Fauzia Yazdani laments that the Pakistani society has become increasingly intolerant and mobocracy has become rampant where a divergent murmur can qualify to be labelled as 'unpatriotic' or 'traitor'.
Pakistan has substantial number of children that are microcephalic – people born with small skulls and protruding noses and ears because of a genetic mutation. They not only have stunted physical growth but have stunted mental faculties.
They are locally called Dauley Shah ke Chuhey. How do they get this name? According to local legend, infertile women who pray at Shah Daula's shrine will be granted children, but at a terrible price. The first child must be given to the shrine, or else any further children will be microcephalic. The medical research attributes this genetic mutation to inter-generational cousin marriage, while activists believe that cruel beggar gangs clamp children's head in infancy.
Since independence, our politics and religion are intertwined. Both have personalities and their cult like following. Political stunting has suited all political actors/parties that have used and abused religion card at will; and in return turned a blind eye to religious stunting of society, thus creating political and religious microcephalic that have become a gang of their own.
Five instances in last two weeks have jolted Pakistan i.e. lawyers attacking PIC Hospital, AC Attock made to explain her faith; Pakistan’s opting out of Kuala Lumpur Summit; conditional extension of the COAS; and death sentence awarded to General Musharraf. Our global Hyde Park i.e. Twitter has been full of for and against opinions and hashtags. Some of them, from ministers to journalists to actors to fashionistas were so ridiculous in their arguments.
It made me think as to who these people are. And then my guru, journalist Nusrat Javed’s sentence came to my rescue i.e. we have been divided into aandhi akeedat and aandhi naafrat (Blind love and hatred) that has sapped our ability to think, reason and contextualize. The stunting syndrome has infected our society in such a way that it has taken away our ability to dialogue, to be tolerant and above all respect has become an alien word in our society.
Interestingly, we are not genetically stunted but have been systematically turned into Dauley Shah ke Chohey, through religious, political and institutional means of stunting. It has now come to a point where difference of opinion with an individual, group or institutions gets one a certificate of being a traitor, unpatriotic and/or Kaafir.
In recent times, a pied-piper approach was used to up the ante on societal stunting i.e. PTI led political stunting to a notch up during their 126 days sit in. Religious stunting was upped from school of thought based division to blasphemy by Tehreek-e-Labbaik through Faizabad sit-in; and institutional stunting ranged from judiciary’s use of movie’s dialogue and fictional characters in their judgement; to use of social media to opine on inland and regional politics and political actors by ISPR; to media trials.
This has led to “taking law in hand or mobocracy as a rightful thing”, be it against point of view of an individual or institutional, irrespective of the issue.
General Pervez Musharraf has been awarded death sentence, as prescribed by Article 6, on charges of high treason for abrogation of constitution. The level of political stunting is such that it is being labeled as murder of justice, totally ignoring that this is a punishment that Constitution sets out for an act of high treason. Similarly, when COAS is given conditional extension in service with an advice to the government to formulate clear rules and regulation for service; it becomes an act against Army than a merely correction of a procedural matter.
In each case, political stunting is such that a subservient institution i.e. Army and its staff is pitched supreme as against parliament, government and/or judiciary.
Any attempt to put facts or institutional hierarchy on table renders one unpatriotic, traitor, enemy’s agent, etc. While doing so, the stunted lot ignores that army as an institution has awarded highest punishment to its own on charges of espionage and treason.
Height of institutional stunting is demonstrated when the judgment against General Musharraf calls for public hanging of his body for three days in case he dies abroad. It is a violation of human rights, Islamic norms and the judicial principle that all punishments end upon death. Judiciary as an institution was using unfitting language for long i.e. referring to dialogues of western movies, fiction novel and Characters i.e. Sicilian Mafia, God father, Baba Rehmatey, etc.
The divisive and politically stunted lot celebrated each other than calling it out because it was for politically dethroned. The voices that tried to indicate to deteriorating standards of the institution were ridiculed and pushed out.
The U-turns of current leadership and sitting government are classic examples of stunted acts of governance that are also justified by their followers. The last minute pull out of KL Summit is latest that can be termed stunted diplomacy.
