On Busting A Few Pakistani Myths.

[Perceptron]

On Busting A Few Pakistani Myths
Sociologist and historian Ayesha Jalal — niece of writer Sadat Hasan Manto — talks about Pakistan and its people today.

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Parul Abrol
Jaipur

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What does it mean to be a Pakistani today?
First of all, it means answering a lot of questions. Pakistan is a country that is hard even in the best of times, and times have not been good in Pakistan for a long time. But the tragedy of Pakistan is that Pakistanis have not been able to represent themselves. I attribute a large part of that to evasion of history. The absence of that learning, about the past in its multiple interpretation and learn from it, was replaced with ideology. So being a Pakistani of a certain ilk also means constantly trying to talk about something that is not upheld by all Pakistanis.

Who do you think has failed Pakistan — the government or the people?
There’s a structural problem in Pakistan. In the early decades, because of the military coups in Pakistan, it was difficult for people to restore balance between the elected and nonelected institutions. Parliament has been marginal. Unlike the Indian judiciary, the Pakistan judiciary has been subservient. In that context, you’ve got to accept that the state has failed. The governments that have ruled Pakistan have not found it easy to negotiate that balance because the army is dominant. The people have failed in so far as they have not assumed responsibility. I think if you really have to apportion the responsibility, you have to lay it on the ruling elite. I mean only two per cent pay taxes. The poor have been denied basic amenities. Pakistanis who have money are having a great time — there’s a lot for them.

Why do you think the current generation is getting more radical?
The radicalism we see is not coming from madrassas as we assume; it is coming from the government-run schools. The public education system is problematic. It is a misconception that it’s coming from the madrassas.

Do people in Pakistan question the Partition or is it blasphemous?
People are more willing to discuss it now. I think people have started to question far more also because of the Indian economic boom. That has led people to question if hostility to India is worth it. I am not saying anybody wants to reverse Partition but they do want to understand why these two countries remain hostile. I think that is a positive new dimension.

 

[jha]

^^ Tehelka - Indian Source ..? Interview never happened ..or, what can you expect from niece of MANTO ...

 

[Perceptron]

So what is the problem with Manto ? Was he a rabid anti-Nationalist ? Polemicists like Shireen Mazari may have a dislike for Ayesha Jalal, but why do think her opinion is in any way lesser ?

 

[jha]

So what is the problem with Manto ? Was he a rabid anti-Nationalist ? Polemicists like Shireen Mazari may have a dislike for Ayesha Jalal, but why do think her opinion is in any way lesser ?

Nope...His way of presenting the Naked Truth was too much for the religious fanatics.. In the later stages of his life he had to live in an asylum to save himself..

 

[JonAsad]

Probably cashing in on her uncle's reputation-

thats some thing interesting though--

Why do you think the current generation is getting more radical?
The radicalism we see is not coming from madrassas as we assume; it is coming from the government-run schools. The public education system is problematic. It is a misconception that it’s coming from the madrassas.

 

[Bratva]

So what is the problem with Manto ? Was he a rabid anti-Nationalist ? Polemicists like Shireen Mazari may have a dislike for Ayesha Jalal, but why do think her opinion is in any way lesser ?

Sadat hussain Manto was a great writer of his time. He was secular and wrote "lewd" stories which considered immoral at that time or as we say society was not very "moderate" at that to comprehend his writings and he wrote against the current government at that time. These two things made him unpopular but he is considered a writer who tried to reform the society.

 

[Mughal1]

Dear friends, before one could really talk about paksitan one has to know what islam is, what the quran is, what a muslims is and what brought about pakistan or why it was created.

It is not a good idea to pick up the pen and start bashing things for harm and destruction.

1)Islam is a goal set by Allah for humanity to achieve. For those who do not know what word islam means, it means PEACE.

2) The quran is divine constitution for humanity as a whole to accomplish islam.

3)The quran is very important book because it contains terms and condition for mankind to agree upon and campaign for peace throughout the world till peace is fully established in the world between all human beings for progress and prosperity of mankind as a one single community.

4) The terms and condition are freedom of man from slavery or dominance of another man ie none has the right to be master of anyone nor anyone has any right to take anyone as a slave. Justice and fairness based upon compassion considering each other brethren ie human brotherhood. All this so that humanity progresses and prospers as a whole.

