Though Malala survived the Taliban’s bullets last year, she is now again under attack in Pakistan by the very same ideology. They attacked her physically then, and now they are out to get her soul. Right-wing anchors and self-proclaimed intellectuals have taken to disrepute her book by claiming that it reeks of a ‘Western agenda’. If a young Pakistani girl in dupatta, standing up for education and speaking against radicalisation, demanding an end to the drone war, advocating peaceful resolution to the terrorist menace which Pakistan is plagued with and speaking of hope in a progressive Pakistan, is what constitutes a ‘Western agenda’, then I’d welcome more of it. Ansar Abbasi and Orya Maqbool Jaan have been at the forefront of the offensive. Here is what they vociferously present as a ‘Western agenda’. Malala and Salman Rushdie Malala writes in her book regarding the Satanic Verses,

‘My father also saw the book as offensive to Islam but believes strongly in freedom of speech. “First, let’s read the book and then why not respond with our own book,” he suggested. He ended by asking in a thundering voice my grandfather would have been proud of, “Is Islam such a weak religion that it cannot tolerate a book written against it? Not my Islam!”’

‘Now we are a country of 180 million and more than 96 per cent are Muslim. We also have around two million Christians and more than two million Ahmadis, who say they are Muslims though our government says they are not. Sadly those minority communities are often attacked.’

‘What right have I to declare a person non-Muslim, when he claims to be a Muslim.’ a book written against it?’  (23^rd May, 1944)

‘It is work of copy-editors and proofreaders to insert or remove that phrase or acronym, and if you know anything about the process of getting a book ready for publication at a large publishing house, you'd know that they prepare a style sheet that they use as a guide to make sure there is consistency with names, phrases, capitalisation of words, etc. Someone in the editing process probably decided that it would be simpler and easier for non-Muslim readers to see "the Prophet" without the PBUH added every time. This is a decision made based on the expected readership of the book, and while it may not be au courant with what we do in the Muslim world, it is ridiculous to blame this on Malala. Once a book enters the stage of proofs and production, it is out of the author's hands.’

‘If you're so worried about that, I urge you to say "salallau alehi wasalam" every time you see the word "Prophet" in Malala's book (which really isn't more than a handful of times), and indeed every time you hear it, such as when it is recited in the Azaan (call to prayer) five times a day.’

‘Every year Shias commemorate the killing of the Prophet’s grandson Hussein Ibn Ali at the battle of Karbala in the year 680 with a festival called Muharram.’

‘Our own founder, Jinnah, was a Shia.’

DISCLAIMER: Malala has not landed in Pakistan. Ignore the mind-blowing realism and true-to-life drawings - this is fiction.

This is a rebuttal to Bilal Lakhani’s article titled “Pakistan’s Obituary”, published in The Express Tribune on November 6, 2003. The esteemed author has rendered the verdict that Pakistan had been afflicted with a fatal cancer and has now lost the battle for survival. Mr Lakhani has masterfully used analogies from the medical field to substantiate the salient premise of his article – which, in a nutshell, is that Pakistan’s lifeline has expired. Although quite eloquent with his expression, Mr Lakhani has failed to address the issue from a logical perspective. Instead, Mr Lakhani’s article is ripe with speculations and jugglery of adjectives. The article is also a piece invested with logical fallacies, masqueraded under artistic expression and creative phraseology. His premise is not only surreal but also lacks credibility due to lack of evidence to substantiate his claims. The article starts off with an historical fallacy when he states that Pakistan’s birth was a miracle. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Excerpt from M Bilal Lakhani's article 'Pakistan's Obituary'[/caption] On the contrary, the birth of Pakistan was anything but. It started with a dream by Dr Allama Iqbal in as early as the 1900s and culminated with the efforts of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1947. It also involved meritorious struggle by other individuals, like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar and Liaquat Ali Khan, to name a few. Talk to a senior citizen in their 80s and they would narrate the tales of the ‘birth pangs’ that still haunt the memory and are afresh. The partition displaced 12 million people. This is not a birth by miracle – this is birth by planning. He further states that, [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Excerpt from M Bilal Lakhani's article 'Pakistan's Obituary'[/caption] I agree that the system does not exist. However, that is what the 180 million people, 59 percent of which are in the age bracket of 15-64 years, are determined and keen to change. The youth of Pakistan have the calibre and the determination to change this country for the better and that is what they have set out to do. Please do not under estimate such a dynamic and zealous group by stereotyping them as “armchair rebels”. Here is a list of youth initiatives in Pakistan. Mr Lakhani claims that, [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Excerpt from M Bilal Lakhani's article 'Pakistan's Obituary'[/caption] How can someone be afraid of death and fearful of life simultaneously is the singular fallacy that provoked me to write this rebuttal. Even if we were to take the statement for this rhetorical value, which is more sentimental than factual, Mr Lakhani does not provide any evidence to substantiate his claim. He moves on to state that Pakistan was never decisive despite being bestowed with numerous natural resources and a talented workforce. Is that not what choice is all about in the first place? You pick and choose and try the alternatives. There is always a risk as the result is never guaranteed. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Excerpt from M Bilal Lakhani's article 'Pakistan's Obituary'[/caption] Pakistan tried its best but got tangled up in religious turbulence and duality of character which landed it in the quagmire it is in today. Nonetheless, it would be extremely hypocritical to cast all blame on Pakistan, for when has Pakistan ever been in total control of its foreign policy – especially at a global scale? Another preposterous accusation by Mr Lakhani is that,

“The country loved to be at the centre of the world’s attention, even if it was usually for all the wrong reasons.”

“Pakistan accomplished a lot in its brief but eventful existence.”

