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.
My translation of this inspirational poem by Faiz:
Today In the market place, though chained and fettered walk!
The misty eye, the fiery spirit , not enough
The allegations of intense love, not enough
Today in the market place, chained and fettered walk !
Walk waving your arms– dance in ecstasy, walk!
Walk to protest in sorrow, walk with blood splattered clothes, walk!
Destiny awaits you, walk!
The masters too, the masses too.
The arrow of accusations too, the stones of abuse too,
The unhappy daybreak too, the failed day too.
Who else is their companion other then us?
In the city of the beloved who is defiant?
Who is worthy of the executioner’s hand?
Take courage, wounded ones, walk!
Let us once again go to be murdered–friends, walk!
This is in response to Israr.
Petition is a good idea for a man who can read the writ of common man.
But Emergency would be gone by Nov.15.
Flowers is a good idea. But if we hold a march for the Justices…..have large signs with each name and a flower in our hands and march around Harvard Square (and invite the media) , our message of love will reach the Judges.
Announce the time and day.
A wise man says:
1. Musharraf lifting emergency and restoring constitution by Nov. 15.
2.Justice Dogar issuing verdict before Nov. 15 that election is “regular”.
3.Musharraf taking off uniform on Nov 14.
4. Bush saying that he took off uniform.
5.International opinion saying the Chief Justice internal matter.
6.And Justice Dogar will be writing new poetry.
“Doog, doogi baja ke,
Insaf ka bazaar laga key
Baitha aey Dogar dagmaga key
Aa Bibi Bibi Aa aur daan deeti ja
Main tera purana puristar.”
I faqeer thank you for the wikia Pakistan link
Here is what i have done and would invite everyone to do some thing or join me in this effort
position statement has been posted as an online petition you can now find the link at the http://pakistan.wikia.com/wiki/Emergency_2007
or go directly to the petition
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/legalcourts/
If you sign the petition and leave an email , we will come up with concrete thing s to do and reach you.
The other idea i had was watching Geo If some one in Pakistan can arrange or thru online delivery can we order flowers to be delivered to a place for the Honorable Justices of the courts and Lawyers that are standing up to it,
Create a symbolic place in a park or a house and have flowers delivered there.
Pakistan had never had a mature democracy, in one shape or form army
has been ruling the country. For brief period Pakistan did have Nawazz Shareef and Benazir to jump start democracy but what these people looted the country.
Pakistani constitution states that no one can become Prime Minister 3rd time, so why are we trying to amend the constitution for Benazir.