Chak Bamu, thanks for providing an alternative view. This is really improving the debate.
Chak Bamu I believe post #153 would cast some light on the solutions or alternatives. Now the discussion veers to: are the alternatives or solutions I mentioned plausible?
First of all do note the 6 points I mentioned and how the discussion progresses in the same manner. Initially I argued with darkinsky to break the myth that MQM represents all Muhajirs. Then I argued against the MQM's ideology and showed with figures and statistics that it is indeed a militant group. After this I asked Muhajirs to not be offended by insults and some of the things I wrote for them you might call exactly that-but to make a point. That some racism should not make us forget that this guy is 1 of 99 people-rest who love us, it is not a cause of division. Furthermore it demands them to stop taking insult at everything because basically someone says something about them... they feel insulted and insult the other ethnic group and thats how ethnic wars begin. Next I began discussing Muhajir identity and ideology revealing the problems with it. Then I moved to solutions.
I hope that solution post would have provided some insight and answers to questions. Now we move to... is it possible to implement those solutions.
@
haviZsultan, the points you've raised a well-noted.
Identity is a complicated matter.
If I were living in (say) Poland, it would be very easy. Ethnicity, language, Nationality, would be very uncomplicated. Things are not quite so easy for us in Pakistan. The issues of identity that you raise are important indeed.
First of all let me start from the fact that I am a Nationalist and we have for years tried to stop ethnic identity from "existing." due to the issues described previously. Now it has never worked and Nationalist mentality which simply wants to stop . This is a new approach to the entire issue. Accepting ethnic identities exist but looking at things from a Pakistani nationalist perspective and giving the Afghan-lovers and MQM-lovers an alternative view. Personally I do not believe our families need this identity to survive and new ethnic identity that is largely imposed on us and is discriminatory in the first place is unneeded.
As a journalist you have not seen the cases I have seen. I will point out some: 3 Gujjars murdered in Pakhunkhwa just because they were Gujjars, one of them a married woman was raped. A Punjabis elbow touches a Pashtuns as he passes in the narrow gully's of Hyderi market (Karachi) and a person dies over it-shops are closed. Abuses hurled against one ethnic group by shopkeepers. All know about the woman crushed by a driver which was a catalyst to this Muhajir nationalism.
In this case the question is do we need more ethnic identities specially one that is totally fake and an injustice to my lucknowi culture? Fine lets agree the ethnic identities themselves aren't issues... but they can always be exploited but if we go by this then more ethnic identities, especially one with no commonalities means more exploitation? Even here it can very easily be seen that a member of one ethnic group always supports the other. I discussed this when I discussed Qasba Aligarh and one persons defense for Afghanistan and how looking beyond this can help.
There has to be someone who challenges that and you might notice I have more than once been caught calling Muhajirs (my own family and my own birth ethnicity) names. But the point no one understands nor anyone has the ability to look at what it means for a person of Muhajir birth to be challenging this identity so aggressively and how it can be a catalyst to the end of the ethnic issue... especially if everyone else replicates the behavior. I am saying we do not need to believe these identities to be so important.
Politics using ethnicity as a basis can disappear very quickly if rather than constantly attacking each others ethnic groups instead we decide to look within or perhaps even attack our own. In short, us migrants do not need another imposed ethnic identity which is a total folly in this case.
Also a lot of people don't want to understand this and feel I am the one who is actually "a trouble-maker" by raising such issues of ethnic identity. The real issue is that we do not want to deal with a very uncomfortable, ugly reality (which is why MQM supporters ignore or avoid aspects of posts or complete posts challenging them). And that is what drives us to make a lot of foolish decisions that result in twisted useless leaders coming to power.
Identity is based on feelings, not papers. If a set of people wishes to call themselves 'Mohajir' then we have to accept that without worrying about semantics. In my first post I noted that there is a perceived need for such an identity. You wish to point out the reality, but perception trumps reality whether we like it or not. Let us consider the following labels (no offence to anyone):
Let me be clear. A people may wish to call themselves Muhajir in which case I may have to accept it but there is no reason why this identity cannot be broken down. You have seen 2 examples of this case. I am a "Muhajir" by birth (21 years of my life) and have merged as a Pashtun, openly call myself one. truthseer as well has merged and started calling himself a Sindhi while retaining his Konkan culture. Perhaps even you could be added here because in its traditional terms muhajir is for all migrants who came from parts now in India... but looking at it that way you despite being a muhajir identify as a Punjabi? So... this identity can be broken down and these things prove the failure of this identity for us.
