Illiteracy causes Terrorism--Wishful Thinking?

Every once in a while someone I know—not to mention a million others, often highly educated Pakistani expats and not a few caucasians both in Western governments and even progressive circles, but also people in Pakistan—will express the thought that what is really causing all this extremism and fanaticism is that Pakistan, for example, has an abysmal literacy rate. And all we have to do is start 3 million schools, and we "wild and wooly gentlemen" of those crazy parts will hold hands and chant Rumi, if not sing kumbaya. One do-gooder just a couple of days ago was saying on NPR that you could run a whole school for a year in the money spent on maintaining one foreign soldier in Afghanistan.

I am not sure I agree.

These are two separate problems. Illiteracy might be fueling extremism, but the ideology behind it is very much the product of literate brains. The inflexible, extreme attitudes we see in a lot of Pakistan's Youth--on Facebook, for example--is the product of the tinkering with the EDUCATIONAL system and society by Gen. Ziaul Haque and his regime, not of illiteracy. Making people literate--rather than enlightened--only gives them the means to read and absorb things like Farhat Hashmi, "disturbing" emails, and so on. [Which is not limited to Pakistan or Muslims; for every Geo TV there is a Fox News; for every Mullah Rocketi, a Franklin Graham. But I digress.] Just consider a few points:

• Who was it that was most enamoured of the Sufis that brought Islam to what is today Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India? (At least one or two of them literally students and friends of Rumi.) The educated elite of the day, or the poor, illiterate working folk?
• Who attends lectures by Farhat Hashmi and radical Western Muslim (like the Hizbut-Tahrir and some Americans I could mention) ? The taxi driver and the working class Muslim, or the professionals at some mosques in Silicon Valley and Toronto that I could mention?

SAJA Panel Discussion on the South Asian Blogosphere

SAJA BRIEFING: The South Asian Blogosphere and How Its Changing the Media 8:35pm
Website: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/2008/09/26/desiblogs

The South Asian Journalists Association presents an online panel discussion among some of the best-known names in the South Asian blogosphere. They will discuss the state of the blogosphere (South Asian and otherwise) and how it is affecting how news and information about South Asia and the diaspora is gathered and shared. Sabahat Ashraf of iFaqeer; Anil Dash of AnilDash.com; Karthik of Uberdesi.com; Maria Giovanna of Filmiholic.com; Arun Venugopal of SAJAforum.org

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Technorati tags applicable to this post: iFaqeer - Blogging - South Asian Blogosphere - Indian Blogosphere - Pakistani Blogosphere

Mohsin Hamid on Events in Pakistan

Mohsin Hamid's latest op-ed is pretty good. Recommended reading for anyone who wants to know how things looked/look from the perspective of the every day life in Pakistan. You can read it here, on the Washington Post site.

I attended a talk by him at Stanford last year, and my first reaction was that what he was saying, the world view and experiences were the experiences of any Pakistani of our age and station, so to speak. (I think he's about a year older than me.) And he writes well. It's good to have him around, with his facility with English and "global" culture to bring that voice, that view of the world to the table. And given his visibility and position as a globally-best selling author, to have what he says read and noticed.

Of course, I am still very disappointed with him and others of our generation and/or background--and this even includes, to some extent, folks like Imran Khan, who made sympathetic noises--for initially supporting the military take-over in 1999. But more on that as and when I can write--or maybe some readers can comment and discuss that aspect.

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Cross-posted on the iFaqeer, Wadiblog, ProgressiveIslam.org, and Pak Tea House blogs.
Technorati tags applicable to this post: Benazir - Pakistan - Mohsin Hamid

Nobel Prize Update: Well Played, Adil Bhai!

The news going around in Pakistani circles is the fact that one of our own is the one of the Convening Lead Authors in the team that shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. [And of course, the team is chaired by another South Asian; Rajendra Pachauri.]

Pakistani scientist in Nobel team -DAWN - National; October 14, 2007
http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/14...
WASHINGTON, Oct 13: Pakistani professor Adil Najam, now teaching at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, US, is amongst the team of scientists and experts in the Intergovernmental ...

Over the years, I have come to know Dr. Najam rather well, and have learned from and been inspired by him:

http://ifaqeer.blogspot.com/2006/07/adil-najam-blogs-and-new-graphic-ethic.html

http://ifaqeer.blogspot.com/search?q=adil+najam

In the idiom of South Asian sport, Well Played, Adil Bhai; Bahoth Aala, Adil Bhai!

