| February 18, 2006 | Saturday | Muharram 19, 1427 |
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Sugar price hike
Tackling basic problems
Mubashir Hasan’s interview
Moving cinemas
Hamas success
Cleaning the city
Ship to Pakistan
Loot and plunder
Railway accidents
Digging roads
Working conditions at UET
Foreign requirement
Kite flying
IN his column, “Let’s move on,” regarding the blasphemous Danish cartoons (Feb. 11), Mr Irfan Husain has said, “we (Muslims) get worked up over trivia...” and that, “Forbidding non-Muslims to (depict Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is tantamount to telling them to live under Shariah laws...”
He has also, as usual, tried to sympathize with other people’s point of view while finding fault with the Muslims, this time about allowing themselves to be manipulated (by some leaders) into lashing out against the West several months after the initial appearance of the caricatures.
For those who have little attachment to religion, their parents or their countries usually attract their greatest reverence and love. But, as the well-known British journalist Robert Fisk, regarded as a specialist in Middle Eastern affairs with much exposure to the Muslims, has repeatedly pointed out, including in case of the present turmoil, unlike the Christian West, we live our religion.
A Muslim’s faith is considered imperfect unless his love for the Prophet (PBUH) exceeds the love for his parents (or any worldly entity). For those secularists who do not understand the mystical dimensions of love, this would be trivial and unfathomable.
There are 57 Islamic countries where a Muslim may be able to live or he could choose to settle down even in a non-Muslim land, as many have done. However, the Prophet is just one for all times to come and allegiance to him far exceeds that to nation-states as well, that tend to appear or disappear with time. Apparently, Mr Husain has not even read the news about the caricatures attentively. It is not merely a question of drawing an imaginary image of the Prophet but he has been depicted in an insulting way that insinuates that he was intolerant and a proponent of terror. What other real purpose is being served by the many western newspapers reprinting these cartoons than to maliciously add to the pain caused to the Muslim community?
The law in the West forbids anyone from disturbing the peace of his or her neighbours by playing loud music or even talking loudly (at least at night). In this era of satellite communications and the Internet, distances are meaningless in our global village. Causing emotional trauma to 1.5 billion Muslim neighbours residing on this shared planet, breathing the same air and drinking the same water should be unthinkable for any westerner who respects human rights.
It is regrettable that the columnist has tried to dismiss blasphemy of the Prophet as a trivial matter and criticized his co-religionists unfairly, which can only increase the arrogance of the detractors of our most revered personality. Instead, he should have put the blame squarely where it lies. Before moving on, we must utilize all the non-violent means at our disposal to ensure such uncivilized western behaviour is never repeated.
Otherwise, everything that we believe in or hold sacred will continue to be targeted, like the Holy Quran was last year, and we will either suffer endlessly or capitulate and become irreverent about religion, as the West itself is and wants us to become.
ADIL ABDULLAH
Karachi
ONE feels outraged by the publication of cartoons insulting the Holy Prophet in a newspaper in Denmark and their reproduction in certain other newspapers in Europe.
I appeal to the Muslim communities which live in Denmark and many other countries of Europe, where such reprehensible cartoons have appeared in newspapers, to submit petitions to their respective parliaments and institute legal cases in the higher law courts for punitive action against the offending newspapers.
As a test case this matter should be raised in a law suit before the European Court of Justice. The Muslim communities in Europe now have some eminent lawyers in their ranks. They should tap every legal channel to seek remedial action under the law for protecting their religious beliefs. What has been printed in a Danish newspaper violates the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and it can be taken to the World Court of Justice at the Hague.
The UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva is a good forum for seeking justice for Muslims to safeguard their religious beliefs and practices. But the OIC should take the lead in this case and mobilise teams of international lawyers to pursue the matter in national law courts and parliaments and lobby with media and legal organizations for enacting laws to protect the religious beliefs of Muslim citizens. Muslims should take a lesson from the way in which Jewish communities in European countries have succeeded in securing enactment of laws against the publication of anti-semitic matter in the media.
QUTUBUDDIN AZIZ
Karachi
PRESIDENT Musharraf needs to take time out from his busy schedule and look at some of the scandals that could have been avoided. The recent sugar crisis that has been a bonanza for sugar mill owners and middle men has created a lot of ill will in the population. How many members of his federal cabinet and of the PML-Q hierarchy own sugar mills? The answer unfortunately is quite a lot. It is a strange coincidence that while these individuals have reaped a harvest of profits, the regime has suffered a lot in terms of political credibility.
No action was taken until the president moved and started asking questions. This reminds you of faulty tents supplied to earthquake victims, made of cotton drill instead of canvas, allegedly supplied by none other than a minister who owns a textile mill manufacturing cotton drill. The tents were not only unsuitable for harsh winter, but were overpriced.
