| 15 September 2004 | Wednesday | 29 Rajab 1425 |
Hashim Raza remembered
Toll on creativity?
Forget European Union divisions over the Iraq war. Europe's top policymakers are now even more fiercely split over Turkey's membership of the EU. The bloc's movers and shakers can be divided into inward-looking worriers who cannot stop whining endlessly about the dangers of allowing Turkey into the EU and those made of stronger mettle who believe Turkish entry will give the bloc a much-needed economic and foreign policy boost.
Former French president and chairman of the EU's constitutional conference, Valery Giscard d'Estaing is the undisputed leader of the group of naysayers, quivering with dread at the prospect of the impending 'turbanization' of Europe.
Joining Giscard as super scaremongerers are EU internal market commissioner Frits Bolkestein, who moans about Europe's "Islamization" and farm chief Franz Fischler, who says Turks are "oriental", not European.
Not surprisingly, Turks are not the only people appalled at the "medieval thinking" prevalent in Europe's corridors of power. But all is not lost. For a much-needed voice of reason on the subject, one has to turn - once again - to external relations Commissioner Chris Patten, who argues that bringing Ankara into the fold is just what the doctor ordered for a Europe in desperate need of more people, more security, a stronger economy and closer links with its Muslim neighbours.
"Turkey is a great Islamic country which is doing all things that we are urging," including moves to expand democracy, extend the rule of law, improve human and civil rights and "put the military in a box", Mr Patten said in a speech at the European Policy Centre think tank in Brussels. "When Turkey has done that, are we to say we are very sorry but you're not really European?" Mr Patten asked.
As Mr Patten admitted, the 25-nation bloc will have to change "pretty dramatically" to accommodate Turkey. Current costly farm and other regional development policies will have to be reined in to avoid one country getting the lion's share of EU funds.
But Europe's falling birth rates, low economic growth and declining share in world output - as well as its geostrategic standing - will be boosted by Ankara's entry.
Support for Turkey's accession to the EU has also come from an independent panel of senior European politicians which warned last week that there must be no delays in launching entry talks with Turkey if the European Commission gives the go-ahead to negotiations in October.
The bloc should not impose additional and more rigorous membership conditions on Turkey than those applied to other candidate countries, the panel said, adding that EU leaders who meet in December to decide on Turkey's membership bid must not put off a decision on starting negotiations.
A further delay could damage the EU's credibility," warned Martti Ahtisaari, the commission's chairman and former president of Finland. Ahtisaari warned that negotiations with Turkey could take up to 10 years but said the current "unprecedented" reform in the country would continue during this process.
The commission recognized fears among many in Europe about the entry of a largely Muslim nation, but said membership of the Union was a guarantee of the country's secular nature.
Panel members said they had decided to comment on Turkey's membership bid in order to allow for a "rational" public debate on the issue. That may be wishful thinking, however.
The debate on Turkish membership of the Union is expected to get even more heated in the run-up to a European Commission opinion on Ankara's readiness to start negotiations expected to be released on Oct 6.
EU leaders will decide in Brussels in December whether to set a date for the start of the talks - but even optimists admit Ankara will not be inside the Union before 2015 at the latest. So be ready for at least a decade or more of spine-chilling horror stories about fanatic Turks running amok in Europe.
Hashim Raza remembered
A special meeting to recall the life and services of Syed Hashim Raza, who, according to his admirers "symbolized the very image and spirit of Karachi," was held at the Arts Council.
The Adbi Committee of the council being the host, the meeting was presided over by Gen Moinuddin Haider and addressed by former diplomat Mehdi Masud, Aftab Ahmad Khan, social activist Begum Tazeen Faridi and former commissioner, Karachi, Shafiqur Rehman Paracha.
Gen Haider said Mr Raza was endowed with various qualities, like his discerning taste in literature and poetry, history and current affairs, besides being a master administrator.
He was a role model for the present generation of Pakistanis, belonging not only to Karachi, but the entire country, Gen Haider said, adding he was a confidant of Quaid-i-Azam and was highly judicious in his decisions.
"The large number of audience present here is enough to show the respect people had for him, and the extent of popularity he commanded, Mr Haider added. Begum Tazeen Faridi admired Mr Raza as well as Begum Raana Liaqat Ali for paving the path of social development in the country. "Don't call him (Mr Raza) a bureaucrat," she said, adding "he was a dynamic social worker."
Syed Safwanullah, who said he knew Mr Raza since the early years of Pakistan, remarked that Mr Raza gave everything to the country and asked for nothing in exchange. He was the guiding force for everyone, everywhere, and the youth should follow his footsteps, he observed.
