts and stop at the Punjab Assembly prominent leaders from the JUI-F, JI and JuD would address the crowd.

Islamist organisations were one of the biggest pressure groups in support of the blasphemy law and I could see how they managed their support. They backed these accused villagers and in return they got the street power they needed to shake the pillars of power. It was a win-win situation.

Rehmat-ullah got out of a bus in which he had brought a crowd of more than 150 people who were now marching towards the Kachehri Road.

The government had set up a loose security barrier that many were bypassing as we followed the group. The crowd was becoming larger and louder, shouting anti-government slogans, holding placards and party flags (including that of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba’s). The rally was astonishing — there were people that carried posters of Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer of Salmaan Taseer with statements like ‘He is our hero’, and ‘Free Qadri’. Some people had placards with ‘Hang Aasia Bibi’ written on them. On Mall Road, a truck was painted with a photo-shopped full-size poster of Qadri sitting on a throne. His handcuffs had been digitally removed from the picture and two dead dogs lay in a puddle of blood at his feet. Two other dogs stood by, with Pope Benedict’s face photoshopped on their bodies. People were kissing Qadri’s feet while spitting on the dogs. A group of people carried effigies dressed as witches with the names of who they represented written on a placard. A man pointed at the effigies and shouted, ‘Meet Sherry Rehman and Fauzia Wahab.’

Sherry Rehman’s name had been changed to Sherry Satan. “She wants to bring a change in the blasphemy law. We will not let her,” shouted the man carrying her effigy. “She will end up like Salmaan Taseer!”

I had thought that the Islamists in Pakistan were politically motivated to pressurise the government and that the rally would be their show alone– but I had been wrong, mainstream political parties were at the rally as well. Outside the Punjab assembly, the rally was being addressed by the PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafiq and the ex-chief minister Punjab Chauhdry Pervez Elahi from the PML-Q. The Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf had also sent its representative.

I asked Khawaja Saad Rafique if it was wise to mix politics and religion. “This is not politics; it is our duty as Muslims to defend Islam,” replied the parliamentarian before leaving in a convoy of jeeps.

“Islam will prevail no matter what,” screamed the loudspeakers around me as another political activist started to speak.

“Will it?” I thought to myself. And if so, which brand of Islam? With the hatred and bigotry I have witnessed in the past few weeks, I wondered what happened to the Islam of my childhood, the religion of peace, harmony and tolerance? How many more Taseers, Bhattis and Aasias will pay the price for our inability to tolerate the opinions and faiths of others?

a

29 MARCH 13-19 2011

the Quran does not

preach hatred Islam is a religion of peace and understanding. Why then are so many Muslims intolerant of other faiths?

BY KHALID ZAHEER

34 MARCH 13-19 2011

If the Quran is clear in what it preaches, why is the fact that non-Muslims are not to be treated harshly, as some moderate Muslims claim, not understood by most Muslims from its text? The truth is that many Muslims believe the reality to be otherwise, and if one goes by their interpretation, the Quran too seems to be supporting their perception.

Let me respond by admitting that the Quran can appear a little unclear to some of the beginners. However, once an individual starts reading its text carefully, if possible through the help of a good guide, its initial lack of clarity gradually begins to disappear. There do appear apparent contradictions, I agree, to begin with. However, with deeper reflection they all turn out to be unreal. My response to the claim that the Quran is unclear is this question: Where is it unclear? If people haven’t understood it properly then there could be one of these two reasons for it: Either the Quran is vague or the people have not done enough to understand it. I insist that the latter is the only correct explanation.

Clarity of a message is its intrinsic attribute which an open and discerning mind can appreciate and uncover. Counting of heads is no way of proving whether a certain text was clear or otherwise.

The question however would still remain bothering many minds that if the Quran was really clear, as I claim, why then was it badly misunderstood in some of its vital teachings by even the apparently most devoted of its readers? The answer to this question has been provided by the Quran itself: This life is a trial for all humans. If one were to seek the truth one would get it; if one were not to seek it, one would not get it. This principle is true both in case of total as well as partial truth.

If an individual has gone against the truth completely and is not interested to know it, he will not get to know it by any means.

35 MARCH 13-19 2011

Likewise, if a person avoids knowing some partial aspect of truth and therefore doesn’t concentrate fully to uncover it, he would miss the opportunity of knowing it. However, in case truth, total or partial, is not discovered, it is not the fault of the truth that it didn’t appear clearly; it was in fact the fault of those who didn’t do enough to uncover it that they couldn’t get the glimpse of it.

As regards the verses that are often quoted to show that Quran condemns non-Muslims and discriminates against them, let me clarify that they were all revealed to condemn such disbelieving non-Muslims who had learnt about the fact that the Islamic message was truly from God and yet they were not willing to accept it. Indeed God condemns them as criminals. However, many other non-Muslims too have been mentioned in the Quran whose truthfulness and good character have been applauded.

Take for instance the following verses: “Among the people of the Book (Jews and Christians) there are those who if you trust them with a treasure, they will return it to you; and among them there are those who, if you trust them with a dinar, they will not return it to you, unless you keep standing over them.” (3:75) “They are not all alike. Among the people of the Book there is a group of men who have stood (by their covenant with God); they recite the Word of God in the hours of night and prostrate themselves before Him. They believe in God and the Last Day, and enjoin good and forbid evil, and hasten to vie with one another in good works. And these are among the righteous.” (3:113) “And surely among the People of the Book there are some who (truly) believe in God and in what has been sent down to you and in what was sent down to them, humbling themselves before Allah. They trade not the signs of God for a paltry price. It is these who shall have their reward with their Lord. Surely God is swift in settling account.” (3:199) The condemning expressions for non-Muslims in verses people often quote from Quran are for such people who were Kafir: those

36 MARCH 13-19 2011

who denied the message of God despite knowing it to be from Him. Take the following two verses that describe the reason why such non-Muslims were considered Kafir: “They (the people of the book) recognize him (the prophet) the way they recognize their own children.” (Quran; 6:20) “And they (the disbelieving non-Muslims) denied them (the signs brought by Prophet Moses) even though they were convinced about their truthfulness out of unfairness and arrogance.”

(Quran; 27:14) Given the above, there could be only two possibilities: Either the Quran is, God forbid, full of contradictions — which is most certainly not the case — or the verses condemning non-Muslims are talking about only those amongst them who were guilty of knowing the truth about the message of Islam and were yet bent upon rejecting, ridiculing, and opposing it.

