Monday, July 22, 2013

“We hate what we fear..!”

“We hate what we fear..!”

We hate what we fear...!!!!


Hate is so strong that it sometimes has no barriers and Shakespeare did say We Hate what We Fear! Can this be said about the current situation of Pakistan and Muslim World? Quite frankly ... YES! Whether it be Malala Yousafzai, Altaf Hussain, the Arab Spring, protests against movies that offend religion, blowing US embassies which include killing innocent Christians or bombing on the tomb of Bibi Zainab (Granddaughter of Holy Prophet Mohammad PBUH), there is one route cause to this display of hatred, and that is fear.
Before you start judging writer's accusation, let us put things into perspective and the first question would sprout is; what events have led this writer to this conclusion about her own people, how did she has the audacity to accuse her kin of this nasty allegation?
Let us look at Malala, who is a young girl who fought for her educational rights, and she stood up against Taliban, when no one else did. She voiced her opinion in times of fragility of Pakistan’s Democracy after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. However, people there had other ideas, so what happened to her? SHE WAS SHOT! AND IN THE HEAD! (Along with two other young females) Tragic, and disgusting... is it not? While the world poured their hearts out to helping her, a group of people in her own country had second thoughts about the shooting. Reason? Because "The Girl with the Book" is 'Darling of West'. The West is feared and therefore they are hated, henceforth making people hate a sixteen years old. She was called a Jewish Agent, an American Spy, a Freemason and what not… Though for the first time in history Pakistan was given a massive privilege to shine in The United Nations because of her, when whole World's media broadcasted her LIVE, her own country's media boycotted her broadcast as they hate what they fear. What they fear is the fact that today only one Malala rose, but tomorrow there will be dozens, hundreds, even thousands more, so how many would need to be silenced by being shot? There is a growing assumption that perhaps the Pakistani media is sold to Western Interests, if yes, then what stopped that media to show a young girl who started her speech with Islamic style and ended the same way, who covered her head fully, who wore shawl of Late Benazir Bhutto (The Daughter of East) and who was dressed up in the same way like an ordinary villager would. We hate her, we condemn her just because she is commended for her bravery?, Just because other young ladies all over Pakistan would look up to her as the vision of the future?, Just because that she stated her vision loud and clear that the education of women can defeat fanaticism, extremism and terrorism?
Chuck Palahnuik once wrote "When we don't know who to hate, we hate ourselves." This writer is not going into the details of how we have burnt our own buildings, destroyed our own cities, universities , industries and tourism on the name of Arab spring. That Syria, Egypt, Libya and other countries are nothing but in ruins. This writer is not going into the discussion about how the second heaven on earth situated in northern areas in Pakistan and has become so insecure that even Army is not safe by the attacks of our own people. This writer so far only stuck to the girl with the book. So, back to the original point, who is the hater and what do they hate? It's not only Malala Yousufzai we hate, who is, infact our own kin, but we hate everyone including our own selves, look at the bloodshed in Karachi, the gang war is not initiated by India. There is no Israeli or American who is killing men, women even innocent children daily, No RAW or MOSAD is inciting us for the genocide of Shia community, these are our own people, our own agencies involved into conspiracies, our own Muslims who are doing this on the name of Taliban or whatever. Thousands of army men, country men and leaders are killed yet we say its USA's war. We hate the US, we hate the West, though it is ourselves that cause all the damage to OUR OWN NATION! Hate has no boundaries, and it has no vision, no respect, and no love. It is said that devils are chained in Ramadan, then why not terrorists, just because they are Muslims? Why wasn’t there a catastrophe upon those attacked tomb of Holy prophet's granddaughter? Why aren’t the Muslims protesting against this as they did with the movie which offended our prophet? That all was just because the producer belonged to USA, we fear USA, therefore, we protested in hate? This outrageous attack was not by USA, therefore, no need to hate this act of blasphemy?
What are we and where are we heading to? Why aren’t we capable of controlling and suppressing erupting negative emotions, why do we issue fatwaz that person X must be killed as he is not a good Muslim? Who are we to say this, and why are we so judgmental? Why are we so strong to hold the burden of hate to bear on our shoulders and inhale only hate? This writer is in despair, she feels powerless to witness such terrible things happening to her people however she sees a glimpse of hope and that lies in those who stand up for the rights and prove to the world that indeed the pen is mightier than the sword and therefore this writer concludes by providing her final verdict, as Martin Luther Jr. said; “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear”.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

