Adil Najam
I, too, am a Mumbaikar today.
I wish I could reach out and for just one moment hold the hands of the woman in this AP photograph. Maybe shed some tears on her shoulder. But I do not know what I would say to her. I do not think she would want me to say much. The expression on her face matches the feeling I have at the pit of my stomach and in the depth of my heart. I think – I hope – that she would understand how I feel. I can only imagine what she is going through.
And so, in prayer and in solidarity, I stand today with Mumbaikars everywhere. In shock at what has happened. In fear of what might happen yet. In anger at those who would be so calculated in their inhuman massacre. In sympathy with those whose pain so hurts my own heart but whose tears I cannot touch, whose wounds I cannot heal, and whose grief I cannot relieve.
The solidarity I feel with Mumbaikars is deep and personal.
The first time I ever visited the Taj Mahal Hotel was with my wife. We had been married just weeks and were not staying at the Taj but went to the historic “Sea Lounge” at the hotel for tea and snacks during a short visit to Mumbai. We went to the Oberoi Hotel the same visit in the naive and mistaken belief that we would find Bollywood bigwigs hanging out there. In later years I would come back and stay at the old wing of the Taj – down the corridor from where Ruttie Bai Jinnah and stayed – I would even present in the grand ballroom whose pillars, supposedly, had been brought from her father’s estate. Each time I passed through Victoria Terminus I stood in awe of the pace as well as its presence. In awe of the architectural structure, but also of the sea of humanity around me. I cannot hear of terrorists attacking these places without my own muscles twitching in anger.
But my feeling of solidarity with Mumbaikars is much much more personal than these few fleeting visits over many years. Deeply etched into me are the horrific echoes of 9/11 in New York and the string of terrorist attacks on Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and all over Pakistan whose reports have become all too familiar – but never bearable – on this blog. I know what living with terror feels like. I have thought too much and too deeply about what it feels like to be the target of violence propelled by hatred. I know the pain of helplessness one feels as one stands stunned in grief, wanting so desperately to do something – anything – but not knowing what to do. This is why I identify with the expression on the face of the woman in this picture. This is why, like so many others in the world, today I too am a Mumbaikar.
This is why I stand with Mumbaikars everywhere, in prayer and in solidarity. At a loss for words but with an urge to speak out. My words of condemnation will not change the actions of those who have committed such heinous murder and mayhem. Nor will my words of sympathy diminish the agony of the victims. But speak out I must. In condemnation as well as in sympathy. To speak against the inhumanity of hatred and violence. To speak for the humanity in all of us that we all must hold on to; especially in the testing moments of grave stress.
But, today, I have no words of analysis. What words can make sense of the patently senseless? I do not know who did this. Nor can I imagine any cause that would justify this. But this I know: No matter who did this, no matter why, the terror that has been wrought in Mumbai is vile and inhuman and unjustifiable. And, for the sake of our own humanness, we must speak out against it.
And, so, to any Mumbaikar who might be listening, I say: “I stand with you today. In prayer and in solidarity.”
Dear Mr. Tariq, I was reading your post of, below my comment.I wonder what is the force behind people like Dalai Lama, whose country and its people have been facing barbarism at the hands of a mighty nation like China BUT who have not resorted to violent means.
If one really follows their perspective, which is also the other side of the perspective, completely human as us. With Dalai lama’s perspective, his teachings, his words, another world will open up…I am finding it very difficult finding words to describe the courage and wisdom initiated,executed and followed by him and his followers against the non-stop inhuman and barbaric attacks of china against their culture and roots.
I wonder what is the light in that man, that makes thousands of his follwers at least try and imbibe in themselves as well.
Hope you shall respond to this.
In His joy and peace,
Rama
I’m an humble human being from India…i dont follow any particular religion. But at the same time i cant tolerate these kind of spineless act by the ‘cowards’ anymore. The views shared by one Mr. Babar here is something very immature. Neither country do not have the guts to start another war as long as they possess nuclear weapons. We fought 3 wars (in fact 4 including Kargil) in the past & everybody knows the outcome.
Instead of showing solidarity in the hour of crisis, i dont know why people indulge in blaming each other & each countries that too on subjects like economy, war & stuff like that.
Everybody knows the truth. Terrorists never allow these countries to unite & peace process between these two countries. Then where will they go to earn money? Their only way of big income is to indulge in these activities & kill themselves before killing innocent people in the name of God. So i would request both sides to show some maturity & support each other in cracking these cowards. Remember, you may be the next target. When they enter into your home & slap on your face, will realise how hard was the slap.
Thank you for the article. It is rare or occassional that on the other side of the fence, one imagines feelings and outpouring such as yours.
Thank you indeed my friend, for writing this and bringing it so close to me and in the process transforming my reality.
I send You, everyone on the other side, this side, the world and the vast universe my earnest prayers.
May joy and blessings of the Almighty always be with you.
I whole heartedly agree with SD and can also whole heartedly empathise with Tariq Sayeed Khan.They both together represent the two sides of the story.I however would like to humbly submit to Tariq not to believe in all the hyperbole and exagerration in which we all indulge in.I am sure that he will agree on calm reflection that humanity cannot degenerate to such inhumanness but our press and media can surely highlight some one or two instances and make it sound as the whole truth.But even so if there is an iota of truth in what Tariq says and again I do not deny that there is no iota of truth but even then whon has the right of retribution.Do the so called conscience keepers have that right to to inflict murderous misery on innocents who are far removed from the conscience keepers of the same ilk who perpetrated the same murderous crime on the same innocents.The so called conscience keepers living in their self glory think nothing of sacrificing innocent youth and use them as cannon fodder and for what end probably only they know.There can be no logic no arguement for this revenge and counter revenge.God did not create us for this.
Thank you Adil for verbalizing what many if not most of us are saying in our hearts.