Another case to be noticed is that there were "muhajirs" who settled in Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab. They did not end up developing a separate identity but merged. So basically it is very, very possible. What is required is that people like me or truthseer or even you challenge these MQM supporters or try to convince those who feel there is no option. You have every right Chak Bamu-you are just like me-a migrant who rejected muhajir as a label for himself.
Now if they wish to call themselves muhajir-we grudgingly have to accept that-but for someone of Muhajir birth it is a responsibility to challenge them, especially if they try to divide me from my brothers (other ethnicities) or build a wall around themselves just because they want to maintain the myth of being a separate group.
Perhaps with the solutions I mentioned you may think differently. There is an alternative.
a. Mohajir - you have pointed out what is wrong with it.
b. Urdu-speakers - We all are to one extent or another. And yet we have Bengalis, Madrasis, Keralites (?), etc...
c. Bhai log - Any bit of head scratching does not help here. What could it mean?
d. Non-Punjabi Immigrants - While quite accurate, it does define a group of people in a negative manner. Nothing positive here.
e. Karachiites - What do you call people of similar back-ground from Hyderabad and other places in Sindh?
f. Haq-Parast - What are others then? Very annoying.
We have discussed this. Lets move on. Just will reiterate the point I made to American Pakistani. He said others called us these things or Muhajir and we took the least offensive name. I said fine but any community with self-respect gives those names up, doesn't call itself by those names, for example the black slaves in US who abandoned the last names like Little, White or Brown imposed by white masters. Now that proves this wrong doesn't it? It is Muhajirs (lots of them) who are keen to maintain a discriminatory term-so to your next point which says (and is right when so many do want to call themselves muhajir):
You do a good job to point out what is wrong with the term 'Mohajir' and how it is misused by MQM and its supporters. But what alternative is there? 'Urdu-speaking' perhaps, but then there are problems with this too. If we ask the people concerned to give up their identity for the sake of Pakistan, then what can we realistically expect from them?
Post 153 casts light on the alternatives.
What about me? I gave up ethnic identity as demanded by my organization, learned different languages to obfuscate it as well. It is no hassle for a person who loves his country. The issue is that ethnic identity hasn't disappeared despite it thus requiring a novel approach to the situation... that of me challenging my family and members of my ethnic group of birth and fighting racism where I see it. I have come to accept ethnic identity as a reality but to accept an imposed identity? Don't think so.
Now I will bring forward some case studies. America. Example provided before-Germans, Britons, Scots, Spaniards and how many others merging just as Americans. African slaves in Arab nations-they merged and developed the wider identity known as arabs-even their tribes disappeared and throughout Islamic history there were wars between arab tribal clans. Then look at history, Nabataeans, Chati, Fracissi thousands upon thousands of ethnic and tribal groups merging and coalescing with others.
Man look at my ancestry. Abu Ayub Ansari was an Arab and companion of the Prophet, Khajeh Abdullah Ansari was a Tajik and Mullah Qutub bin asad shaheed. Now some of his ancestors are either lucknowites or Pakistanis (calling themselves muhajir) so what is the issue if I become a Pashtun. Ethnicity is very fluid. If it could happen elsewhere then it can definitely happen in Pakistan and it will happen.
Change comes slow but it can take place given that there are some born muhajirs who challenge this label. Even there seem to be changes on the site. darkinsky used to be one of the top MQM racists along with W.11 from what I have noticed from the past 2 weeks-not a post without insult to some other ethnic group. Both have toned down and do not launch tirades against other ethnic groups as they did before-anyone will be forced to think when they look at these posts. And seriously if you look at the points I forced them to look at they don't have a reply either. Its no wonder they run away because these are bitter truths.
The issue you can say is more one of convincing them to abandon Muhajir identity rather than anything else. A knowledgeable person who is born in this community can do this, can challenge them.
It is no easy matter; especially when a number of people identify themselves positively as Punjabi, Pashtun, Baloch, Sindhi. What do they do if not adopt a term coined for themselves that gives them a bit of a positive idea of themselves.
