SEEING the latest issue of the newly born literary journal Duniyazad, which has been devoted to the study of terrorism, one may well ask whether it is really a literary magazine?
Traditionally, the contents of a literary journal in Urdu are confined to the ghazal, the nazm, the short story and criticism. The pages reserved for literary criticism may at times be generous enough to accommodate art or an article on some philosophical theme in view of its impact on literature. Hardly any journal has dared to disturb this pattern. But now some adventurous souls in Karachi seem bent upon destroying this set pattern, thinking that it is outdated. Duniyazad is a case in point.
Ignoring all literary issues, which are being hotly discussed in our magazines, this journal has chosen to devote its first issue to the Palestinian problem. And it is not content to present the problem with reference to its human situation, as seen and depicted by the Palestinian writers and by our own men of letters. It has gone a step further. the journal has taken time to present an in-depth study of the problem in its historical and political perspective, though it had to rely much on the special studies done by the political analysts and scholars.
The same pattern has been followed in the present issue, which has been devoted to the problem of terrorism, with particular reference to the developments in our region after the events of September 11, 2001. The editor seems to insist that the writers, too, owe some responsibility in respect of the grim problem of terrorism, which is playing havoc with our senses, our psyhe. No doubt the questions arising from the September catastrophe in New York are very crucial. No sensitive writer can afford to evade them. Such are the concerns of this journal.
There are writers in Pakistan, though not large in number, who share these concerns. Their writings, included in this volume, speak of their intense feelings in this respect. Significantly, female writers are more sensitive to the situation we are faced with. We find here Fahmida Riaz, Fatma Hasan, Zahida Hina and, above all, Kishwer Naveed who is here with six short poems and two prose pieces. This, however, is not an attempt to underestimate what has been said by Zeeshan Sahil, Hasan Abidi, and Ahfazurrahman in their own poetic way.
While going through these writings along with those published elsewhere, I felt that we are oscillating between two versions of terrorism; one perpetrated by the fundamentalists the other emanating from the American war against terrorism. As a reaction to the American action, many people have been seen developing a sympathy for their fundamentalist victims forgetting their past extremist actions. Their sad plight after their surrender provoked a few authors to write novels and poems on their helplessness. So by a twist of circumstances the Zalims of yesterday appeared transformed into the Mazlooms of today.
But writers like Arundhati Roy and Najib Mahfooz, whose writing have been included in this volume, are very clear on this point. “With due apology to America,” says Arundhati, “people are not under the compulsion of making a choice between that country and the Taliban. All the beautiful assets of human civilization, our arts, our music, our literature, lie beyond the pale of these two fundamentalistic extremes.”
Najib Mahfooz says: “Unfortunately, the Muslims are the victims of this war. But more necessary for us is to realize that Islam itself is the greater victim. The Taliban hijacked Islam and disfigured it. They perpetrated most barbaric acts in the name of Islam. Of course, we should protest on the killing of innocent Afghans. But at the same time, it is incumbent on us to oppose the way the Taliban misinterpreted Islam.”
The observations by the two writers about Osama bin Laden are interesting and meaningful. Arundhati poses a question: “who is Osama bin Laden?” And then confides in us that it is a family secret with the US. In fact, Osama and bin Laden, she reveals, are twins, both behaving in the same way and speaking the same language!
Najib Mahfooz sees in him the resurrection of Hasan bin Sabbah. He reminds us that Hasan, living in the mountains and was hence renamed Shaikhuljabal because of his acts terrorized the whole Islamic world. Osama, too, living in isolation in the mountains of Afghanistan, is playing the same kind of role. “He is the Shaikhuljabal of our times.”
So here we find so many internationally known writers, scholars, and political analysts pondering over the phenomenon of terrorism, each analyzing it in his or her own light. Arundhati has reached the conclusion that there is no easy way out of the terrorism and barbarism the world is faced with. It, she suggests, will be advisable for us all to pause and employ our collective wisdom, both ancient and modern, to have an understanding of this phenomenon. While Najib Mahfooz thinks that the salvation of the world lies in its turning back to the principles of justice. The US in particular has been advised to follow this principle. Therein lies for the world the way out of the crisis it is now facing.
SEEING the latest issue of the newly born literary journal Duniyazad, which has been devoted to the study of terrorism, one may well ask whether it is really a literary magazine?