The greatest believer in and follower of the Quran, the prophet, may God’s mercy be upon him, is known to have adopted two different approaches towards non-Muslims: In the vast majority of the cases, he was very kind with them and showed magnanimity to even his worst enemies amongst them, but in some cases, which all happened in the later part of his prophetic mis-

If people haven’t understood the Quran properly there could be two reasons for this — either the Quran is vague, or the person in question hasn’t done enough to understand the text. I insist that the latter is the only correct explanation.

sion, he desired a few of them to be put to death. It seems obvious that when he was left to follow his own discretion, he was always forgiving. However, he had to follow God’s commands when the promised deadline for the disbelievers reached and His command to take them to task was revealed.

No human can kill another human. It is a huge sin. Only God can kill. He kills humans by causing them to die through illness, accident, natural disaster, or by asking His messengers to get rid of some of the criminals who rejected His message that came to them directly through His messengers. Since no new messenger shall come to this world, the possibility of man killing another man because of religious differences is not there anymore until the day when this world would give way to another. a

37 MARCH 13-19 2011

“Jahan shikar ziada ho ga, shikari udhar he aye ga.

Aur Islamabad main shikar bahut hai.” (Hunters love fields abundant with prey and there is a lot of prey in Islamabad This is how a senior police official summed up Islamabad’s security situation.

Despite being home to the establishment’s top leadership, the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have become desperately insecure. Over the past few years, several high profile assas-

terror in the

twin cities Despite being home to the powers that be, Islamabad and Rawalpindi are far from secure.

sination attempts, bombs blasts and shootings have exposed just how vulnerable security in these cities is.

On paper, Islamabad seems to be secure and well-guarded against terrorist threats. At one point, the city could boast of 93 police check posts, although the number has since gone down

BY ZIA KHAN AND UMER NANGIANA

to 43.

Every checkpoint is manned by at least three police personnel and a gunner equipped with a Chinese made Semi-Machine Gun or a Kalashnikov. Their job is to check every vehicle entering the city for possible terror threats, and to respond to a threat if it should arise.

However, till this day officials can cite only one incident where security personnel at a check post successfully prevented an attack: in March 2009, police constable Faisal Jan Khan stopped a suicide bomber at the Police Special Branch’s gate in Sitara market G-7. He saved dozens of his colleagues working inside the building as the bomber failed to get past him.

Check posts aren’t meant to be the only deterrent — the two large truck-mounted explosive detectors that Pakistan imported from China at great cost are also stationed around Islamabad.

However, suicide bombers, explosives and gunmen still enter the city freely.

One would also think that the city would be better protected by virtue of the proximity of police officials to powerful decision makers — but extracting funds from the government is still a

38

painful process.

MARCH 13-19 2011

Maulana Azam Tariq, 2003 A member of the National Assembly and chief of the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Tariq riq was assassinated by unidentified gunmen in Islamabad on October 6, 2003.

Pervez Musharraf, 2003 Former President Musharraf was attacked twice in 2003 — the first attempt on his life took place on December 14, 2003 as a bomb exploded near his convoy in Rawalpindi. He was attacked again by car bombs on December 25, also in Rawalpindi.

Pervez Musharraf, 2007 The former president was targeted again on July 6, 2007, when someone fired a submachine gun at his aircraft in Rawalpindi.

Benazir Bhutto, 2007 Former prime minister and PPP leader Benzair Bhutto was killed in a shooting and suicide bombing on December 27, 2007 as she left a campaign rally in Liaquat Park in Rawalpindi.

Mushtaq Baig, 2008 Army medical officer Lt General Mushtaq Baig was killed in Rawalpindi in a suicide attack on February 25, 2008.

Yousuf Raza Gilani, 2008 The prime minister’s convoy was fired at on September 3, 2008, as the car was on its way to collect Gilani from Islamabad airport.

Ameer Faisal Alavi, 2008 A high-ranking army official, Major General (R) Ameer Faisal Alavi was gunned down in Islamabad on November 19, 2008. Alavi was the former head of the Army’s Elite Commando Force.

Hamid Saeed Kazmi, 2009 The then-religious affairs minister was attacked by unknown gunmen yards away from his office on September 2, 2009. Kazmi survived the attack.

Moinudin Ahmed, 2009 Brigadier Moinudin Ahmed was killed by gunmen who fired at his Army jeep in Islamabad on October 22, 2009.

Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, 2010 Awami Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad was wounded in an assassination attempt as gunmen fired at his vehicle outside his party’s election office on February 8 2010.

Salman Taseer, 2011 Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was gunned down by his own guard in Islamabad on January 4, 2011. Taseer was actively protesting against the blasphemy law.

Shahbaz Bhatti, 2011 Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti was shot in his car as he left his home in Islamabad on March 2, 2011.

Bhatti had confessed that he feared for his life.

39 MARCH 13-19 2011

Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti’s assassination in broad daylight was a painful reminder of the inadequacy of security in Islamabad. Why do high profile targets seem most vulnerable in the capital?

A senior police official requesting anonymity laughs when he is asked to comment on the notion that Islamabad looks like it is ‘better protected’ than other cities. “All this security… it is just a smokescreen, conjured to appease certain political interests,” he says.

The officer said that only 3,000 police personnel out of a total strength of 10,000 were available for operational duties including counter-terrorism and maintaining law and order. He added that over 1,000 policemen were tasked with clerical duties.

The security division of the police is responsible for the safety of all VVIPs, VIPs, diplomats, Judges of the Supreme Court and foreign delegations. Billions of rupees are being spent on the salaries and upkeep of FC and Rangers personnel.

However, the official said the security division was not using its resources well. “The security division is not able to make a justified division of the force according to its needs. There is simply too much political interference,” he says.

“FC and Rangers forces are a status symbol,” he adds. The official said these forces were used by those who had ‘political influence,’ and were allocated according to the whims of certain people in the Interior Ministry, the Presidency and Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

As a result, government officials who were not under any significant threat roamed around with a huge security detail while actual targets, like former Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi, were without any security at all.

Kazmi was accompanied by only one police constable when he survived an assassination attempt in 2009. He escaped only because the constable sacrificed his life to save the minister. “I was not provided any security escort,” admitted the former religious minister in a National Assembly session recently.

