Adil Najam
Sepoy, of Chapati Mystery fame, sent me this picture before. It is a crude sheyr (verse) crudely written at the back of a bus.
Girls these days are so proud of their beauty
They don’t know the first kalma, but speak in English
Sepoy said it made him chuckle. It makes me chuckle too. But it also makes me shudder a bit. And not just for the (lack of) poetic skills displayed here. The verse and its display probably says more about the way we view women - especially young women - than it does about the state of poetry in the country.
Notwithstanding the fact that not just rhyme but reason is also missing here and the first and second misras have little connection, the verse does suggest what is viewed good (knowing the pehla kalma) and what is not (speaking in English).
All too often people will presume that a certain behavior correlates to certain moral positions. I remember how we wrote on ATP about an Ad in Dawn’s classified section for
Thinking about the ad and all the societal assumptions imbedded in it still makes me mad. As did this interesting post from ATP friend Mansoor on Metroblog Karachi, where he writes about a new way of stealing cellphones that as practiced in Karachi.
A girl is standing at a bus stop, waiting to catch a bus to go home and talking on her cellphone. There are quite many people around and its daytime.
Two guys on a bike pull up in front of her, the guy on the back gets off the bike, comes in front of her, and without warning, plants a loud slap right on her face! The girl is stunned, cant even utter a word. He then shouts (for the benefit of whoever is listening) “kitney dafa bola hai! Abba ka cellphone nahi lay kar nikla karo” (how many times have i told you, not to take dads cellphone out), grabs her cell, gets back on the bike, and they both drive away.
The girl is too shocked to say anything and just stands there, her hand holding an imaginary cellphone to her ear. People around ignore the situation thinking its just some family tiff or the other…. till she screams out “ye mera bhai nahi tha!!!!!!!” (he was not my brother!!!!!)
What I found notable is that even though the post generated intense discussion it was mostly focused on crime prevention and law enforcement and very little about what - to me - was the most shocking line of all:
People around ignore the situtation thinking its just some family tiff or the other…
Wait, wait, wait. Please. It is OK if someone comes and slap their sister or wife or daughter in public? Or even in private? And the rest of us will say, ‘OK, its a family tiff.’
I must confess that I am shocked most because in my heart of heart I know that many people will, in fact, do exactly that. And, that, is the tragedy of it all.
I uphold absolutely your right to say what you have to say, and appreciate you have said it in careful language. I also agree that sometimes comments do cross lines which should not be crossed.
Allah’s name entrusted Pakistan was announced/ sliced out from Britisher majority composed civil government with a British Royalty Viceroy in 1947 two/four years after the Yalta Agreement that already divided the post ww2 world politically economically and Pakistan’s sovereign attestment into affairs slipped to Washington because of the coming Regime Rules allover the world. Pakistan that was not a ww2 criminal like most other Nations was however to be partner to USA as Washington rode around The Colonial English French speaking world but most governments in Pakistan could not inout with Euro Club Continental Businessmen and high rollers and UK stood like today in-between Washington and until Pakistan split into Bangladesh and present Pakistan where the most recent Martial Law Leader was pre-discussed while a whole world saw a panoramic drama ,a coup d etat as Washington had insisted to bring an absolutely politically non conversant Mahajir Quami Movement to charges of state and aggress a secular government.
As the new 2002 elections recreated all regime protégés back into political offices the Northern Province was dictated to bring in Sharia by Washington too that had by now taken Afganistan and instituted its protégés in all provinces . In Peshawar modern posters were torn down but allover the country and Peshawar a latent rage of pornography went uncontrollable ,half led by Internet but mostly led by theatre and live dancing girls.
The one motive of Musharaff a socially non literate but a gentlemanly functioning commando officer of Pakistan’s Army was to aquire the newly archived great wealth of social dictation and economic superiority that Pakistan’s new youth had achieved and as Globalisation and Democratisation were visibly shining on Worlds horizon as Pakistan’s achievement that would become the only barrage to unite a great planet that a us and them had gulfed from decades of military rules and western policies misinterpreted as’ divide and rule’ that tore Korea ,burnt Vietnam and bled Cambodia until the predators froze with fear.
In 2001 Pakistan was divided into over 1600 precincts and Democratised with a prize from Paris Club of World Bank Owners to become the first economy to jump back to its own feet. However the proud Regime Rule was also predating into Pakistani society like a mafia knot and at every move the Islamabad people made . The world bank that was remailed to Pakistan after it broke away and would not operate over hundreds of thousands of dollars as the Nation cannot still find a Million Operator on projects but yet the Regime Bureaucrats went to Delhi and brought them home with the Asian Development Bank that willingly took sewers and street roads projects upto Pak Rs. 47 lacks ,while the world bank idles and officials enjoy vacantly watching at over 4 thousand NGOs waiting for leadership to appear. In Delhi the World Bank had pre-specific projects in culture and health that Pakistanis are trying although AIDS one sickness is stuck in throat and Allah Willingly will not be allowed to leak out from holes it was contained in. But the theatres and dancing girls prosper as World Bank not but a London Club of Donors lease money and power at Pakistani Govt., t in Islamabad. Pakistan like many other non conversant booty hunter governments of Asia tried to talk out WTO and IMF who were stumbling with Globalisation and Democratisation notes and a World Trade that was falling quickly out from west to merchandise midway offshore banks with trade law saying ‘have government do business’
The moral scene in Pakistan took extra permissiveness and the International Protocol Society Government became bolder with French Cooks and Photographers at Wedding Parties and as Musharaff tried to recompose the European effect of his Pakistan Army and his Media office took four or more years to read a word called ‘moderate’ to him and he agrees.
