| July 24, 2007 | Tuesday | Rajab 08, 1428 |
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Plagiarism
Pakistani films in India
Lal Masjid
Liberal v conservative
Karachi’s public libraries
Pensioners’ plight
Market on roadside
Floods and dams
Road to theocracy
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
THE continuing militancy/terrorism against US/western (or pro-US) targets by extremist Islamic groups is seen as a retaliation for injustices to the Islamic world in a situation where no effective action, diplomatic, political or otherwise was forthcoming from the Islamic state system or the OIC in defence of the legitimate rights of Muslim peoples and states. 9/11 was seen as a brutal reaction to the US role vis-a-vis Israel and the Palestinians and to the US hegemony over the Gulf and other Islamic states.
Is the masterly inactivity of the Islamic world on the state and OIC level in failing to mobilise, by diplomatic, political and other peaceful means, a concerted defence of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, the Kashmiris (and subsequently of the Iraqis and the Afghans) responsible in large measure for the way extremist Muslim groups have taken the law into their own hands and in the process become a threat to the Islamic world itself?
At a time when after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the US was in the world market for a credible enemy to justify its mammoth defence establishment and the hegemonic plans of the neo-conservatives, 9/11 provided them with a tailor-made justification for advancing the neo-conservative blueprint.
The operational and organisational ingenuity, displayed in the inhuman and murderous 9/11 operation, was in startling contrast to the organisers’ criminally suicidal failure to anticipate the devastating retaliation bound to be visited by the militarily strongest superpower in history on Afghanistan and other perceived hotbeds of Islamic extremism.
With the opening provided by 9/11, the cover of a “conflict of civilisation” was used for dealing with a perceived “conflict of interest” in a region with vital US concerns in energy, security and Israel. This took the form of occupying Iraq, refusing to take the military option off the table vis-a-vis Iran and labelling liberation struggles of Muslim peoples, including the Palestinians and Kashmiris, as terrorist
The decision of states like Pakistan to try to undo the legacy of their past support for the Taliban and other extremists, both for their own sake as well as in recognition of the brutal realities since 9/11, has now led to a near civil war in our tribal area and border regions with Afghanistan, with the contagion threatening to expand.
Both the civilisational image of Islam and the core national interests of stability and development of states like Pakistan have been grossly undermined.
While short-term and long-term ways and means of rolling back the extremist surge have been discussed separately, this piece is meant to remind the Islamic community of nations that their total failure to assert the multilateral leverage of 57 OIC states through peaceful means in defence of indubitable rights of Muslim peoples has been an important contributory factor in bringing Islamic extremist groups into action with seriously negative consequences for the Muslim world itself.
Side by side with urgent domestic measures for putting down terrorist groups and curbing the extremist mindset, the Islamic community of nations must activate itself at the multilateral/OIC forum for bringing into effective, peaceful and sustained play the diplomatic, economic and strategic leverage of the Islamic world in pursuance of their legitimate causes.
In regions such as the Gulf, Southwest, Central and East Asia, the US needs the support of states such as Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the GCC states, Indonesia and others for promoting its vital interests.
The US, on its part, must strive to end the tragedies of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the decades-old trauma of the Palestinians and the Kashmiris. There is no lasting conflict of interest between the US and the Islamic world, irrespective of what the Zionist, the neoconservative and the Indian lobbies in the US may maintain.
MAHDI MASUD
Karachi
IT may be pointed out that man is essentially hedonistic in his attitude to life. He wants labour to be completely abolished and the modern machine is fulfilling his wishes to a great extent. Why take pains and carry on a research at the individual level?
Having a line or two and a paragraph from some source could be swallowed but to have chapter (s) from some book or thesis is simply bewildering. Once a famous poet, Jamaluddin alias Urfi, was listening to a ghazal composed by him.
When the artist finished singing, Urfi, out of a sense of pride, asked him if the artist knew who the composer of the ghazal was. It was to the utter surprise of the poet when the artist told him that the ghazal was composed by him (the singer)! The whole man was impersonated, nay he was plagiarised.
A lecturer got an offer of scholarship from Russia. It was too much of research for him. He had to learn a new language and collect material for his thesis. So he thought of an easy way.
He picked up two or three theses from a university on the subject he was interested in and took them along with him to Russia. All he had to do there was to choose a thesis out of those for his dissertation.
Later on he started learning the language and finally translated the thesis brought by him from his home country into the Russian language. He had a good time in Russia as no labour was involved as far as research was concerned. He got the degree.
Who cares about the authenticity and quality of work and who would carry on research as to how and what material the person used for his thesis.
His degree was stamped by the authorities, and the person, on his return, rejoined the Sindh government service and since then has enjoyed remaining on the most coveted posts and he is still couched on a very high seat.
In our country people are pressured to get a PhD by hook or by crook because their career is at stake without the degree. The HEC should stop pushing people.