Additionally, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for security are vague, or they are not followed at all. “People provided with proper security, like minorities minister Bhatti, were not willing to sacrifice their privacy,” says an official from the security division. “They were reluctant to follow instructions from their security head and wanted to keep their private life hidden from even their security detail,” he added. The official suggested that people under threat should be advised on how to best utilize their security cover.

However, where does the burden to take decisions really lie — on the person under threat, or his security head?

In manuals dealing with SOPs for VVIP and VIP security, it is stated that a security escort is bound to follow instructions only

40 MARCH 13-19 2011

from its head and not the person they guard. It is the security detail’s responsibility to anticipate threats and warn the VIP of it, and make subsequent arrangements to counter the threat.

However, this practice is rarely followed in real life, and when the ‘target’ starts making decisions, things become risky. “Bhatti tried to keep his actual residence secret from his security escort which cost him dearly in the end,” says a police official close to the investigation into the assassination.

Apart from the lapse in following SOPs, security officials admit that they are poorly trained in counter-terrorism. “Whatever little we have learned we learned in the field,” says a police constable standing guard at a picket.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Tahir Alam Khan admits that police personnel were too stressed to find enough time for specialised training in counter-terrorism. In addition, desperately needed recruitments in the capital police were on a halt for over two years due to political interference. The police also lack modern gadgetry to help them trace perpetrators of terrorist activities. More than 90 per cent of the budget allocated for security forces is consumed in salaries, says an officer deputed at the headquarters of the police.

On the other hand, terrorists are not only more motivated now, they are better trained, says an official of the special branch.

“Our forces also need to be taught about different ideologies that terrorist adhere to — because a majority of the police were found to be sympathetic toward people involved in Lal Masjid during the military operation against them,” he said. He added that cases like Salmaan Taseer’s murder also caused policemen to have mixed feelings about the killer.

Police officers say their problems are being compounded by the Criminal Justice System which is serving the interests of terrorists and miscreants.

‘Ninety per cent of alleged terrorists freed by the courts never return to their homes. They go back to join their terrorist organi-

twin city targets

sations,” says an intelligence official. He adds that these suspects

(Clockwise from left) Pervez Musharraf, Salmaan Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti and Benazir Bhutto.

were released by the courts because of ‘insufficient evidence’ but they were actually established terrorists.

The official said these terrorists take refuge in madrassas, which are becoming increasingly difficult to monitor. He recommended changes to the Anti-Terrorism Act and Evidence Act to address the changed scenario of terrorism, they stressed equally on regulating religious seminaries.

But accordingly to security officials, unless the entire security system is revamped, the criminal justice system is improved and political influence is decreased… better security for the twin cities is nothing more than a dream. a

41 MARCH 13-19 2011

FEATURE

back with a

bang-le

BY HIBA TOHID

An inspiring tale about beating the odds.

“Red, orange, blue, yellow. If you want any other colour, I can even make it in that,” says Shahid, excitedly showing off the beautiful collection of bangles that he and his wife had made. Not too long ago, it was this same man who had just one colour left to see in life — black. Shahid had gone blind in the prime of his life.

“He was suffering from conversion disorder,” says one of Sha-

hid’s doctors. She is sporting a set of bangles that Shahid had

made, and she is not the only one. Shahid’s bangles are quite the rage in the psychiatry department of one of the Karachi’s biggest

public hospitals... the same hospital where Shahid once lay as a patient, both helpless and hopeless.

“My elder brother had died… leaving behind a wife and three

children,” Shahid doesn’t make eye contact as he tells his tale,

focusing instead on the tray on which he is meticulously setting

Like an ostrich buries its head in the ground when it faces trou-

mid-day snacks. “I now had to be a father to these children and

ble, Shahid neither wanted to see the obstacles in his way nor

pan of boiling water as if he can see his own life simmering down

and incapacitated. It was his mind that needed healing.

take care of my sister-in-law as well.” Shahid looks deep into the to a boil in it. “My family thought that it was only fitting that I

could he muster up the courage to fight them. He was both blind “Shahid’s recovery was not possible without his family’s sup-

marry her.”

port, especially his wife,” says the doctor.

to the doctors’ room, right next to the ward where he was once

Older than Shahid, she had to overcome her own misery to pull

The tea is ready. Shahid places the cups in the tray and scurries

admitted.

“Shahid has been working in this ward ever since he has re-

covered. It’s not just the snacks, tea or bangles but the hope that he brings to us about our profession that matters,” says Shahid’s doctor.

The lines on his forehead are a reminder of the psychological

trauma that once bound Shahid to the hospital bed.

“Once psychological stress surpasses a certain threshold, it

Shahid’s wife Razia is a strong woman with a sturdy face.

Shahid out from the abyss of depression and save her family from falling apart, again.

With every session, Shahid’s dwindled hopes began to be reig-

nited. According to the doctor, “A miracle was happening.”

Though Shahid has been discharged, his treatment continues.

“The work that I do here, this is my treatment,” he says. Staying busy is the key to Shahid’s solace.

“He needs to be distracted from stress and there is no better

‘converts’ into physical symptoms,” explains Shahid’s doctor.

distraction than work,” say his doctors.

to move or even talk…”

shack in Korangi. Razia is busy preparing supper. Afterwards,

he relives his painful past. “I became a ghutka addict.”

they use to make their bangles with. While Razia puts the final

“Many patients suffer fits — Shahid came to us blinded, unable “I needed a refuge like anyone else in trouble,” says Shahid as Eventually, Shahid developed the worst kind of oral fibrosis.

He could hardly open his mouth. With the fear of being or-

phaned again upon his children, Shahid’s new family could only

hope for a miracle. And a miracle they got, in the next forty days as Shahid lay on bed number 16, dreading otherwise.

After he wraps up his work, Shahid heads back home to a small

both Shahid and Razia sit down in a corner with the humble kit joint in the bangles, Shahid dives in to the box of colours. Red,

blue, orange, yellow. He picks one, then another and another till

he takes his final pick, the colour he has chosen for his life, the colour of rebirth, the colour of hope — green! a

“While his oral fibrosis was curtailed with medicine, Shahid’s

conversion disorder could only be treated with rigorous psychotherapy.” A team of doctors and psychologists set about rekindling what Shahid had lost along the way — hope.