ہم جو تاریک راہوں میں مارے گئے...!


ہم جو تاریک راہوں میں مارے جایئں گے. لگتا ہے ارزاں جسموں کی ایک فصل ہے جو کے کٹ کے ہی نہیں رہ رہی. ہم گو کے لاشیں اٹھا اٹھا کے تھک گئے ہیں لیکن وہ تازہ دم ہیں.. ابھی مزید لاشیں ملیں گی، مزید دھماکے ہونگے. . ان کے کلیجے کو ٹھنڈک شاید بوہت بعد نصیب ہو...!!! ابھی تو لاشیں اٹھایئے اور اٹھاتے جائیے ...! . بات تو سچ ہے مگر بات ہے رسوایی کی کہ جب بچہ بوہت رونے لگے تو یا تو تکلیف میں ہوتا ہے یا بھوکا. اسی طرح اگر آپ "انھیں" پکڑنے میں ناکام ہیں تو یا تو آپ ان سے ملے ہو ے ہیں یا نا اہل ہیں .اگر شیطان آپ کے اندر ہو تو آپ دوسرے کو الزام نہیں دے سکتے کے وہ آپ کا گھر برباد کر رہا ہے. جب گھر کا محافظ گھر کو جلانے لگ جائے تو کیا کیجئے کس سے فریاد کیجئے..؟ کہاں جائیے. وہ بچہ جسسے سفید ریچھ سے بچنے کے لئے گود لیا گیا تھا اب خود ایک خونخوار بھیڑیا بن کے ہمارے کلیجے نوچ رہا ہے لیکن ہم ہیں کہ ابھی بھی بحر ظلمات میں گھوڑے دوڑانے کے خواب دیکھتے ہوئے اسے مزید خون مھییا کیے جارہے ہیں. کچھ اس غلط فہمی میں مبتلا ہیں کے مگرمچھ کشتی کے دوسرے مسافروں کو تو کھا جائے گا لیکن انھیں چھوڑ دے گا. کچھ کا گمان ہے کے مگر مچھ صرف بازو ہی کھا کے بخش دے گا، لیکن انھیں اندازہ تب ہوگا جب بغداد پورا جلنے لگے گا. کہنے کو تو مملکت خداداد میں سب برابر ہیں، لیکن بموں کی برسات صرف شودروں پی برسا کے یہ ثابت کیا جا رہا ہے کے برہمن چاہے کچھ بھی ہوجاے برہمن ہی رہتا ہے. لہٰذا اسے کوئی ہاتھ بھی نہیں لگا سکتا، اور دیوالی منانے کا حق بھی شاید الله نے برہمن ہی کو دیا ہے کہ وہاں تو چراغاں ہے اور یہاں جنازے. قا ید کا فلسفہ لگتا ہے ١٩٤٨ میں قا ید کے ساتھ ہی چلا گیا. برابری کی بات کرنے والے سالے اور کالے تو الگ ہوگئے لیکن مزہ چکھانے اور سبق سکھانے کے لئے ابھی بہت سے یتیم البتہ باقی ہیں، لہٰذا لاشیں گرائیے اور مزہ چکھا ئیے. اگر کسی دھتکارے ہوئے واجب القتل نے باہر سے چیخنے کی کوشش بھی کی تو اسے یا تو بلا کے شہیدوں کا ایک اور مزار بنا دیا جائے گا یا غدار کہ کے ٹکا سا جواب دے دیا جائے گا کہ میاں تو وہیں رہ اور ملکہ کے پیر چوم. ادھر آیا تو تیرا تورا بورا بنا کے بھیج دیں گے. لہٰذا میرا تیرا یا شودروں کا یہاں اس مملکت خداداد میں کیا کام، دوسری طرف سرخیے روتے ہیں تو وہ تو ہیں ہی کافر ، لہٰذا ان کو مارئیے اور جنّت میں مرتبہ حاصل کیجیے. باقی رہے چوروں کے حواری تو ان کے تو مقدّر ہی میں ذلّت لکھی گیئی ہے. ذلیل کرتے رہیے ہاتھ لگ جایئں تو ٹانگ بھی دیجئے رام نام ستیہ ہے اور رہے گا. میں چرچ کی منڈیر پہ بیٹھ کےکربلا کے شہیدوں پہ نوحہ خوانی کرتی ہوں.. آپتاریک راہوں پہ اپنا راستہ ناپئے لاشیں اٹھائیے، اور اٹھائیے رہے نام اللہ کا..!

