Reinventing Pakistan: The Rise of The Left

#56

``Pakistan was created in the name of islam and is a pure ideological state and had limited linguistic,cultural,geographic pretext for its creation.``

A blatant falsehood. Pakistan was not created for Islam but for only the Indian Muslims. Islam and Muslims are two quite seperate categories, even contradictory mostly. Again, Pakistan was created by Muslim League and not those parties which professed to be Islamic. In fact the latter had opposed the Pakistan movement tooth and nail.

#77, Mr. IAliBirmingham, {``If it is not Hypocrisy on the part of Americans and Europeans then what else ? ``}

I understand what you mean. Not to mention the hijab worn by many Catholic nuns and the cruelty of celibacy imposed on priests, monks, and nuns.

``Pakistan traditionally has not been kind to inquirers or intellectuals``

mashallah, what a brilliant exercise in understating things. you could have put women and children and ordinary pakistanis into this category of Pakistan-been-not-so-kind too.

VERY confoosing article. What does science have 2 do w/ psychosocial research? I thot it was called sociology or some such thing.
U r also conflating science w/ technology.
Science gave us the internet which is supposed 2 free the individual.

on a slightly different note, not meaning to counter anybody`s points:

urdu speaking community in Karachi should have gotten over with their hangups on being Ehl-e-Zubaan and being the ancestors of nawabs and owners of imaginary mansions and estates in UP, long time back. Mohajirs and their intellectual lot never made an effort to acquaint themselves with the rich sindhi heritage and its culture, literature etc. The land they had chosen to settle down for good. Most likely, because the establishment had it going for them by modulating Islam/TNT through Urdu everywhere at the expense of native cultures and since learning Sindhi never figured into getting jobs. They created their own bubble. From observation: the snooty behavior in Muhajir families seems to be quite rampant when it comes to non-muhajirs, even in the highly educated ones like the University professors and Doctors.

Contrast that to urdu speaking community living in Punjab (basically the ones whose granddads chose to stay in Lahore at the time of migration): they seem to have merged quite well with the punjabi culture and are bilingual. There is something to be said about that.

During the last rituals of Pope, American President, George Walker Bush and First Lady of America, Laura Bush were also present. During the whole ceremony, Ms Laura Bush had covered her head properly with a veil. Also all the other American and European women present there had covered their heads properly with veils.

It is also to be noted that all the Christian Nuns / Sisters always keep their heads properly covered with veils which are exactly same in shape as the scarf (Hijab) used by Muslim women to cover their heads. The same covering of head by Muslim women is openly and strongly being opposed by the American and European authorities and organizations. So much so that covering of heads by girl students and teachers has been banned in many educational institutions in USA, Canada and Europe.

In addition covering of head by some in USA, Canada and Europe dubbed as sign of oppression while the others call it fundamentalism / extremism.

If this is not blatant Hypocrisy then what else ?

Further, Pope is leader of all the Churches in the world who is always a man. Heads of all the churches in the world are always men. There have been and are many very senior Nuns / Sisters in different churches. At least some of them may have been excellent in knowledge and character but never a Nun / Sister has been made head of the church.
On the other hand the People in America and Europe bitterly criticize Muslims that they do not let women come forward in the religious institutions. If some one goes back in to history, he / she will find several Muslim women scholars of Islam who were also accepted by all the Muslims as Mufti (one who is an authority on Islam and can issue an edict). Can anybody bring one example of such a woman in any other religion ? No, there is none.

If it is not Hypocrisy on the part of Americans and Europeans then what else ?

Salim Bhaijan... I was just joking yaar. I love Urdu, and I agree that Punjabi sucks - but in a good way. I get jealous of Urdu speakers and I wish I spoke Urdu like my Guruji, he is not even native Urdu speaker.. He is Bengali from Kolkota...

#63, Kulharee {``I think Urdu should be just one (optional) subject in schools across the nation, since it is only spoken by Mohajirs (only 8% of the population). The medium of instructions in Pakistan should be the native languages. ``}

Dear Axe Brother,
I am seriously agreeing with you and disagreeing with you in your message. Yes, Urdu should not be the medium of instrution. And no, the native languages, should not be the medium of instruction. The natives are not only revolting, but they are disgusting also. :)

I say we use English as our instruction medium and the official language. That is the only way we can work with India and share its bounty of call center proliferation revenues. Also, for the absolutely necessary reunification with India, Pakistanis will need to speak ``furfur`` English. :)

Saima,
Very interesting way to look at the political spectrum, if one exists anymore, in Pakistan. Yes, the left in most societies had been progressive, liberal (duh?), and egalitarian in outlook. With the fall of communism, something unusual happened. Many Pakistani ex-commies, in their zeal to hate the US and the west, decided to become Jihadist, right-wing, fundo Muslims. The PPP, hardly the Communist Party of Pakistan, once in power, especially during the two short Benazir terms, became more of a party of feudals. I contend that the left basically got devoured by self-interest or born-again Islam - the remainder just absconded to western countries. Once there, the Pakistani leftists just wasted away trying to emulate the burning issues of western leftists - gay rights, feminazi agenda, color issues, environmental, anti-nuclear, and peace activism. The more important issues of basic healthcare, education, genuine concern for women`s rights, clean water, and decent housing were lost in the clamor for same sex marriages. We must be grateful to Mushy for preserving and enhancing the liberal agenda in Pakistan. The progress (or diminished deceleration) of human development can only be attributed to Mushy`s regime. The neglect of education, the curse of Hudood laws, and proliferation of burkas, resembling grotesque little individual tents, can all be attributed to the legacy of the past 40 years - Bhutto`s ``leftist`` agenda and Zia`s ``rightist`` one. Thanks for providing this opportunity to discuss an interesting phenomenon.

bts

``Has Musharraf made a new left for us too? ``

I also laughed my tail off when I read that Pakistan is about to establish colonies over the moon in this article. I think Saima has turned into a narc; she used to be really cool sometime ago.