Would Saudi Arabia take offence of KL summit – yes and that’s least of rocket science analysis. Yet PM chose to announce a trilateral summit without diplomatic home work in New York; or did any after; was called to question by key allies; and had to pull out – result: biggest diplomatic embarrassment of the government. But for the political stunted, it’s the least of issue despite the fact that would affect our weak positioning on Kashmir and FATF.
Religious stunting is hunting everyone alike, be it a government servant who has to explain his position to protestors and join anti-Ahmadi rally to justify her faith.
School of thought-based divisions compound our religious stunting to a level where it violates basic Islamic principles that give rights and ensures protection of non-Muslim citizens under a Muslim ruler. It has come to a level of “It's Us or Else” – where society refuses to accept others right to life, religion and expression of opinion.
The level of religious stunting is such that a corporate setup is ready to pay the penalty and bail out religio-aggressor; and on the other mere allegation of blasphemy leads to a Christian couple being burnt alive, to a professor being indefinitely put behind bar without recourse to trial as his lawyer is killed and anyone attempting to be his lawyer threatened with death.
Any voice(s) that raises it to be against Islamic principles forget about human rights is a Kaafir. Our religious stunted has reached to a level where a drama is taken off air for its name “Kun Fa Ya Kun” as it is part of a Quranic verse.
Societal stunting has crippled us at multiple levels. The worst was seen in Lahore where lawyers attacked and vandalized Pakistan Institute of Cardiology (PIC) – the attack led to death of four patients. In any responsible society, this would have been cause of national shame for the lawyers’ fraternity; but our institutional stunting comes to rescue where veteran Parliamentarian, bar professionals and judiciary try to justify mobocracy.
A weak FIR against lawyers leads to 7 days strike of judicial proceedings. Lawyers who ignored the strike call were also attacked. On the other hand, we had FIR and sedition charge, on drop of the hat, against organizer and participant of the peaceful Students Solidarity March that called for revival of union to reclaim their legitimate space in educational institutions.
Raising voice needs more courage than ever before as society demonstrate dangerous levels of stunting – where a divergent murmur can qualify to be labelled as 'unpatriotic' or 'traitor'. It’s a consequence of fear – just like no one would be disrespectful to Dauley shah ka Choha for the fear of being cursed – that the society has given-in to the religious, political and institutional stunters.
It makes them believe that no one but them have the agency to react or manipulate things. It’s a classic inability to learn that pushes an individual and or institution to believe that people can be suppressed forever by creating a stunted society.
Pakistan has substantial number of children that are microcephalic – people born with small skulls and protruding noses and ears because of a genetic mutation. They not only have stunted physical growth but have stunted mental faculties.
They are locally called Dauley Shah ke Chuhey. How do they get this name? According to local legend, infertile women who pray at Shah Daula's shrine will be granted children, but at a terrible price. The first child must be given to the shrine, or else any further children will be microcephalic. The medical research attributes this genetic mutation to inter-generational cousin marriage, while activists believe that cruel beggar gangs clamp children's head in infancy.
Since independence, our politics and religion are intertwined. Both have personalities and their cult like following. Political stunting has suited all political actors/parties that have used and abused religion card at will; and in return turned a blind eye to religious stunting of society, thus creating political and religious microcephalic that have become a gang of their own.
Five instances in last two weeks have jolted Pakistan i.e. lawyers attacking PIC Hospital, AC Attock made to explain her faith; Pakistan’s opting out of Kuala Lumpur Summit; conditional extension of the COAS; and death sentence awarded to General Musharraf. Our global Hyde Park i.e. Twitter has been full of for and against opinions and hashtags. Some of them, from ministers to journalists to actors to fashionistas were so ridiculous in their arguments.
It made me think as to who these people are. And then my guru, journalist Nusrat Javed’s sentence came to my rescue i.e. we have been divided into aandhi akeedat and aandhi naafrat (Blind love and hatred) that has sapped our ability to think, reason and contextualize. The stunting syndrome has infected our society in such a way that it has taken away our ability to dialogue, to be tolerant and above all respect has become an alien word in our society.