Most of us Pakistanis who have seen Hunger Games had the same question in their mind. What if we had a Katniss Everdeen of our own? Who would it be? Well, for those who don’t already know, we do. We have Malala Yousafzai and here is how I view their similarities: 1. People think they’re both ‘pretentious’ A lot of people think Malala is fake and pretentious. A lot of people thought Katniss was fake too, until the passion shone through. Like Katniss won the hearts of Panem, Malala won the hearts of people across the world. When Katniss showed up in Panem with an innocent personality and a shy, honest voice everyone thought it was just a gimmick to get attention. But over the course of the games, we noticed that Katniss was actually the girl who wanted to be good. She wasn’t faking it simply to get favours so that she could survive. She wasn’t doing it for entertainment or amusement, it was just who she was. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x16j1r6_the-hunger-games-catching-fire-official-final-trailer_shortfilms[/embed] Similarly, people believe that Malala is fake, is a creation of the foreign media and that she is just faking her opinion for fame. But would she go through all that she did, without being dedicated to her cause? The traumatic experience that she went through and the passion she shows cannot be faked. 2. Malala is our Mockingjay Katniss fought for the rebels so that there could be peace in Panem. Malala continues to fight for the basic right of every woman - education. Mockingjay is a name that Katniss was given by the people of Panem because she was able to make the powerful Capitol bend the rules and by doing that, she showed us that we can change the world one step at a time. Malala is that symbol for the education of girls and women. Her journey symbolises the struggle for women’s right to education and she has fought battles that few of us can even dream of. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Katniss proved that we can change the world one step at a time in the Hunger Games. Photo: Reuters[/caption] 3. Both have been targeted for fighting for what they believed in Katniss believed in freedom and Malala believes in freedom for women’s right to education. Katniss was a target of the Capitol ever since she won the annual Hunger Games. They knew that she had started a wave of rebellion that could not be stopped unless something was done to her, so they tried their best to bring her down, to crush the hope she ignited. Hunger Games part two is a testament to that. They wanted her gone. Malala was also targeted so that her drive for the education of girls could be stopped. Her enemies wanted to put an end to what she was fighting for. She almost died only because she wanted what was best for her and other girls. 4. Both wrote books Katniss wrote a book on the lives of the people that had been in her life and Malala has written a memoir of her own life. While Katniss wrote the book only because it was something through which she could hold on to her family, the book became something bigger when she and her friends started documenting the lives of the people who had lost their lives in the struggle for freedom. Although I have not yet read Malala’s book, I do know that it serves as a journal of the life she has lived so far and features her thoughts on the revolution that she wants to bring in the country and its mindset. Her blog posts, which got her in trouble in the first place served as a critical documentation of atrocities in Swat. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Malala wrote a book on her life, experiences and dreams for women in Pakistan. Photo: Reuters[/caption] 5. Hardships and survival Katniss had to learn to survive the hardships she faced whilst being poor, and Malala had to learn to survive being the target of hate by the very nation she loves. District 12, where Katniss lived, was a poor district where people could barely survive and a lot of them starved for days. Katniss learned how to live a life of hardships and moulded herself accordingly. That is what kept her going through the revolution. Similarly, Malala has to suffer unending hatred from people who oppose her desire to curb the injustice that this society shows to girls by taking away their right of education. But this young girl is strong and has shown that nothing can stop her. 6. Girl on fire vs girl being fired at While Katniss was the girl on fire, Malala was literally fired at. Katniss was labelled the ‘girl on fire’ because her dress was a magical innovation that caught fire when she spun it around. Malala, well, we all know the tragedy that befell her. 7. Too young to know and understand President Snow believed that Katniss was too young to understand what she was doing. Similarly, Malala has been labelled to be too young to know what she is saying and doing. The President of the Capitol warned Katniss that if she rebelled in the games, it would only lead towards more unrest and trouble for the people who adored and idolised her. Yet, Katniss managed to start a revolution that turned things around and transformed life in Panem and its people. People say that Malala is too young to understand that no matter what she says and does, she cannot land on the stars. They say that it is hopeless for her to dream such big dreams. But she has taken the first step and managed to do so much on the journey that she has set out on. I personally believe that she is on the right track, no matter what the haters say. 8. Their emotions Katniss showed her love for Rue in the Hunger Games and others through time, and we saw how Malala missed her school mates and mourned at the loss of people she lost during the Taliban reign. Katniss lost many people over the course of the revolution and some of them were very close to her heart, some were even her very own family members. In the same way, many people from Malala’s area lost their lives. It is hard to stay strong with so much bloodshed going on around you. And it is definitely hard not to lose faith in yourself with so many people relying on you to fulfil their hopes and dreams. 9. Their own Hunger Games Katniss had to be a part of the Hunger Games. She didn’t have a choice. Malala’s Hunger Games was a life of suffering and difficulties where she had to fight for her cause of women’s right to education. Malala, like Katniss, lived in fear of being killed at any moment. The games are all about survival. You either kill or you are killed. It’s a challenge to take a single step ahead or back, knowing that there is someone out there waiting to kill you. Katniss knew how it felt to live a life where you could die without even knowing who killed you or how. Malala had a similar issue. She lived in an area where she knew she could be bombed, fired at or kidnapped. One can only imagine how distressing such an existence would be. Nobody should have to go through life like that, especially not a 16-year-old girl. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="569"] Malala was shot in the head for pursuing her cause of women's right to education. Photo: Reuters[/caption] 10. Both are a symbol of hope Hope that things will get better, that truth will prevail and that good will always win. They both have the support of people who believe in them and will always stand by them. Katniss was not alone. She had a community of revolutionaries by her side, who believed that she was ‘the girl’. She made it possible to change Panem. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Katniss had the support of her people against the Capitol. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Likewise, Malala is not alone. She has many people who support her and stand by her. She is a brave girl whom people believe in and she believes that she has the will to change things. When you combine that level of determination and support, you know that anything is possible, and that dreaming and hoping never goes in vain.

As a woman, you grow up under the shadow of men. You look up to them to make important decisions for you. Ranging from how you have to eat and address your peers to what you should be studying, who you should be marrying, how to protect your body, your offspring, what’s the appropriate time for you to hang up the phone to how fragile your reputation is in a patriarchal society such as ours. Your self- worth becomes a bit of a joke – a paradox and a concept that Pakistani women, quite obviously, are still struggling with. Are we independent women who can take charge of our own destinies or are we hapless damsels in distress waiting for knights in shining armours, preferably wearing a white shiny sherwani? Long story short, whether it is our self-esteem or our right to live as equal citizens of the ‘Land of the Pure’, Pakistan does not protect us. The constitution of Pakistan has no clear-cut law against domestic violence. Human Rights Watch commented that between 70% to 90% of women in Pakistan are victims of some kind of domestic abuse. Pakistan’s population is roughly 49% female and 51% male. That means almost half of the people of Pakistan are deprived of a voice. The reason I am bringing up such harrowing statistics is not to report a crime against a woman where her head was shaved off or someone threw acid on her face, since we all take such news with a pinch of salt anyways. I am here because in a few days something monumental is about to happen. The Pakistani government is launching talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in order to ‘negotiate’ over terrorism, hoping that somehow a group of men from their barracks will go and talk to a group of men sitting in another set of barracks so that suddenly our hospitals and girls’ schools will stop getting bombed. What strikes as ironical in this monumental event, apart from the glaringly obvious reasons, is that while it is women whom the Taliban have brazenly and openly attacked, and forced to step back into stone age in the ‘Talibanisation’ of Pakistan – as per the TTP agenda – and while it is women and their future which is at clear stake, no woman is involved or brought forward to discuss these matters. We are to believe that Pakistan, the country that celebrated its first woman prime minister in a Muslim country, has no female representative to be a part of a committee to talk about a matter that directly affects half of its population. From Benazir Bhutto to Malala Yousafzai, from little girls going to school in Mingora to the polio workers, from women in the armed forces to even female celebrities, Talibanisation poses a credible life threat to us. Anyone who has a daughter or a sister going to school in Peshawar hoped that no bomb strikes them. Any organisation that attempts to create helpful institutions in Pakistani tribal areas that lack food, medicine and vaccines, is cleared away with robbery, threats and blackmail. Any woman who sits and watches in silence as old men decide what the future of Pakistan is going to be has no idea whether she should trust their judgment or pray for a miracle. It is men who have decided to have these talks. It is men who have decided to move forward with these talks. And it is a group of men who will sit down and decide what is good for the women who are not a part of the discussion at all. It is a jirga of sorts that assembles the powerful men, decides what fits its own agenda and moves on with the repercussions because hey, it wasn’t going to directly affect them anyway. It would do well for the Pakistani government to remember that women are clearly not part of this dialogue because the group of people on the other end of the spectrum consider women as children of a lesser God, if such an allegory may even be applicable. And thus, the Pakistani government must not negotiate. They are cancerous to Pakistan’s social, economic and political future. They disregard half of the Pakistani population as worthless, unimportant and irrelevant. The other half they want to kill because they think their version of Islam is better than those everyday workers who don’t think that wearing jeans is a sign of direct disobedience to God. Their version of a crime against a woman is letting her wear what she wants. Their version of making a woman happy is keeping her away from education and a life beyond the four walls. The Pakistani government must not negotiate. There is no rule of civilisation being followed. There is no equal representation. There is no question of rights or morality. There is just one faction pleading the other not to bomb them into getting their way. This is not even a negotiation. This is a last ditch attempt to making things politically correct. The Pakistani government must not negotiate. It must not move forward with a group that is comprehensively against gender equality. It must not silence the voice of half of its people. It must not think, for even a second, that this half will continue to live and breathe peacefully in shadows of patriarchy. While the average woman in Pakistan struggles with the notion of what equality is today, it does not change the fact that she does not deserve to be married to a man 20 years older than her. The Pakistani government must remember that the TTP does not consider education for women as important as education for men, perhaps even more. The Pakistani government must remember that they are negotiating with people that claim not wearing a burqa is what causes rape. They do not hold the view that a man is just as human as a woman and that they both have equal rights, duties and responsibilities as adults, as Pakistanis and as citizens of the world.