This regime cannot afford such adverse publicity, given the precarious political situation that Pakistan finds itself in today. The fact that all power vests in the presidency puts the onus on the man who sits there.
The president needs to be seen to not only curb such activities, but making those involved be held accountable. There has lately been a series of failures, which could have been easily avoided.
The just concluded Haj operation was a total mess because of the ministry concerned and PIA. It is time President Musharraf started using the stick for members of his team and those who are nominated to deliver.
MIR TASSADAQ
Rawalpindi
KARACHIITES who are suffering the agony of bad roads full of pock-marks, treacherous manholes in the middle or on the side of the roads, smoke-belching rickshaws and buses and their deadly behaviour, in short, agonies which are multiplying every day, are being treated by certain goodies such as the beach-side parks, tallest fountain and now the overnight washing and cleaning of the roads, which is like treating a smallpox patient with make-up and fashionable dress.
One of the factors governing the decline of a community, nation or business is the wilful neglect of essentials. In the case of the nation it is the neglect of education, health and environment. We are seeing this flagrant neglect in Karachi. Instead of repairing the roads and removing the deadly manholes and ditches which cost life or limb of any rider, we are being treated to something which should come after the essentials have been completed. Can this cleaning and washing be done in congested and neglected areas like Lyari, New Karachi, Landhi and Orangi which together house the bulk of our artisans and labour class?.
Will our administrators correct their priorities, please?
F. HASAN
Karachi
THIS refers to Mr W. H. Ansari’s letter (Feb 12). It is not correct that all political leaders agree that Gen Musharraf had no option but to cooperate with Bush on 9/11. I am compelled to disclose that even in the meeting of political leaders called by the general for consultation on the Bush ultimatum of “yes or no” on war against Afghanistan, I unequivocally opposed jumping into the fray, advising caution and use of diplomatic skills. After all, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey felt no compulsion to knuckle under.
The decision to become party to Bush’s war against what he calls terrorism has perhaps helped the general, although it has put his life in danger. But it has done absolutely nothing for the country, which has become the target of retaliatory action by Bush’s nemeses. There has been no help forthcoming from Bush who has, on the contrary, violated our sovereignty not only by bombing Pakistan but also trough other acts of interference.
SARDAR MUMTAZ ALI BHUTTO
Chairman, Sindh National Front
THERE has been a cry by cinema owners in recent years for permission to show Indian movies in Pakistan. It was good that the authorities refused to give permission for this.
But what about the hundreds of cheap Indian movies being run in buses/coaches these days, which I think do more damage where every single passenger is forced to watch the vulgarity?
I can still recall the pale face of a bearded old man standing perhaps with his daughter at the bus station of Faisalabad a few days back. He was waiting for a bus to come which didn’t shows videos.
There are so many other acceptable choices for bus owners to lighten the boredom of passengers which may include informative programmes from National Geographic, etc.
M. ABOU AMAD
UET, Lahore
HAMAS has scored dramatic victory in the Palestinian election.
The Islamic resistance movement enjoys massive grassroots support among the Palestinians.
This was the first time Hamas contested parliamentary polls and its success clearly shows its popularity which has rattled Israel, the US and the European Union.
Attaining power through democratic means, Hamas must now be allowed to govern democratically. The US and the West which describe themselves as upholders of democratic values should not put hurdles in the peaceful transfer of power.
Their conditions for working with Hamas negate the spirit of democracy.
Unless this spirit is upheld, peace cannot be possible in the troubled Middle East.
SYED FAWAD HASHMEY
Lahore
IT is refreshing to see the Karachi city government taking interest in the cleaning of the city but the core issue has yet to be resolved. Nothing can be done until the general public is taught a lesson — not to litter. There is no point in cleaning roads when people regularly throw out garbage on the streets. The proportion of the spoilers to the cleaners is so large that the roads of Karachi can never be cleaned.
AYESHA MALIK
Karachi
AS a frequent traveller on ships to and from what used to be Bombay, I would like to refer to a news item on the Business page of your issue of February 14, Karachi-Mumbai ferry: service likely to start from June. As an eight-year old, I first took Scindia Steamship’s S.S. Sabarmati on September 3, 1950 when migrating from India to Pakistan. It was a new ship. Between 1950 to 1965 I made several voyages to Bombay and back on Sabarmati and its sister ship Saraswati. I was on the last but one voyage that Scindia’s ships and BI’s ships (Dwarka, Damra and Dara, the last-named ship sank on the Balochistan coast, while plying from Bombay to Basra, via Karachi) made between the two port cities of Pakistan and India. The services were stopped in September 1965 due to the ‘Indo-Pak armed conflict’, as it was then euphemistically called. The deck class fare was Rs 60 (one way) and second class cabin fare Rs 120. As a student I could not afford to pay first class cabin fare, hence I can’t remember the first class fare, except that it was more expensive than the return airfare (Rs 375 in the early sixties).