PS: From a comment Dr. Najam posted on Pakistaniat.com:

Thank you to all for their kind wishes and congrats. I should add, however, that the Nobel was awarded to the work of the IPCC (a panel of eminent global climate change experts), so I am just one of the many experts on that Panel. I have served on the IPCC for some 8 years, the last many as a Convening Lead Author. So, yes, it does feel terrific to have one’s work and research celebrated by the Nobel Committee, but it really is an honor shared by many (including by Dr. Tariq Banuri who played a leading role in the IPCC’s evolution in the past).
Some links: Dawn, Boston Globe, The Fletcher School.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Adil Bhai - Nobel Peace Prize

Shia-Sunni Unity in the Face of Extremism...

... or what you will



I have been struggling with a post on some of what is happening in Pakistan. And if you're not following it, you should; whether you're a Pakistani or anyone else. Things are bit hectic around me right now, but the thing is, Pakistan's in an interesting phase. And there's more than one thing happening. The subject line above, I have to admit, is one that might have drawn your attention. But it is one of at least three I could have chosen. Let me say a few things quickly and I'll post more later.

There have been quite some words said about how you see well-heeled folks come out on the streets lately. (You can start at my earlier post and follow the links.) But there's more than that afoot.

On the one hand, the ethnic party that started as the political vehicle for the "Muhajirs", the MQM, held a massive (check out the pictures) rally downtown Karachi. And I mean downtown. (I haven't been in Karachi as a resident in about 13 years now, but I have never seen anyone do a New York-style "urban canyon" look for a rally/parade before--but that's the part of the point about the MQM, these are urban kids, with urban sensibilities...) And yes, those who have followed the the MQM and Pakistani politics will have their critiques and condemnations of the MQM--from the philosophical to the inane (Pakistan's leading comic is a supporter and, apparently, now an advisor to the provincial government)--but a rally where Muslims of various sects, and ulema of various sects, gather in their thousands to rally for unity has to be something you want to see. The picture above is quite a statement, isn't it? [It's from a site linked from the MQM site; not sure whose the site is.] People often do not want to hear his name or the party's. But their voice is often one of the clearest about the hypocrisy and other foibles of the "religious right". You can read more at:

The Dawn story at: http://dawn.com/2007/04/16/top2.htm

The Daily Times' story whose headline translates to "Shia-Sunni; Brother to Brother/"Sharia by Force"; We do not need"

If you can bear to be at their website, you can see more news links there. If you don't want to, do check out the discussions on the Karchi Metroblog and Pakistaniat.com. The former is a great way to get things live from the ground, and the latter gives you a taste of middle class expat zeitgeist.

And speaking of the middle class, it does seem like Pakistan's well-heeled folks are starting to push back, stand up and be counted. For example, there's been a petition drive going against the commercial development of the best-maintained part of the seashore in Karachi. And the Teeth Maestro's post is a good place to start. Take a look at the pictures on Flickr, a lot of them by photoblogger Abro and those by Altamash Saahab, starting about here. I am reproducing some here. The protest isn't a big one compared to the other one, but the cross-section of people is interesting...and something I want to talk about later:

Notice with what we in the US would call a "Hijabi" person in this one:And one last one from Altamash Saahab--just for the kids:I really must stop here. Will write more later.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Saahil Bachao - Karachi - Shia-Sunni Unity - MQM

Pakistan: Crisis Coverage, Expats, and Professionals in the Streets

As a blogger, you don't often to write to a specific audience and to the tight requirements of an editor. But when the current crisis (or are there now two, no, three of them?) in Pakistan started about the Chief Justice being dismissed, I had done a post about the situation. And then I was invited by the SAJA Forum, the South Asian Journalists' Association's Blog to write a piece summarising things for their audience. This gave me a chance to step back and think about how the crisis--or crises--around my home country is being covered, and what the fundamentals are of the issue. SAJA Forum carried my piece on the 20th of March. The actual news might be a bit dated now, but since the piece was targeted to an audience of journalists, it gives you a good round-up of where to go for updates on the crisis.

Since then, there's been a lot of coverage of the lawyer's protests and what's going on in Pakistan--including Ahmed Rashid appearing on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air". He actually talks quite a bit about what he says is Musharraf's increasingly precarious position. But I will talk about that more later--there are aspects of that appearance and issues related to it that I want to discuss. But especially for people not familiar with the ground situation in Pakistan today--whether you are non-Pakistani, or a Pakistani or Pakistani-American who's not lived in the country in a while--that is a must-listen. His point about the people who are usually the last to come out in a revolution now being on the streets actually, I feel makes the point I was making in my original post on the crisis, about the fact that Pakistanis not usually doing the street thing--we've gone straight to that last stage of the process, without the earlier stages of the protest cycle.

On the other issue I covered on my SAJA Forum post, ArR has done a good job of collecting links related to Musharraf's situation.