Friday, March 29, 2013

Silent Victims of Rape

Silent Victims of Rape

Silent Victims


She was raped at the age of ten; she remained silent all these years. Believing that it was not him but her fault, believing that guilty was not that Pied Piper but her. She faced posttraumatic stress syndrome and other psychological disorders. Yet the memory chased her like a ghost, past haunted her at every stage of life, until she decided to break the silence, and waived her anonymity when the defendant was facing fifteen more counts of sexual offences against eight more different victims over twenty five years of continued hunt of silent victims. Darren Purchase finally arrested when his male victim found out that he was involved in indecent assault with more children, that victim then contacted the police to prevent more victims from predatory rapist. Helen Alexander, 38 now, dragged by Darren Purchase to his home, and then sexually assaulted twenty-eight years ago. She is not the only one who remained silent after that assault. Such victims are everywhere, anywhere and even in our own families, who remained silent or made silent due to various reasons. I still get Goosebumps when think about one case of mine in Hyderabad, Pakistan, where the victim remained silent and strictly decided not to report police due to social taboo and pressure from her own mother. She was 14 and her stepfather raped her several times. She never told anyone until one day collapsed in her school and the head mistress found about her pregnancy. Her mother who knew about the incident was rather furious that if we would bring the matter in media she would get divorce again. It is not only the one case, there are many other unreported cases and incidents in India, Pakistan or many countries, where Girls and women workers, housewives, students decides to remain silent on such assaults, due to not having any moral or social support from their male family members and society. The main reason is the fear to face the reaction of people after reporting such incident. As it is fact that in Pakistan such victims become alien after informing that assault to police or media. The culprits never get conviction due to weak judicial system; therefore, there is only option that either to keep quiet or left alone and cursed like Mukhtaran Mayi. Although international and national media along with NGO’s gave full coverage and fought for her, but the mere fact, that she never found justice from courts, she is seen with hate in a specific class including former president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf who called her publicity seeker to get US or British nationality and funding. Therefore, such victims bear these assaults quietly, assaults from their supervisors of factories, their bosses, elder cousins, bully neighbours, and the men with direct access to them. In an interview with 69 female students of Government College Hyderabad in 2009, the writer of this column was shocked to know that 95% of those students were sexually harassed during their course by various men. Those men were drivers of buses, their neighbours, road passers, brothers, or relatives of other fellow students and even by some male staff of the college. However, The ratio of harassment was pleasantly much lower when we asked from the female students of Sindh University, who studied with male students. All of them enthusiastically participated in the survey, however, none of them agreed to bring the matter or complaint in public media or to Police. Similarly, in another questionnaire with around 200 women and working girls in Karachi and Hyderabad in year 2009-2010, 70% of those women were sexually harassed or assaulted by their male bosses. In case of mentioning even to fellow workers, they were threatened to lose jobs or to face other consequences like acid dropping incidents. Therefore, countries like Pakistan where dozens are daily killed due to no reason, how one can expect from these poor women to complaint about such assaults. Hence, they had no other option but to remain silent and tolerate, sit at home and starve or “be nice with their male bosses”, or co-operate with their female bosses who would send them to some new friends. However, there were few who told me that they complained (Though did not report to Police) but such whistle blowers either were thrown out from their jobs, or were known as bad reputed /blackmailers. In the same year 