Tag: Faisal Raza Abidi

With Friends Like These

Is safeguarding the life and rights of religious minorities a responsibility of the government? In the context of Pakistan, present or past, it appears not to be the case.

So is the targeted killing and persecution of religious minorities actually a credit to the government?

If you follow a certain Mr. Faisal Raza Abidi, it would seem so. For wherever Faisal Raza goes these days, he wears the badge of minority rights with great pride and greater pompousness. It’s quite mesmerizing actually.

For instance, I was dumbfounded when I saw him invoking the names of Shia leaders, at the top of his voice, to batter an anchor into submission. The fact that these leaders had been killed on the watch of a PPP government that seemed not in the least bit interested, or bothered, about their life or death, was lost on Abidi.

We have seen a lot in the last four years or so, granted. But vying for political mileage over dead bodies? That too of people you were sworn to and failed to, or didn’t want to, protect. I really cannot come up with an analogy.

You may ask what allows Abidi and company to get away this. How can they stand by and watch as their citizens are butchered and then shout about it on TV? Well, it’s the media, or a certain section of the media.

This is the section that lays claim to be the champions of free speech, of tolerance and are great friends of the minorities in Pakistan. They are also great friends of the PPP, but don’t say that out loud. Irony, isn’t it?

It’s peculiar how these mild mannered folk, who believe in tolerance and abhor abusive trolls, love the slightly less mild mannered Mr. Abidi. It’s also peculiar how they oversee, every day, what the PPP has done to minorities in Pakistan.

How? The “Deep State” (Establishment)! It remains the refuge of the PPP apologist. They hide behind it, pleading that their liberal party is helpless. They say the party’s hands are tied.

Yet there is much they don’t say.

They don’t say how there is more sectarian strife in the country today than when the military was directly in power, under Musharraf. They don’t say how the siege of Shia-Hazaras in Balochistan intensified under the current regime or how the PPP Chief Minister can’t even feign pity for them. Let alone the President.

They don’t say how this government has failed to control growth of sectarian outfits throughout the country, from Sindh to Gilgit to Balochistan. They don’t say that the PPP has failed to introduce stricter anti-terrorism legislation either. Apparently, the ‘Deep State’ wanted to do away with the third time prime minister clause instead? It also demanded public office holders be granted immunity from contempt proceedings.

It’s not that these people don’t have a voice. They speak ferociously enough, just not when the “secular” parties are involved. Just imagine, if “Sheeda Tully” was involved in forceful conversion of Hindu girls. But it was a PPP MNA, so he’s safe. Similarly, imagine if a ‘Right-Wing’ government were to incarcerate an eleven year old Christian girl on blasphemy charges. Now imagine the state of the self-proclaimed liberal anchors, writers, bloggers and activists! Exactly!

The fact is, an ulema council has actually come out to support the girl. In the meantime, former Prime Minister, upholder of the constitution and champion of the masses, Yousaf Raza Gillani has claimed credit for Bhutto’s Ahmadi achievement.

None of these champions of minority rights will ask the PPP why they have been this inhuman, this unmoved and this complicit in the atrocities committed. They will instead write one harrowing tale after the other, each ending before the victims can lodge a complaint against their government. A government that not only abandoned them, it persecuted them as well.

It is, however, a PPP government, so that must not make it to the papers. It doesn’t need to, man. You wrote a vague story from a distant land, such bravery would put a lion to shame. You outdid yourself sire. Your best article ever, for the third time this week! And it goes on..

Young “jiyalas” don’t grow up to be unbiased commentators. A Radio only broadcasts its feed. Institutes don’t fund themselves.

There is so much this county has given to minorities, isn’t there. And prominent among our many gifts – are friends like these.

As venomous as it gets!

You thought they were saviours, your representatives whom you elected and sent forth with hopes in your heart and responsibilities on their shoulders. You thought they were there because their prime interest was to lead the way towards betterment of the country, and make you a force against all the monstrous problems the country is facing. How naive! No doubt we are always told “jaisey awam , waisey hukmaran”, (like people like leaders). But I must say they probably are worst of us.

Sindh’s Senior minister Mr. Zulfiqar Mirza’s tone and derogatory language, gave us a shock not for the first time. There are many others out there, who hold very important positions but have given us mini heart attacks with their venomous tongues. Mr. Mirza calls the people who migrated to Pakistan from India as “bhookey nangey” and goes on to claim to be a part of people who helped them to get back to normal life. He further attacks the leader of Karachi’s biggest party as ‘badmaash’ and urges the people of Karachi to rise and get rid of them,“In kambakhtoN say Jaan ChhuraeiN”. His eyes, language and words had nothing constructive, nothing to bring hearts close, nothing to work for the better, nothing but hate! So he was bound to be summoned by the honourable President, who must have given him a hard time extracting a quick apology for his most irresponsible speech.