43 MARCH 13-19 2011

POSITIVE PEOPLE PAKISTANIS

a rock for the forgotten

To some, he is a simple barber. But to the children he has reunited with their families, Haji Anwar Khokhar is an angel in human form.

BY MEHMOOD ALI PATHAN

They call him ‘Larkana’s Edhi’. And certainly, with his white beard, modest stature and soft speech, Haji Anwar Ali Khokhar does resemble Pakistan’s well-known social worker. But the similarities don’t end

ened lost children and give them shelter until he can track down

there; like Edhi, he too has transformed himself, and his mis-

ber, tending to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s tresses, among others.

sion, into an institution.

44

their parents. The interesting thing is that Haji Anwar didn’t plan to become a saviour for these children — he slipped into the habit while he was happily pursuing his day job as a simple barBorn in Minan village in Qambar in 1942, Haji Anwar lost his

Simply put, Haji Anwar reunites lost children with their par-

father when he was eight. His family moved to Larkana soon af-

ents. He has made it his life’s mission to find and collect fright-

ter and lived in Lahori Muhallah, where he started his appren-

MARCH 13-19 2011

ticeship with Ustad Muhammad Bakhsh Mangi, a hairdresser at

missing child finally makes it into his mother’s lap, my soul is

Pakistan Chowk.

satisfied, the feeling takes all my tiredness away,” he says.

In 1969 he opened his own barber shop in Bhurgari Panda. Haji

Hajji Anwar had to face his fair share of obstacles during his

Anwar was a member of the Pakistan People’s Party at the time,

mission, however. “Sometimes, when I took children around on

and used to meet its founder, ZA Bhutto, frequently. One thing

my motorcycle, people used to throw stones at me,” he says. “And

led to another and he was soon cutting Bhutto’s hair. Many of

my family had to cope with all the children I brought home —

his clients, like ZA Bhutto, were famous: Nawab Sultan Ahmed

some of these children were disabled, and were very difficult to

Chandio and Nawab Saifullah Magsi also came to him for hair-

care for.”

cuts. “When other people saw Bhutto Sahab getting a haircut

Through all his troubles, he persevered, eventually buying a

from me, they wanted one too,” Haji Anwar recalls. “His ADC JA

motorcycle so he could get around more easily. He soon converted

Rahim, Military Secretary Khalid Rathore and Major General Im-

this motorcycle into a three-wheeler, so that he could go around

tiaz also started coming to me.”

town with four children instead of one.

Haji Anwar is full of interesting stories about his encounters:

“Because some of the handicapped children in my care used

“When Bhutto came in for a haircut, he would sit on a chair

to disturb my family at night, I often had to go to the nearby

without any arms and his staff placed files on his right and left.

mosque to spend the night with them there,” says Haji Anwar.

He would continue signing papers even during his haircut,” says

“We would stay at the mosque at Qaim Shah Najjari’s shrine. I

Haji Anwar.

would pray to God, asking him to arrange for a shelter for these

But despite this brush with fame, Haji Anwar felt something was missing. Then, one day, he heard that a missing child had

innocent children...and then one day, my prayers were answered!”

shown up at a nearby mosque he used to frequent. Haji Anwar

Having heard of his work, Larkana’s Deputy Commissioner

made an announcement on the mosque’s loudspeaker, asking

Arif Khan gave him a plot on Airport Road where Haji Anwar

the child’s parents to come forward. “After that, whenever a

built a welfare centre. The centre is now run by his organisation,

missing child appeared in the area I took responsibility for him

the Khidmat-e-Masoomeen Welfare Trust. Missing children and

or her, making the announcements at the mosque. If their par-

the elderly are housed here.

ent’s didn’t show up, I took the child home to care for him,” says Haji Anwar.

Slowly, word spread, and people began bringing lost children

Haji Anwar says he no longer needs to drive around town with missing children. “I get more exposure now, and the media helps me publicise my cases,” he says.

to Haji Anwar. He would go around town with the lost child rid-

Haji Anwar says he also cares for missing children whose par-

ing on his bicycle, and ring his bell at every house so that people

ents have never been found: “Sometimes children stay with us

could come out and try to identify the child. This became his sig-

until they become adults. Once I took in a missing baby girl, and

nature: even if his cycle was broken, he walked from home to

she grew up in our shelter. I got my son, Muhammad Younus,

home carrying the missing child in one arm and ringing a bell

married to her.”

with his free hand.

In 2003 the government awarded him a Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for

Haji Anwar claims he has managed to reunite about 10,000

his services, but Haji Anwar says that despite the recognition his

lost children with their parents since he began his mission. He

life remains a simple one. His efforts, and the efforts of people

doesn’t want to be compensated, saying the pleasure of seeing

like him will ensure that the helpless and destitute will always

children go home to their mothers is reward enough. “When a

have somewhere to turn to.

a

45 MARCH 13-19 2011

INTERVIEW

the road Less

travelled Novelist Mohsin Hamid came back to Pakistan recently, one of the few expatriates to have done so. Is home still where the heart is?

BY AYESHA AZHAR

The author of two acclaimed novels Moth Smoke and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Mohsin Hamid is forthcoming and articulate, and quite comfortable being back in his hometown Lahore.

“I like it here,” he says, leaning forward in his chair as if eager

to get his point across. “I like that my daughter can be with her grandparents. Family is here.” Family isn’t the only pull. “Personally, Lahore is treating me well,” he adds. ‘Going to the mar-

ket, driving around, going to university, meeting friends, seeing

46

things, writing about this world, it provides continuous inspiraMARCH 13-19 2011

HAMID ON HIS CREATIVE PROCESS

“How do I create characters? It’s like playing when you’re a kid. It’s how small children play pretend. You imagine being someone else. When writing about her in Moth Smoke, I imagined being Mumtaz. How would I feel? How would I think?

It’s almost like acting.”

“I can’t think of one character that (is) completely (like) anyone in my book.” Hamid says that his characters could be an amalgamation of several people, but they are not based on any one person. “For example, being caught by a cop on the road, or a car accident... that may come up,” he explains.

find a way for very different people to live together in peace in

Pakistan. “It’s more about building a system that allows (people) to flourish,” he says, citing the US as an example.

Hamid doesn’t restrict himself to fiction in order to get his

ideas across. His essays, mostly comments on Pakistani politics

and society, have appeared in foreign publications like The New York Times and The Independent, and in local newspapers, too.