Create an example for the Punjabis, Sindhis and Pashtuns to follow, that is what a true son of those who migrated with only the word Pakistan on their lips would do. Pakistan is all that should matter. Also Jinnah wanted this of us so there must be a reason behind it.
I differ with you when you say that Mohajir is a derogatory term. It is not used or intended as such by people who choose to call themselves Mohajir. Ask any psychologist how comforting and liberating is a sense of being a victim which this term evokes. Consider the religious meaning as well, which gives it a positive spin (Oh the irony of a secular party using and abusing this term).
Lets say I strongly disagree here. There are alternatives here. Its hypocricy, a single term can be used for me and a Madrasi whose food I can't even touch let alone eat and they want me to look down and be separate from other ethnic groups in Pakistan? Not for me. The entire term is a show of hypocricy and our hard-headedness. It is wrong and I feel it is very, very offensive. Each time someone is saying it you can replace it with a donkey as I said to American Pakistani both have the same meaning for me.
That is a more rational way to look at things. But I will fight the victim mentality. Maybe others will learn to do the same from my example.
Also the religious connotations are a canard. Anyone can look at the term and understand that even a pilgrim is one for a transitory period... not eternally being called a pilgrim. Anyway I hope I don't have to pull the I was forced with the muhajir identity (by ourselves again) and you were not so how do you know card?
I see hardly any escape from it.
I think post #153 casts light on the avenue for escape. Merger or reinforcing original identity. Again will point you out to the various communities that refused to identify themselves as muhajir-a case in point-you yourself! So basically thats why I said you actually, by telling me your background gave me tools to attack that muhajir identity, perhaps unwittingly so.
Some people using this term would always feel themselves to be a victim even after 50 years. Some people would adopt this term in a high and glorified religious sense and feel entitled to a certain sense of moral superiority. And then, most importantly, some people would be desensitized entirely and use it as just a positive way of identifying themselves.
Does not change the fact it is wrong and it is a way of looking at things that is very short-sighted and does not take into view the interests of Pakistan-but only a select ethnic group and that also we promote a twisted, wrong form of history that must be challenged. A nation doesn't operate that way. We have to challenge something like that wherever we see it. By ignoring something it gets worse.
I understand where you are coming from. I also try the same thing with other ethnic groups and respect them, their right to exist and their culture trying to build bridges-but since the age of my political maturity I have been told I am a Muhajir. If I do not challenge it, no one will. In fact I have much less right to challenge Luffy despite my adoption of Pashtun identity.
I believe this is my fundamental right. I have been fooled by this false label of Muhajir for years and I cannot let it divide me from brothers of other ethnicities.
Trust me chak bamu, there are enough examples on the thread of posters each of whom is in different phases of the 6 stages I mentioned. It can be done. I am here, breathing, living, talking to prove it so and in the last stage. After that post perhaps you will re-consider that there are options.
When this happens, Altaf would be long dead, MQM would have splintered into a dozen factions, and Mohajirs (AHEM) would welcome other political players who might be better suited to represent them in a vast metropolis where they would hardly command a majority. Rest assured, we shall all still very much be Pakistanis.
Don't worry about using the word muhajir. I am forced to use this imposed term myself-there is no other way to refer to migrants even though many don't identify themselves with it. But time for us to move to replace it with our true identification or simply merge.
Your over-riding concern shall have been transitory. Issue of identity would no longer exert the same emotional push or pull.
I hope so I live to see the day.
My personal gripe with this whole thing is a feeling of having been let down by people I respected very much and held in high esteem. Now I smile at my simplicity when growing up as a kid and struggling with learning two languages (English by far being the harder), I idolized people who spoke Urdu as a mother language. People are people, no better no worse. They just have different preoccupations and POVs. If someone looks down at my being a Punjabi in today's Pakistan, I can guess why they claim superiority and be able to coolly tell them how they are no better. Big deal. Like
The point I was making was exactly this. Every other ethnic group has respected and loved muhajirs. Everytime I say something about Muhajirs despite being a person of muhajir birth myself they feel I am insulting them. But when the same happens to someone else (some other ethnic group) they have no issue. I will not let anything divide me from my country.