ASEM NOOR
Karachi
THE public exhibition of two brand new commercial films from India -- one released during the first week of this month and another ready for release from the first Friday of the next month -- is a very heart-warming event.
This is surely going to boost the financials of our exhibition industry. But the question here is, do we want only our exhibition industry to flourish? No. Never.
We surely want our entire cinema industry to prosper. For the revival and prosperity of our cine industry we need to produce our own films and release them outside Pakistan as well.
The present environment of cultural and political flirtation with India is highly conducive to making arrangements for commercial releases of our films in India.
A mixed bag of 22 old and new Urdu, Punjabi and Pushto films should be selected and a week-long festival of Pakistani films should be organised in all the major cities of India.
After which, offers made by the Indian distributors for commercial release of these films will be a peanut for them but a fortune for producers of those films.
Our ministry of culture should take initiative in developing new markets for the otherwise dying industry and organise the festival without loss of time.
In this context, without having any qualms, the ministry should seek the services and suggestions from Mr Hasan Zaidi, director, KaraFilm Festival, who has an impeccable track record of successfully organising international film festivals in Pakistan since the beginning of this century.
Let us make hay while the sun is shining.
NAQI MUSTAFA,
Karachi
WHEN the dust settles down, sooner or later, over the Lal Masjid tragedy, two impressions will remain fixed in the mind of the common man in spite of all the controversy for and against the `Operation Silence’.
The imprint will be: (a) army assault on a mosque and (b) the invisible hand of the US. The reaction based on these beliefs has started in the shape of terrorist attacks.
The atmosphere created by the US reaction to 9/11, especially the death and destruction in Iraq and Afghanistan, now colours all the thinking throughout the Muslim world.
To this should be added the injustice and misery of Palestinian Arabs which actually started the never-ending conflict which has been variously called Muslim bigotry, fundamentalism, terrorism and also labelled as clash of civilisations.
What has aggravated the situation in Pakistan are the threatening statements by the US government functionaries and, above all, by the funds given to Pakistan to combat terrorism, i.e., anti-US factions which have cast a shadow over the freedom of action by the Pakistan government.
Once the common man feels we are a free agent acting in our own interest, the angry reaction may take different forms. Notwithstanding everything, American funding of terrorism has only clouded the intentions of the government.
The immediate remedy is elections at the earliest. Let the newly-elected representatives of the people deal with the situation in their constituencies.
Let fresh ideas have a chance to deal with the situation. We are moribund in vision and ideas with faces associated so long with this menacing situation. And we must free ourselves from the US stranglehold.
F. HASAN
Karachi
WE have been divided into liberals and conservatives, seculars and fundamentalists. It has been widely believed that Islam is a conservative religion and thanks to our mullahs who have done their job very well to affirm the afore-said belief in this perspective.
Especially the services of the administration of Lal Masjid can never be tolerated.
At the same time, westernised liberals are harming the basic fabric of Islam. It will not be unjust to proclaim that Islam is conservative as well as liberal.
It is conservative because it provides two primary sources of law to be followed by every Muslim, which are obviously the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
It is liberal because it provides secondary sources through Ijtihad, viz. Ijma, Qiyas and Istihsan.
Lines of default lie where we stuck to one point and are not ready to alter our minds.
Our scholars are unable to meet the needs of time and they possess no Promethean fire by which they can shake our conscience.
We have forgotten the right path, and sidetracked nations can never preserve their culture.
ASIM NASEER MANJ
Lahore
DR Rauf Parekh's article, `Karachi's public libraries’ (July 17), is a challenge to a civil society which has lost its moorings, i.e., educational pursuit, a distinguishing trait of Islamic teachings. The quotation of Thomas Carlyle he cited is befitting to the present-day environment for not only the city of Karachi (a concrete jungle) but the country on the whole as for various reasons we have lost interest in books as a nation.
As a result of this, not only the network of public libraries has shrunk considerably but even private book shops noted for very good collections have disappeared and replaced by more profitable commercial activities.
The main reason behind these deteriorating learning activities is the gradual decline in reading habits, which mainly started in the early 1970s. Some people believe that television and numerous channels are the chief cause of this decline. I, however, do not subscribe to this view, reason being that in western societies these visual electronic entertaining facilities were introduced in abundance much earlier, yet reading habits of their citizens have never diminished.
Even in neighbouring India, reading habits have not experienced any decline as appears from the amount of books published. It is more evident from the number of book lovers who come from all over the world to attend book fairs held in Delhi every year.
I also do not buy the proposition that people do not purchase books only because they have become quite expensive, therefore beyond their financial reach. Again I will cite the example of India where those with meagre sources still love to buy books to satiate their reading yearnings. I believe that reading a book is a pastime for a reader with intrinsic thirst for knowledge and nothing substantially to do with the quantum of his income.