The Scindia ships used to weigh their anchors from Prince’s Docks in Bombay on Saturday around 5 pm and reach Keamari in Karachi on Monday early morning — a distance of about 500 miles in 38 hours. The return journey commenced on Monday at 5 pm.
The ships’ cruising speed was around 14 knots. (I don’t agree with the report in your paper that the ferry would cover the distance in 10 hours, even if it moves at 40 knots per hour, which seems unbelievably high).
The ships dropped anchor in the open sea near Mandvi (a town on the Kutch coast) and the passengers used to shift to country boats. That was convenient for passengers who wanted to take a train to cities in Gujarat from Mandvi. Those passengers were replaced by Indian passengers who boarded the ships for Bombay. It took less time than the train, which had a longer route. During monsoons – from May to September — when the sea was rough ships plied directly. Monsoons or no monsoons, BI ships didn’t drop anchor near the Kutch coast. They went straight from Bombay to Karachi and vice versa.
Steamships, like the ones described above, were considered out of date; the motor ships were more modern. MV Asia and MV Victoria used to link Karachi with the UK. The ship that carried the Pakistan cricket team to England in 1954 was MV Batory. Arrangements were made for net practice and a good number of balls were taken with the team for they often landed in the sea. The main ‘culprit’ was Merry Max, who was a hard hitter of the ball. He was to the 1954 team what Shahid Afridi is to our present team. If only he would have been born in the seventies or eighties to have played ODIs. ‘Hit out or get out’ was Merry Max’s maxim.
ASIF NOORANI
Karachi
Pakistanis have once again demonstrated they are a primitive people by their acts of arson and vandalism in the name of defending Islam. What did the Punjab assembly building have to do with the publishing of blasphemous cartoons in Europe? For that matter what did the destruction of cars and motorcycles achieve in hurting European countries? Even attacking Telenor, a Norwegian company, achieved little except provide the world with images of instability and lawlessness. These images will prove to be a disincentive for foreign businesses to invest in Pakistan.
Emotional, illiterate, irrational mobs need to be dealt with firmly. The police should have been given orders to prevent the widespread vandalism and arson. Some heads need to roll, starting with those of the chief ministers of the NWFP and Punjab.
OMAR MIRZA
New York, NY, US
THE frequent railway accidents and alleged sabotage of rail tracks all over Pakistan should be an eye-opener for the authorities. Tracks along the Karachi Cantonment Station are in a deplorable condition with encroachments on either side of the Lily Road Bridge. Shanty towns are springing up with people and children running across the lines. This is going on near the main station of Karachi and the tracks going to the City Station.
It is unbelievable that this situation should go unnoticed.
Let us hope the railway authorities will take action to avoid possible accidents.
S. BABAR
Karsachi
THE Karachi DHA has recently widened several roads. Unfortunately the contractors did not work in concert with the utility providers. After the roads were dug up and widened — something that took many weeks — and after they were resurfaced, the PTCL people came and dug everything up again.
The SDO of our area, which is phase II, was hardly ever available in his office to answer subscribers’ complaints. Why can’t the various government departments that work on the city’s roads at least coordinate their work?
QAMAR RASHEED
Karachi
THIS is in reference to the letter “Working conditions at UET” (Feb 14) by Mr Kamal Aftab. Dr Shahid Bokhari was a big asset for Pakistan. He is a fellow of the IEEE, the ACM, and is a member of the IEEE-CS and IEEE-COMSOC.
Recently, a letter of Mr Bukhari to the HEC was leaked to the media,in which he gave his reasons for his resignation. It was a long letter but Mr Kamal’s letter has highlighted the main points for his resignation which were also given by Mr Bukhari. We’ve lost the only true scientist we had for more than a decade. It is a great loss for the UET and a great loss for the country.
A. KHAN
Lahore
I was given a driving licence in 1996 from the computerized section of the driving licence branch (DLB), Old Clifton, Karachi. It was renewed in 1999, 2002 with validity till 2007. The DLB has graciously put “Dr” before my name.
I have applied for a driving licence in the UAE. They have two objections on my application and asked me to get these rectified before applying. One, ‘Dr’ is written before my name whereas the passport only says Mohammad Ayub Shaikh and, second, the DLB has used the abbreviation “M” for the word “Mohammad”. I am told that ‘Mohd’ is also not acceptable.
I request the authorities in Pakistan to kindly issue directives to all card-issuing departments and offices to take care of these things.
DR AYOUB SHAIKH
UAE
THE Supreme Court has lifted the ban on kite flying for 14 days, assuming:
1. The administration will protect human life.
2. People whose livelihood is linked with this profession can benefit from this relaxation.
Considering the nature of this activity, it is almost impossible for the administration to protect human life and property. I am afraid because of this relaxation we may lose lives of innocent citizens/children, not to mention the damage caused to property.
MOBASHIR A. MALIK
Lahore
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