Where are our libraries?

THIS refers the article, ‘Where are our libraries?’ (Nov 27), by Zubeida Mustafa. At last, someone has spoken up about this much-neglected subject.

Ms Mustafa points out that our “education department considers it to be a waste”. In my view only those who are ignorant and foolish would think that way.

The scant resources that we spend on adult education goes to waste as, those who go through such education, have a few opportunities to read without which their literacy fades away. They eventually relapse into illiteracy.

This might apply also to those who go through a few years of, say, secondary schooling and then get into a soul-killing manual or domestic job.

When I got my first job in the Reserve Bank of India and had to set up a home in Bombay, I got a Makrani boy, named Ghulam Rasool, from Karachi to help us in our tiny flat. I felt that, far away from home, he would feel lonesome. So I encouraged him to go to a night school and study. He used to borrow books from a library and became a voracious reader.

Later, after he left my service, he was literate enough to build up a flourishing business in his hometown, Gwadar. He soon became one of the honoured citizens of Gwadar and a member of the exclusive Gwadar Club!

In the meantime, my wife and I had moved to England. When, in 1966, my wife and I came to Karachi, he learnt about that and flew in to Karachi, specially to say hello to us and to invite us to go to Gwadar as his guests where he would put us up at the Gwadar Club.

I was reminded of the history of Babel, the head of the German SPD, who was orphaned very young and had no option but to get a labouring job. But he taught himself, also in a night school and using libraries. In time he became the great leader of the German Social Democratic Party.

A good library system can foster the potential of many whose talent can be set to work by such facilities. Considering the huge amounts spent on government projects which are sometimes of dubious value the comparatively minuscule amounts of money required for a good library system that should not be an impossible project. Perhaps our new minister will take it up and be remembered for it.

HAMZA ALAVI

Karachi

ZUBEIDA Mustafa has asked a very pertinent question in her letter, ‘Where are our libraries?’ (Nov 27).

A decent public library is what I myself need an access to many a time. At present I am doing research on the Crusades and I realize that I need access to a full-fledged library. I have had some books shipped to me from London but it will be difficult for me to buy and acquire all the material available on the subject.

The urban jungle that Karachi has become does not have even well-stocked bookshops, let alone libraries. The first book that I borrowed as a schoolboy was from the USIS library when it was located on M. A. Jinnah Road.

I also enjoyed going to the British Council library, then housed in a somewhat majestic building in Pakistan Chowk. I sorely miss the grand San Francisco Public Library which I used to frequent when I was living in San Francisco.

JAMIL D. DADABHOY

Karachi

Why Israel is not a democracy

THIS refers to the article, ‘Why Israel is not a democracy?’ (Nov 23), by Shahid Alam.

Israel is a Zionist state and that implies that it does not recognize Palestinians as a people with their distinct culture, land and civilization, having the right to return to the land of their birth.

Also, there exists a caste system in Israel, similar to that of the Hindus. At the top are the ‘Ashkenazi’ or white Jews, descendants of those who migrated from Eastern Europe, Germany and Russia. Today, this is the ruling class in Israel.

Next to them are the ‘Sephardic’ or oriental Jews, who migrated mostly from Middle East countries, such as Iraq and Yemen. They, together with the ‘Ashkenazis’, monopolize the privileges of the state.

At the bottom rung are two sub-castes: the ‘Falasha’ or Ethiopian Jews and the Palestinian Arabs. The only difference between the two is that the Ethiopians, besides, performing menial jobs, can also serve in the Israeli army. The Palestinian Arabs are the equivalent of the ‘Shudras’ in the Hindu caste system having no rights of any kind.

All this proves that Israel is a racist state where democracy functions only for the Jews of the upper ‘castes’ and, in no case, for the Palestinian Arabs. Such an exclusivist state cannot be called a democracy.

There is another dimension to the discussion of the Zionist state: the failure of Palestinian nationalism to unite the Arabs of the Middle East and North Africa in the former’s cause. In the past, we have witnessed the evil that nationalism brings in its wake, first in the disintegration of the Soviet Union and then in the break-up of Yugoslavia.

Both these entities were prosperous multinational states before they succumbed to the perils of nationalism.

There is a lesson in it for Yasser Arafat: insisting on a Palestinian state, purged of the Jews, is as futile as the experiment of Israel as a purely Jewish state, purged of the Palestinians. The solution lies not in two separate states for a people who have lived together for centuries but in a single binational state where both the communities can live in harmony.

RAZA NAEEM

Lahore

Revision of Kashmir policy

I AM writing with reference to the observations made by Benazir Bhutto during her interview on a private TV channel on Nov 27.

Ms Bhutto was of the opinion that Pakistan’s current policy on Kashmir needed serious rethinking and that armed struggle against India was not advisable in a post-Sept 11 world. According to the former premier, Pakistan’s security establishment is still living in the 1970s.