There was a man who audaciously used to say,

“Mai nahi Manta” (I refuse to accept)

“Aisay dastoor ko subh-e-benoor ko Mai nahi manta, mai nahi janta” (This constitution, this dawn without light I refuse to acknowledge, I refuse to accept)

“Tu Khuda ka noor hai Aqal hai Shaoor hai Qoum teray sath hai Teray hi wujood se Mulk ki nijaat hai” (You are the light of God Wisdom and knowledge personified The nation is with you It is only by your grace That the nation can be saved)

“Tum se pehlay jo aik shaks yahan takht nasheen tha Us ko bhi apnay khuda honay pay itna hi yaqeen tha” (The one who before you, here, was enthroned Also had illusions of being our god)

“Zulmat ko Zia, Sar Sar ko Saba Bunday ko khuda kia likhna” (This dark night as dawn, these toxic fumes as a breeze And a human as god I cannot write)

“Qasar shahi se ye hokum sadir hua, Larkanay chalo Warna thanay chalo” (The proclamation has been issued by royalty/high authority, Go to Larkana or go to jail)

“Dartay hain bundooq walay aik nihat’ti larki se” (The gun bearers fear this harmless girl)

In the land of the pure, apparently, one cannot be a man and a feminist at the same time. The two seem to be mutually exclusive. Usually, this disconnect is attributed to the misconception that feminists are man-hating, rabid women out for social revenge; however, in Pakistan, the culprit is menial passivity because that’s just how it is here. In a recent resurgence of a four-month-old interview, Shahid Afridi took it upon himself to remind Pakistani women that their skills are most useful in the kitchen. His response to a simple fluff question about a women’s cricket team in Peshawar has outraged many, while others have come to his defence citing his entitlement to his opinion. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1g30h4_shahid-afridi-view-about-women-s-cricket-team_news#from=embediframe[/embed] One doesn’t have to be an ardent follower of cricket, or identify that Afridi has been the star of various ad campaigns (ranging from sodas to fairness creams), to know that he is undoubtedly a cultural icon and that his comments are insolently misogynistic. If he is in the market for another endorsement deal, he may as well be the face of sexism. Before launching into a discussion of why feminism is vital to Pakistan’s progression, I must recommend the TEDx Talk by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – recently nominated for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction with the likes of Jhumpa Lahiri, Donna Tartt and Fatima Bhutto. If you can’t access the video or just don’t have the time, here’s a brief overview of the highlights. Ms Adichie makes very strong arguments about how girls are taught to aspire to marriage and encouraged to vie for the attention of boys instead of jobs, yet they are discouraged from seeing themselves as sexual beings. Sound familiar? Hold on. She goes further to say that certain societies teach girls shame which results in them becoming women who silence themselves because of their inherent guilt. What Afridi is propagating with his ‘opinion’ is that a society that undermines its female population, limits their capabilities, and instead highlights the achievements of men, is ideal. Everyone is absolutely entitled to his or her opinion (there is no doubting that civil liberty), but when one is a public figure – an excruciatingly popular one that – one should never underestimate the value of political correctness. Some have been asking why Afridi is being demonised as a woman-hating chauvinist. It’s because, judging by his comments, he is one and that’s just not okay. Others have argued that it isn’t uncommon for a Pakistani man to hold such an opinion, so why is Afridi being singled out. It’s because not all men are sporting idols who little boys look up to and try to emulate, not that that should be used as an excuse. It’s a whole other discussion why celebrities have an unwarranted social responsibility because they serve as role models whether they like it or not. That’s not to say that they aren’t allowed to hold unpopular opinions but when those opinions have no moral basis, it’s best that they refrain from making public statements expressing them. The fact remains that in a world where the likes of Beyoncé and Condoleezza Rice are encouraging girls to take on leadership roles, it is not kosher to be sexist – just as it is not kosher to be racist or a homophobe. It’s likely that Afridi will survive this debacle. He’s a relentless force on the cricket pitch and an incredible sportsman. Come the T20 World Cup this weekend and his comments will be long forgotten, largely because cricket trumps sexism in Pakistan’s patriarchal collective thought process. However, this can also be a pivotal learning curve if used to instigate a conversation about female empowerment in the country; a conversation that goes beyond the Malala Yousafzais and the Mukhtaran Bibis and introduces the importance of gender equality across the board. As for Afridi, it’s probably in his best interest to hire a publicist and avoid future gaffes like this one.