But who would summon Mr President who holds the highest office in political world of Pakistan and whose words and tones were no better than those of an illiterate/uneducated class who have never attended school and have never learnt any manners to get along in society. He makes a funny sound and labels PML-N leadership having mentality of blacksmith (lohaar) and Maulvi; both probably abusive words in his vocabulary, and leaves both his friends and foes shocked.

His obedient servant, Mr. Faisal Raza Abidi in one of the talk shows defended his master in a manner even worse. He adds the term “Burqa” in the list of abusive words which Mehar Bokhari challenged very intelligently. Mr Abidi showed same instincts as his beloved leader and program ended in a furious dog fight (reminds me of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s masterpiece in urdu literature)

The trend is not new or confined to one party. It’s become a norm to attack each other’s human shortcomings or private lives, be it personal or family.

Mr. Chaudhry Nisar, who seems to be a sensible man, in his mission to humiliate MQM’s leadership, discusses Mr Hussain’s medical /psychological problems, his rehabilitation treatment and his ex-wife’s views about him; all unacceptable on religious, moral and ethical grounds.

He gets a response, ten times worse. Mr Waseem Akhtar directly asks Sharif brothers as to “what sort of ‘treatment’, do they keep visiting London for. The nation needs leadership and their problem is hair transplant to hook girls” He warns, “we know whose daughter ran away with whom and we know all about their illegal activities , so they better keep their mouth shut”.

Mustafa Kamal is simply outraged by PML-N’s blasphemous comments and in a talk show asks one of their representatives “mard kay bachhey bano”. He asks Jasmine Manzoor to turn off his mic and labels him and his leadership as ‘pimps’ and “jaanwar log “ and again targets PML-N’s leaders’ daughters. He threatens, this PML-N man would never be allowed to enter Karachi and even leave his own house in Punjab if he uses any bad words against his Quaid. Mr Nazim finishes his talk with his favourite term, “Ulloo ka patha” (I could not find a translation for the word, can anyone help?)

Not long ago, Mr Babar Ghauri battles Imran Khan not on a logical or statistical ground but reminds him that he was a playboy in the past (which is between him and Allah, might not be true, he might have repented but Allah forgives, man does not). He waves a child’s picture in the TV show and asks Imran Khan, who her father was, as she resembles him. A cheap shot indeed!

Imran Khan with all the qualities of a true leaders, holds his anger and talks about real issues on the TV show. But he forgets it’s a YouTube world and his fans and followers proudly posted his unofficial reply on social media where he laughs and makes everyone around laugh as well, with his comments “I can show you thousands of children in Africa who resemble Babar Ghauri”; an equally cheap shot, purely based on Mr Ghauri’s complexion.

And of course we haven’t forgotten PTI Sindh’s representative hurling a glass of water at Chief Minister’s advisor as they exchange abusive language in a live TV show.

Women have been equally vocal in their attempt to be “mardoN kay shaana bashaana” (shoulders to shoulder with men). No doubt they are equally talented.

Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan engaged in shameful discussion, not very long ago, when Kashmala Tariq teases her about her background and her activities in FJ Medical college. Dr Awan throws this back in a most unacceptable fashion, leaving Javed Chaudhari and Shireen Mazari both shocked and embarrassed. She says that “She is ‘’at least’’ not from Heera Mandi and was not elected through someone’s bedroom”.

Another masterpiece, I remember was Samina Khawar Hayat’s performance in Jasmine Manzoor’s show, where she takes a ‘Lota’ out of her handbag to practically demonstrate why politicians (her opponents, of course) are called Lotas. She spins it like a spinning top (Lattoo) on the desk and as a part of her demonstration breaks a clay pot in studio, the manner in which these Lotas should be taken to task.

Enough of entertainment videos I have provided in this blog to keep you amused for days. But one question we should ask ourselves. Are they saviours? Are they capable of leading us? All they have and all they display is hate, immaturity and non-professional attitude.  They widen gulfs between us and divide the nation. Their prime interests are personal or party issues. They spit venom because their leaders are targets of “blashphemy”, not because you and I are in trouble, not because we are dying every day and not because the main issue of this nation is survival. They are far from goals and far from national interests.

They make and break alliances, they stab and apologise each other, they group and regroup, they manipulate and manoeuvre, just to stay in power.

A total overhaul is required. The change needs to come from within. We need to educate masses and choose carefully.  Once we are educated/intelligent and sincere to the country, we’ll have similar leaders; educated and cultured for whom national interest would be the decisive factor for making  and breaking political relationships.

They are from us, so let’s change ourselves. Change the language, the patience level and mentality of the ones who elect them. We can make a better choice next time, can’t we?

Also appeared on The News and Aaj.tv