Adil Najam
I must confess that after our recent posts on the vigilantism by folks at Jamia Hafsa and the Lal Masjid I had hoped not to write about this issue yet again so soon.
This is not because I shun controversy or duck issues. It is merely because discussions on this issue tend to be prone to slogan-mongering from those holding extreme positions on all sides, they tend to drown out the more serious and more thoughtful deliberations that are so needed, and they quickly turn into mud-slinging matches which take up too much of our time in cleaning up the mess made by those who routinely ignore or are incapable of understanding and following our comment policy. Having said all that, let me also say that it is intellectually dishonest to simply ignore events and trends that are tearing apart the fabric of society.
With that rather long preamble, what has really prompted this post are two things I saw in today’s Dawn. The first is a set of two ads on behalf of ‘The Citizens of Karachi’ (clicking on the images will take you to larger and more readable versions). The first starts off with:
“Are You Ready? Do you want danda bardar and klashnikov shariat?
IF NOT THEN… come to attend the rally in lage number and show your solidarity against the danda bardar and klashnikov shariat.”
I found these ads to be yet more evidence of a polarized society. More than that, I wonder who put these ads? Any clues, readers? I also wonder how many – and who – will show up on the 15th at this rally (starting 2:00PM near the Mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam)?
The second item appears on the back page of Dawn (and most other papers) and is much more disturbing. Here is the story in full:
Militants Beat up Dancers
LAKKI MARWAT, April 12: Clashes between militants and villagers in the Dhoda-Shah Hasankhel area on Thursday morning left two people injured. About a dozen people were taken hostage by the militants.
Sources said a group of Taliban militants had beaten up some transvestite dancers, shaved their heads and broken their musical instruments near Abdulkhel as they were going to the Dhoda village to perform at a wedding on Wednesday night.
Villagers decided to take revenge by raising a Lashkar against the Taliban, the sources said. Light and heavy weapons were used and the Taliban also fired rockets during the clash which lasted for several hours. The Taliban took 12 villagers hostage. Five of them were later freed while the others were in the custody of the Taliban till late evening, according to the administrator of a seminary, Hafiz Amanullah Khan.
A heavy contingent of police and Frontier Constabulary personnel reached the area. A ceasefire was brokered by some local ulema who held talks with village elders and the Taliban. The sources said the situation was tense and additional contingents of the FC had been summoned.
What is common between both stories is that the battle lines in a divided society are being drawn. The only possible good that could come out of this is for the mainstream of the country to recognize the difference between being ‘religious’ and ‘religious extremism.’ Maybe it will take such actions to remind people that we can be religious without being religious extremists; that faith should help flourish a culture of caring, not of violence.
Abdullah, my friend, I promise not to impose my view of what is appropriate Pakistani culture on you, if you promise not to impose yours on mine.
May we all live in peace and with tolerance for those we do not agree with.
Samdani,
[quote post=”655″]Yes, dance and song are very much a part and an important part of PAKISTANI culture. [/quote]
My culture is associated with PBUH culture where muaic & dances are not allowed
[quote post=”655″]Did you hear the great song by Asad Amanat Ali on this site PIYAR NAHIN HAI SUR SAY JIS KO WOH MORAT INSAN NAHIN[/quote]
I hear & read just one thing
[quote post=”655″]Going strictly by the text of the Qur’an, for me the term lahv al-hadith appearing in verse 6 of chapter 31 (Luqmaan) is sufficient to believe that God forbids music among other, as well. The words lahv al-hadith imply such a thing as may allure and absorb a listener completely and make him heedless of everything else around him[/quote]
Samdani
“Can’t you just answer in yes or no? ”
Adnan, don’t you know by now that liberals don’t give out yes or no answers. We don’t live in a black and white world like yours. Ours is a careful existence where we tread cautiously so as not to step on others’ feet.
As for Mush, I already said that i think he’s liberal (relatively speaking). Which part of that do you want me to repeat? However, an over-emphasis on military strength, a lack of adequate modern education, an over-reliance on madrasas, a lack of adequete health care, indirect taxation, coddling of the theocrats, a lack of progress for women’s rights through education and legislation; all these go against the grain of a self-proclaimed liberal administration. It’s a paradox of monumental proportions.
And as for “that aged woman should think first how would she look when she dances”, the correct answer is that “no, she shouldn’t”. Haven’t you heard that one should dance like no one else is watching ?
Regardless of what’s our culture, that aged woman should think first how would she look when she dances. :-)