Such chronic buyers can be found in hordes on the footpath of Regal Chowk, mostly on Sundays, and in other areas where old books are sold, such as Khori Garden, Juna Market in Karachi, Old Anarkali in Lahore and Saddar in Rawalpindi, to quote a few. I know quite a few financially poor people who are maintaining a wealth of knowledge in the shape of considerable size of personal libraries.
Thus what we have lost is not the ability to purchase a book but longing and as a consequence its significance we have disregarded, responsibility of which solely lies on declining reading habits.
The major motivation such as mohallah reading rooms where newspapers, magazines and inexpensive books were kept gratis by the local establishment and small one anna libraries have totally disappeared. Therefore, unless such an institution is revived and reading rooms are made available in every locality, maintained by the local government, this habit cannot be revived.
I suggest that city and town nazims should form 'library committees' composed mainly of retired teachers and academicians with sufficient funds and provide reading material to their electorate.
Also, the development authorities of big cities, such as the KDA, HDA, CDA, LDA and FDA, while approving residential projects should ensure that a reading room is provided in every multi-storeyed building.
ALTAMASH M. KURESHI
Karachi
APROPOS of Jan Muhammad Khaskhelli’s letter regarding ABL pension (July 9), it is pointed out that the plight of pensioners of the UBL is also not different.
We have spent prime of our life serving the bank in the public sector.
But after our retirement and privatisation of the bank, the management has adopted stepmotherly treatment towards the aged ex-employees.
This is despite the fact that the UBL management on privatisation inherited pension fund assets of over Rs5 billion but is not giving the benefit legally and morally due to its former employees.
In this context various communications sent by the affected individuals have remained unresponded.
The management is not at all prepared to listen and honour the commitments made by the public sector management when the pension fund scheme was introduced in 1977 after the nationalisation of the banks.
Our government also does not seem to be concerned about the plight of these senior citizens who are getting the lowest pensions, virtually equivalent to the minimum wages scale.
We feel it is the moral duty of the government to look after its aged and old citizens and ensure that justice is done to them.
These days the Supreme Court is also taking action where rights of individuals are violated. Unfortunately, we are at the fag-end of our lives.
Due to the old age and lack of resources, it is not possible for us at this stage to enter into long-drawn and expensive litigation.
Can the judges of the Supreme Court come to the rescue of the pensioners of privatised banks.
AN AFFECTED PENSIONER
USA
I WANT to direct the Karachi city government’s attention towards the market being set up on main Clifton Road by the shopkeepers of CTC Tower, which was burnt down last month.
I sympathise with the shopkeepers who need to recover from the tragedy but how can they just set up their shops on roads?
If the city government is so liberal about this, why don't they assign any of the bare grounds in Clifton to these people to set up shop on a temporary basis?
The plot next to Clifton Bridge is one option.
WAFA KHAN
Karachi
FOUR hundred miles long St. Lawrence seaway between Canada and the US is converted into a channel which is used for goods transportation between the two countries.
The average depth of this man-made channel is 27 feet which is good enough for medium-sized ocean-faring ships.
It snakes from Canada to the US and criss -crosses the border 27 times before ending in Lake Superior, in Michigan state.
There are 32 bridges, some of them are 132 feet high to allow ships to pass under them. There are locations where ships travel in canals and automobiles pass below them in an underpass. There are three dams also on this seaway which produce power.
It is unfortunate that despite having a number of rivers running across the country and a huge network of canals, we do not use them for goods transportation. We do not control floods which cause death and destruction. Our recent rains and floods not only destroyed crops and villages but also caused more than 100 deaths in Sindh and Balochistan.
These could have been avoided if we had dams. Sindh and its people are against the Kalabagh dam because they fear shortage of water at tail-ends of their canals.
We can think of making reservoirs near the Guddu barrage, Sukkur barrage and Ghulam Mohammad barrage and fill them with floodwaters.
This stored water can be released back into the river in case of shortages. Many farmers in Sindh will have water in their possession which they can use in case of shortage.
Once this is done, and they are happy, we can go ahead and construct dams which can stock water and produce cheap power for all Pakistanis.
S. NAYYAR IQBAL RAZA
Karachi
THERE is not an iota of doubt that Pakistan is moving fast towards theocracy. The most important factor is that our leaders are ignorant of the true teachings of the Holy Quran. That is why they lack courage to denounce what the mullah is saying. That enables mullah to exploit the political leaders.
The basic principle laid down by the Holy Quran is that there is no coercion in religion but the mullah is defaming Islam by violating this beautiful teaching. No other religious book speaks about it in such clear terms.
The most important thing for the authorities is to know that nobody has the right to enforce religious teachings and values upon others. The simple reason is that it is contrary to the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.
MAHMOOD A. ASHRAF
Rabwah
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