The Express Tribune Magazine - May 8

MAY 8-14 2011

The End?

Perspectives on the death of Osama bin Laden

18

HATER

REVIEWS

PAKISTAN

PEOPLE

FEATURE

MAY 8-14 2011

Cover Story 18 The End? Foreign and local experts weigh in on the consequences of bin Laden’s death 22 Who will replace bin Laden?

A look at the top contenders 24 Al Qaeda Incorporated The head has been cut off but the body lives on 28 Looking in the wrong places Had they looked at pop culture, Osama would have been easy to find

Feature

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32 Contentious Calendars The Sikh community discusses its future 36 Bollywood Calling Uzbekistani cinema eclipsed by Indian films 40 Pyaari Ammi!

Shumaila truly understands how precious a mother is

Positive Pakistani 42 Fountain of Hope More than a doctor, Dr Haroon was a friend to his patients

18

Up North and Personal 48 Girl Interrupted The poor treatment of women sometimes leads to untimely deaths

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 16 Questionnaire: Shoaib Akhtar on the semi finals 44 Reviews: What’s new in films 50 Ten Things I Hate About: Simple girls

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Editor: Zarrar Khuhro. Sub-Editors: Batool Zehra, Hamna Zubair Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Anam Haleem, Tariq Waheed 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

Aga Khan University organised an event to celebrate the life and music of Melody Queen, Noor Jehan.

ests in Jivraj with gu Mr & Mrs Am

Carol and Lou Ariano

Dr Rukhsana Zuberi and sister

Dr & Mrs Abul

6 MAY 8-14 2011

Faizi

Guests at the

event

Gaffar Billoo, Rukhsana Zuberi and Saliha Ishaq

MAY 8-14 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Pret label Origins launched in Karachi.

Amna Sheikh

Iraj Manzoor and Fozia

and Uzra Dawood ood m ah M a im Sa

8 MAY 8-14 2011

kitya

Fehmida Mas

Sarwat, Farah and Rana

PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR

f

ig, Frieha Alta Uzma jamil ba ir and Beena Am

MAY 8-14 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Aliya Iqbal with guest

Aysha Khan and Mahira Khan

Saba and Rabiya

Ali Pervez and Nadia Jamil

10

Shabnam Jabbar MAY 8-14 2011

and Fehmida

Faiza Ansari and Ayaz Anis

MAY 8-14 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Pampers held a Moms’ Meetup recently at Olivetto restaurant in Karachi.

e Pampers

Beenish Irshad and Lubna Khan

Kiran Fulton with Pampers team

Anila Weldon

12 MAY 8-14 2011

Mariam Agha daughter

with her Fatima Raza and Afifa Batool

PHOTOS COURTESY CMC

Sunita with th team

MAY 8-14 2011

MAY 8-14 2011

MAY 8-14 2011

“I regret losing to India in the World Cup semi finals” Bowling superstar Shoaib Akhtar on teamwork, playing for Pakistan, and his nose.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

When I get the feeling that my parents are happy.

Playing for Pakistan.

What is your greatest fear?

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

It is definitely losing my parents .

it be?

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I don’t like my mood swings.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

I hate people who think they are better than others.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Clothes and food.

What is your current state of mind?

I feel free, like I’m not restricted.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

When people say that they believe in luck and destiny… I

I would like to come back as a human being with fewer flaws.

Where would you most like to live?

Islamabad.

What is your most treasured possession?

My mother.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

To lose respect.

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

I would be in England working at a restaurant or still playing for minor leagues.

believe that you have to go out there and make your own

Who is your hero of fiction?

luck.

The Hulk.

On what occasion do you lie?

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

When I’m actually sleeping and I say I’m not at home.

None, they are all too great for me.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Who are your heroes in real life?

My nose.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

What is the quality you most like in a man?

What is your greatest regret?

Selflessness.

Losing to India in the World Cup semi finals.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

What do you fear most, lizards or cockroaches?

Wisdom.

Neither.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

What’s your favourite quote?

“Idiot”.

“I don’t believe in teamwork; give me a team that works!”

When and where were you happiest?

What kind of super powers would you like to have?

Everyday, when I’m relaxing on my sofa after the gym watching

I would like to have the power to be able to feed the poor.

National Geographic.

If you had a time machine, where would you go?

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

My nose.

Back in time to when Islam began. I would love to witness it with my own eyes… but then fast-forward to the present. a

MAY 8-14 2011

17

COVER STORY

the

Theodore Karasik, the Director of Research and Development at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis weighs in on the consequences of Osama bin Laden’s death.

Q. With Osama bin Laden gone, what becomes of al Qaeda ? variety of franchises worldwide and gave operational authority to

there was speculation he was in Waziristan, in Chitral, the K2 Mountain etc. It turns out he was in Abottabad, a stone’s throw away from key military installations. What happens to Pakistan’s international image and bargaining power now?

so operationally his killing makes no real difference to al Qaeda .

A. Pakistan watchers are going to be looking very closely and ex-

Q. Will the circumstances of his death, the fake photo that made the rounds, the sea burial etc lead to some believing that he has not been killed.

Will we now see conspiracy theories surrounding his death much as we saw during his life?

asked are how Osama got there and exactly who was supporting

A. al Qaeda decentralised a couple of years back, splitting into a those franchises. Osama bin Laden had a largely spiritual role,

A. You have a couple of issues ongoing here, the information war

that will break out over how this decapitation (the killing of Osama bin Laden) occurred as well as activity from those who will try

to keep the spirit of bin Laden alive, so you will see a lot of activity on these fronts in the next week or three. You will also see a

lot of disbelief and even claims that this was in fact a conspiracy to start a new war or that there is something else afoot. I don’t

believe that’s true but you will see these lines parroted and these games played by certain individuals who have political agendas.

Q. There was a longstanding belief in international circles that Osama was somewhere in Pakistan, 18 MAY 8-14 2011

amining Pakistan’s exact role in this. The questions that will be

him in this compound. So within the compound itself there will be a lot of forensic evidence that will be examined to try and find

an answer to these questions. The second part is that between Pakistan and the US there is an agreement at the highest level of cooperation, particularly when it comes to getting bin Laden.

Unfortunately at the individual level, there is a great deal of mistrust. We have had many cases of Pakistani and US intelligence, military and civilian officials talking past each other. Having

said that, it seems that there was Pak-US military cooperation

here because for an operation like this, those helicopters would

have been visible on Pakistani radar and nothing was done about them.

Q. Of course, you’re speaking from an expert point of view and US President Obama did mention Pakistan’s cooperation in his initial speech. But do you think that has already been lost in the ongoing

end?

BY ZARRAR KHUHRO

debate which is increasingly turning negative for Pakistan? pect no matter what, because there is going to seem to be some

euphoria right now, but we have seen how quickly public opinion changes. How soon will it be that people start to say ‘Look, we got Osama. Mission accomplished. Now let’s come to some sort of arrangement and get out.’?

tral Pakistan, and it is the worst place from the perspective of

the operations in Afghanistan. It’s been called the forgotten war,

A. Any country that a terrorist is captured from is going to be suskind of collusion. But what makes this worse is that this was cen-

A. It’s entirely possible. The American public is already tired of

Pakistan for him to have been found.

and this will certainly renew interest in it, but the interest will

Q. What impact do you think this will have on the drone strikes being conducted in the tribal areas?

And does this now raise the chances of more ground operations in FATA? A. I think there will be new resolve to conduct drone strikes in

now focus towards getting out. But we’re only in May right now, and there’s the whole year ahead of us and a lot can happen.

Q. Al Qaeda has not been able to conduct a major attack on US soil since 9/11. Operationally, how efficient is al Qaeda right now?

FATA, but as I said before, Osama was the spiritual head, the

A. I think they have a lot of tricks up their sleeve. They are

Taliban, all the factions have their own agendas. I don’t see

national law and security procedures and they will figure out

whole body of the snake still exists. And when it comes to the

this as a reprieve or an end. There was a situation yesterday, it has changed a little bit and tomorrow is another story entirely.

So no, there should be little impact on the drone strikes. As far as ground operations go, this was an exceptional case.

