Adil Najam
We have used the ‘Jahalat‘ caption before in headlines (here, here and here). It is time to do so again.
This picture is from PPI and the caption reads:
“A physically paralyzed girl lies half-buried in sand at the banks of river Indus. Local mythology suggests burying paralyzed children in sand and exposing them to solar eclipse helps overcome paralysis.”
Need one say more!
I guess even a solar eclipse is no cure for jahalat.
Dear Readers,
While All Things Pakistan has remained alive and online, it has been dormant since June 11, 2011 - when, on the blog's 5th anniversary, we decided that it was time to move on. We have been heartened by your messages and the fact that a steady traffic has continued to enjoy the archived content on ATP. While the blog itself will remain dormant, we are now beginning to add occasional (but infrequent) new material by the original authors of the blog, mostly to archive what they may now publish elsewhere. We will also be updating older posts to make sure that new readers who stumble onto this site still find it useful.
We hope you will continue to find ATP a useful venue to reflect upon and express your Pakistaniat. - Editors
When I saw this post and the photo a couple of days ago when it had been just published, I tch-tched at the presumed jahalat with a smirk on my face and moved on.
However seeing the comment-count on it near 50, I returned today to read what was going on and came across ABCs reply. And I must say I too was moved by it.
As someone else, we cannot lump this with houour killings and other such forms of extreme of jahalat. In all probability we don’t know what the family was going through.
IMO, this warrants a reconsideration on part of ATP.
Looks at the guy’s expressions. Priceless !
But who are we to call them Jahil when we and our government cant ensure a good modern education?
How many times have we volunteered or entered in discourses, logical educated discourses, with people around us who believe in these things…not many have.
I agree with those who said that calling these people “Jahil” is overly harsh.
Is what they are doing completely unnecessary? Yes it is. But like others have pointed out, who are we to tell desperate parents what they should and should not do? One can extend this flawed reasoning to religion as well; why should a disabled person be encouraged to pray if he gets some pain in the process? I certainly cannot think of rigorous scientific evidence in support of prayer.
I would go as far as to say that this sort of public humiliation is ITSELF a “Jahil” behavior, because this viewpoint completely fails to acknowledge the massive education problem in Pakistan.
Sad to see the comments here. Even more sad than the picture itself.
I hope the girl gets better. But am sure that it will not be because of such ignorant behavior.
Defending the ignorance of people is not feeling for these parents, it is the opposite. IT shows how unconcerned people are about the actual pain they are in that we would support counterproductive acts like this.