The troubled image of modern Pakistani women conjured up by Pakistani dramas is extremely distorted and single dimensional. Stories, it is said, are a subtle yet are the most influential way of documenting the social evolution of a society. The story of a woman sells but the modern media has gone one step ahead by proving that the story of a woman being abused, tortured, beaten and humiliated sells faster. The massive projection of domestic and women related violence might appear as an attempt to serve the cause but a closer look will reveal an entirely different and gross story. The disturbing image of woman being pushed, slapped, bad mouthed (mostly by close family) constantly overwhelms the TV screen. No matter how fast you switch channels, it is impossible to escape the harrowing images. Domestic violence is a highly sensitive area and must be advocated in subtle and meaningful ways. If mishandled – the way it is on our dramas – it could create an impact far more unsettling than sexually explicit content. Such disturbing content must appear with prior warnings to avoid the uneasy situation in a family living room. When children see family settings in a drama they instantly relate it to their own family and when it turns violent it certainly creates unfathomable effects of insecurity and fear in their subconscious. The sight of explicitly treated domestic violence creates embarrassing situation among the family as well. Just to quote an example, Hum Tv’s Kisay Apna Kahen shows the character Iqra cutting her wrist and soaking in blood over little skirmish in the house. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x19tfia_kisay-apna-kahen-ost-hum-tv-drama_shortfilms[/embed] What kind of message are we sending across to the young girls especially with newspaper already filled of such news? Somewhere, this over projection is making the idea of domestic violence socially acceptable as the constant exposure can make the society immune to it and further reiterate the patriarchal system. It is lethal for an audience already overdosed on terrorism and violence. Projection of reality is one thing but the exploitation of domestic abuse to gain ratings is inhumane. Special care is being taken to make these sensational visuals part of the advertisement, which makes it even more unnerving. Geo Tv’s drama serial Bewafae’s ad shows the husband slapping and abusing his wife. The popular Turkish drama serial Feriha’s ad has the protagonist beaten by her father, brother and then by her husband. The drama has much more to it, like the ambition of a girl to do something better with her life, but these visuals are specially chosen to grab viewers’ attention. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xznoub_bewafai-by-geo-tv-13th-may-2013-episode-1_people[/embed] The women in our contemporary dramas are objectified and the only purpose they serve is to win a man’s heart. The conflict is just one: how she could win this man and rest of the plot sails on her manoeuvres in this ordeal. It trivialises inter-woman relationship by pitting one woman against the other and that too for the sake of a man. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17tpyz_ary-digital-shukk-episode-7-promo-drama-30-november-2013_shortfilms[/embed] ARY’s Shukk spins the same formula by making the hero ending up with two wives and both of them are clinging to the man, unwilling to let go, as if it is impossible for them to survive on their own. ARY’s Kabhi Kabhi Pyar May starts with an independent, strong headed heroine Eshal but after being divorced by the love of her life, she tries to find refuge with another man. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x168avo_title-song-hd-kabhi-kabhi-ost-ary-digital-drama-2013_music[/embed] There are no dilemmas, self-discovery and development of the female characters. The female leads are no more interesting, inspiring and awe worthy like they used to be; in fact, they have become repetitive, mindless, muted, predictable and flat. The degeneration reminds me of strong female leads we used to have. I remember Shahnaz of Alpha Bravo Charlie, she chose Gul Sher over his stronger friends and his death led her to a profound road of self-discovery, instead of marrying one of the other friends. Zara of Tanhaiyan, turned an entrepreneur after her parents death and took care of her sister without looking for any fancy shortcuts. The character of Nazli in Dhuwan avenges her lover’s death independently, instead of sulking in the Bechari-syndrome. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Nazli of Dhuaan (L), Shahnaz of Alpha Bravo Charlie (C) and Zara of Tanhayan (R)[/caption] We are psyched into believing that the violence is fed to us on our demand but the reality is, like a curse, the degeneration of society has seeped into our dramas. Drama industry is cocooned into the safe zone and not ready to venture out and experiment. We are living in the exciting times of Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Samina Baig and Malala Yousafzai, so let them shine in our stories. Trust me, their stories will sell too.

By now, most of us are well aware of the white saviour narrative that has become a ubiquitous component to the Malala Yousafzai story. By now, we have seen Malala be rightfully lauded around the world for her bravery and dedication to the cause of equal educational opportunity. By now, we are mindful of the polarising sentiments that constitute a response to Malala’s name in this country. So when a promotional video for the We Are Silent campaign, a joint venture between The Malala Fund and Free The Children, hit the airwaves last week, it was not surprising that the Malala story was once again being contextualised under the ‘we saved her’ narrative. The minute-long-video features a string of celebrities literally serving as Malala’s voice, delivering parts of a first-person monologue from Malala’s perspective.

“I come from the Swat Valley in Pakistan,” starts off Selena Gomez.

“A region where rifles are fired to celebrate the birth of a son,” continues Clive Owen.

“But daughters are hidden away behind a curtain,” finishes off Edward Norton.

 “I am Malala.”

In January 2013, Dr Tahirul Qadri, author of a renowned fatwa against terrorism, held Pakistan’s capital hostage for several days while making a categorical litany of demands that had to be met within 15 minutes by the government “or else”. It was a four-day-long drama but the crowd of 25,000-60,000 remained remarkably peaceful. A similar carnival is coming to town again. This time not only does it feature Dr Qadri and his followers, but the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Shiekh Rasheed and the Jamaat-e-Islaami’s (JI) alliance as well. It’s a peculiar bunch but that is often what makes the carnival more appealing – one exuberant theatrical performance after another. Dr Qadri will now compete with Imran Khan’s egocentric diatribes and JI’s eulogies for terrorists. Who will outdo the others? Will the various leaders be packed into one air conditioned bunker as their followers blister in the heat? Will each require their own bomb proof, bullet proof, make up bunker? In either case, we are in for lights, camera and lots of action. Most importantly, we are awaiting the outcome. Will democracy stand at the brink of derailment? In a dramatic end, will part of the crowd save face at the last minute and will there be hugs all around? Last year, we held our breaths when Dr Qadri demanded his followers raise their hands and pledge an oath to not leave the confines of the dharna (procession) until he permits. We saw women and children camping outdoors through cold temperatures, rain and hunger. But thankfully, within hours of the negotiations, Dr Qadri had developed a renewed fondness for all of Pakistan’s political parties – including those whom he had dismissed as “thieves”. He had thanked and signed the Islamabad Long March Declaration with the same person he called Pakistan’s “ex” prime minister, whose arrest he and his followers had demanded just hours ago. This time, an unwavering Imran Khan has announced a battle against firoun (pharaoh) himself. We already see slogans of “we will fight” along with Dr Qadri’s calls on Twitter for martyrdom, and the likes of a dramatic revolution that may trigger the “permanent end to the powers of the rulers” are much talked about. Imran Khan believes the legal system has failed him. He claims that the former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, whom he once praised for his bold decision-making skills, should be tried under Article 6 for being a “traitor”. Riding on the wave of the current displeasure against Pakistan’s biggest news agency for its allegations against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), he claims that they, along with the returning officers and Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – which apparently swept the elections, gaining an overwhelming majority – maliciously planned a massive conspiracy to steal the elections from PTI. However, he doesn’t stop there. In a speech to his party workers, Imran Khan goes on to blame the West, celebrities, the mafia and all those in the nation who don’t agree with him, albeit secular or religious. It seems only inevitable that he may next indict fate itself, not just for the rigging but his inopportune fall as well. In a recent interview he called for the revival of jihad against all such above mentioned forces. Isn’t that what the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is for? Had he been successful in opening their offices in Islamabad perhaps he could better consult with them on how to collaborate to fight a jihad against the media, liberals, parliament and judiciary of Pakistan. Perhaps another conspiracy? Though no one is quite sure what will ultimately satisfy Imran, his justification for the dharna against Pakistan’s “false” democracy is that he found the Parliament depressing and deemed it unfruitful to go to the courts after not getting his way. In both the parliament and the court, there is no hoopla, fanfare of screaming girls or banners soaring with the wind. The thrill of the cricket match in which there is an ecstatic crowd cheering him on is missing. Perhaps he also misses the last few days that he was confined to his hospital bed and could not campaign. The ‘cricketisation’ of democracy would entail quick justice, a clear winner and plenty of public displays of indignation. Such is required for the sensibilities of a former cricket star living in the fast lane, not a refined politician who must bear the ugly and often boring route of democracy. In clear defiance of the Taliban’s threats, the people of Pakistan came out in large numbers on May 11, 2013. For the first time in their history, Pakistanis saw a peaceful transfer of power from one government to another; a remarkable landmark achievement for which Pakistan earned universal praise. Yes it was not perfect but the question is, does it mark an important milestone towards a better future or a “black day” in its history? For Imran Khan, that black day marks a day of rigging and massive conspiracy against his party. For Tahirul Qadri, it is his second attempt to overthrow the system itself. For the JI, perhaps, it marks a confused day in which “martyr” and civilian were at odds. For Shiekh Rasheed, it’s a reason to overthrow the present government and call for midterm elections. Clearly it is a democratic right to rally, foster support from their base and even play the game of politics to gain relevance, especially at a time where there is much infighting within parties such as the PTI. In the meantime, it seems the PMLN has caught onto the cricket match and has decided to celebrate their one year rule on May 11. Nonetheless, it is of concern that civil debate is being stifled in Pakistan. In a disturbing trend, PTI followers and grassroots leadership continue to display disturbing photos on social media that praise Osama bin Laden as a martyr and Malala Yousafzai as a drama. But how much can social media memes, rallies that resemble rock concerts and Twitter trolls help you if you are simply lacking substance to your arguments? Furthermore when leaders such as Imran accuse the former chief justice of Pakistan of being a traitor, it sends a message to simply excommunicate those who don’t agree with him, with little evidence (similar to the media trial he rightly decries) and aims to silence the rest. It’s about time Imran Khan began listening to the saner elements within PTI. Democracy takes hard work and time to flourish. Yes, there is a lot to fix but it should be done through legislation and rule of law. Let’s hope we see Imran Khan prove his worth as a legislator to his constituency, instead of crying over one-year-old spilled milk.