Q. Moving beyond the Pakistani Taliban, who have already made their typical threats, to the Afghan Taliban. There are those who say that Osama was a problem for them as well. What do you think their reaction would be?

A. I think this will bring a further divide within the Afghan

smart and resourceful and know the loopholes in both inter-

a way to do something. They may try Mumbai-style attacks, which are very hard to stop. There may also be lone wolves,

who take it upon themselves to stage attacks. It’s another question as to how successful they may be. It’s going to be a

very interesting period, the rest of this year, to see how the retribution will be carried out. Having said that it is still better to have him killed rather than have him as a prisoner, as that would have given him an elevated stature, in my opinion.

Q. How important is it for al Qaeda to stage an attack now to prove that they are not defeated?

Taliban factions, especially the factions that want to push for a

A. Very important. Also, do remember that they knew that

and see as the situation is in flux.

on the table for nine years to take revenge in the case of Osama

settlement with the Karzai government, but we will have to wait

Q. Moving to the US, obviously there is great

American forces were on his trail and so they have had plans being killed, so this is not something that they have to cook up this moment. It’s just a question of pushing the ‘go’ button.

MAY 8-14 2011

19

COVER STORY Amir Rana, director of the Pakistan institute for Peace studies weighs in on the consequences of Osama bin Laden’s death.

Q. What will be the impact on Pakistan’s own war on terror after the death of Osama?

A. I do not think it will have an major impact, because while the groups active in Pakistan do idolise Osama bin Laden, there is no real operational linkage. These groups are independent and we

need to pursue these groups with the same fervour that we did yesterday. We should not slacken in our efforts.

Q. Do you think we will see an uptick in their efforts now? Will they now try to prove that they are still effective?

past ten years. In 2006 General Musharraf himself declared in a press conference that a Taliban meeting that took place

in North Waziristan was convened by Osama bin Laden. Then

a few weeks later came the report, which was later endorsed

by Washington, that Osama had narrowly escaped a raid conducted in the tribal areas. So the policy of denial did keep

changing, and reports did keep coming in that Osama was in various Pakistani cities and also perhaps outside Pakistan.

Their networks in Pakistan are still active. They have networks

Q. The Americans have repeatedly been saying that they would conduct an operation if they ever determined bin Laden’s whereabouts, do you think that this operation could have been conducted without the knowledge or cooperation of the Pakistani military and intelligence services?

which will likely be activated. Even in the long term, I do not

A. I don’t think so. If you recall, there were some WikiLeaks

A. In the short-term there will definitely be an increase in threat. all over the Middle East and sleeper cells in Europe and America expect any major change in their activity.

Q. There was always speculation that Osama was in Pakistan, along with denials from Pakistan. Now it turns out that not only was he in Pakistan, but in fact in the garrison town of Abbotabad, right next to a military academy. What does this do to Pakistan’s image and credibility?

A. That image was already in tatters, and it’s only gotten worse. The international media and the Indian media in particular are actively highlighting this issue and it is

very damaging. If we want to control the damage then the Pakistani government will have to take a clear position, declaring that they supported this operation. As far as the

policy of denial is concerned, that has changed during the

20 MAY 8-14 2011

that US special forces were present in the tribal areas. There was also a US intelligence network on the tribal areas which

was used primarily for conducting drone strikes. So there has been both a US presence as well as collaboration. From 9/11 till now a large number of high ranking al Qaeda operatives have

been arrested from Pakistan, and many of them were caught

in urban areas including Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar etc.

The Taliban’s Mullah Baradar was arrested from Karachi. In

many of these operations, there was a great deal of Pak-US

collaboration and those arrests were largely due to Pakistani support and intelligence and were not simply US operations.

Now, if we are to believe that the US’ own intelligence network in Pakistan is strong enough to conduct such operations independently, then that should be highly alarming for Pakistan’s own intelligence services.

Q. Even more alarming than that is the location OBL was in. If we did not know he was there, then that points to a colossal intelligence failure. On the other hand, if we knew where he was, then why did we not take action ourselves?

A. If they did not know, then certainly it is an alarming intelligence failure. But we should also look at this from an operational level.

When such a high level target is present on Pakistani soil, there are

a lot of serious questions about how to conduct the operation itself. It

is entirely possible that Pakistan was comfortable letting the US conduct this operation on its own, and certainly there are tactical considerations as well but we will have to wait and see what details emerge.

Q. Pakistan is now open to even more accusations and pressure. Afghanistan has repeatedly said that Mullah Omar is on Pakistani soil. India for its part says that the Mumbai attack planners are also here. How much of an increase in pressure will we see, and will Pakistan be able to withstand it?

Taliban since Osama really had no operational control over them.

The more radical groups may have looked up to him, but they do not depend on him by any means. As far as Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US are concerned, they should continue with the policies that

are being evolved. There are attempts underway by Kabul, Washington and Islamabad to try and resolve the conflict and there are

also attempts to build confidence among these countries, so I do not think that any of the stakeholders want to take a U-turn on these points even if Osama is no longer in the picture.

Q. And on the United States’ side, do you think that the killing of Osama will increase calls for the US to wind down its operations and move towards an eventual withdrawal?

A. That’s certainly very likely, public perception and opinion has

been changing, and given that the recession is still not over, the

American public is likely to move from euphoria to calling for a pullout, or at least some form of closure in the Afghan theater.

US and Pakistan, developments in Afghanistan and relations with

Q. Finally, Osama was the center of many conspiracy theories and mythology in his lifetime, do you think the circumstances of his death and the fake picture that circulated will in fact give rise to even more conspiracy theories?

establishment must take it seriously and take appropriate action.

A. There are always conspiracy theories and they are almost al-

Q. As far as Afghanistan is concerned, what impact will this have on the Afghan Taliban’s willingness to continue the fight?

their own. These can remain at the public level, but should never

A. It’s not the first time that Pakistan will have to face this pressure.

The pressure started right after 9/11 and has continued since. But

we need to look at how it will impact bilateral relation between the the rest of the world. If it is hurting Pakistan’s interests, then the

A. I don’t think there will be a great deal of pressure on the Afghan

ways baseless. We have our conspiracy theories and the West has reach policy level. At the end of the day, people will believe what

they believe but what is important is that the policy-makers are

not swayed by these fanciful stories. These theories should remain within the domain of fantasy and literature. a

These interviews were conducted on 2 May 2011.

21 MAY 8-14 2011

COVER STORY

whowill replace osama bin laden? a look at the top contenders

AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI Ayman al-Zawahiri, a 59-year-old Egyptian, was

named by the US in April 2009 as al Qaeda’s chief commander and its operational and strategic leader. A dedicated ideologue, Al-Zawahiri is a qualified surgeon and the grandson of the imam of one of Egypt’s most

important mosques. He joined the banned Egyptian Is-

lamic Jihad as a teenager and was imprisoned at least twice. He was also reportedly tortured in jail. In 1998,

he formally merged his organisation with al Qaeda, becoming a confidante of Osama bin Laden. Osama Bin

Laden’s chosen biographer has referred to him as the “real brains” of al Qaeda. The US State Department has offered a $25 million award for information leading to al-Zawahiri’s capture.

SAIF AL-ADEL Another Egyptian militant, Saif al-Adel (sword of jus-

tice) is said to be either 51 or 54. Suspected of planning

the assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat,

he fled his homeland in 1988, travelling to Afghanistan to fight the soviets. He is thought to have established

the al Qaeda training facility at Ras Kamboni in So-

malia and may have trained Somalis who took part in the first battle of Mogadishu against US forces which saw two Black Hawk helicopters shot down by rocket-

propelled grenades. He is also said to have opposed the 9/11 attacks, saying that they were a huge setback for

the organisation. There is a $5 million reward for information on his whereabouts.

Where he was(n’t) AFGHANISTAN — According to Wikileaks, after the US started bombing his mountain hideout in Tora Bora, bin Laden fled not south but north, with his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri towards Jalalabad in Afghanistan, reportedly borrowing $7000 from a protector and travelling for three months straight in December 2001. This intelligence was gleaned from Guantanamo detainees. Before fleeing, however, bin Laden and Zawahiri are reported to have met followers and exhorted bin Laden’s family members to take shelter in Pakistan. From Jalalabad bin Laden went to Kunar from where he is supposed to have crossed into Pakistan in 2002.