His writing and articles are both laced with his perceptions of

Pakistan’s current situation, but both forms of writing take different tones. His fiction is arguably darker than his non-fiction, which is often sunnily optimistic.

“To be clear, I am critical in my articles,” says Hamid. “They

show nuggets of positivity inside a tough picture. The overall picture is not fantastic, I don’t claim it is,” he says.

“There is self-criticism in my books — an attempt to look hon-

estly at what is. There are sad and terrible but also positive things in life. My novels also have optimism and beauty. They are a balance of the two things,” he says.

“I think my stories are hopeful. Part of the job of a novel is to

make you think.” Writing an article is a lot more straightforward. “An article says, ‘This is what I think’,” Hamid elaborates.

“I don’t do that as much in a normal process. I write, you read.”

But in writing articles, especially on the political situation at

home, Hamid, like many other writers, risks being thought of even more as a representative of Pakistan, and of speaking for the country.

Hamid gets defensive, his natural charm almost tilting to-

tion... Not that I think you have to live here to write about it, but personally I wanted to be close to it to do so,” he clarifies.

Hamid is one of the few well-known Pakistanis living abroad

wards aggression, when asked if he, or other Pakistani writers, get attention precisely because they are from Pakistan — currently one of the world’s hotspots.

He agrees that Pakistani writers get attention because of that

who decided to return to Pakistan recently. Although he spent

factor, but emphasises that the attention is partly because of the

where his family is based, with touching regularity. “This place

writing to discover what the country is about, but then continue

practically half his life abroad, Hamid would return to Pakistan, is home. I cannot forget it. It’s under my skin... I find Pakistan

beautiful, heartbreaking,” he says. While he was studying at

fact that Pakistani writing is very good. “People read Pakistani to read because the writing is good.”

And do these writers in any way represent Pakistan? “No one

Princeton University and later at Harvard Law School, Hamid

is a representative in that sense. I’m just a guy who tells stories.

months a year in Pakistan even while he was working abroad

situation in the country is borne out of jealousy. The notion of

would come back to Pakistan every year, and he spent several later in life.

And is he nostalgic for all that has changed in the country

and in Lahore? “The pace [of life] has accelerated. I like the

pace slow,” he says. “But I’m also one of those people who don’t want things to stay the same forever. I’m not obsessed with that. The experience of being alive is to watch change.”

And amid all the violence he has come back to, not to mention

the carnage Lahore has seen lately, Hamid displays the faith so characteristic of his fellow countrymen. He believes the country

has a lot of potential it can live up to. For Hamid, the idea is to

The idea that the Pakistani writer is somehow exploiting the exploitation is a pernicious one. If the writers were doing that to make money, well let me tell you that any writer would make much more money doing something else.”

Hamid bristles when asked what he himself represents. “Why

would anyone think I’m speaking on behalf of the state?” he

asks. “Writers don’t speak for the state and nobody expects them to do that.”

“I just write to express what I’m feeling,” he says. “That’s the

motivation for most writers. The writer’s duty is to be honest to himself... to do work that endures.”

a

MARCH 13-19 2011

47

PORTFOLIO

scenes from a sikh festival

PHOTOGRAPHY AND TEXT BY HUMAYUN MEMON

A man clasps his hands in prayer.

In the second week of January this year, Sikhs from all over Paki-

of all ages come from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Sindh and

the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, the small town of Nanaka-

of the event is the large bonfire at the end of the second day, fol-

stan gathered at Nanakana Sahib, near Lahore. The birthplace of na is transformed into a bustling hub during the birthday celebrations of Guru Nanak.

The town has nine gurdwaras, each of which is related to an

important event in Guru Nanak’s life. Gurdwara Janam Asthan marks the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev. Annually, around

30,000 Sikh pilgrims visit the town, with about 15,000 gather-

48

ing during the peak season around the time of the festival. Sikhs MARCH 13-19 2011

even India to attend the festival with full fervour. The highlight

lowed by a communal dinner which signifies the end of winter and the start of spring. a

Photographs shot exclusively for Citizens Archive of Pakistan — Minority Project

A Sikh man and child at the festival.

A man helps a young Sikh boy put on his turban.

Visitors outside the main Gurdwara Janam Asthan.

Sikh students stand together outside the Gurdwara Janam Asthan.

49 MARCH 13-19 2011

PORTFOLIO

A woman walking past the gold plated entrance.

Young Sikh girls in front of the main entrance.

50 MARCH 13-19 2011

A Sikh man at the festival.

Recitations from the holy books.

51 MARCH 13-19 2011

PORTFOLIO

A woman kneels in front of a gurdwara (top left).

Visitors light candles and lamps at the base of the tree where Sikh Sardar Lachman Singh was hanged and burnt.

MARCH 13-19 2011

Children light candles at a Gurdwara.

The bonfire which signifies the end of winter and the start of spring.

53 MARCH 13-19 2011

TRUTH DARE FIRED UPOR WITH FRIEHA

the ex factor Don’t you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?

BY FRIEHA ALTAF

For me this is definitely the year of the ex-boyfriend. Ever since the year started — and it’s only been two and a half months — I seem to be running into them boys. First I bumped into this one super-despicable chap, who I do not hate but want nothing to do with as I have, over the years, matured and seen the light. Indeed he is now married and is still pursuing his evil ways, but, thank the lord, his charm (such as it was) wore off years 54 ago.

MARCH 13-19 2011

Then I came across another ex, who I have luckily developed

a degree of tolerance for, and the whole time I spoke to him (po-

lite smile on my face) my brain cells kept screaming, “How can you talk to this sexist pig! Remember he had issues with how you

wore your hair? You were not allowed to leave it open.” Thank God that relationship ended before I was put into a hijab. Indeed, I also remember being reprimanded by him for chewing on ice on

a rather hot day after playing tennis. Whereas some men might

have found that sexy, my ex wanted to control everything — even my ice cubes! Phew! Thank God I got out of that one.

No matter what your relationship was like, or how horribly it ended, when you do run into your ex, you wish you were 10 pounds lighter or had visited a salon earlier that day.