5) Pakistan was created as a pilot project for this purpose alone.

So anyone who wants to bash islam, quran or muslims or paksitan is actually fighting against this backdrop. So if you are fighting against islam then you want war not peace.

This however does not mean that people have no right to be critical of anything islamic but that that should be for trying to understand islam properly and also to correct anyone who has wrong ideas about islam and muslims.

If a nonmuslim brother or sister thinks there is something wrong with islam go to quran and get its proper interpretations and you will find yourself corrected.

If you think there is something wrong with the actual quranic text, against sit and see that it has not been deliberately misinterpreted and misrepresented, you will always find that that has been the case. That is because not everyone wants peace in the world and not everyone campaigns for peace in the word rather some people look for fights and wars and that is why they particularly campaign for that. These people are by and large rich and powerful and their reason is that they want to control everything they can so that others cannot have them. They are baby minds and very bad at that or they are bullies in the playground. It is because they control land and resources, means of production and distribution therefore it is easy for them to spread their nonsense to try and confuse the truth with their falsehood.

This is not about muslims and nonmuslims but rich and powerful against weak and powerless and ignorant people.

These people were claiming to be hindus yet using and abusing their own people, please read hindu history books and also hindu scriptures and you will see all these things. I advise my christian brothers and sisters to do the same and of course muslims should read their histroy and see how their kings and mullahs have been using and abusing their muslims brothers and sisters.

The ruling elite and their priests are at it still if you have any awareness of the real world. Only islam offers solution by forcing people to agree on its clearly stated terms and condition for peace. No other religious book does that and so clearly.

It is because divide between state and religion, imperialism and religion or between church and state or mandir and state or masjid and state or secular and religious whatever you want to call it suits these butchers they want to keep things that way and try to take things that way and they fool us with their deceptive education system and the subjects they want to teach us so that we lose in our minds the true perspective on humanity and become worst than animals and accept it as norm.

Does it make any sense that these people should fund religious schools if they did not benefit them? Are they stupid that they will create trouble for themselves by funding people who fight against them? It is because their campaign is to make people stupid so that they could easily manipulate them like dogs.

If you see millions living ok you should also see billions that are living below poverty line and they manipulate that line as it suits them to make fool of us that they are doing things to eliminate poverty. Not at all because if they were they would support peace campaign and change their secular democratic system to a system we find very detailed in the quran, why? because this system goes with goal of accomplishing peace in the world on the basis of terms and condition clearly laid down in the quran. Secular democratic system based upon free market idea or capitalism cannot deliver that in a million years because it has a different goal instead of peace ie war between individuals, communities and countries. It was designed to bring wealth under control of a few individuals through sham agreements.

It is therefore important for all secularism and religion lovers to wake up and see where they are going or where someone else is taking them the while they are asleep. if you belong to rich and power elite I can understand your opposition to islam and your support for the opposition, even if you r doing well that too will make sense because as dog on their steps you are getting your piece but what is wrong with weak and poor that they too are supporting the wrong campaign through being slaves of their mullahs and priests. Are these people or sheep in human form without any brains heading all by themselves to slaughter houses?

So dear brothers and sister please help each other to make our world a better place by taking control out of the hands of rulers and their priests and work for the good of each other for our own peace and satisfaction and for being consistent with God. After al our creator did not give us brain for wasting our lives like this, did he?

We have right to throw away islam if it is not what we need and want and we can also get rid of its constitution and its terms and conditions and we can get rid of even its followers. However if peace is our need and and our want then we we must come together and work hard to show we are true human beings with brains and work for the good of each other in the name of our creator.

regard and all the best.

 

[gOtHmOG]

These are questions not myths

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

mehhh....more and more people are focused on the REAL issues


i.e. the incompetence of the incumbent civilian administration in which corruption is rampant and basic unhindered services to the people (empty promises) are yet to be realized

no need to talk about judiciary or military because they have fulfilled their duties and continue to do so --which is why there is such broad public support for them


and as rightly implied above --there's a huge difference between QUESTIONS versus mere MYTHS. The author would be best served by having the mental capacity to distinguish between the 2.

 

[Leader]

These are questions not myths

the interviewer/editor was probably indian.

 

[SQ8]

Apart from the irksome title.. there is a lot said that is true.