WAZIRISTAN, PAKISTAN — In December 11, 2005, Atiyah abd al Rahman instructed Abu Musab al Zarqawi in a letter to

22 MAY 8-14 2011

“send messengers from your end to Waziristan so that they meet with the brothers of the leadership”. Al-Rahman also indicated that bin Laden and al-Qaeda were “weak”. The Washington Post reported that the letter was deemed authentic by intelligence officials. In 2010 Nasser al-Bahri, a bodyguard for bin Laden in the late 1990s, wrote a book with French journalist Georges Malbrunot called In the Shadow of Bin Laden. Al-Bahri claimed that bin Laden was hiding in the regions in Afghanistan or along the border with Pakistan, writing “He can move with the protection of the tribal leaders and tribal connections in this region along Pakistan, Waziristan.”

K2, PAKISTAN — In 2008, the Dubai-based news channel Al Arabiya reported that Osama bin Laden was hiding in the K2

SULAIMAN ABU GAITH Sulaiman Abu Gaith, 45, is a Kuwaiti regarded as one of al Qaeda’s senior leaders and an official spokesmen. Abu Gaith rose to

prominence during the 1991 Gulf war, during which he first denounced Saddam Hussein and then turned his attention towards

the Kuwaiti government and royal family. In 2000 he left Kuwait

for Afghanistan where he met Osama bin Laden and joined al Qaeda. He is reportedly one of those who supported Osama’s plan

to attack the twin towers and is also the author of several books on the al Qaeda version of Jihad. His current whereabouts are unknown. It was rumoured that he had been imprisoned in Iran,

AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI

but late last year Kuwaiti officials suggested he may have been freed to return to Afghanistan.

ABU HAFIZA Abu Hafiza

Abu Hafiza is a Moroccan military psychiatrist thought to be one of

al Qaeda’s top planners. He appears to have orchestrated the 2004 terror attacks in Spain. His self-proclaimed intention was to impact

Spain psychologically, influence Spain’s elections, and to eventually topple the state heads of Britain, Italy, and the USA. In 2003 he

reportedly travelled through Pakistan and Saudi Arabia recruiting combatants to fight Americans in Fallujah, Iraq. He also believed that Iraq would be the main theatre for fighting the US.

Saif Al-Adel

FAZL ABDULLAH MOHAMMED With a bounty of $5 million, Fazl Abdullah Mohammed, 36, is sometimes reported to be the leader of al Qaeda in East Africa. He is wanted by the US for his alleged role in the 1998 US Embassy

bombings and also the attack on the USS Cole. He was in Somalia Fazl Abdullah Mohammed

during the first battle of Mogadishu. He was again thought to be in Somalia during fighting in 2007 and was reportedly killed by a

US airstrike. However, Somalian websites reported in 2009 that Sulaiman Abu Gaith

Mountain and US secret services were planning a major military operation encompassing Pakistan’s tribal areas to drive him out of hiding.

CHITRAL, PAKISTAN — In March 2009, Rohan Gunaratna wrote in The New York Daily News that the hunt for bin Laden had taken place in Chitral District, including the Kalam Valley. He also said that captured Al-Qaeda leaders had named Chitral as bin Laden’s hiding place.

PARACHINAR, PAKISTAN — In 2009 Thomas Gillespie and John A Agnewof UCLA used mathematical models and biogeographic theories that explain how animal species spread out to predict that bin Laden was in Parachinar. In their research, they factored in his 6ft 4in frame, his need for security and electricity and also

he had been appointed the head of al Qaeda in East Africa. a

concluded that he should be in a large town with a similar culture to Afghanistan so he can remain anonymous. They even identified three compounds in Parachinar, 12 miles inside Pakistan, using satellite aided geographic analysis.

SAVZEVAR, IRAN — In June 2010, there were reports that Osama was in the mountainous Iranian town of Savzevar with close aides including Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Australian newspaper reported Israeli military intelligence website DEBKAfile claimed that Turkish officials knew that Osama had been in Iran for the past 5 years. But in an interview with George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning, America”, Ahmedinejad countered the claim by saying that bin Laden was more likely in Washington DC. “Your question is laughable,” said Ahmadinejad.

23 MAY 8-14 2011

COVER STORY

al qaeda

incorporated: franchises and affiliates The spiritual head of the organisation may be dead but al Qaeda’s franchises and affiliates still flourish in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, North Africa and Pakistan.

fighters previously known as Algeria’s Salafist Group for Preach-

ing and Combat (GSPC). The Salafists had waged war against Algeria’s security forces but in late 2006 they sought to adopt a broader ideology by allying themselves with al Qaeda.

AL QAEDA IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA (AQAP) al Qaeda ’s Yemeni and Saudi wings merged in 2009 into a new group called al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), based in

Yemen. They announced the merger three years after a counter-

terrorism drive halted an al Qaeda campaign in Saudi Arabia.

AQAP’s Yemeni leader, Nasser al-Wahayshi, was once a close associate of Osama bin Laden, whose father was born in Yemen.

Yemen’s foreign minister has said 300 AQAP militants might be

in the country. The organisation has staged several attacks in Yemen in 2010, among them a suicide bombing in April aimed at

Algiers in 2007. Analysts say there are a few hundred fighters

who operate in the vast desert region of northeastern Mauritania, and northern Mali and Niger. AQIM’s most high-profile activity is the kidnapping of Westerners, many of whom have been ransomed for large sums. AQIM has claimed responsibility for the abduction of two Frenchmen found dead after a failed rescue

attempt in Niger last January and it is also holding other French nationals kidnapped in Niger in September 2010.

the British ambassador, who was not injured.

AL QAEDA IN IRAQ (AQI)

two air freight packages containing bombs to the United States

tant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi pledged his allegiance to Osama bin

The group also claimed responsibility for a foiled plot to send

The group was founded in October 2004 when Jordanian mili-

in October 2010. The bombs were found on planes in Britain and

Laden and al Qaeda. In October 2006, the al Qaeda-led Mujahi-

Dubai. Last November AQAP vowed to “bleed” U.S. resources with small-scale attacks that are inexpensive but cost billions for the West to guard against.

AL QAEDA IN THE ISLAMIC MAGHREB (AQIM) Led by Algerian militant Abdelmalek Droukdel, AQIM burst onto

24

AQIM scored initial high-profile successes with attacks on the

government, security services and the United Nations office in

the public stage in January 2007, a product of the rebranding of MAY 8-14 2011

deen Shura Council said it had set up the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), an umbrella group of Sunni militant affiliates and tribal leaders led by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. In April 2007 it named a

10-man “cabinet,” including Masri as its war minister. Fewer foreign volunteers have made it into Iraq to fight with al Qaeda

against the US-backed government but the group has switched to fewer albeit more deadly attacks. The Iraqi government, the

Shia community and the ‘awakening councils’ are now their

JEMAAH ISLAMIYAH (JI)

main targets

The Indonesian based Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) emerged in 1993

PAKISTAN

hiding in Malaysia from the persecution of the Suharto govern-

al Qaeda forces that fled Afghanistan with their Taliban supporters remain active in Pakistan and have mutually supportive links

with indigenous Pakistani terrorist groups. al Qaeda is widely

believed to maintain camps in western Pakistan where foreign

and local extremists receive training in terrorist operations. By one account up to 150 Westerners went to western Pakistan to

receive terrorist training in 2009. al Qaeda has also forged operational links with several other local groups such as Jundullah

and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, all of which pose a clkear and present

while its leaders Abu Bakar Bashir and Abdullah Sungkar were in ment. Jemaah Islamiyah was responsible for the Bali bombings

in October 12, 2002 in which suicide bombers killed 202 people in two blasts. After this attack, the US State Department designated Jemaah Islamiyah as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. It is

also strongly suspected of carrying out the 2003 JW Marriott ho-

tel bombing in Kuningan, Jakarta, the 2004 Australian embassy bombing in Jakarta, the 2005 Bali terrorist bombing and the 2009 JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotel bombings.