You could be in a relationship or a marriage, with the ex-rela-

tionships done and dusted and consigned to the emotional trash

can, but just one run in with an ex and your whole sordid history

God forbid you’re at a party or gathering where everyone around

you watches every reaction and move you make and what you say becomes gossip for a week! Suddenly your car accident on memo-

replays itself like a film.

ry lane has attracted a crowd of onlookers.

luggage that we want to hold on to despite it being well over the weight

after their breakup, her ex-boyfriend sent her a video on email

ly an ex-husband. Because it’s not just him you have to avoid — it’s his

“I Will Survive”. The lady is singing the song and walking in a

So is it really over when it’s over? Emotional baggage is like excess

limit! You can’t shake some exes no matter how hard you try, especialfamily, friends, and social haunts which have to be avoided at all costs.

You’re better off moving to a new city or country to avoid all contact.

Yes, life must start all over again and anything that vaguely reminds

What about nasty breakups? A girlfriend of mine told me how,

in which Gloria Gaynor was singing the ultimate breakup song

street when a bus comes and crashes into her. Talk about not being able to let go; I guess some people find it extremely hard.

If you’re lucky, some exes end up becoming your friends. And

you of the miserable past has to be erased.

you find, to your surprise, that you are actually better friends

your kids day in and day out, they not only look like him (although

no longer an issue, and his mother and sisters do not glare at you

God forbid that you should have children with this ex. You see

you have done all the hard work and raised them single-handedly) but they often act like him too! And it’s always that quirky habit of

than you were lovers. His family, which so disapproved of you, is anymore. Not much, anyway.

The hardest ex to shake off is the one that got away. Yes, that

his that you found endearing/could not stand that they decide to

perfect relationship that never materialised into what it should

No matter what your relationship was like, or how horribly

adrenalin and all the potions that revive that old feeling… ’aint

pick up. It may drive you insane, but you just can’t fight genetics.

it ended, when you do run into your ex, you wish you were 10 pounds lighter or had visited a salon earlier that day just to make

him squirm: “Yeah buddy, look what you gave up, huh!” is the

have, leaves you tingling. And meeting him again — excitement, nothing like it. You dream it, imagine it, visualise it, regret it.

Oh be honest, you know you do!

How do I know? Well, it just happened to me and I tell you neither

message your mind is trying to sear into his frontal lobes. Of

of us seem to have moved on and so the meeting is devastating! Yes,

its leather tights and does a Pussycat Dolls impression: “Don’t

myself and so could he. Had he noticed the 10 pounds I lost? Did he

course, if his wife or girl friend looks like crapola, your heart dons you wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Don’t ya, don’t ya!”

On the other hand, the wife could also be thinking to herself,

“Ha! He married me, not you. Bechari abhi tak single hai.” He too is having a conversation in his mind. The awkward glances your way, the once-familiar body language, all bring back buried memories… much like zombies clawing their way out of a grave.

there is too much unfinished business here. Luckily, I could still be want to be more than just friends? Alas, you’re suddenly in Rick’s

Café in Casablanca and Sam is playing “A Kiss is Just a Kiss”, and Bogart says goodbye to his Bergman. “Here’s looking at you kid.” Yes,

the ultimate love story of sacrifice. Bergman could never love her

husband the way she loved Bogart, we all know that, so he becomes the ultimate ex-boyfriend. a

MARCH 13-19 2011

55

REVIEW

featured review of the week

film desi delight

BY IMRANA KHWAJA

The British Asian experience has been finding its way to the big and screen since the 1980s in popular films like Hanif Kureishi’s My Beautiful Launderette and Gurinder Chadha’s Bend it Like Beckham.

This film’s predecessor, East is East, came out in the pre-9/11 world of 1999 and was a huge success. Written by Ayub Khan-Din, who had a Pakistani father and an English mother, it was an autobiographical tale of the chaotic household of authoritarian father George (Jahangir) Khan (Om Puri), his wife Ella (Linda Bassett) and their six children each struggling in his/her own way to come to terms with their identity. Set in a working class area of Salford near Manchester in 1972, the film was often hilarious, at times dark, but always rang true.

The sequel, West is West has come 12 years later but is set five years on from the earlier film. All George and Ella’s children have left home except Sajid, the youngest child (who in East is East didn’t emerge from his hooded jacket until the film’s final scenes).

Now 15, Sajid (Aqib Khan) is bullied at school and is on his way to becoming a juvenile delinquent. He resents his father and rejects the Pakistani identity George/Jahangir tries so crudely to force upon his children.

A trip to Pakistan, decides Jahangir, will cure his youngest of his ills. Father and son set off to the village in Punjab where Jahangir himself is returning for the first time since he set off for England.

Sajid’s older brother Maneer (the religious one) is already there unsuccessfully trying to find a wife.

As the pair land in 1976 Pakistan we realise that it is not just the sullen and resentful Sajid who has issues to resolve. Jahangir must face the wife and children he left behind and in doing so come to terms with himself. Guilt drives Jahangir to withdraw all his savings and build a new house for the family in Pakistan. As one month’s holiday turns into several months, a worried Ella, with 56 best friend in tow, arrives in the village to find out why Jahangir MARCH 13-19 2011

easy does it Although one appreciates the attempt to portray a Pakistan that doesn’t fit the current western stereotype, the portrayal does occasionally stray into the realms of cliché

Guilt drives Jahangir to withdraw all his savings and build a new house for the family in Pakistan.

As one month’s holiday turns into several months, a worried Ella, with best friend in tow, arrives in the village to find out why Jahangir and Sajid haven’t returned to Salford.

and Sajid haven’t returned to Salford.

The film is genuinely amusing in places and there is the occasional chuckle moment, but at other times the jokes are a little tired and predictable (the incongruity of the English women in the village, the toilet roll in the fields, and so on). Some members of the mostly British Pakistani audience were in fits of laughter throughout, but the laughs were mostly of recognition (a Punjabi swear word! funny!).

There has been some criticism in the English press of the lack of acknowledgement in the film of the troubles facing Pakistan today. This is unjustified as the film is set in 1976, and the Punjabi village portrayed is one that is still comfortable with itself and has not been poisoned by the religious intolerance and Dubai money petty-mindedness of later years.

Although one appreciates the attempt to portray a Pakistan that doesn’t fit the current western stereotype, the portrayal does occasionally stray into the realms of cliché. There is the twinklyeyed wise Sufi pir who (remarkably fluent in English) leads Sajid subtly to an understanding of himself, and the sudden appearance

of sufi dancers during an otherwise evocative shrine scene.