We were all 14-years-old once and we remember those days with fond memories. All of us remember our carefree attitude towards life where the biggest worry in the world would be the result of our math test. I, like most 14-year-olds, would wake up for school, get ready and would be shovelling breakfast down my throat while the driver waited in the driveway. Take a moment to remember those memories. Turn the same page to October 2012, but in the life of Malala Yousafzai. She was just a student on her way to school in the battle ridden valleys of the once pristine Swat. Terrorists stepped onto the bus, asked her to identify herself and then shot her with the intent of killing her. Everything else that followed is history. Who amongst us would remain silent after surviving such a harrowing attack? Would we all just resign our existence to the confines of our homes? Now, let’s fast forward to 2014. A reputed and well-recognised advertising agency from India, Ogilvy and Mather, decides to use this incident in an advertisement. It portrays an effigy of the poor girl being shot, loosing blood, falling through time on a mattress, ‘bouncing back’ to life and receiving an award for her gallantry. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="212"] Photo: AFP[/caption] The world that we live in today is clearly a sad and sadistic one. There is no doubt that people are aggrieved about the fact that there were and are many similar or even more disturbing attacks on our youth that have gone unnoticed. Families of her fellow students are still stuck in the melodrama that was once their lives pre-attack. So why is all the attention, locally and internationally, being given to one Pakistani victim. This is a never ending debate between those who support and those who oppose Malala. The issue at hand with this advert, however, is much deeper and thought provoking. These may well be some of the most trying times that the people of Pakistan have seen since its birth. Today, fighting terrorism has become a way of life for the people of this great nation. Every fragment of my being is furious and downright insulted by the brainchild behind this irresponsible, unethical and morally disdainful advert. I have to come to terms with the fact that an Indian advertising firm finds it ‘creative’ to advertise terrorism. I have to come to terms with the notion that it is acceptable to badger a little Pakistani girl who is internationally recognised for having advocated education for women. I have to realise that it is entertaining for these gurus in their tiny cubicles to show images of a girl being shot in the face. I have to understand that advertising has the right to choose, no matter what the content. In today’s world of mass communication, let’s not forget how easy it is for people from all walks of life to access such demeaning adverts. Forget the people who are seeing this advertisement across the Atlantic or the ones on the 78^th floor of some building in Manhattan, for a moment, picture yourself as kith and kin of this child. Her face will never be the same again; she has to live with a scar that is a constant reminder of that fateful day for the rest of her life. Let’s not forget that she is a child who probably likes playing monopoly or checkers, yet she has taken the responsibility upon herself to stand up against the atrocities in her region. She has represented this issue prevailing in Pakistan on numerous forums, not only at the United Nations but globally. Malala is and shall always remain a Pakistani citizen. The advertisement is a direct attack on the dignity of a Pakistani child. Do we not see the ‘no-pun intended’ smirk? Sarcasm cannot be limitless and without bounds, especially in the face of such a heinous crime. Terrorism is not welcome in any corner of this world, so how is it that a Pakistani citizen, and a child at that, can be disgraced internationally in such a mortifying fashion. Greg Carton, Ogilvy’s press spokesman for Asia Pacific, may think that it is justified after issuing an apology but, in my opinion, that is only the icing on this distasteful cake. So tomorrow anyone can get up and make a mockery of a Pakistani citizen and a well-read spokesperson will be trained to look remorseful, hold a press conference and everything will be alright? Carton says,

“We deeply regret this incident and want to personally apologise to Malala Yousafzai and her family. We are investigating how our standards were compromised in this case and will take whatever corrective action is necessary.”

As one travels, on the highway, from Peshawar to Swat, the lush green fields, dotted with tall poplar trees, appear breath-taking, and gradually the silhouette of the mountains become visible. The low-lying mountains gain height and the sound of water springs, gushing from the crevices of rocks create a melancholic music. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="590"] Photo: Sameera Rashid[/caption]   On a winding road from the Chakdara to Mingora, people are seen crossing the clear waters of river Swat, on makeshift bridges, and plum trees with delicate pink flowers bloom on the roadside orchids. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="590"] Photo: Sameera Rashid[/caption] Not only does Swat cast its spell on visitors with its wide towering mountains, whose peaks are half-hidden by curls of mists, but also another element of surprise is the mushroom growth of schools, both for girls and boys, in the Swat valley. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="590"] Photo: Sameera Rashid[/caption] The construction boom of schools in Swat belies the image of a war-ravaged region, infested with militants, where schools are routinely bombed by the Taliban militants, and where school girls are shot for speaking about female education. But the truth is that in the aftermath of the military operation, which was launched in 2009 to reclaim the area from militants, the people of Swat are seen eagerly sending their children, including girls, to the English medium schools being built with generous foreign donor funds. To understand what has triggered the school boom in Swat, I visited Fiza Ghat Sangota Presentation Convent, which had been blown to pieces in 2008 by Taliban militants for providing western education to girls and for acting as a centre of Christianity. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Sameera Rashid[/caption] After the partial reconstruction work, the school was re-opened in 2012. Some parts of the school, however, such as the gymnasium and auditorium are still under construction. As I took round of the school, beautiful girls, smartly dressed in their uniforms, with their hair neatly tied in ponytails, sang poems, in Urdu and English, with full gusto and enthusiasm. The younger girls synchronised their hand movements animatedly to convey the meaning of the poems. The students of the middle and senior sections were perfectly fluent in English. The school principal, Sister Greta Gill, explained that when the girls are admitted in the nursery section, they can only converse in Pashto, but gradually, they become fluent in both Urdu and English. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="337"] Photo: Sameera Rashid[/caption] The classrooms were visually pleasing and tastefully decorated with artwork, maps, murals, stuffed toys and models of stars, comets and planets. The windows were not draped with curtains, as is the practice in all schools, and you could view the misty clouds hanging low over mountain peaks right outside the class windows. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Sameera Rashid[/caption] When I asked the girls in ninth grade about their career aspirations, all of them replied in a chorus that they wanted to become doctors. However, as I prodded a little more, three girls added, after some hesitation that, they want to become army officers, and one chipped in, to my utter surprise that, she wished to become a cricketer like Shahid Afridi. So, apart from the conventional vocation of medicine, some girls were also striving to enter male-dominated professions. Then, I put another question to the class, I asked if they liked Malala Yousafzai and, surprisingly, the class echoed with a resounding

“No.”