In the 1990s, al Qaeda helped strengthen and make more vio-

danger to the Pakistani people and state.

lent the JI network. By the end of the 1990s, JI and al Qaeda ap-

AL SHABAAB

training camps in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Mindanao, with

Al Shabaab (the youth), emerged when Islamic Courts Union (ICU) fighters joined the resistance against the Ethiopian forces in Somalia. The organisation was led by a small group of Somalis

with alleged ties to foreign terrorist groups. Al Shabaab and al

pear to have developed a highly symbiotic relationship, sharing al Qaeda providing JI with financial support. The two networks

jointly planned operations and reportedly conducted attacks in Southeast Asia together.

Many analysts believe JI now primarily operates only in Indone-

Qaeda , however, have not been able to win the hearts and minds

sia, with a number of operatives also active on the large southern

ship of al Qaeda and Al Shabaab have weakened the two organi-

from Mindanao. In September 2009, Indonesian authorities killed

of the majority of Somalis.US targeted attacks against the leadersations over the past two years. Two of the three wanted al Qaeda terrorists in Somalia, Abu Taha al Sudani and Saleh Ali Saleh

Nabhan were reportedly killed in 2007 and 2009, respectively.

In March 2008, the State Department designated Al Shabaab as

a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity.

In September 2009, Al Shabaab released a video, entitled “At

Philippine island of Mindanao and on the Sulu islands extending

the leader of one such cell, Noordin Top, whose faction changed its name to the al Qaeda Jihad Organisation for the Malay Archipelago.

Other JI leaders like Nasir Abbas, Noordin Top’s former superior,

have renounced violence and even assisted the Indonesian and Ma-

laysian governments in the war on terrorism. Recently a known JI terrorist Umar Patek was arrested in Pakistan. a

your service Osama,” declaring its allegiance to Bin Laden.

25 MAY 8-14 2011

COVER STORY

MAY 8-14 2011

MAY 8-14 2011

COVER STORY

looking in the wrong places ZARRAR KHUHRO

A CASE OF EXPLODING MANGOES OBL, as he calls himself, makes a guest appearance in Muhammad Hanif’s satire A Case of Exploding

TERE BIN LADEN Ali Zafar’s comedic venture Tere Bin Laden focuses on the mis-

adventures of a young reporter desperate to migrate to the US. When his efforts fail due to an unfortunate in-flight incident, he comes up with a cunning plan. Finding a bin Laden look-alike,

he records fake Osama videos in an effort to sell them to TV chan-

nels and make a quick buck. With Osama’s death, rumour has it the producers are considering re-releasing the movie in Indian theatres.

4 MAN SHOW Osama showed up in the satirical “4 man show”, where he was ‘interviewed’ by the

hosts in a fairly hilarious segment. Osama made more than a few appearances on the show while it was on air.

HUM SAB UMEED SAY HAIN This satire show also took a jibe at the global hunt for al Qaeda

28

chief in a parody of singer Rahim Shah’s song. The parody was titled “Osama de, Osama de”.

MAY 8-14 2011

Mangoes. He shows up at a Kabul-

Texas themed barbeque dinner at the US ambassador’s residence in Islamabad in a suit, is mocked by

a local journalist and flits around from conversation to conversation.

SOUTH PARK The show that spared no one, didn’t spare Osama either. The first post-

9/11 episode of “South Park” showed

the four main characters meeting their Afghani counterparts and getting captured by bin Laden himself.

FAMILY GUY Not to be left behind, the animated show “Family Guy” also starred bin Laden several times. His first appearance was on the episode PTV, in which Osama is seen

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?

peatedly, and cracking jokes at his fumbles. Then Stew-

spin on the War on Terror, this quasi-docu-

trying to record a threatening message, but failing re-

A somewhat lukewarm attempt to put a new

ie shows up and beats everyone up. Osama bin Laden

mentary by Matthew Spurlock (of Super-size

also appeared a few other times on the show, but many of his appearances never made it on air.

Me fame) shows Matthew searching for bin Laden on his own. It bombed. No pun intended. On a related note, bin Laden’s death

has thrown director Kathryn Bigelow’s planned Osama movie into doubt.

EMINEM American rapper Marshall Bruce

Mathers III, better known as Eminem dressed up as bin Laden in his video

“Without me”. The video shows Osama dancing in a cave while recording a

video message, getting chased by a

bunch of guys and then finally waving

a white flag.

OSAMA MERCHANDISE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE Not the Al-Pacino/ Keanu Reeves film,

but rather the controversial Dutch reality TV show “Devil’s Advocate”. The

show features star defense attorney Gerard Spong standing up for some

of the world’s worst criminals, and in one show he convinced the five member jury that there was no evidence linking Osama to the 9/11 attacks.

Osama bin Laden merchandise

was always a big seller in inter-

national markets, and ranged

from latex masks to t-shirts and

mugs.

Following

his

death, enterprising companies and individuals have released new lines of merchandise to cash in on the event. a

29 MAY 8-14 2011

COVER STORY

MAY 8-14 2011

MAY 8-14 2011

FEATURE Sikh pilgrims

contentious Nankana Sahib becomes a hotbed of disagreement once again as the Sikh community discusses its future.

calendars

BY HAROON KHALID

It is just like it was in the 80s. At the end of religious ceremonies in this Sikh place of worship in Nankana Sahib, the pulpit was used for political speeches. Prominent Sikh leaders like Sardar Ganga Singh Dhillon, who were proponents of Khalistan, a separate Sikh nation-

state, used to make poignant speeches in favor of breaking away from the ‘Hindu’ and ‘Banya raj’ of India.

At the time, after his speech the leader would be warmly received

by the audience, a response which would send shivers down the spines of the Indian officials who used to accompany pilgrims to Nankana Sahib for Guru Nanak’s birthday celebrations.

audience, Kalyan Singh’s audience hardly seemed concerned. There

are at least two reasons for this: firstly, the nationalistic fervor that defined that movement in the 80s has been sidelined. Secondly, the previous crowd comprised mostly of Indian pilgrims, who are directly impacted by the Indian government’s politics. Kalyan Singh’s current audience was made up of a few hundred Pathan Sikhs and

Sindhi Hindus. They were never associated with the movement, and neither are they very concerned now.

Kalyan Singh Kalyan, who is pursuing his doctorate in Punjabi

At the time banners in favor of separatism were strung all around

literature and studying in Punjab University, however, takes a

Guru Arjun’s martyrdom, and the birthday of Maharaja Ranjit

for the seat of MPA on the reserve seats for the Pakistan People’s Par-

the city. Various religious events in Pakistan, including Vaisakhi, Singh were used as political platforms for the cause of Khalistan.

However, the movement, which reached its zenith after the des-

ecration of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the Indian army in 1984, faded away by the 90s. After that, religious festivals went

keen interest in politics. In the 2008 elections, he even tried to stand ty (PPP), but lost to a Christian candidate. He says, “We (the Sikhs) are not part of Hinduism, but are a separate nation, with a separate constitution. Therefore the Hindus shouldn’t oppress us.”

Another recent point of contention in the community is the

back to being religious festivals, with only a few exceptions here

Nanakshahi calendar. First implemented in 2003 by the Shiromani

However, the night of March 13, 2011 was not a regular night.

Sikh bodies based in Amritsar, the calendar received a mixed response

and there.

This was the last night of the year according to the Sikh Nanakshahi calendar. The community had gathered at the Gurdwara Janamasthan along with a few pilgrims from Sindh to mark the event.

Kalyan Singh Kalyan, a young man from Nankana, was in-charge of the stage and he used that opportunity to speak against the influ-

32

However, there were some marked differences: Whereas those

leaders from times past would be appreciated and applauded by the

ence of the Hindu lobby on the Indian government; reminiscent of the scene in the 80s.