I disagree with Benazir’s other observations and even with her politics, but I think that there is some merit in what she said about Kashmir.

Pakistan has suffered a lot internally as a result of supporting the jihadis. Civil society got weakened and sectarianism and religious intolerance spread in society. Jihadi leaders got clout so much so that they began to challenge the government directly. Yet, in a post-9/11 world, any armed struggle, even if fully justified, would only be viewed as terrorism.

It is true that in the various parts of the world, injustices are being perpetrated on Muslims. But a Pakistan, with a weak economy, is in no position to take up Muslim causes vigorously. We are barely able to survive as a nation. How can we afford confrontation with other powers?

For the present, our only concern should be ourselves forgetting what is happening elsewhere.

OSAMA MUSTAFA LONE

Lahore

Dead fish on coast

THE dead fish, found in large numbers along the Clifton beach, had been a mystery for the last several days. Now, scientists from various institutes and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), have finally concluded that the dead fish (mullets, scatophagus, bangor, etc.), which are coastal species found in shallow waters and creeks, were dumped in the deep sea by some fishing trawlers who might have thrown them being unwanted.

This may have happened because foreign vessels have been fishing in our coastal waters and creeks for their target species. The fact is that fishing by foreign vessels in these areas has been prohibited to protect the interests of our fishermen who are not equipped with the sophisticated modern mesh size nets that the foreign vessels use.

I think that the EPA and the government of Sindh should take this matter seriously and devise more effective monitoring and surveillance strategies to protect our marine resources.

S. MAKHDOOM HUSSAIN

Karachi

Simplifying your life

LIVING simply is more purposeful, less time-consuming and, of course, tension-free. To simplify your life is to live with less worldly and luxurious wants, saving yourself from extra financial burden and workload and also to live with less distractions.

Simplifying life does not mean living in an empty house and sleeping on the floor. It means living life more naturally and comfortably.

People who choose to simplify their lives have more time and energy not only for themselves, but also for their families and friends. Such people tend to enjoy more outdoor and healthy activities as compared to people who are cooped in their apartments filled with electronic gadgets and tied down to a mechanical life.

If you simplify your life, you have more time to think about yourself and other people around you.

People who think of others, besides themselves, are less selfish and more loving and caring.

A simple life gives you more freedom because you have more time to think and plan to develop your talents and potentials.

Your mind is less disturbed and your nights are peaceful sweet dreams.

People living a simple life are close to nature and to its creator. This gives them a feeling of spiritual strength and inner courage which is beneficial for both physical and mental health.

Simplifying your life means craving less for worldly desires and unnecessary wants. This relieves you of a lot of mental burden, reduces stress in your life and saves you from always competing in the mad rat race of life.

Moreover, simplifying your life also means eating a simple diet, saving yourself from a lot of health problems and living healthier and happier.

NASIR ALI

Karachi

Osama’s tapes and Al Jazeera

THERE is powerful lobby that is engaged in the propaganda that Osama bin Laden is still alive, and Al Jazeera is playing in the hands of this lobby.

The latest audio tape gives an impression that Pakistan is a safe haven for the arch culprit. The story of the Al Jazeera representative in Pakistan, Ahmad M. Ziedan, explaining how the tape reached him, is based on total fabrication.

As he has stated, a telephonic message was received by him from an unknown man who asked him to come to a crowded place. In response to the message, Ziedan reached the place which he has not indicated in his statement. The tape was given to him by the stranger whose face he could see but cannot identify him because he was too afraid.

The ‘facts’, as related by him, are such that they need investigation by the government of Pakistan. It can easily be found out from where the telephonic call originated. While giving the story, he should have indicated the phone number. If he could not find it out, it can be done now. It was his responsibility to report it to the law-enforcement agencies. Instead, he sent it to Qatar. His sole objective seems to malign Pakistan.

I would appeal to the government of Pakistan to interrogate the man and hold a thorough investigation to find out the real story. The anti-Pakistan lobby is engaged in propaganda that Osama has found safe refuge in Pakistan and is still engaged in some terrorist operation.

PROF MUKHTAR ALI NAQVI

Orlando, USA

Polythene bags

THIS refers to the letter, “Use of polythene bags” (Nov 26), by Tanveer Arif.

Would it not be wiser to make it mandatory to use cotton shopping bags for the purpose of carrying dry items. This would not only help check pollution but would also encourage the textile industry.

Textiles are a more labour-intensive industry than the plastic bags industry and, therefore, by helping it to grow, we may be able to have more employment opportunities.

Most European countries encourage large retailers to use textile bags instead of plastic bags of any type.

HASEEB KHALID

Lahore

Once again...

THIS is with reference to Dr Sarosh Naeem’s letter, ‘Once Again..’ (Nov 28), in which he has expressed deep sorrow that the common man has been ignored by politicians once again.

He is right in saying that all the old stalwarts and big names have made it to the assemblies this time again, but he should remember that it is his ‘common man’ who has brought them to power through their vote.