“She likes Obama, so we dislike her,” said one girl. “She is using her story to earn money,” answered another.

“The people of Swat are socially conservative, and parents, especially mothers, are not educated; so, the girls are brought up on the ages-old anti-colonial narrative, which, in a way, echoes the Taliban narrative. We are unable to counter that narrative at the school, as the Taliban militants, whose leader Mullah Fazlullah operates across the border in Afghanistan, and still scouts the area, sending us intimidating messages. Therefore, we keep mum about the Taliban and Malala Yousafzai and remain focused on our educational activities.”

On August 11, 1947, certain words echoed in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan with much emphasis.

“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State.” 

“You will no doubt agree with me that the first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the state.”

I have always heard about how summer days and winter nights are exceptionally long in Norway. However, it was not until I visited the Scandinavian country myself that I understood the magnitude of their duration. A beautiful country on the whole, the drastic differences in the lengths of its days, as compared to Pakistan, took me a while to adjust myself over there. I was invited by the 14 August Committee to visit Oslo and meet Malala Yousafzai, who was also visiting the city at the time. When we reached the Oslo international airport, the other committee members and I were told to wait for Malala and her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, who were going to meet us there and discuss the itinerary of our visit. After a while, Malala arrived with her father and cordialities were exchanged. We discussed the schedule ahead of us briefly and soon we were on our way to our first programme. While travelling via Norway’s well-planned roads, I couldn’t help but feel astonished. For a person like myself, who has spent a major part of his life covering militancy in war-torn areas of Pakistan, the well-maintained law and order situation in the city made me pleasantly surprised. Everything seemed to be very much in order; so much so that even their prime minister travelled around the city unaccompanied by any security protocol. After meeting the Norwegian prince, we went on to attend a seminar called ‘Leadership with Purpose’ organised by the committee where Malala was one of the speakers. During her speech, she stressed on the importance of education and harnessing leadership skills for young girls everywhere and discussed the issues women were facing in Pakistan. The way she spoke with foreign journalists and answered their questions was truly commendable for a girl her age. The Red Cross in Norway also arranged a programme to highlight Malala’s struggle for education where she received an award for her bravery and courage. All this made me wonder how she was managing to accomplish so much at such an age. I don’t understand why Malala never received the same level of admiration and motivation from her own people in Pakistan. In the West, she is treated like a public figure and people stumble upon one another just to get an autograph from her. Yet, in Pakistan, we have labelled her as a western puppet supposedly spreading propaganda against our land. While travelling with her, I realised Malala’s merit. She also met Prime Minister Erna Solberg and discussed the dismal condition of education in Swat. She spoke about the schools that were damaged in the 2005 earthquake and how they still haven’t been reconstructed. She also touched upon issues pertaining to militancy in the area, which was also responsible for destroying and damaging many schools, especially those meant for young girls. She told the prime minister that though Norway has supported Pakistan in the past, it was imperative that they continue to support her country in future so that new schools can be built for the youth in terrorism-struck areas. She discussed how the problem of female education was a global one as young girls are facing this issue in almost every developing country, be it Syria, Nigeria or Kenya. She spoke about how it was important for developed countries such as Norway to assist them in this crisis. During her discussions with different government officials in Oslo, she talked about how she wanted to be part of initiatives such as ‘Taleem Sub Kay Liye ’(Education for all), which are working towards fundamentally changing the face of the education sector in Pakistan. In her meetings, she frequently mentioned Pakistan and talked about how the problems of her countries were her own. As she phrased it,

“Mera Swat aur mera Pakistan” (My Swat and my Pakistan)

In a recent social media diatribe (the ones where everyone’s faith is fired up or as a friend once put it, ‘angrily typing curses and calls for Jihad from their mothers’ basements in Bradford’, and anyone against these noble agendas is a spawn of the devil), an old friend descended to defend the ‘good Taliban’, opposing drone strikes and how liberalisation is ruining Pakistani people. It’s almost mathematical; the kind of arguments that pile up in this side of the spectrum. Aafia Siddiqui is the daughter of the nation. Kashmir is ours. Taliban don’t really exist – it’s all a smokescreen because America wants to invade Pakistan. In fact, Taliban are actually Americans. And then my personal favourite of them all, Malala Yousafzai is a Yahoodi agent slash drama slash American drone. It’s so interesting and curious at the same time that we are willing to accept Aafia as the daughter of the nation, willing to go out on the streets for her release and believe in every story that comes our way about her ‘struggle’ in the United States. In the same universe, we have a minor by the name of Malala. She gets shot in the head, survives, recovers from a significant facial disfiguring and speaks in earnest about her struggle for education. The Taliban claim responsibility for attacking her and say they’d attack her again if they could, she jokes on Jon Stewart’s show that she often feared being attacked but she would often imagine a scenario where she would throw her shoe at the attacker to ward him off. Her case is clearer than most political ploys we get to see in our country, but for some very odd reason, Pakistanis seem to be hell-bent on proving that she is an agent and a source of humiliation for the nation. The people who shot the 14-year-old, the same people who attack our schools, hospitals, airports and academies aren’t the source of shame. We can have lengthy debates about the ‘good Taliban’ and ‘bad Taliban’ on that matter. But when it comes to a little girl who wants to speak up about her struggle in finding a voice in a city that is being attacked and attempts to work against a credible threat that is slowly eating Pakistan from within, we are then open to thousands of interpretations. It could be anything at all. She could have Krang pulling the strings of her brain after that surgery in the UK. Or maybe, the Wizard of Oz is behind the curtains in her house in Swat. Heck, maybe her father is the criminal mastermind behind the attack itself. For shame. For shame indeed. I ask myself, is it misogyny? Is it elitism? What’s at play here? Did she have a better chance of being believed if she was an ex-cricketer? Or maybe a television model? Would she have had more supporters if she was from Karachi or Lahore? If she was from an elite class, who happened to raise her voice and was shot in the street for it? Would it have gathered more support from our Pakistani brothers? Would she be loved if she was the daughter of some important political leader? Is she disregarded because she speaks simply, doesn’t have an accent, wears a modest dupatta on her head, has little to no fashion sense and doesn’t appear frequently on Pakistani talk shows to indulge in the regular screaming matches about whose judiciary is it anyway? Is this the formula to get noticed, supported and to finding a following? Be a madcap ranter from a rich house, and most importantly, be a man? To this, I tell myself that no matter how much she could have fit into the perfect category of an activist, she is doomed to be ridiculed for her efforts in our country. There have been many who have fit the bill but have been taunted and humiliated, and even lynched for their ‘liberal’ or ‘free thinking’ ideals. The Taseers were hounded about their personal lives after Salman Taseer was shot and Shahbaz Taseer abducted. Dr Abdul Salam won a Nobel prize but that wasn’t enough for Pakistan to forgive him for being an Ahmadi. We won’t care how big your achievement is. If the West loves you or even if you’re spot on the merit, we will make it a point to hate you. Because God forbid, we appreciate what we have, celebrate our heroes and make a mosque in the name of someone who truly deserves it. We seem to have knee-jerk reactions to such situations. Burn and kill the person who just wants to talk about education and tolerance. Hail and laud the shady terrorists who attempt to violate every human right’s law. What’s even more disappointing is that there are educated, enlightened, empowered, capable men and women across the Pakistani digerati sphere who have supported the idea that Malala is an agent and a source of humiliation for Pakistan. These are the people I am afraid of the most. They are the ones whose hate produces the strongest ripples. They are the ones with voices, with relatively independent opinions that they reach out; their hate has a Doppler effect. It’s more detrimental than the hate harboured by the many people who probably wouldn’t know any better unless a community leader told them otherwise. The kind of screwed up morality we have going on in our psychosocial agenda is appalling. It is high time we began to climb out of our conspiracy theory shells and face the realpolitik. Pakistan is at an incredibly important crossroad at this point in time and the nation must recognise its true enemies. Malala stands for everything we want to see in the future for our women – a bright, confident, strong young woman who bears the love of land in her heart and wants nothing but positive things for Pakistan. Set your differences and petty reasoning aside and support her. Join hands in celebrating strong women and fathers who support their daughters. Instead of calling them western puppets and shameful citizens, applaud them for their courage in standing up to threats to their lives and support their struggle in wanting to see a peaceful Pakistan. Instead of doubting Ziauddin Yousafzai’s abilities as a father, see him for the educationist and activist that he is. Instead of spewing bitter comments about all the ‘credits’ they’re getting from western forums and media outlets, be glad that someone, an average Pakistani girl, is being celebrated for something positive. Instil courage in your own daughters to stand up for what you believe in. Be happy that someone like Malala wants to be a politician (and that is not a dirty word, by the way) because that would mean that 10 years from now you can find a suitable candidate for your vote. Set aside your hate for Americans and Europeans, and celebrate your love for a beautiful little Pakistani girl who survived a bullet, random social media hate and the lack of support from her own brothers and sisters in Pakistan. So here is to you, Malala. May you have a wonderful birthday, gain more strength and live long. I, for one, support you, love you, celebrate you and salute you. God speed.  