MAY 8-14 2011

Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), one of the most important from the people. It was supported by a lot of expatriates but within In-

dia, there were a few Sikhs in important posts who weren’t sure about

it. Puran Singh, the jathedar (priest) of Akal Takht (the throne of the God) in the Golden Temple, opposed it when it was implemented. The

jathedar of the Akal Takht is the highest spiritual post in the Sikh fra-

ternity. To show his resentment, he celebrated the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh according to the previous calendar, whereas the SGPC

MAY 8-14 2011

FEATURE celebrated it according to the new one. Similarly, there was also a lot

influencing the latter has been much easier, which is cited as one

to follow.

the calendar. Following his lead, the jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib

of confusion within the community, who didn’t know which calendar Before the new calendar was implemented, the Sikh community

followed the Bikrami calendar, which is the Hindu calendar. Based on

a combination of lunar and solar calculations, it resulted in the dates of Sikh festivals being shifted every year. In addition, it was associated

with the Hindu tradition and a lot of Sikhs felt, especially after the Khalistan movement, that there was a need to assert a separate identity.

of the reasons as to why the jathedar of Akal Takht disapproved of also distanced himself from it. The Sikhs have a total of five Takhts, which are the spiritual authorities of the community. The most

important one is the Akal Takht, established at the Golden Temple, by the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Kalyan Singh feels that the Hindu lobby exerts ‘extra’ influence over the Takht Patna Sahib.

The calendar functioned, in the form that Purewal made it, for

Keeping these problems in mind, Canadian Sikh Pal Singh Purewal

seven years. In 2010, under what experts feel was the influence of

the festivals. It took him about 16 years to devise it. In 1998 he placed it

endar, which brought it closer to the Bikrami calendar. This diluted

created a solar calendar, which permanently pinned down the dates of in front of the community for criticism. When nobody came forward to criticise it, it was implemented in 2003.

The Nanakshahi calendar, however, remained a thorn in the In-

dian government’s side. Haunted by the years of Khalistan, which eventually led to the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira

the Indian government, the SGPC approved amendments in the calthe distinction that the calendar had. Purewal, and a lot of other international Sikh leaders spoke out against the changes. Now Pure-

wal feels that even though the calendar retains its name, it doesn’t include any of the features that rendered it unique.

The New Year festival that was arranged by the local Sikh com-

Gandhi by her own Sikh body guards, the government remained

munity of Pakistan was also organised in response to the changes

was implemented, the Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh

was Sham Singh, the President of the Pakistan Gurdwara Praband-

skeptical of Sikhs exerting their autonomy. As soon as the calendar stated that the government would not implement the Nanakshahi

calendar and that state and religious holidays would still be celebrated according to the previous one. It is also interesting to note that Amarinder Singh once supported the Khalistan movement.

Ever since independence, and especially since the Khalistan days,

the Indian government has tried to control both the SGPC and the

priests at the Takhts. Whereas it has been difficult to exert much

influence over the former, because of the election of its main body,

made in the Nanakshahi calendar. Another speaker on the occasion

hak Committee (PGPC). He also termed the changes to be the ‘connivance’ of the Hindu lobby. PGPC, which maintains close ties with

the international Sikh community, and leaders like Ganga Singh

disapproved the changes in the Nanakshahi calendar; therefore, it supported Kalyan Singh when he decided to raise his voice against

what he felt to be Indian tyranny. Thus, once again, Nankana Sahib

became the hotbed of Indian and Pakistani ‘Sikh’ politics, providing a fertile ground for the agencies of both the countries to operate. a

PHOTOS COURTESY THE CITIZENS ARCHIVE OF PAKISTAN. TAKEN BY RIDA ARIF.

Haroon Khalid is the Minority Project Director for the Citizens Archive of Pakistan.

34 Concluding the religious ceremony MAY 8-14 2011

Gurdwara Patti Sahibv

FEATURE

bollywood calling

Mirroring Pakistan’s own struggle, Uzbekistani cinema is being overshadowed by Indian productions.

BY MAHA MUSSADAQ

When you think of Uzbekistan, the first thing that comes to mind is how the influence of different leaders has changed the country over a period of time. And although leaders like Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan left a mark on the region, the personality that seems to be 36 embedded in the minds of most of today’s UzMAY 8-14 2011

beks is that of infamous Indian actor Mithun Chakraborty, who came to the country in 1980 to shoot Ali-Baba and the Forty Thieves. The movie, shot by an Uzbek film studio in collaboration with India, was one of the biggest international projects filmed in Uzbekistan during the Soviet era.

FEATURE Obid Karimov, a local in Tashkent, says the ‘great movie’ also

starred legendary Uzbek comedian Asomov and was one of the

best-selling movies of all times in the Soviet Union in the 80s, and was watched by millions of viewers in USSR alone.

Although the country always embodied aspects of different

cultures, what seems to be gaining popularity today are Bolly-

wood hits — and this trend is alarming the Uzbek government and the blossoming Uzbek Film industry.

The ex-soviet state administration sees this as an awakening

threat which is detaching Uzbekistan’s youth from the state’s

ideology. Obid says that Indian movies are shipped to Uzbekistan from India and are translated into local languages. These movies are not just being showcased in cinemas but are also taking up

airtime on local TV channels. “We watch Indian movies at home on TV and listen to Indian songs on the radio all the time,” he says.

The proliferation of this infectious Bollywood glitz and glam-

our that continues to embed itself in the hearts of Uzbek women,

“We tried really hard to try to promote the Pakistani entertainment industry here…” he says. “But our movies are of really bad quality and not worth watching. We tried to play Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda Ke Liye here, but the government did not allow us to because of the subject the movie was based on.”

men and youth is not going unnoticed by the government. President Karimov’s government is currently chalking out strategies

to promote Uzbek movies at home over Indian movies. The government has written scripts and engaged the entertainment industry in its effort to reintroduce Uzbek youth to the country’s indigenous culture.

Today there are more than 50 private film studios in Uzbeki-

stan that produce about 50 films a year. The government strictly controls the entertainment industry and even bans artists if it has to. Uzbek performers now are forced participate in the promotion of the image of the country and patriotism.

But though the government has take measures to try and pro-

tect the industry, Uzbeks are still drawn to the choreography and bright cinematography of Indian cinema.

“Bollywood is fantasy, and we love being a part of the journey,

even if it’s just for a few hours,” says Obid. The Uzbek film industry, in an attempt to keep its audiences’ interest, has in fact

influence. Although Uzbek film production is now growing ev-

“The characters [in some recent Uzbek films] are larger than life

popular than Hollywood blockbusters, according to locals in

started to elements of Indian films in their own productions. just like in an Indian movie, but the ending is usually sad like a Russian drama,”adds Obid.

An official from the Pakistan Embassy in Uzbekistan says that

the influence of Bollywood is “huge” and that Indians are investing heavily in Uzbekistan. “We tried really hard to try to promote

the Pakistani entertainment industry here…” he says. “But our movies are of really bad quality and not worth watching. We tried to play Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda Ke Liye here, but the govern-

ment did not allow us to because of the subject the movie was based on.”

So, mirroring Pakistan’s own one-time struggle with Indian

38

TV channels, Uzbek cinema too is struggling to deal with Indian MAY 8-14 2011

ery year, and locally produced movies are sometimes even more Tashkent, Bollywood is here to stay. “Men love Indian actresses

like Aishwarya Rai, Priety Zinta, Rani Mukherjee, and actors

like Shahrukh Khan and Amitabh Bachan are really famous in Uzbekistan. If they ever came here they would definitely attract a crowd,” announces Obid. a

According to estimates, Uzbekistan comprises 80 per cent of Uzbeks, 5.5 per cent of Russians, five per cent of Tajiks, three per cent of Kazakhs, three percent of Karakalpak, 2.5 per cent of Tatar and another 2.5 per cent of other ethnicities.

39 MAY 8-14 2011

FEATURE

pyaari ammi!

She washes dishes, sets dinner tables and cleans houses to take care of the most precious person in her life — her mother.

BY HIBA TOHID

“Thank you, Baji!” Grabbing the two red bills, an excited Shumaila scurries out of the kitchen to her small room in the backyard.

The small box of steel that she keeps by her mattress is filled with

bills.

“This is all the money I get when someone of Baji’s friends or

relatives really likes my work and pays me extra.”

Dressed in a loose-fitting frock, hair tied back in an untidy po-

40

nytail, Shumaila is barely ten. But her age belies her harsh experi-

ences in life. Working in a house in Defence, Shumaila has a story MAY 8-14 2011

very different from other children her age.