And it had to be like that. You cannot just wake up one day, go out of your house, pick 300 people randomly from the street, give them a National Assembly seat each and make one of them prime minister.

DR RAZA ANSARI

Via e-mail

Organ donations

I WAS pleasantly surprised that Dawn recently wrote an editorial, endorsing a change in the Pakistan law to allow transplants from cadavers. I was unaware that these were actually shockingly and needlessly illegal in Pakistan.

In the United States, donations from live donors are not common, unlike in the subcontinent, where the sale of kidneys is a growing industry.

On the back of a driver’s licence in the United States is asked a simple question: Whether the holder would like to make an organ donation, and whether it should be restricted to certain organs, as listed, or completely unrestricted? All that is required is a signature on the back of the licence and two witnesses to sign concurrently.

It is imperative that transplants from cadavers be made in an extremely expeditious and timely manner after death. Giving the gift of corneas, kidneys or a heart after death is the gift of a new life to others desperately in need. Voluntary organ donations should be made easy in Pakistan.

SHAMIM MIRZA

New York, USA

Poverty in India

DR DEBKANT Jena has tried in his letter, ‘Poverty in India’ (Nov 27), to prove that his country of birth is a fast growing economy.

However, the fact remains that India is one of the poorest countries of the world.

It has been reported by the UN and its affiliated agencies, as well as by other international agencies, that more people live in abject poverty in India than at any other place in the world.

Another Unesco report, published a few weeks ago, describes India as the ‘world leader’ among the most backward and impoverished countries, having the highest number of the poor.

It has become a fashion for people of Indian origin living in the West to portray India as the best country in the world. If this is true, why are such a large number of Indians migrating to foreign countries? In some countries, like the UAE, Mauritius and Fiji, they have outnumbered the local populations.

As seeing is believing, I would invite people like Dr Jena to visit both Pakistan and India and see for themselves how many people are living on the sidewalks in the cities.

They would be amazed to find that there are millions of people living on the streets for generations in India, but not anyone in Pakistan.

Of course, due to its mammoth population, India has a big ‘potential’ to become an economic power but with a per capita income less than all its neighbours, it would take it many more decades, if not centuries, to properly feed its citizens and provide them decent housing and clothes.

ENGR AAMIR A. SALARIA

St. Louis, USA

Islam in Arab countries

THIS is with reference to the letter by Asif Aziz, ‘Islam in Arab countries’ (Nov 27). The fact is that Muslims in Arab countries follow a middle path and do not go to extremes in matters of religion.

The writer is right when he says that ‘Namaz’ is a pillar of Islam, but every Muslim is responsible for his own actions and would be questioned about prayers on the Day of Judgment.

As such, ‘Namaz’ should not be thrust upon people by the government, as recommended by the Council of Islamic Ideology. It has never been thrust upon the Muslims of Makkah or Madinah.

There is no concept in Islam of forcing women to wear hijab. The Quran instructs Muslim women to cover themselves properly. This can be done by either taking hijab or just a coat to cover the body. But this was never made compulsory and has been left to an individual’s own interpretation of this instruction.

The Quran also instructs men to lower their eyes whenever they come across a woman. But I have never seen anyone forcing men to lower their eyes in such a situation. If the Cll wants to impose hijab, they should also bring a law asking men to lower their eyes while facing women.

Another issue taken up by the letter writer is the mixing of women with men. I think it is permitted for the purpose of education and for participation in some good cause. So, as long as intentions are good, there is no harm in women mixing with men.

The Quran advises us to follow the middle path and not to go to extremes. We should, therefore, not go to extremes while practising the tenets of Islam. Fruits of following this principle can be seen in Arab countries where crime rate is low, economy is stable and state provides welfare cover to every citizen.

NASIR KHAN

London, UK

THIS is with reference to the letter, ‘Islam in Arab countries’ (Nov 27), by Asif Aziz. The writer seems to be suggesting that the recommendation of the CII to make prayers compulsory at the government offices should be enforced.

I am afraid that Islam does not give any individual, institution or government the right to impose such a decision on anyone.

Offering prayers, performing Haj and fasting are entirely individual acts. As far as these acts are concerned, every individual is answerable to Allah only.

Those Islamic injunctions, which make an individual answerable to society, such as payment of Zakat, may be imposed provided that the procedure is in accordance with the principles of Islam.

In Pakistan, cultural values have got intertwined with the Islamic principles so much so that it has become difficult for an ordinary person to differentiate between the two. There are many practices which are actually of Hindu origin but that people defend under the impression of their being Islamic.

In Arab countries, Islam has not been influenced by un-Islamic traditions. Hence, the Arabs are very clear about what is Islamic and what is not.

We should be very careful in giving opinions about Islam and its teachings. Even our worthy Ulema have erred many a time.

Dr MUJIB RAHMAN

Peshawar