Adil Najam
Here is a rather gruesome ad from the Punjab Anti-Narcotics Force, warning prospective pilgrims going for Hajj to Saudi Arabia of the dangers of drug trafficking.
The painted bill board ad makes the point, rather graphically and quite clearly that anyone caught bringing drugs into Saudi Arabia will face death. One wonders, however, if that point is being made a little more graphically than necessary.
The wording on the billboard (seemingly quite large and on an outdoor public location) says:
Don’t unknowingly invite death.
By taking someone’s else luggage or unnecessary foreign or local medications do not put your own life at risk.
Taking narcotics or addictive elements to Saudi Arabia will result in a certain death penalty.
Anti-Narcotics Force (Punjab).
How, I wonder, does a parent explain to a child who sees this billboard why the Arab-looking man is beheading the Pakistani-looking man with such gusto.
One wonders who it is that really gives Muslims a ‘bad name’? The message for the prospective drug smuggler to Saudi Arabia is quite clear. But, what is the message for the rest of us? And the rest of the world?
First of All it’s absurd to compare Saudi Arabia with America. The status of Saudia or Makkah/Madina for muslim world is NOT different than status of Vatican for a sect of Christians. Now It would be intresting to learn from our educated american and british desis that what they know about vatican society.
you know perhaps we are all losing site of a very basic factor here…this is not about the west or the east, this is not about this gruesome billboard and heroin and women or even religion…this is about where do we stand as a civilisation today? Are we any better or any worse? Have we changed at all? let’s face it, in ever century horrible atrocities were commited in every shape and form. Religion was used in every era as a means to control the masses, brutality was used as a means to suppress the people…but today, if we have all this understanding in so many fields of sciences and human behavious, are we really anymore different? This is not about criticism but about looking into ourselves and ask have we really improved as human beings?
Sajid you are right but only in some countries. In US and UK girls can still were Hijabs in Schools. There is full religious freedom here in this country, its a fact.
[quote comment="15316"]Akif, have you guys recently got Internet in “Cholistan”?
…actually Adnan, we have had it for a while now but in all my years of internet browsing from Cholistan, I didn’t come across any news from Abu Gharib where someone was buried in a dry well up to his/her waist and then people stone him to death, all the time taking care not to use large stones so as to put an early end to his misery. Neither did I see any evidence of mass beheadings, mutilations or public lashings. If you ask me, I would rather have a rabid dog in my face causing me to soil my pants, than to have my pants soiled by the blood from the hole in my head. But that’s just me.
Every society aims to have a low crime rate; the question only is what are they willing to sacrifice to achieve it. The reason why Saudis have a low crime rate is because they are willing to sacrifice their personal freedoms for safety. The flip side is that your security is guaranteed.
It’s like owning a shiny new car but only to be able to drive it in your driveway; you will be safe (if that’s all you want from life), however, you will not be able to get very far.
Here is an interesting article about modern Saudi Arabia;
http://www.rakemag.com/stories/section_detail.aspx ?itemID=23669&catID=282&SelectCatID=282
Indeed, woman in the West is abused like any other place. However, if she files a complaint, or if authorities find out about her predicament, then law gets on her side with full force. In our country, unfortunately, law enforcers are the biggest hurdle towards justice. Additional hurdles are due to social taboos..
Finally, the European right-wing movement against Hijab is largely a reaction to new dynamics - afterall, Hijab was never an issue prior to 9/11.
Mr. Baber you claim that west is open towards Islam. This is a very wrong statement. Look at all the anti Hijab laws passed in France, Holland and elsewhere.
I never said that Mullah’s should stop the abuse of women in Pakistani society. It is the responsibility of Governemnt.
Adnan my friend, I never claimed that police is doing a great job in countries like Pakistan. Please try to read carefully the sentence, I am saying its their responsibility and ours. Like i said i don’t want to glorify Saudia or Pakistan.
I agree women are abused everywhere in the world not just in US or UK. I am not denying that fact But give at least one evidence that women don’t have full freedom or equal rights as men in US or UK.
My sources of news is not just limited to Pakistani papers. One thing you are ignorant about the US is that there is a freedom of speech here. There are so many Muslim organizations here, Muslims are spreading the word of Allah in a Christian dominated country. You would see representatives of these Islamic Organizations raising there opinion on even the most conservative TV channels. And most of these organization representatives are Pakistanis(I am proud of this fact).There are 100s of mosques here, by the way how many churches are there in Saudia Arabia? In this country people are so open towards Islam, Are people so open towards Christianity in Arab countries? Muslims are busy spreading Islam in this country, Islamic books are bestsellers in NYTimes (RUMI, GOD BUT NO GOD).Yes I am ignorant of many facts but i started researching and I’m in pursuit of more knowledge. Its no irony, we would like to talk about that too but do you want to do it in this blog? Here is a good article if you like reading
like I do, specially for you my brother in Islam.
http://www.chowk.com/show_article.cgi?aid=00007392 &channel=self