But situation for the left is not that bleak. There are some blue blooded leftists left in Pakistan who stood the test of time and still are paragons of virtue, honesty and justice. Zahida Hina is one of them, whom I deeply respect (and probably I am secretively in love with her too).

the article for some reason shows a reading of post-Cold War theory and history - and seems to be clueless of what precedes.

some very interesting and intelligent points. E.g. Science serving the global Right. (Golbal is important).

However, being involved in grass-roots leftist activism, this piece seems to me to be no more than a better articulation of edifying middle-class ideals and the Dream. There were a host of things that were discussed without any reference to their histories which is imperative to their understanding and functioning: identity and culture. There was no mention of army getting entrenched in the political system everyday. The pretty picture that the author has painted is actually a stark realization of what the General wants this country to be. And the stuff in the pointers. It is quite quite preposterous.

Several new parks and cleaner roads - Oh REALLY! Where have you been living? Not in Karachi of course. (The park they made out of sabzi mandi is named `ASKARI PARK` btw)

Several flyovers in Karachi, with remarkably less traffic congestion than a year ago. In a city where construction takes years this is an achievement (WAAAAAAHH!!)

Organized airports (I am lost. No seriously...)

Revamp of the identification systems e.g., passports, ID cards (For? providing more facilities? NOOOOO... Uncle Sam.... hmmmm...)

Police hotline (YES! Something most karachiites would never use to save their life!)

Significant entrepreneurial activity albeit manufacturing is not growing as fast apart from textiles (Thanks to import bans on China)

Rapid growth in educational institutes (Yes. And PhD`s. Like Dr. Atta supervising 200 theses at the same time)

Better roads and telecommunication (Of Course, Of Course. A Curse upon myself if this is false)

Increased accountability from all levels of authority. (THIS is a GEM! No seriously, how many times have you seen ANY general or karnal getting convicted in a `bloody` civilian court in the history of this country? And they mind the top public and private companies. Ooooooh I get it. I get it. You mean they are so `professional` and `disciplned` and of `high morals`... I see I see).

But really, enough is enough. I suggest you start writing about Pakistan

I do not know which left do you represent, but in your long essay I saw no mention of the working-class or the peasants or that wage workers get a 20 PAISA rise ANNUALLY at the top Manufacturing concernsin Pakistan (e.g. Packages Pakistan). Which left are you talking about lady? Has Musharraf made a new left for us too?

Happy New Reality.

#70 by Urstruly on January 5, 2006 11:20am PT


the impossible part of the war is to fight with the 10 year old girl`s hijab.


It`s Islamists like you who`re threatened by the 10 year old because she`s not wearing the hijab...Although the liberterian in me abhors the french restrictions, I think it`s high time someone did something to civilize muslims..

#66 by arjun_m on January 5, 2006 10:00am PT

The easiest part in the ideological wars is fighting suicide bombers; the impossible part of the war is to fight with the 10 year old girl`s hijab.

Pakistan is Yugoslavia in the making. And that might be the only outcome to save this nation.

#67 by IAliBirmingham on January 5, 2006 10:47am PT

``For that - fine it is a good place to discuss and get enlightenment on the forum of chowk, but the field work has to be among the masses and the proletariat who are the actual rulers of tomorrow if it has to be some kind of socialism. ``

Personally, I think the field work had started during and after Jihad in Afgahinstan with Soviets. It has two components to it: one component was the actual mobilization of the foot soldiers who faught the war and second component is the ideological component that penetrated into the society through mosque and madrassa. Fifteen years later what we have is an acutely polarized society. The society is polarized into the ruling class and an absolutely disenfranchised oppressed class, who now can see that the ideological component that they were made aware of was absolutely true. The country has been occupied by a slave class who are reminiscent of our colonial past. They have their fangs dug deep into the jugular of the oppressed class and they are not willing to relent the slightest of the concession to the oppressed class.

But the ruling class is also scared to death by the level of awareness among the prolitereate, as you put it. They name this phenomenon as the ``Talibanization of Pakistan`` and portray it to their Western masters as religious extremism. West has its own axe to grind in this respect. In short, any populist agenda at this time will be crushed with deadly force. The disappearance of about 16,000 activists, imams, and religious leaders under POTA like laws, in Pakistan, and criminal silence of western human rights orgs over this is a sad reminder as to what people of Pakistan are up against.

Dekhta kaya hae mere mun ki taraf
Quaid-i-Azam ka Pakistan dekh
(Why do you look towards me ,l ook at Quaid-i-Azam’s Pakistan)
In our own country, the Pakistani ruling-class, which is a product of British colonialism, is ideologically, economically, culturally, and politically enslaved to imperialism. From the exploitation and genocide in Bangladesh, to the oppression of nationalities, minorities, workers, peasants, and women, they have proved to be corrupt to the core. Politically our country is once again under military dictatorship. Economically, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. We are slaves of our own backwardness.Our ruling class, over the years, has systematically been purged of the enlightened and progressive people. Our rulers have one and only one agenda that is to produce conditions for a system making room for the capitalistic system of production and accumulation of the capital in a few hands only. Considering the specific conditions of our country it is difficult but not impossible to think of a revolutionary change. yes we can have a socialist system and ultimately the Islamic Socialism here in Pakistan also. For that - fine it is a good place to discuss and get enlightenment on the forum of chowk, but the field work has to be among the masses and the proletariat who are the actual rulers of tomorrow if it has to be some kind of socialism. All the religions at their respective times were revolutionary and were instrumental for drastic changes and betterment of the societies of their times. When ever there is a struggle for changes the old system has no option but to resist to the change.