Last time I tried to say that Punjabis or someone from another ethnic group should not feel guilty or blame themselves for the decline of our family members and other Muhajirs, their fall from grace as die hard nationalists to racists. It often comes out totally opposite when I say it somehow but this was what I was trying to say. It is nobody else's fault. This is a fault of Muhajirs themselves, their mindset and their voting preferences or perhaps our voting preferences because our family has voted the same way for years.
The sacrifices of Punjabis for the promotion of Urdu are well noted and Punjabi is not even taught in schools which I believe to be highly unfortunate because all our cultures are worth preserving (Muhajir is not a culture though-I maintain
post 5). But why should Punjabis or anyone else be sacrificing for the Pakistani union and why can't our families which played a part in forming the Muslim League do that as well? Instead all that matters to them is forming a Muhajir empire which i feel is nothing noble.
Look at this in perspective Chak Bamu and think why it appears ridiculous or perhaps even callous to suggest that Muhajirs disappear (by merging, not genocide
). It's because this identity has been used for politics and reiterated for 30 years, perhaps even 60. On it's foundations is built the MQM. It is hard to break down such an identity but there is no reason at all why it cannot be done but it will come in stages.
Sometimes certain ideas are suggested that may seem impossible-for example Pakistan has been suggested since 1920's (till then even Jinnah hadn't adopted the idea and was strongly aligned with the Congress) but it happened and is now a reality. Mark this because it is coming from a very cynical person who has a family that is extremely intolerant. Things change, old identities break down and new ones develop. There is nothing shameful in that.
I know if someone who has knowledge and such ideas comes to power he can break the identity down. I am sure thousands upon thousands of migrants can challenge it and when a large number of people do those stalwarts may have to reconsider. See we are not able to imagine a world without the muhajir identity because it has been imposed from birth, it is hard. The ottomans were like that too in another sense-they refused to give up Islamist ideas but Ataturk came and brought secular Nationalism and today all of Turkey respects him.
I believe the issue is that right now a lot of people are still in the stage of trying to disengage the Muhajir identity from MQM which is why the next step does not appear visible to us but it is right there.
Like @
Armstrong said,
Punjabis are cool in this way. It is not terribly important how they are seen by others, they would rather be 'Haal-Must'.
It is my duty and utmost responsibility as a Pakistani citizen and as someone committed to the various cultures and communities in this country which make us a rich and vibrant society to defend each and every Punjabi (Pakistani one) that is insulted by someone outside or people within my so-called ethnic group.
What this sounds like is that you are willing to sacrifice for Pakistan's unity. But why should others not be willing to do the same at all and if you are largely unaffected by attacks against Punjabis then why is their bum always hurting? It is not how a nation works Chak Bamu. I understand where you are coming from but I will maintain my right to defend every ethnic group in Pakistan. I reiterate you are my brother and my countryman. All that matters.
The issue of whether or not Urdu-speaking people feel superior, or what names they might call my ethnicity is a total non-starter and almost irrelevant as far as I am concerned. For Pashtuns it might be different, but I am not bothered one bit by it. MQM's shenanigans and 'Mohajir' support for them has robbed Urdu-speakers at large of any moral superiority they might wish to assume. Like I said: people are people, no better not worse, just different...
Chak Bamu, again it is exactly the same with me. I do not care what people call an urdu-speaker or even a Pashtun which is my adopted identity. But it must hurt me deeply if a person in my country is willing to sacrifice for it constantly but I refuse to do it. I must work with the other person and build my country.
One person from an ethnic group insults and quickly the one from another does the same. This is how ethnic fights begin. I will stop MQM supporters from insulting others where I see them or for that matter anyone else.
American Pakistani too and other such posters have also answered my posts not only now but before too selectively-because this is all the simple undeniable truth which they have never in their history looked at-they can only look at it themselves when the mask of "victimization" disappears but I am forcing them to look at the other side. So basically Muhajir can disappear but will someone appear who challenges it and does not fear being shot by the MQM remains to be seen? As Chak Bamu said it is possible it will remain and very difficult to eliminate it despite the lie it is. Even I am forced to use it because there is no other word for migrant. But it can go away and it should. If a person refuses to abandon it when faced with these monumental facts he is stupid-but some people do not abandon old ways. 