But one can over emphasise the few irritants that are scattered through this otherwise warm and humane film. Sajid comes to see the value in his Pakistani heritage and can now more comfortably reconcile it with his British identity. Maneer with Sajid’s help finds the ideal wife, not the good village woman he had come to find but another working class northerner like himself. Jahangir, usually at home on the moral high ground, has to accept the grief and pain he caused his abandoned family and acknowledge the sacrifices Ella has made for him.

Ayub Khan Din is of a generation where the two cultures clashing in his life were those of Pakistan and England. For a new generation another factor has been added to the mix, and that is Islam. This film does not address this latest crisis of identity and we may have to wait a bit longer to watch it being played out on our screens. But West is West is nevertheless a poignant, charming and well acted film that speaks of the need to acknowledge our past and our identities in order to move forward.

57 MARCH 13-19 2011

REVIEW

restaurant mix it up

BY BATOOL ZEHRA

26th street in Karachi’s Clifton area seems to be the new place to open fancy restaurants promising ‘fine dining’ experiences. The ‘fine dining’ pitch usually fills me with trepidation and dread; I loathe having to eat under-flavoured, overpriced meals which have gone from the freezer straight into the microwave, all the while pretending that some gastronomic miracle has taken place in the kitchen. The Patio has judiciously avoided the fine dining label, preferring to equivocate with ‘a unique dining experience’ and the decor is carefully synchronised with that sentiment. The canebacked chairs and wooden tables give the place a casual, clean and simple feel, simultaneously desi and cosmopolitan.

From Laksa soup to Mongolian beef, surf and turf to tagliatelle, there is such a wide array of cuisines on offer that it is difficult to decide what to have. This is compounded by the generic identity of this eating establishment. Some rave about the thaali; others have fumed about the bamboo shoots (“If I were a panda, I’d have a thing for expensive bamboo shoots!”). The owner does help you decide what to order, guiding you through their specialities and modifying the dishes to suit your tastes.

We ended up ordering a simple green salad with chicken, penne pasta, and surf and turf. The stale, hard breads in the bread basket did not bode well for us but the salad, when it came, was fresh and crisp with a light drizzle of dressing. We had ordered pasta in white sauce with mushroom and chicken but instead of penne, we got tagliatelle. The reason for the mix up wasn’t really clear, since we were the only diners in the place at that time! The surf and turf with succulent chunks of beef and prawns was the high point of the meal. But the frugality with which the portion had been doled out was completely at odds with the self-indulgent, hedonistic nature of the dish. At least when eating surf and turf, one should be able to escape reminders of the downsizing economy.

The naughty toffee is apparently the place’s signature dessert 58 but since I did not relish the idea of having toffee stick tenaciously MARCH 13-19 2011

fine dining The Patio resolutely eschews the ‘fine dining’ label and the simple and casual decor is a reflection of that to the roof of my mouth, we ordered the strawberry crepe, which was nice, if far from creative.

SpongeBob Squarepants praises the Krusty Krab by calling it “The finest eating establishment ever established for eating”. At The Patio, there is a distinct lack of excitement about the food and the meal, while pleasant, was in no way memorable. If your prime motivation for dining on 26th street is to avoid the Zamzama traffic, remember that The Patio is no alternative to Flo.

documentary monster maker

BY SHAHERYAR POPALZAI

It is very rare that a documentary packed with a bunch of goodies is overshadowed by the extras that come with it. That is exactly the case with HR Giger Revealed, a documentary on Swiss surrealist HR Giger, who is known for his work on Ridley Scott’s film Aliens and various music album covers, among other things.

The documentary tries to cover major aspects of Giger’s work, such as his sculptures, but fails to keep the viewer interested. If it were not for the short films such as Walking with Giger included in the DVD’s extras, the documentary would have been an hour-long snoozefest consisting mostly of fellow artists and musicians praising Giger.

The film revolves around rare footage of the artist at his work place and his work displayed in his own workshop and museum.

The opening shows Giger walking in a graveyard in Prague talking about death and changes scenes to him working at his workshop.

The scenes showing the artist at work could have been made more interesting – I’d like to see him really working, not sitting on a chair and spraying black paint on a finished sculpture. The documentary is shot in three different locations, Giger’s workshop in Zurich, the Giger Museum, and the Giger Bar in Gruyères, and the film is structured around the work displayed in these locations.

The museum segments are interesting, they walk you through each room and show off his major works. For someone who has not been to the Giger Museum and will never get a chance too, well, something is better than nothing.

The scenes of the Giger Bar in Château St Germain are beautiful. We also get to see the $30,000 Harkonnen Capo chair designed for the Dune film.

The interviews with artists, musicians and other people he has worked with could have been a little better. Most of the artists are all praise and don’t speak much beyond that. Thomas Gabriel Fischer (aka Tom Warrior), the former front man for Swiss band Celtic Frost appears twice on the DVD, once in the documentary

barely substantial If it were not for the short films such as Walking with Giger included in the DVD’s extras, the documentary would have been an hour-long snoozefest and the second time on Home Made, he however does not talk about Satan I, Giger’s work that the band was allowed to use free of charge. Interesting stories are clearly missed as most of the time is spent on praise. Debbie Harry (of Blondie) is probably the only one on the documentary who keeps you interested when she talks about Giger’s artwork for her band’s album Koo Koo, and also footage of the two music videos directed by Giger for the album (“Backfired” and “Now I Know You Know”). A little more discussion on the Dead Kennedys Frankenchrist album cover, which used the work Landscape XX originally and drove the band’s front man Jello Biafra to bankruptcy after a trial, would have been nice.

The DVD’s highlights are Art in Motion and Walking with Giger.

Art is a 30 minute short of Giger’s work animated, an even more horrifying imagery of already realistic works of art. It revolves around ten of his works, touching on Atomic Children, Triptych, his Dune imagery and the Erotomechanic series.

Walking with Giger is a four minute short directed by Jo Schuttwolf. Giger talks about his influences and his perception of life.

Way better than the shots of him walking and cackling at random intervals on the main documentary.