2009, in my research area, there was a high profile scandal of a college principal who was alleged to supply female teachers to politicians, the woman was though removed but the complainant also lost job. The matter came in newspapers, but like usual, it was only news for few weeks and fun in the local police station but nothing more. Such women further told me that for such complaints of harassment or indecent assaults at homes, their male family members would either beat them up or force them to stay at home. Only a very small number of women told about the moral help from male family members, though none of them was their husbands or fathers, but other relatives or brothers. Therefore, they had no other way but to tolerate this all, and then suffer various psychological problems like bipolar personality disorders and post-traumatic stress syndrome or do same sexual abuse to other weak victims if the victims themselves are men. Moreover, they would commit theft, be abusive, torture their children, husbands, or wives, and be insomniac or suicidal... Nobody would ever confess that other man has assaulted him. Moreover, in such cases, nobody liked to come over to my office, preferred to meet at some third place only for the sake of privacy, and always persuaded me not to disclose their identities. Similarly, A woman client, who was badly beaten by her husband for seven long years, only for the reason that she wouldn't agree for bizarre sex, finally discovered, that the absurd behaviour of her husband was due to being victim of sexual assault in childhood. He could not punish those men who sexually assaulted him but he found a weaker victim to take out his anger as revenge. The dilemma that he almost divorced his wife when she tried to help his trauma by contacting psychiatrists and me, and we hardly covered the issue by assuring him that he misunderstood her. Therefore, in 96% cases, victims would not go to any psychologist or psychiatrist to discuss his or her problem, due to social disgrace and stigma. Only 3% of cases are reported, if the victims are killed or thrown in public after rape like Anna Abro and Vijanti cases. Both victims were nine and six year old children and were raped by their neighbours. Six years Vajanti luckily survived but nine year old Anna Abro was brutally murdered and then burnt by the rapists who are though in police custody but not convicted yet due to extremely slow judicial system. Only one percent victims are like Mukhtaran Mayi or Sonia Naz who would go to police, tell media, and then face an unending painful punishment in search of justice. Their personalities are ruined, they can never lead a normal life, but even then nobody have bothered to know that what are they going through, nobody cares about the mental trauma of their close relatives, and children when they would be hearing from their fellow class fellows that their mothers were raped. Irony that situation is same even in a developed countries like UK. Victims like Helen Alexander would keep quiet, as they would find this insulting to be known as rape victims, and the trauma of humiliating questions asked in judicial trial, unless the crime is repeated with more victims or is so brutal that it itself comes in the eyes of public. It was again shocking to know, when the writer asked 26 women in Croydon High street that what they would do if in Helen’s situation, only three of them said that they would go to police or report. Nine of them did not answer and fourteen of them said that they would remain quiet like Helen. They said that it is unbearable to be known as rape victim and they would rather leave the area and start over. One of them cried and said that minor assaults are too common so who cares. I wonder that why there are no in camera trials, to keep the identity secrets, wonder that how many more Helens quietly living around, silent and holding the pain in their hearts. Afraid not to be known as “Rape Victims”, I wonder, how many Helens are there to suffer post rape disorders and failed to live a normal life. I wondered, how many more Purchase are still there, moving freely, and hunting “silent victims” in my neighbourhood, in my city, and in the markets where I go, my daughter go and your daughters go. I wonder how to motivate these victims and their families to find the courage to speak up against these rapists, or domestic abusers, who are everywhere, anywhere and may be in our own houses…