Blood seeps from a man’s face, his features rendered unrecognisable by the beating he took from that merciless iron rod a few days back. A baby is snatched from the arms of his mother and mercilessly killed under the pretence that he might have ended up becoming a ‘terrorist’ in the future. Fathers are slain, brothers are tortured and mothers, sisters and daughters are raped. This is how an average day looks like for a Palestinian. And now, their land is being trampled upon by a bully of an establishment that is bombing it continually and endlessly. What was once a glorious country has been stripped of all its sanctity; it has been transformed into a bleak battlefield. A haze of fire and gun-smoke hangs over the region, stifling those within, muffling their desperate plea for help to the rest of the world. After all these atrocities, they ask us why we hate Malala Yousafzai. Sitting in a Starbucks café, sipping lattes, watching Malala address the UN General Assembly, celebrating ‘Malala Day’ and cheering at the news of Malala’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize 2013, they wonder how utterly ridiculous Muslims can get. This is a brave soul who took a bullet to her head and came out undaunted, stronger and more powerful than ever. Why the backlash? If only these Western people knew about their naivety. When you witness strangers taking multiple bullets to their heads, their chests, their legs and their arms, you grow desensitised to the plight of one girl hit by a single bullet. You automatically direct all your sympathy to those people who are being massacred and butchered on a daily basis. We don’t hate Malala, understand that. We just have more people to be concerned about. What we do hate are the hypocritical standards of these ‘peace-loving’, award-giving and aid-sending people. They recognise the valour and courage of the girl who was shot by terrorists yet they ignore the multitude of innocent lives taken away in Palestine. She was flown abroad for treatment, given the highest honours imaginable and declared an iconic girl. But what about the mothers, daughters and wives who have seen their worlds tarnish every day, because one group of people want to grab hold of their land? Why were they not saved? Why was aid not provided to them? Why aren’t their losses recognised, let alone honoured? Her story is inspiring, yes, but theirs is utterly tragic. She is writing books of glory while they are jotting down their last wishes, not sure if they will be alive tomorrow. Her story was heard by the entire world; why are their voices being muffled then? Israel decides to carry out massive airstrikes against the Palestinians, this time leaving them bereft of the little Gaza strip they possess. The bombings intensify and the gun-shots increase in frequency. Israelis argue that it is merely in retaliation to the attacks by Hamas. They are on the offensive side. Armed with weapons of mass destruction, nuclear power and a tremendous army force, the Israelis are the victim – that’s what they say. They aim ‘to restore peace and quiet to the citizens of Israel’ and they plan to do this by killing dozens of people every day. As reported by the Voice of America, after the wreckage of close to 560 sites that Israel said its warplanes had hit since the operation began early Tuesday, Yuval Steinitz told Israel Radio that there is a lot more to come. What sort of inhumane retaliation is this? Is Israel on a vendetta to finish off Palestinians for good? I don’t know the entire history of Palestine, nor do I intend to get into the technical geographical boundary debate. All I know is these are two countries out to get vengeance, and in the process, they have both stooped to what has got to be the lowest point of deterioration mankind has ever experienced. And what does the rest of the world do? Watch the FIFA World Cup 2014, for it comes every four years and cannot be missed. I ask the religious authorities, is Islam really only about praying and fasting? Is attaining piety more important than addressing the pleas and shouts of our Muslim brethren? Is it limited to performing Hajj in the month of Zilhaj and Umrah in the month of Ramazan? I ask our religious scholars, has Islam changed now? Does our religion no longer value human life? Is the Muslim world supposed to sit back silently and let Israel crush the innocent civilians of Palestine? However, this is not about religion anymore. It has transcended to include the core concepts humanity hinges on – love and hate. And right now, hate is getting all the attention. Israel is killing hordes of people and the world is still putting the blame on Palestine. On what level of human intelligence is this considered acceptable? We have many instances of people who have been to Israel, who have seen the tyranny taking place there first-hand and they all pinpoint only one villain in this woefully tragic story – Israel. On a fundamental level, what exactly is a person supposed to do? Note that I say person and not Muslim. I address our governments, our charismatic leaders, our religious authorities, the United Nations and every other organisation possessing a semblance of power… what’s a person to do? Stop caring? Blind oneself with trivialities like football? Enjoy lavish iftars in the name of religion while our fellow brethren get brutally murdered? Well, if that’s what we are supposed to do, then I must commend our progress; for that is all that we have been doing ever since this breach against humanity has been in play.