Mr Paracha said Mr Raza was a role model in the civil service, and Karachi needed such honest and dedicated persons. Aftab Ahmad Khan praised Mr Raza for his tremendous work in Karachi to rehabilitate the displaced Mohajirs.
Rabab Haider said, Mr Raza was "Hashim Bhai" for everyone, old or young, since he took keen interest in our education and intellectual development. He invited us to chat and indulged in light conversation, which included discussions on poetry and other forms of creativity, he added.
That was his style of enriching us with knowledge and enlightenment, he said. Mehdi Masud said, recalling Mr Raza's services, that his nobility and zeal for creative work were the qualities which should be transferred to the next generations. Ali Raza and Salim Raza, both sons of Mr Raza, also spoke on the occasion, and offered their thanks to the organizers of the function, which was conducted by Naqqash Kazmi.
Toll on creativity?
HOW writers associated with journalism and writing routinely, often without a break, manage to compose poetry has always been a bit of a mystery. Shamim Naveed, columnist for an Urdu daily, presented a collection of ghazals and verses, Ek Saai ka Qatal Hua, on Friday (Sept 10) under the aegis of the Progressive Writers Association and Adabistan.
Writing prodigiously, which Naveed did for various 'digests' during most of his writing career, consumed a large part of his creativity and physical energy, said eminent poet Himayat Ali Shaer, who was the chief guest at the function.
Shaer disclosed his association with Naveed spread over 50 years. "This collection reflects the shattered pieces of our battered and disjointed lives," he said, and declared that had Naveed focussed his attention on poetry, many such volumes would have appeared by now.
Prof Saher Ansari backed Shaer's observations and said even excessive prose writing could not dampen the fire of creativity in Naveed's soul. While Prof Afaq Siddiqi found in Naveed's poetry strength to stay and survive with the passage of time, Sarver Javed said it carried a sense of loneliness and portrayed the frustrations of our lives.
Prof Farman Fatehpuri, who presided over the proceedings, admired Naveed for the distinct flavour of his ghazals and verses which included some prose poems as well. Prof Yunus Ramz presented a shield to the poet. Noted poet Jamiluddin Aali was also present and he was asked to hand over the shield to Naveed.
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What was the significance of the horrendous 9/11 events in our national life and what were its causes and consequences? This topic was discussed at a meeting held on the third anniversary of 9/11 at the Arts Council on Saturday.
Journalists Farhad Zaidi and Ahfazur Rehman and Dr Khaleda Ghaus from Karachi University spoke on the occasion. Many aspects relating to the ongoing terrorism/war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine.
Zaidi in his brief note defined the position of Muslim countries, much maligned for their omissions, with the Western powers treating them vengefully. Ahfazur Rahman in his paper blamed the US for most evils and subservient Muslim rulers who kept their people uneducated, backward and poor.
Dr Ghaus took a broader view. Lamenting the aggressive designs of the US and the impotence of UN bodies, she felt that national boundaries in major parts of the world now stood blurred and terms like national independence had lost their meaning. The entire vocabulary of the political discourse had changed.
She also felt sorry over the indiscriminate use of terms like fundamentalism, Islamic extremism, and Muslim terrorists, coined in the West and clearly directed against the Muslims and used even by our own diplomats and politicians in their political statements.
Naqqash Kazmi, the poet, questioned the term 'US-Iraq war'. He said it was a misnomer because Iraq was only defending itself against the mighty war machinery of the US. It was not a "war" between two equals.
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The death of Ashfaque Ahmed shocked everyone who knew the eminent playwright, storywriter and fine conversationalist. His subtle humour and innocent 'sufi' discourses were fascinating and influenced a large number of TV viewers and all those who came in contact with him.
Sadly, his creative genius in the art of short- story writing went into oblivion as his involvement grew with the electronic media, to the extent that he had almost stopped writing stories in his last years.
I recall the noted writer, already a popular figure in the late '50s, being appointed editor of the weekly Lail-o-Nahar in 1959-60. The paper edited by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Syed Sibte Hasan was known for its anti-imperialist, anti-feudal policy and its support for constitutional democracy, policies which provoked Ayub Khan to take over the Progressive Papers Ltd, publishers of Lail-o-Naher, Imroze and the Pakistan Times.
Ashfaque Ahmad, a gentle, soft-spoken and friendly person who had no understanding or taste for politics, tried to gradually change the stance of the weekly in its contents and pushed it in favour of the government.
The task was difficult. Soon he felt that he was swimming against the tide. As the circulation of the journal declined, he left it. After all, he was not a journalist. But he was fair and friendly with his colleagues and confided in them with an open heart. He always remained a non- controversial figure.