ISLAMABAD: Noted poet and intellectual Iftikhar Hussain Arif has called upon the literati to uphold traditions of the progressive movement and speak against fascism, tyranny and social injustice.

“Poets and writers will have to decide whether they are on the side of the oppressors, tyrants, fascist forces and imperialism or with the oppressed working class, and peace-loving people,” he said while addressing a gathering of the literati of the twin cities at the Writers House, Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL), on Saturday.

The poetry reading session was organised by World Poetry Movement in collaboration with the Progressive Writers Association.

Mr Arif spoke about the history, achievements of the movement of progressive writers, poets and artists in South Asia, Latin America and Africa against colonialism, imperialism and exploitation of the working class.

He also mentioned the contribution of the Afro-Asian Writers Association and stressed the need for revival of the great traditions of progressive movement in the wake of shrinking space for dissenting views.

“Love will prevail and the forces of hate, fascism and exploitation and the darkness of injustices, exploitation, extremism and hatemongering will vanish,” he said.

He acknowledged the pioneers of the progressive movement, including Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Sajjad Zaheer, Pablo Neruda, Aziz Nay Sen, Nazim Hikmat and others.

Many senior and budding poets, including Dr Ravish Nadeem, Parveen Tahir, Dr Arshad Mairaj, Seemi Durrani, Asif Nawaz, Faheem Adarsh, Qamaruz Zaman, Abrar Umar, Hafeezullah Bahadar, Jahangir Imran and Dr Fakhra Durrani read their poetry.

The event aimed at calling upon poets and writers to raise their voices against the rising tide of extremism and rightwing populism, said Imdad Akash, the coordinator in Pakistan of the World Poetry Movement, said.

The World Poetry Movement (WPM) finds it necessary in this period of the rise of rightwing populism to organise events of poetry all over the world under the theme

“Calling all anti-fascists to resist the evil of white supremacy terrorising and even killing Muslims, Afro-Americans, indigenous Africans and immigrants from all over, especially from Latino countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala,” a statement issued by the movement read.

In today’s world, it becomes all the more incumbent upon the peace lovers to raise their voices against the hate mongers and the corporate the greed which are controlling media. Especially in India, food terrorism incidents are on the rise and beef-eaters are lynched by mobs.

Likewise, in Pakistan the media is being gagged and dissent voices are sniffed to camouflage the truth, said Rahat Saeed, member of the WPM coordinating committee members, according to the statement.

“The recent rise in crimes of hatred against minorities has come about through the internet and smartphones and other social media, the same instruments that the WPM uses, and that’s why it’s important that our call separates ourselves from the bigots and deranged haters of humanity and welcomes the fighting spirit of the lovers of what is decent an d humane over a month of truly anti-fascist events with the greatest of all weapons - the human poem.”

The inner power of poetry is love, as Nelson Mandela said. No one is born hating another person because of the colour of their skin or background, or religion. People are taught to hate and if they can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love, for the feeling of love comes more naturally to the heart than does its opposite. So we can no longer remain neutral.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2019