Overall the set is a decent attempt at documenting Giger and some of his work. If you’re a fan, you’ve probably seen most of what is shown here, and probably know more stories than being told here. If you’re just discovering Giger, and his morbid world, you might want to check this out, it’s a great start. a 59 MARCH 13-19 2011

HOROSCOPE

BY SHELLEY VON STRUNCKEL

Aries March 20 – April 19 Changes have already begun. But the

pace is accelerated by Uranus’ arrival in Aries on Saturday. This triggers promising if often unexpected developments. True, some could be so far out you won’t recognise their promise or,

alternatively, could seem overwhelming. Ordinarily, saying yes to everything would seem unwise. However, it allows you to

explore everything, then narrow your focus when you’re more confident what’s best.

Taurus April 20 – May 20 When you look back on the unsettling

but exciting cycle that began in January and intensifies with 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,

Uranus’ move into a new position this Saturday, you’ll realise how much that’s wonderful it introduced into your life. As

you’re living it out, however, the resulting disruption could seem worrying. If so, think back to similar times when chaos led to remarkable breakthroughs. It’s the same now.

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 The obstacles you’re facing, whether ac-

tual practical dilemmas or the uncooperative attitude of others, may seem straightforward problems. Examine the situation or

discuss issues and you’ll realise they’re not mere difficulties. Actually they’re opportunities. But if you’re to turn them to your

advantage, you’ve lots to learn. And once you’ve realised how

promising they are, you won’t mind making the effort required in the least.

Cancer June 21 – July 22 Obviously, you’d prefer to make a plan and stick to it. But with expansive Jupiter already favouring cer-

tain ventures and being joined by Uranus on Saturday, twists and turns are inevitable. Tempting as it is to stick with what you

know, you’d regret it. True, things are unsettling in the short term. Persist. Ultimately, you’ll recognise these powerful new ideas and opportunities for what they are.

Leo July 23 – August 22 Often in the past you’ve tolerated the un-

wise actions of those you’re closest to, at home or in business,

because they cared a lot and you weren’t that worried. While

now there are concerns, ironically, their latest passions aren’t just promising, they’re leading them — and you — into new and

remarkable territory. If you remain unconvinced, go along for the ride. Events will soon win you over.

Virgo August 23 – September 22 Distinguishing personal feelings from concerns about more worldly matters isn’t easy, especially

when there are such intense developments in so many areas of

your life and the circumstances of others. Still, try to recognise

your reaction to events, many of which are sudden, unsettling

but still intriguing versus the deeper emotions you’ll be experi-

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encing in the run up to the Virgo Full Moon on the 19th.

MARCH 13-19 2011

Libra September 23 – October 22 So many individuals rely on your

reassuring wisdom that during this period of intense change, you’ll have little time to yourself. While normally you’d never turn away somebody you care about, in certain situations it

might be wise. Some are seeking only your perspective, while

others want you to make decisions for them. Besides, you’ve some exciting developments in your own life to think about.

Scorpio October 23 – November 21 Sometimes disputes provide a

good excuse to reflect on both existing arrangements and potential changes. This isn’t just the case now, judging by the influence of Jupiter and, as of Saturday, Uranus together accenting

your work, obligations or daily routine, you’ll need time to ask a

number of questions. With things moving swiftly, however, some discussions may take place after destiny’s made decisions for you.

Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 There’s a difference be-

tween a plan having been organised — and you’ve made several

— and things proceeding as you’ve anticipated. On Saturday the unpredictable Uranus joins your ruler Jupiter in accenting such matters. Disruptive as changes are, they’re opening the door to

options beyond anything you’ve previously imagined. Others may complain about the resulting delays, but you owe it to yourself to explore absolutely everything.

Capricorn December 22 – January 19 You justly pride yourself on

making plans that are both practical and can ride out even intense storms of change. Still, even you couldn’t have imagined

the shifts in circumstances you — and the world around you — are currently facing. Since this exciting but unsettling period continues until early June, when you reorganise plans, ensure they allow you to explore what arises and make decisions later.

Aquarius January 20 – February 18 While you can prepare for

some changes, you’ll have trouble imagining what your ruling planet Uranus’ move into a new position will bring. It’s hasn’t

been in this position since the year 1927. Because there are few memories to guide you, life’s become an adventure. Give your-

self time to learn about and explore this new territory and you’ll soon discover it’s about growth, something no Aquarian minds.

Pisces February 19 – March 19 If there’s any challenge to deal-

ing with this period of intense change and growth, it’s not the events which are reshaping your own life. Actually most are ex-

citing. It’s your concern about the circumstances of others and what they’re going through. Recognise their approach is bound

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

to be very different from yours, and instead of worrying, you’ll

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encourage them to explore in a way that suits them.

MARCH 13-19 2011

THEHATER

10 things I hate about ...expatriates in the gulf

1 2 3 4 5

The blogging. We know this is exciting for you, being

paid a ridiculous amount of money just as you were

about to get fired due to cutbacks, but we really do not

need to read or see every detail of your exotic experi-

ence. Refrain from posting about your newfound love

for hummus, photographs of camels or excitement at meeting people from third world countries.

The hypocrisy. Do not pity the poor brown man who

brings you your tea with milk every day and then bark at him when he puts too much sugar in it.

6 7 8 9 10

BY ANEALLA SAFDAR

The failure to interact with locals while simultaneously making sweeping generalisations about them.

The heightened nationalism. There are supporters of Britain’s extreme right party, the BNP, living in Dubai.

True story. From westerners to diaspora desis, it is man-

datory to be a fervent patriot when living outside your home country.

The identity crises. People who flee their homeland are often running away from something. Expatriates are like first year university students; if you were a geek at secondary school, you pretend you were actually The Fonz of your class. There is no accountability, lots of

stretched truths and too many strange, cash-obsessed people floating around.

The Indian/Pakistani driver stories. Dinner table talk is dominated with the retelling of cab-driver conversations. These can include the patronising discourse

about their pay and living conditions, to veiled racism and stereotypes including allegations of them being associated with the Taliban, or mocking their hygiene.

The dating. There are few options when you are single

in the Gulf to date successful, normal people (see point

3). When couples split, it’s nasty. The stench of heartbreak and desperation is everywhere.

62 MARCH 13-19 2011

The inability to save money. Just because you live in the

world’s wealthiest region, you don’t have to spend like a sheikh.

The constant moaning about living in a fake city. There is no such thing as a fake city.

The ‘I am speaking to a foreigner’ voice. A lot of Indians speak better English than most westerners, so no need for ‘same same’ and s-l-o-w-e-d down speech.a