Adil Najam
These are distressing times. But this is not a time to be depressed.
This is a time, as Owais reminds us in his last post, to reaffirm our hopes for the future. True defeat would be to give up on those hopes. I have put up the splash image (on the front page) that I have to reassert and to remind ourselves that ultimately Pakistan will be what we make of it. Emergency or no emergency, no one can snatch our Pakistaniat from us. Not until we ourselves surrender it!
Back in May, at a moment of similar desperation, I had written a post where I had sought “solace in the one place where I always find it. In poetry. Especially in Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry.” The video clip I had used there is worth repeating here.
I had written then – and it seems even more pertinent today to repeat it:
Here is Faiz – in his own words, in his own voice. The second half has the same poem masterfully sung by Nayarra Noor. Enjoy this rare find of kalam i Faiz, ba zaban i Faiz. But more than that, think about what he is saying and how it relates to what is happening today.
What I had to say (including about US role) I said at length in an NPR Radio show today (or here). But what Faiz has to say is far more profound.
The words of Faiz certainly cut deeper than anything I can say. They are an invitation to action. But they are also an invitation to thought. An invitation to responsibility. An invitation to continuing the struggle no matter what. An invitation to keep moving onwards despite the odds. An invitation to celebrate the spirit of defiance of those who will not give up.
I had ended that post by reaffirming ATP’s committment “to celebrating all the diverse trials and tribulations of being Pakistan … the mundane as well as the profound; the sad as well as the gleeful; the immediate as well as the long-term.” It is time, today, to repeat that commitment.
This is our commitment to Pakistaniat. We love Pakistan not because everything is right in it. But despite that which is clearly not right. And with a commitment to make right that which has gone astray. Ameen.
It’s not that easy to form a political party, even if there was one, u still won’t be able to beat the “wadehras” and “chohdaries” in their hometowns, even in big cities many ppl still blindedly follow nawaz and bibi, it’s just younger generation, which is sick of these old faces.
And Tehreek-e-Insaf is not even a party and it will never be one, i dun rate imran very high either, i have never saw anyone else representing this party at any forum and he talks of democracy, he will never allow any strong personality in his own party. Even the media persons are biased, i feel so sick when i think of how helpless are we.
Some well intention folks are STILL trying to figure out whether the
Most people are tired of the political leadership of BB / NS
Why is it that all these dissatisfied people do not make new political parties or support alternate leaderships?
I fail to understand why Aitzaaz Ahsan continues to support PPP and Benazir and why Imran Khan is not able to broaden the base of his political party?
All those making load comments of Musharraf bashing – have you taken part in elections? have you worked with a political party ? have you supported any alternate leaders?
By not participating in the politcal process, and sitting around commenting on the players, all these comments look quite silly.
I think overseas Pakistanis should be able to cast their votes via embassies. Also, whoever has the spark of patriotism / nationalism / Musharraf bashing etc, please go do something – not sit around and exchange views.
The crowds sitting around in a stadium over a game do not count. They can clap and they can boo and they can cheer. But they cannot change the game.
Go be a player guys , and if you want to be a cheering crowd, then go watch a cricket match or something better.
I for one support Tehkrik i Insaaf. and i will support another party in field if it takes a better postion than Imran.
br,
jnzi
BREAKING NEWS:
Huge rally in Islamabad dominated by students:
http://free-pakistan.blogspot.com/2007/11/huge-ral ly-in-islamabad-dominated-by.html
It’s amazing how we keep blaming army chief and USA for every wrong, and never discuss those who facilitate them, i think these army dictators have been used by people “in” or “outside” the country for their own purposes, all of these dictators seems to be sincere at some times, from Ayub to Musharaf, there were some hints of honesty when they first addressed the nation, i personally feel its their teams who manipulate their powers, use it for their own beniffit and in the end let them down, everybody talks of democracy, whether there’s musharaf or no musharaf, all we have got is nawaz sharif, benazir bhuto, altaf hussain, pervez elahi, fazl ur rahman, etc. Each of them have helped some dictator at some time or other, they are all buggers.