There's more to talk about this this situation. Like expats getting involved, as I pointed out in my last post. That was the positive side of expats. But then, Athar Osama, an analyst that, paradoxically, has the Rand Graduate School as his doctoral alma mater asked a very relevant question; one that I have asked in relation to Internet Censorship and and the like:

PAKPAC:

Ref to your condemnation of the mistreatment of Amna Butter, I'd like to know which constitutional right are you talking about? The same constitution that was mercilessly butchered for the last 7 years to support the ambition of power of one individual and PAKPAC and others supported that treatment? Shouldn't we all forget about that constitution and the rights that it grants us? I think it is high time that we either support that constitution in full or not even mention the rights it gives us...

By the way, even today that constitution prohibits General Musharraf to hold the office of the President....

Best,
Athar

Something to think about--especially for expats...

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Pakistan - Media

Pakistan: An Expat Lends Her Voice

This is just one incident in thousands like this happening in Pakistan on any given day, but the image of an expat raising their head and letting out a full-mouthed shout of protest at a rally actually inside Pakistan--and getting manhandled by the police for her effort--is something that bears notice and mention:

Dr Amna Buttar Protesting alongside Lawyers, on 3rd April 2007, in front of Supreme Court of Pakistan

ANAA, her organization, has been doing some interesting work and raising important issues. It bears a visit if you haven't already heard about them or don't know much.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Expatriates - Pakistan - Protests in Pakistan

Interfaith Work, The Diaspora/Expats, and Pride

Someone on a list I am on (actually, two lists I am on), posted an article about Eboo Patel. You know, one of those things about NRI's (Non-Resident Indians) making good. I had the honour of being on the same radio show as Eboo P about a year ago now, and I agree that he's something to be proud of for any community he's part of. See can listen to the radio appearance here.

But the moment I got that mail, I had just gotten back (less than 24 hours) from 3 weeks in India and Pakistan (Karachi and Lucknow; meeting with people from several social strata) and I am not sure the people "on the ground" need to be *TAUGHT* anything new about being nice people of other faiths--what we need are strong voices countering things like, just to provide one example, articles about Keith Ellison titled "Muslim Zionist" (the Jamat-e-Islami's English-language newsletter "Radiance Weekly" in INDIA--quoting, it later turned out, further making the point, a Stateside fanatic rag). And it is the diaspora that needs new voices on this. On the ground, there are enough people with the a moderate outlook, a strong spine, and a track record; we just need to find them and support them.

I guess what I am saying is that we should be doing lists of Indians (or, more importantly, South Asians) in South Asia that we can be proud of--and then listen to what they are saying and support what they are doing. Here's my list:

• Sandeep Pandey, Lucknow
• Bloggers everywhere
• The War Against Rape in Karachi and in Lahore (two independently-run
  organizations)

And those are just the ones I met without much effort or reaching out. Then there are others one hears about:

• The folks working to create a common ground initiative IN Ayodhya between faith communities. I'd like to see someone in the diaspora hold a candle to that. I have a booklet in Hindi I can photocopy and send anyone interested
• Asma Jehangir, Hina Jilani, IA Rehman, et al and the HRCP in Pakistan...

I could go on...

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Moderate Muslims - India - Pakistan - Interfaith Relations - NRIs - Expatriates - Muslim Diaspora - Muslims in the West

Letter From Lucknow...About Karachi

As some readers will know--my apologies for not formally informing readers on the blog--I have been travelling on a long-delayed "visit home". My connectivity--and time on the computer--have been sparse in the last two or so weeks. I hadn't been able to travel for almost six years now--and hadn't been to our ancestral stomping grounds in Lucknow for eight. So I thought I should provide some updates from "the road", so to speak.

There are a million thoughts that have gone through my head (smoking is now banned in Pakistan Government offices--by order of the Supreme Court; Karachi, at least, now has a LOT of book stores; newer elevators in India have elevator music--desi elevator music; ...) but the first couple of things that merit--I'd say mandate--mention:

http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=37479

which my brother and I found very, very apropos. The only thing missing is a direct caution (though #6 seems to cover it somewhat) that cellphone-snatching is a very present and common danger. There are now two types of people in Karachi: those that carry cool cellphones; and those that have been mugged. Oh, and yes, especially in English-speaking circles, the word "mugged" is now not something you hear about happening in far-away New York City. There is, sadly, very regular occasion to use the word.

Secondly, I had the honour, yes, honour, not honor, to attend a gathering of some of Pakistan's bloggerati--including the photoblogger recently profiled by Time Magazine. See:

http://karachi.metblogs.com/archives/2007/01/karachi_blogger.phtml

Regards, Salaam, and Adaab from a new suburb in the "The Old Country",

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Pakistan - Karachi - Bloggers - Expatriates - Home