The recent laws are made into Regime Rule empowrer The UN Foundation dictation of Empowerment of Women that was to be written Reempowerment of Women after two decades of women brining themselves to proud ‘bitches’ and bore devilish girls many children likewise were burnt in acids .
The Mullahs cannot read what book the Parliament read out ,in a country where the entire country is part of the present government and many former Socialist Leaders got very exploited after the canny decision of Russia to remain behind Regime Rule thinking UK Intelligence had a passport for them to equalise with Washington but nothing came out until the recent ‘go die Russian spy’ song sung in London. .
I’m from the USA and have to say, some of the comments on here were a bit harsh towards the West. If I, or any other lady, were walking down the street and a guy made a comment about the girl’s figure, he’d certainly hear about it either from a more respectful man within earshot or the girl herself. That may not be true everywhere in the US as I live in a rural area, but it’s the norm here. Seems to me that everyone has this horrible misconception that American men are rude, vulgar niphomaniacs who can’t keep themselves under control especially around women. There are plenty of men and women who are against the exploitation of girls here and a vast majority of American girls dress respectably. I’ve read several comments about how our American girls aren’t free because they “have” to work and are judged by their appearance and that’s just not true. I don’t HAVE to work if I don’t want to. But it’s my choice whether or not I want to work, wear clothes that show off my figure, and pratice whatever religion I want without being ridiculed about it. I realise this is a Pakistani forum and I’m sorry to post where I might not be welcome to, but I couldn’t ignore the negative comments about the great men and woman of the USA.
“In my experience if a person (man) of “ourâ€Â? appearance is staring everyone for no reason, then he can not be an Indian or a Bangladeshi but only a Pakistani.”
Well Yahya, I find your comment very interesting. Have this ever occur to you that the person starring at you is looking for a familiar face. My experience is different than yours. I am often approached, in a professional set up, by persons who I know are Indian. They always ask me this question: “Are you from India?”. Not being an Indian I politely say: “No I am not”. But the conversation does not end there. Their next question is: “Then where are you from?”. I repeat my answer: “I am not from India, sir”. After that without saying any thing they move away to the other side of the hall and stand there by themselves, staring at people in general, looking for a familiar face. On the other hand, Pakistanis in the similar situation do not ask the question: Are you from Pakistan?. They are afraid what if the person they are asking the question is not from Pakistan. If he is not from Pakistan, then what to do with him. That is why they only stare. All you have to do is say Assalam-o-alaikum. All ice will melt away. We are all looking for a familiar face in the land we did not grow up. Good luck.
[quote comment=”13208″]Has anyone noticed (specially you men) how Pakistani men stare at women. Even when they are outside Pakistan and even when they do not mean to. [/quote]
Absolutely! For some reason we are never told that staring is bad while growing up. In my experience if a person (man
) of “our” appearance is staring everyone for no reason then he can not be an Indian or a Bangladeshi but only a Pakistani. True, after a while we settle down and don’t stare as much but the phenomenon is there nevertheless in the first place.
Has anyone noticed (specially you men) how Pakistani men stare at women. Even when they are outside Pakistan and even when they do not mean to. An American woman once pointed this out to me and I have noticed that even teh most decent Pakistani men are just trained to look at women so very differently. Not in a bad way (but that too) but in an uncomfortable way.
Read on a banner outside Dr.Israr’s mosque in Model Town Extension, Lahore today:
Azadi-e-nuswaan: beesween saddi ka sab se bara fitna
Advertising a lecture by Doctor sahab on the topic at hand.
salam
well i liked one comment in here made by saadia khan not becoz she said some thing in favor of the country where many are alive an rally against the victims unlike in the west!
The problem is that we think following some one else i mean the west by leaving ur own traditions an cultural values is some progression an the comment by MQ rationalising the point that happened in 80s!MQ dont rationalise!whats truth is evident on the ground no matter how modern or progressive u are its just not our culture that women are a presented as some “models” an naming it women rights!the same thing wat happend on the PIAs poster issue!ask ur own self does that show any where that its pakistan?i seen women degraded in american society 100 times more that our society!just becoz its america doesnt make it a model!showing skin wont make them better the thing that no one talks is EDUCATION no body ever raised a voice!being a doctor i have seen a general increase in female students comin in med schools of pakistan (mashallah) an we juss have one college exclusive for them FAtima Jinah rest compete with us an win!thts a health for society not posters showing women in skin that are not the social traditional cultural or even religious norms!i know women profesionals that are against it!”kawa chala hanss ki chaal apni bhi bhool gaya” or “duur kay dhool suhanay” an the verses qouted above has a bigger msg that follow wats progression and progression isnt wat west has made of a woman its the security that our family gives a women an the media is tryin to break it!women have excelled in pakistan there are cases an its norm everywhere in world i can show u woman batterin cases in juss NY that can shock u!media is trying to break the unity that the religion an culture had provided by themes like “religion is ones personal matter” its not the case with islam where its a deen of togetherness unification that makes it stand out from others! society will be better if our women get educated and get in front shoulder to shoulder to men which even islam dun forbid!
Mukhtaaran mai an dr shazia cases an the case in 80s was not to be rationalised with social norms they are an example of LAW n ORDER one side was feudals an one side was army!and a comman man dun poke in their buzinesses!
its norm in pakistan that as a guy i knew that if i tried to disrespect a gal there wud be consequences for me on the road! unlike in USA UK where u can even comment abt her figure coz its a norm unlike ours!try tht to even a modern pakistani women ull get the answer!an i love it its wat a woman is a sign of RESPECT unlike west where shes juss an object of desire!
an fer women folks try to follow the steps tht enlighten ur thouts an mental status think of wmoen like fatima jinnah( a dentist ) begum liaqat an many more tht did by virtue of their sheer hard work an competition the true definition of equality.,not by not observing pardah or things tht are against our culture an least the religion!