“My father left my mother for another woman,” she says casu-

ally, while doing the dishes. Betrayed by an unfaithful husband

even while she carried his child, Shumaila’s mother, Kausar Bibi,

succumbed to her tragedy. “My mother went crazy after that, so I have to take care of her. I am her mother now,” Shumaila remarks

as she giggles at the site of a bubble floating out of the detergent froth. She may have grown up beyond her age, but the ten-year-old in her can’t help peeking out at times.

Kausar Bibi now lives a life of seclusion and ridicule in a small

village up north in Punjab. Shumaila recalls how she grew up look-

ing after a mother suffering from postpartum psychosis. She takes out a tattered old prescription that has the frightening diagnosis

flashing on top. Oblivious to how the big books of medicine choose

to name her mother’s condition, all Shumaila knows is that her

mother was never around to put her to sleep with a lullaby. She wasn’t around to see if Shumaila had eaten, nor was she there to look after her when she fell ill.

While Shumaila’s voice rarely resonated in her mother’s ears,

this little girl decided she’d raise her mother instead. “I came to the

city with my nani (grandmother). We heard it paid well to work here. Besides, I always wanted to see what the big city looks like.”

own way and restore her mother’s health she continues to do dishes, babysit and set dinner tables for a sum close to Rs3000.

Every month Shumaila sends a small envelope with money and

Shumaila had seen pictures of high rises in one of her school

medicines to her village. She has saved enough to buy a used cell

“There was a school in our village but the teacher never came. We

monthly ritual of sending the money in the hope that one day her

books.

would go there, play all day and get dirty. But then I made friends with the teacher’s daughter….”

Shumaila can now count to 100 and write letters of the alphabet

in both English and Urdu thanks to this friendship. She starts a mo-

phone so she can talk to her mother. Shumaila has kept up this

mother might notice. For now she keeps abreast of Kausar Bibi’s condition through her uncle who watches over her mother in the village.

This month Shumaila is excited because the envelope will be extra

notonous recitation: “A for apple, B for ball, F for fish, J for joker, K

large — she finally gets to send her three months’ worth of savings

ment recalls “…K for patang!”

Shumaila is not disappointed. Running the last lap of glue stick on

for…K for…” she fumbles but with an immediate sense of achieve-

Shumaila has worked in several households since she first came

to the city. Moving from house to house with her nani, she’s not so much in search of work as she is for the warmth of a family. She

to her mother. The small box of steel will finally be empty today but the envelope flap she prepares to write something that she may have said a lot but has learnt only recently to write — ‘Pyaari Ammi’!

By the time Shumaila’s post gets to her mother’s doorstep in the

thrives on the secondhand affection that comes in the form of used

village, the world would already have been celebrating ‘Mother’s

ing a family. This child may have set out to fight the odds for her

ery moment for her mother.

clothes and last night’s meal; this is as close as she can get to havmother, yet she is a child like many her age. In order to make her

Day’. Unaware of this annual commemoration, Shumaila lives evFor the rest of us: Happy Mother’s Day!

41

a MAY 8-14 2011

POSITIVE PAKISTANIS PEOPLE

fountain of hope

BY SEHRISH CHAUDHRY

To those suffering from mentall illness, Dr Haroon Chaudhry brought hope of a better life.

mily n’s fa o o r a Dr H

Haroon Rashid Chaudhry was born in 1955 to Dr Rashid Chaudhry and Kishwar Rashid. His father, Dr Rashid Chaudhry, was well-known for having introduced Psychiatry in the medical universities of Lahore. Before him, psychiatry was merely an optional subject taken as a minor in colleges in Pakistan. Haroon followed in the footsteps of his father and

and unshakable optimism soon made him popular and he went

completing his postgraduate training in Psychiatry it from Aus-

a 24 hour day to satisfy his patients and gain more knowledge about

developed an interest in the speciality of Psychiatry, eventually

tria. In 1985 he started his career as a specialist in mental health in Lahore, working in different hospitals to gain experience.

Initially, he began work in a government hospital, then started

42

practicing in a small clinic in his house.

He didn’t have many patients initially but his sense of humour

MAY 8-14 2011

from a few patients to 150-200 patients every single day. His opti-

mism was contagious and he would become friends with those who came to him with psychological problems. His patients remedied their problems by talking with Dr Haroon, many would say: “Talk-

ing to you heals half of our problems, while your medicine takes care of the other half.” But his charm was not his only aid; his main strength was his hard work. He was willing to work 18 hours out of Psychiatry. His motto in life was: “Work hard, keep good intentions and never justify your wrong-doings.” He would preach these to his patients, colleagues, family and everyone who came his way.

When his father, Dr Rashid Chaudhry passed away, Dr Haroon

became the Executive Director of Fountain House, a rehabilita-

tion centre for the mentally unwell. Fountain House has been

recognised all around the world, by institutions such as Harvard University, as a model of psychiatric rehabilitation even for

our. In the rural suburbs of Lahore, the doctor established a free

clinic at Ahbab Hospital to provide medical services to about 150 patients every Wednesday. For the last 15 years of his life, Dr Ha-

developed countries. Run on money that Dr Haroon generated

roon went to the clinic every week. I myself have been to Ahbab

House accommodates around 300 to 500 patients at a time. From

overwhelming. Imagine 150 poor patients with their families

through fundraising and charitable contributions, Fountain the poor people of Kashmir and villagers of Balochistan to students from LUMS, Aitchison, barristers and even ex-expatriates who suffer from severe mental illness — Fountain House takes in everyone who needs psychiatric rehabilitation.

Most of the patients in Fountain House are there because their

families have abandoned them out of poverty or fair of social stigma. Some were abandoned because their illness was so severe and others were left at Fountain House because they were

simply too old for their families to hope that they would recover.

Dr Haroon was a beacon of hope for these lost souls, who had

Hospital on a Wednesday and the number of patients there was

pushing and shoving to make their way to see ‘Doctor Sahib’. Dr

Haroon saw a lot of patients — some even came from Afghanistan. He once asked a patient, “You came all the way to see me

— what if I had been absent from the clinic this Wednesday?”

The patient replied “Doctor Sahib, no offence but the man who told us about you said that you see patients here for free every Wednesday without fail. And the only thing that could stop you

from coming here on a Wednesday would be if you had left this world forever.”

Dr Haroon was so affected by his words that he promised all

been considered pariahs by their own families. Dr Haroon was

his patients there that he would indeed never miss a Wednesday

acceptance. Patients of Fountain House have been treated and

when his daughter had a child in Canada, he flew to Canada

the saviour who gave those patients shelter, food, support and have gone on to follow their dreams and professional careers.

Raising money for the medicines, shelter, food, education for

300 patients is not easy but Dr Haroon could made it all possible because of his charisma. He organised fund-raising dinners and

went all around the world on conferences and spoke about Fountain House. People would get fascinated first by Dr Haroon’s positivity and then by his charitable work and willingly donate their

zakaat and sadqa while foreigners would dedicate their savings for such a noble cause.

Fountain House wasn’t Dr Haroon’s sole charitable endeav-

e Hous tain n u o F

as long as he lived. This promise was so important to him that on a Thursday and insisted on catching his flight back to Paki-

stan the following Tuesday so that he would be in time for his usual Wednesday at Ahbab Hospital. Dr Haroon suffered from

a heart attack after seeing his free patients at Ahbab Hospital on Wednesday 29th September, 2010. After being admitted and

operated upon at the hospital, he passed away on Tuesday, 5th October 2010. That Wednesday, when he did not come for the patients who had gathered to see him at Ahbab Hospital, they

knew that he had gone forever, for he would never leave them waiting otherwise. a

Founta in Hou se

43 MAY 8-14 2011

REVIEW

a life in review

film a mad, mad world

BY SASCHA AKHTAR

Sucker Punch isn’t what you think it is. It isn’t a bad-girls-gonewild-and-kicking-ass-in-mini-skirts romp, and it most definitely isn’t a feel-good film. In fact, it’s a feel-bad film, especially if you are a man.