Consider this: Pakistan is in the midst of a war on terror. Swat is in control of Maulana Fazlullah, who is now the chief of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Radio is banned, schools have been forced shut and a barbaric (read: Taliban’s) Sharia law has been imposed. In all this, a brave 12-year-old risks her life to tell the world what girls like her are going through. Fast forward two years. Her blogs on BBC and activism for the cause of education infuriates perpetrators of terrorism who attempt to assassinate her. She survives against all odds, and has now won many accolades and awards for her work and bravery; the Sitara-e-Shujaat, National Youth Prize and International Children’s Peace Prize are just a few. Malala Yousafzai, who started out as a mere voice for the girls in her area, has now met President Barack Obama and voiced opposition against drone attacks. She supported Nigerian girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram. She furthered the cause of education and stood tall as a peace-loving Pakistani girl in the UN assembly. In short, Malala epitomised courage like you and I couldn’t. Now consider this: I am a 20-something who has lived a comparatively peaceful life. My educational journey was unhindered, even if opportunities were limited. I believe in the unknown and my conspiracy theories start with blaming the US as the root of all evil, every Israeli citizen as a killer of Palestinians and end with the belief that there’s no greater threat to Islam and the Muslim world than from the Jewish lobby. I rightly support the innocent victims of Gaza (mostly through social media) but refuse to consider Hamas an instigator of attacks that later hides behind the civilian population. I’m an average self-righteous Pakistani who earlier dubbed Malala a CIA agent, called her father a shrewd beghairat, and castigated the duo for tarnishing my country’s image. I’m the same self-righteous Pakistani who now grudgingly admits how Malala may have done all those laudable things but protest that her being an American puppet has discouraged her from speaking against the atrocities committed in Gaza until recently. In short, I blame the failure of my state and other Muslim countries on a girl who has already furthered enough causes while I act as a social media warrior for Palestine and criticise her through my tweets and status updates. I realise I might have hit a few raw nerves by bringing this up. Some may declare this another pro-Malala article but do we really have to blame her for this too now? Israel’s disproportionate use of force can never be justified. More than 300 people have died in 12 days of the attack and our hearts bleed for the loss of innocent lives. But instead of accusing Malala, maybe it is time to re-evaluate our priorities and strategies. Thirty-two United Nation member states, 18 from the Arab league and 11 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members, do not recognise Israel despite it being a reality since May 1948 when the British mandate was terminated and Israel was declared a state. These countries include Pakistan. It is in an era where diplomacy has time and again proved its merit as the only source of conflict resolution, as evidenced by Israel’s Arab neighbours. Jordan and Israel have had tumultuous relations until the peace treaty signed in July 1994. Syria has gone a step further and both countries have even encouraged limited trade. Instead of blaming Malala’s delay, have we held our own government accountable for its inaction? We can’t keep sitting on the fence and expect things to happen just because we want them to happen, neither can we be the pigeon that closes its eyes to the cat and hope it disappears. Perhaps this is exactly why our anger and frustration misdirects on a girl instead of focusing it constructively to hold the government accountable. It is time we remove the ‘this passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel’ statement from our passports, recognise Israel as a state and do our bit through diplomacy for a long-term sustainable resolution to this years-old conflict that has taken more innocent lives than necessary. On a side note, Gaza may be red with the blood of innocent but in this entire emotionalism, let’s not forget our own IDPs that need help too.

“Four daughters?” the woman asked, her eyes wide with a mix of horror, pity and fascination.

“Mashallah!”

“They are beautiful. May Allah (SWT) bless them with good kismet (fortune)”

“Even if they put a bullet in my head, I will pursue my education.”

Dear Bill (I hope you don’t mind if I call you Bill because it’s the nicest word I can use to describe you at this point), We get it. You are an aggressive atheist, you abhor religions. For you, it is fashionable to be controversial. Being edgy is part of your job description. Congratulations, you are now so edgy that Bill O’Reilly of Fox News agrees with your views. ‘Bill the Liberal’ and ‘Bill the Conservative’ have now found common ground – Islamophobic bigotry. Let me ask you, Bill, are you back-paddling out of the muddy creek you created on your HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher, last weekend with your recent remarks:

“We’re liberals! We’re liberals? We’re not crazy tea-baggers, you know.”

“Liberals need to stand up for liberal principles… these are liberal principles that liberals applaud for [pointing to his audience], but then when you say in the Muslim world this is what’s lacking, then they get upset.”

“Liberals have really failed on the topic of theocracy…”

“Islam is the mother lode of bad ideas.”

“The only religion that acts like the mafia, that will %^&$*$@ kill you if you say the wrong thing.”

Have you heard? There are rumours of Mr Shahid Khan Afridi poised to be the next Imran Khan. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1zgidy_watch-what-shahid-afridi-says-about-imran-khan-during-live-interview_news[/embed] While I leave this rumoured information to be processed by cricket fans and political analysts at length, one has to question what the nation is to do with the current Imran Khan that we do have. What happens when cricketers decide that they’d be much better at life if they gave up what they had been doing all their lives, and start on a completely new career path? The result is that they’re neither good cricketers nor are they good statesmen/politicians. I am, unfortunately, not blessed with a certain nerve impulse that makes me believe and follow everything that Imran says or does. When he speaks, I like to offer him the benefit of belief, the benefit of chance that he might make sense as a human being and as a leader of a party in the country. But so far, Mr Khan has disappointed me to no end. It began with him cohorting an army dictator such as Pervez Musharraf. He also took a similar stance when the Taliban attacked Malala Yousafzai. The Azadi march, however, has really proven to be the cherry on the top of the proverbial sundae that is Imran’s political career. From what seems like a Billy the Kid approach to politics, Khan Sahib has let it all loose. Some call it a speakeasy and the voice of the ‘common man’. In all honesty, however, if a ‘common man’ were to issue statements such as opponents will ‘wet their pants’ and use further abusive names and slogans for various office-holders of the country. What the common man needs then is some schooling, which Khan Sahib proudly claims is from Aitchison College and England. Here I stand confused – are we not sending our children to these ‘posh’ and ‘foreign’ schools so that they churn out refined, seasoned human beings? Or do we want our kids to use the same language, the same violent rhetoric as Mr Khan? In a recent rally held in Multan, Khan Saab took upon himself to address Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, regarding the Line of Control (LoC) shelling from India. Apart from point-scoring from the crowds and capitalising on the usual India-Pakistan hatred and violence, one wonders what other purpose his words serve. Imran, at this point, is neither a statesman, nor a representative of the foreign office. He is not even an active part of the Pakistan government. Considering his position, commenting vociferously on an already tense situation is nothing less than irresponsible. Imran insisted that the PM Nawaz, who wants to solve this matter via talks and diplomatic measures, has not released a statement against the attacks. He called upon PM Modi to be a ‘statesman’ instead of showing muscle. Of course it is Mr Khan’s political and democratic right to speak out against the policies of the prime minister and his cabinet. However, as a leader who is currently aired on national and international media, what message does Khan Sahib seem to be sending to the world about Pakistan? That we are not united, that Pakistan wants violence? That our leaders incite leaders of other countries in political rallies? All politics is power politics, as someone wisely said. It is shameful to see Mr Khan resorting to power politics at a time when both countries, India and Pakistan, need to set aside their violent responses and reach a point where the people of these nations can live in peace and harmony. Emotional speeches, hate-mongering and verbal attacks are hardly going to help matters – especially coming from a man who has no part of the sitting government. Is it about time we started thinking more about our democratic duties instead of our democratic rights? All of this makes us wish he had just stuck to cricket. Hope you’re listening, Mr Afridi. There’s still time.