Adil Najam
I blog from Islamabad airport.
My flight to Karachi has been delayed, which means that my first meeting of the day will have to be canceled. But that is not what weighs heavy on my mind. What worries me today is all the talk of violence of one kind or another that seems to be all I have been hearing around me. My blood pressure seems to always sit on edge, but all the more so when all anyone can seem to talk about is violence.
The latest, of course, is the carefully leaked story about the attempted assassination plot of Gen. Musharraf by Sheikh Omar, the killer of journalist Daniel Pearl. Beyond relief that the plot was a failure, I do not wish to comment on this story. I have no reason to believe that the story is false, but it smells – no, stinks – so much of a planted leak that I would rather not give much more satisfaction to the “planters” than I already have.
Much more than that I worry about all the jingoism and and chest-beating I have been dished out on the “war clouds” with India.
Was is a horrible thing. And war with India would be very horrible, indeed. But I worry less about that because I do not think there will be war. This hype seems manufactured by TV talk show hosts on both sides of the border who seem to be having great fun (yes, I use the word advisedly) with their chest beating and naara baazi. What does worry me, however, is the fact that we are all so worked up about a war that is not happening and unlikely to happen, but so very content with the wars that are real, ongoing and killing Pakistanis every day. Everyone seems ready to thump their chests in hollow patriotism about the the tensions with India on the Eastern front, while the drones continue to pound our Western flank. Even more than that the Taliban’s war against Pakistan rages strong as ever. Nearly 2000 Pakistanis have been killed in in real war against Paksitan already, andonly this year. Why, I wonder why, are the real deaths of real Pakistanis ignored while foretold threats of the future amuse our sensibilities?
But this, too, has become routine. Denial it may be, but we can learn to tune out the noise.
What I cannot tune out right now is the noise around me earlier today as I entered the airport here in Islamabad. Its Hajj season so the place was teeming with people as the ‘welcoming delegations’ descended on the airport along with the returning Hajis. As I rushed in, a person a few feet from me brushed into another. Before one knew what had happened, they were exchanging punches. Not only them, but now three others were involved in what seemed to be a growing fistfight over nothing with most of the punches hitting the bystanders.
Naive that I am, I tried to break the fighting parties apart and ask for calm. In the process I got a few punches on myself, but more importantly I realized that everyone – including the growing throng of spectators – was now more mad at me for trying to break up the fight than at any of the fighters! And I thought that such reaction to those talking of peace happens only on blogs!
As I picked up by bags (and now aching shoulder) I wondered if maybe this ‘small’ and ‘individual’ violence in society is therapeutic. Maybe it is a way to deal with the larger insecurities and institutional violence around us. Or, maybe just maybe, it is systemic – an emblem of the larger violence within all of us. I certainly hope it is not the later. My faith in the goodness of ordinary people remains firm. But I wonder what all the violence and talk of violence around us is doing to us!
And, so, I sit here at the departure lounge. They just announced that my plane that had earlier been delayed two hours, is now delayed another two hours. The guy next to me announces that he is fried! So are the meetings that I was going to Karachi for. But that is not what gives me heartache right now. Yes, my shoulder still hurts from the punches I got. But what hurts much more and much more deeply in my head as well as my heart is the reminder that the violence we live with is not just in the headlines. The violence is all around us. Maybe, even within us.
Adil, I think you did the right think. If more of us did the same and stepped in, then maybe we will become a less violent place.
maine dil ko jalana chor dia,kayunke sirf batey karne se kuch nahi hoga is liae sirf dua karta hoo….ae Almighty Allah TU RAHIM HAY KARIM HAY TERE MEHBOOB KI UMMAT DUNIYA KE DAL DAL MAY FANS E CHUKI HAY USKO EIMAN DAY AUR HUJUR KE SHAHABA KA ZAZBA E EIMAN DAY AUR HAMARI MADAD FARMA TAKE TERE DIAE HUWE TOHFE PAKISTAN JO KE LAKHO LOGO KI BEMISHAL KURBANIYO KE BAAD MILA HAY US KI HIFAZAT KAR SHAKAY AUR JIS MAQSHAD KE LIAE HASHIL KIA GAYA HAY US MAQSHAD KO AMLI JAMA PAHNA SHAKEAY.AAMEEN
Dr. Najam, have heard great things about your talk at T2F which my freidn attended. So sorry I missed it, I had planned to come but teh weather got back. I hope you will give that talk agian in Karachi soon.
I am so amazed at the utter apathy that topics here seem to display to all that is going on in Pakistan. It almost seems that all is well in Pakland with the fair weather disposition that is displayed in the list of topics here.
Here is my list of grievances about Pakistan.
Our cricket is dead. Our courts are dead. Our constitution is dead. Our enemies are out to destroy our National security agency – the ISI and our rulers seem willing partners in trying to achieve that. Our Army is fighting a dead end war with our own people. Our stock market is dead. Our infrastructure has totally collapsed. Out foreign policy is dead. We are ruled by dead beats, who are more interested in protecting a corrupt chief justice then trying to take the country out of this morass. And yes, I know nothing about the fresh round of looting that probably has already started. And when we have become so weak internally, our enemy is out on the offensive trying to isolate us more both economically and militarily.
And here we are talking about
– daal-roti in Taiwan
– The art of daastan goi
– British Paki bestseller list
– and the lost art of fountain pens
I won’t worry about any war mongering by the Indian media. That is just a head fake – they have increasingly isolated us, and they know it. Pakistan is standing on shaky ground, thanks to all that we have been doing to this country. We are our own worst enemy and we need to worry about us more than any external threat at this point in time.
Dr. Najam:
You violated section 135/12 of Pakistaniat’s unwritten rule book which essentially states: There are a number of public incidents in which a “shareef aadmi” has no business getting involved. You can find dramatic illustrations of this and other unwritten rules in erstwhile tv shows like 50/50. The public enforces these unwritten rules on the spot as it deems fit; your hurt shoulder is a direct result of this violation.
p.s. Tongue firmly planted in the cheek