Cinema is a language and the film director is the creator of the system of symbols, images, text and context that makes the language unique to the film. In Sucker Punch, director Zack Snyder, who also co-wrote the script along with Steve Shibuya has crafted a fully formed and distinctive language, utilising an extended dream conceit effectively and powerfully to create a very female internal world where all the latent fears, anxieties, passions and strengths of a woman come into play. The same characters appear over and over, in different variations, which fulfills the dream ‘code’ as it were of the film. For those critics who talk of its flawed logic, the flaw is in misunderstanding the carefully crafted logic of the film.

A literal understanding of the film won’t do you much good. Essentially, it is a story of the triumph of a woman over the demons both inside and outside who may seek to harm her. Focusing on the fantasies of Babydoll (Emily Browning) whose father has institutionalized her in a mental asylum, it’s a great film for a woman feeling powerless in any type of hell. It almost places you inside a psychological dreamscape in which you can live out fantasies of revenge. In this way, the film becomes something akin to a video game at times, which is possible because the non-linearity is seamless, and the visual effects dramatic and aimed at full immersion.

What is equally effective is the feeling of being trapped inside a woman’s head, where absolutely nothing will get in her way.

Men, monsters, robots, dragons, men who are monsters, all are vanquished in a quest for freedom. This is a study in dissociation, which occurs as a response to trauma and allows the mind to distance itself from experiences that are too much for the psyche 44 to process at that time. For this reason, there is some real discomMAY 8-14 2011

twisted logic For those critics who talk of Sucker Punch’s flawed logic, the flaw is in misunderstanding the carefully crafted logic of the film

The film becomes something akin to a video game at times, which is possible because the non-linearity is seamless, and the visual effects dramatic and aimed at full immersion

fort here with the horror of rape and abuse ever-looming. There is only one male character portrayed in a positive light, which is why it is unlikely that a ‘man’s man,’ would find this film watchable, and because it is such a strong statement it would be totally inappropriate for any man to make any comment about the physical attributes of the female characters in this film, and they are a-plenty.

The soundtrack is potent and contributes greatly to the sinister, menacing tone of the film, but also to the strength of the female voice that comes out here. Many of the songs are remakes of older, well-known tracks from the 80’s and 90’s and almost exclusively sung by women. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) will never sound the same again. The reworking of the Pixies classic Where is My Mind? was particularly poignant. Be prepared to feel your skin crawl and be disturbed, be very disturbed.

45 MAY 8-14 2011

REVIEW

film high flying

BY AIZA NASIR KHAN

The much awaited Rio finally arrived in Pakistan, with both 2D and 3D versions premiering at Atrium in Karachi, which is where I headed to watch this box office success on a Saturday afternoon.

Families were flocking in way before the movie started to ensure tickets for their excited young ones. And excited they should be.

Rio is a fun-filled, family friendly adventure about a hero who has to overcome challenges in order to save the day.

The setting of the movie is breathtaking, especially in 3D, as it is based in the beautifully city of Rio de Janeiro. The movie starts off with a dazzling, if over the top, display of colours and music, with wildlife putting up all manners of song and dance in the jungles of Brazil. The story revolves around a rare blue macaw unimaginatively named Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) who is poached from his home in the lush rainforests and ends up in Minnesota, in the loving care of Linda (Leslie Mann). His life of domesticated luxury is disrupted

by Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro), a bird expert from Brazil, who informs Linda that Blu must go to Brazil to mate with the only female of his species.

In a whirl, the main characters head off to Brazil where Blu is introduced to the feisty female macaw, Jewel (Anne Hathaway).

Jewel, however, wants nothing more than to escape her prison and fly free. The element of antagonists are also introduced into the story viz bird smugglers and their nefarious pet cockatoo Nigel. So start Blu and Jewel’s escapades in which they end up being chained together with one major drawback: Blu doesn’t know how to fly.

Jesse Eisenberg’s depiction of a nerdy domesticated bird, afraid to come out of his comfort zone is spot on, and keeps the viewers involved in Blu and his predicament. Anne Hathaway’s voice acting on the other hand was nothing special, and often left the viewer disengaged from Jewel. The supporting characters were strong, with Will.i.am and Jamie Foxx providing some very catchy tunes.

During their adventures, Blu and Jewel encounter an interesting 46 array of characters, including a very romantic toucan (George LoMAY 8-14 2011

it won’t leave you blu Rio is a fun-filled, family-friendly adventure about a hero who has to overcome daunting odds in order to save the day

pez) as a mentor, Will.i.am and Jamie Foxx as friendly street smart birds and Tracy Morgan as a slobbering bulldog. As is the case in most animated movies, Rio’s supporting characters are sometimes more endearing and lovable than the main ones. The characters could have been explored enough to bring them close to the likes of Donkey from the Shrek series or Mike Wazowski from Monster’s Inc. Sadly, the movie does not give them enough face time for us to fully appreciate them.

Overall, the movie is more fast-paced and vibrant than the Ice Age series or Rango. Throughout the movie there are various sidestories going on to keep the viewer entertained. What also makes this movie interesting is the fact that Rio de Janeiro is shown in a very realistic light, depicting both the good and the bad of the city. It shows the beautiful downtown areas along with the misery of life in shanty towns. The movie has a PG rating, though there are some elements and themes that might not be suitable for the younger audience. This includes innuendoes, mild sadistic violence of the antagonist towards captured birds and other characters, and scantily dressed women prancing around because of Carnivale.

Rio is not a very original movie, with the theme based on the clichéd notion of believing in yourself and following one’s heart rather than the head. This does not stop it from being an enjoyable experience for the whole family, full of wacky antics, slapstick humor and salsa infused contemporary music. You need to watch this movie, especially in 3D, to fully enjoy the vibrant CG animation and find out Blu’s fate.

film good girl gone bad

BY HAMNA ZUBAIR

Katie Holmes, teen-queen-turned-style-icon and one half of TomKat, is better known for her marital highs and lows than her acting chops. It is for this reason, perhaps, that she has recently tried to recast herself as a ‘serious’ actress — with a leading role in the miniseries “The Kennedys” and as the star of The Romantics.

I haven’t seen “The Kennedys,” but I’m hoping it will have more depth than The Romantics — which tries to echo Blue Valentine’s pathos but ends up falling flat. The Romantics wasn’t a commercial success either, grossing a mere $103,280 at the box office.

The movie centres on a love triangle involving three friends: Laura, played by Holmes, Tom, played by Josh Duhamel and Lila, played

by Anna Paquin. Laura and Tom used to be a couple, but their fierce passion couldn’t translate into a functional relationship, and they broke up years ago. Laura, who is also Lila’s bridesmaid, arrives at Tom and Lila’s wedding determined to wish the couple well, but seeing Tom stirs up old feelings and, well, she changes her mind.

What follows is typically shallow angsty fare — Laura agonises over her decision, is unwilling to hurt Lila, sleeps with Tom anyway, and then tries to make the whole thing look like Lila’s fault. I’ll leave it to you to find out who ends up with whom.

There have been plenty of highly watchable movies made with the same basic premise — My Best Friend’s Wedding immediately comes to mind — so it is surprising that seasoned director Galt Niederhoffer couldn’t inject enough oomph into The Romantics.

Part of the flaw lies in the movie’s plot and pacing. The film trudges along too slowly, and it is rather far-fetched to imagine that Lila would allow Tom’s ex to serve as her bridesmaid — especially when it is implied that Lila knows the two are still attracted to each other. Tom’s role in this whole farce is also left largely unexamined; it is puzzling that the two women blamed the whole affair on each other when it was quite obvious to me that philandering Tom was the weak link in the equation.

suspension of disbelief It is rather far-fetched to imagine that Lila would allow Tom’s ex to serve as her bridesmaid — especially when it is implied that Lila knows the two are still attracted to each other.

Plot aside, the acting must take its share of the blame. The Romantic’s characters are poorly developed and wooden. Holmes has mistakenly tried to invoke Laura’s emotional turmoil by perpetually pasting an ‘I’m-so-oppressed-feel-sorry-for-me’ look on her face, which sucks all the animation out of her expressions. Tom, who I’m guessing was meant to be a tortured artist torn between two loves, comes off looking like a foolish, impulsive little boy.

A whole host of other quality actors like Adam Brody, Elijah Wood, and Candice Bergen round out the ensemble cast, but their performances too have been tainted by Holmes’ morose pantomime — and they are each about as lively as false plants.

If you want to see Katie Holmes in action, then, I’d say you wait to watch “The Kennedys” — though I fear that Holmes’ Jackie O will be just as cool and distant as her turn as Laura in The Romantics. a

47 MAY 8-14 2011

UP NORTH AND PERSONAL Cabbage white butterfly and radish flowers

girl interrupted An infant’s death prompts painful ruminations

It’s Apple blossom time and the air is heavy with bees bumbling from one cluster of nectar-rich, pale pink blossoms to the next, pollinating as they go. False springs have gone; this spring — a full six weeks later

TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS BY ZAHRAH NASIR

be transplanted and the dogs, as always, are impatient to keep

me company while I work. This is my world — a world in which I

find healing, peace and renewal, a refuge from the vicious world ‘outside’ where shocks lurk around far too many corners for com-

than what passes for ‘normal’ — is definitely the real thing, com-

fort.

ing in bomber formation around the living room before execut-

old, had died. It was necessary for me to attend her funeral. I

and zoom through the woodshed, revving up for a repeat perfor-

with wreaths of mauve clematis: birds trilling, a stream splash-

plete with swallows swooping through the open front door, flying a complicated series of flips and rolls. They exit the back door mance in two seconds flat.

There are boxes, envelopes and packets of seeds scattered all

over the dining-table, each variety calling out to be sown next.

A bucket behind the back door contains three dozen rose cuttings

taken from a friend’s garden, each one to be carefully planted then nurtured to red, pink and cream fruition. Trays of germinating tomato, capsicum and aubergine seedlings are asking to

48 MAY 8-14 2011

A phone call: dreadful news. A baby girl, merely two months

walked, with a sorrowful heart, through tall pine trees draped ing over moss-coated rocks, the tangy fragrance of warm resin in the air. Silent figures swathed in chadors, male and female,

grubby children, flocked to the house, each displacing his or her own personal share of sorrowful space in what had been the baby’s home, in which she lived, breathed, was fed and comforted when she cried. Her mother was nowhere to be seen. In-laws

and other relatives somberly shook hands with arriving mourn-

ers. Men were led in one direction, women in another, subdued

baby girl, his first cousin (every member of that massive family

out blankets draped over a stretched length of rope suspended be-

other abnormalities are common) was judged by her gender. As

children slipping in and out of the hastily erected barrier of worn tween the dismal house and an axe-scarred tree.

Grubby children shyly smiled greetings in my direction, slowly

inching closer to my perch on a wobbly plastic chair as I made

limited conversation with the women and girls huddling on cot-

is dangerously inter-related to the point where birth defects and far as can be ascertained, there is no record of either her birth

or her death. The poor child isn’t even a statistic as she simply didn’t exist.

Other people’s cultures and customs are, on the whole, some-

ton mattresses that had seen better days. The children, lice-in-

thing to be both honoured and respected and I know of many Pa-

of biscuits destined for important guests; others in the women’s

others, often uneducated, whose treatment of women is utterly

fested and filthy beyond reason, were round-eyed in anticipation quarter were being served far less costly slices of dry, packaged

bread whilst, this being a Pashtun household, the men feasted

on biryani. The women and children would, in time, get their leftovers…if there were any. Two young girls, perhaps 4 and 6

years old, wandered around in a daze, seemingly not knowing

what to do with themselves. Slightly better dressed than the

other children, they were obviously sisters. Their faces thin and sharp, hair shaved close to their skulls, skin painfully etched

with either weeping eczema or psoriasis which, their mother

explained, didn’t go away no matter how my ‘toobes’ of doc-

tor’s medicine she applied. Hugging a plump, kohl-eyed, rosy-

shtuns who have the utmost respect for women. But there are

appalling. Such treatment of females is also evident in sections

of the Punjabi, Sindhi, Baluch and Kashmiri peoples too and, unless and until quality education is made freely available to all

and sundry, this state of affairs will remain unchanged. It is also true that education alone, particularly of the standard currently

dished out by poorly qualified teachers when they can be bothered to give classes at all, will not be enough to improve ignorant attitudes. Far more than basic education will be required to make

a dent in the misconceptions which have been allowed to flourish unhindered for so long.

The manner of this baby’s death has stirred up personal emo-

cheeked, little boy on her lap she bemoaned that fate had sent

tions which I usually manage to keep largely in check and, quite

old but hadn’t grown in height since they were 4 or 5 years old

in the garden, in the physical activities of planting and weed-

her two retarded daughters. The girls were actually 8 and 12 years

and were considered incapable of learning even the simplest

things. What their life would be didn’t bear thinking about although I, for one, couldn’t help but hopelessly speculate.

The deceased baby, I learnt, had fallen asleep in her mother’s

arms when she was being fed just after dawn and had not wo-

frankly, it took me quite a few days of determinedly losing myself ing and cutting the grass, before I was able to regain some form

of equilibrium, let alone sleep at night. The painful knowledge that we, the entire human race, are equally responsible for such events is going to haunt me for a long time to come.a

ken up. Someone said that she had been ill from birth, that she

had some kind of growth on her chest, that she was at least three times larger than a baby of that age should be. Someone else said

that the baby was fine until someone dropped her the previous night, hurting her badly in the process, but no, a doctor wasn’t deemed necessary, as it was only a girl after all. Shock rolled over me in waves. I was horrified and angry all at once. About 4

months prior to this sad event, I’d received a late night phone call telling me that a little boy from this clan had fallen off the roof

and split his head open like a melon and which doctor should

they take him to? What the child was doing playing on the roof after dark — or playing on the roof at all, for that matter — was

besides the point in this emergency. It was later explained as being nothing more than high spirits as in ‘boys will be boys’ and

I arranged for them to be met at the hospital emergency department by the medical specialist on duty, along with a surgeon.

The boy is fine now and the scars something to be proud of. The

Verditer flycatcher and apple blossom

Hoverfly and double narcissus

49 MAY 8-14 2011

THE HATER

10 things I hate about ...simple girls

1 2 3 4 5 50

MAY 8-14 2011

BY SABA KHALID

Their perfect genes. While I have to put four layers of

foundation, three coats of eyeliner, smear red lipstick

and don dominatrix heels to make myself appear human, the simple girl will daintily walk in with not

even a speck of makeup, wearing a crescent white

shalwar kurta paired with flats and still get everyone’s attention.

Their simple minds. While I pose thought-provoking

questions about war and suicide bombings on my Facebook profile, the simpleton will say something as inane as, “I love my cat” and get 500 likes in a matter of seconds.

The lack of emotional baggage. Simple girls hardly ever get manic depressive, aggressive, angry, suicidal

or anxious. Have you heard any simple girl go through a messy breakup, an identity crises, a divorce or even a bad haircut?

How they’re constantly serenaded by Lollywood, Bollywood and Hollywood! Case in point: “Bholi si surat”!

Shahrukh Khan will never sing a song titled “Chalaak si madeup surat”!

Their ability to find Mr Right before they even hit puberty — leaving us grappling with Mr Wrongs, stum-

bling into Mr Absolutely Incorrects and bumping time and again into thousands of Mr What a Horrible Mistake!

6 7 8 9 10

The rishtas they get at every lunch, shaadi and dinner.

. . they’ll even get a rishta on their way to the grocery store. How easily they win the praise of sasu maas around the world, friend’s parents, and even your own parents without having a single accomplishment under their belt is beyond my understanding!

Their disdain for us. Simple girls will only befriend

simple girls and treat the non-simple girl as the pariah.

Their supernatural ability to have perfect hair despite the high humidity, walk gracefully without ever tripping on their face, have their clothes free of wrinkles all

the time — and the sheer power of never dropping gravy on their white joras.

The ridiculously perfect body image. While I fall victim

to every trend, fad and diet, they’re happy with them-

selves just the way they are: not two inches slimmer, not one inch bigger!

The ability to age gracefully. While we end up looking like the surgically enhanced and messed up carcass of

Joan Rivers, they end up looking twenty years younger than their actual age. Yes, Mahnoor Baloch — I’m talking about you! a