Interestingly, we are not genetically stunted but have been systematically turned into Dauley Shah ke Chohey, through religious, political and institutional means of stunting. It has now come to a point where difference of opinion with an individual, group or institutions gets one a certificate of being a traitor, unpatriotic and/or Kaafir.
In recent times, a pied-piper approach was used to up the ante on societal stunting i.e. PTI led political stunting to a notch up during their 126 days sit in. Religious stunting was upped from school of thought based division to blasphemy by Tehreek-e-Labbaik through Faizabad sit-in; and institutional stunting ranged from judiciary’s use of movie’s dialogue and fictional characters in their judgement; to use of social media to opine on inland and regional politics and political actors by ISPR; to media trials.
This has led to “taking law in hand or mobocracy as a rightful thing”, be it against point of view of an individual or institutional, irrespective of the issue.
General Pervez Musharraf has been awarded death sentence, as prescribed by Article 6, on charges of high treason for abrogation of constitution. The level of political stunting is such that it is being labeled as murder of justice, totally ignoring that this is a punishment that Constitution sets out for an act of high treason. Similarly, when COAS is given conditional extension in service with an advice to the government to formulate clear rules and regulation for service; it becomes an act against Army than a merely correction of a procedural matter.
In each case, political stunting is such that a subservient institution i.e. Army and its staff is pitched supreme as against parliament, government and/or judiciary.
Any attempt to put facts or institutional hierarchy on table renders one unpatriotic, traitor, enemy’s agent, etc. While doing so, the stunted lot ignores that army as an institution has awarded highest punishment to its own on charges of espionage and treason.
Height of institutional stunting is demonstrated when the judgment against General Musharraf calls for public hanging of his body for three days in case he dies abroad. It is a violation of human rights, Islamic norms and the judicial principle that all punishments end upon death. Judiciary as an institution was using unfitting language for long i.e. referring to dialogues of western movies, fiction novel and Characters i.e. Sicilian Mafia, God father, Baba Rehmatey, etc.
The divisive and politically stunted lot celebrated each other than calling it out because it was for politically dethroned. The voices that tried to indicate to deteriorating standards of the institution were ridiculed and pushed out.
The U-turns of current leadership and sitting government are classic examples of stunted acts of governance that are also justified by their followers. The last minute pull out of KL Summit is latest that can be termed stunted diplomacy.
Would Saudi Arabia take offence of KL summit – yes and that’s least of rocket science analysis. Yet PM chose to announce a trilateral summit without diplomatic home work in New York; or did any after; was called to question by key allies; and had to pull out – result: biggest diplomatic embarrassment of the government. But for the political stunted, it’s the least of issue despite the fact that would affect our weak positioning on Kashmir and FATF.
Religious stunting is hunting everyone alike, be it a government servant who has to explain his position to protestors and join anti-Ahmadi rally to justify her faith.
School of thought-based divisions compound our religious stunting to a level where it violates basic Islamic principles that give rights and ensures protection of non-Muslim citizens under a Muslim ruler. It has come to a level of “It's Us or Else” – where society refuses to accept others right to life, religion and expression of opinion.
The level of religious stunting is such that a corporate setup is ready to pay the penalty and bail out religio-aggressor; and on the other mere allegation of blasphemy leads to a Christian couple being burnt alive, to a professor being indefinitely put behind bar without recourse to trial as his lawyer is killed and anyone attempting to be his lawyer threatened with death.
Any voice(s) that raises it to be against Islamic principles forget about human rights is a Kaafir. Our religious stunted has reached to a level where a drama is taken off air for its name “Kun Fa Ya Kun” as it is part of a Quranic verse.
Societal stunting has crippled us at multiple levels. The worst was seen in Lahore where lawyers attacked and vandalized Pakistan Institute of Cardiology (PIC) – the attack led to death of four patients. In any responsible society, this would have been cause of national shame for the lawyers’ fraternity; but our institutional stunting comes to rescue where veteran Parliamentarian, bar professionals and judiciary try to justify mobocracy.
A weak FIR against lawyers leads to 7 days strike of judicial proceedings. Lawyers who ignored the strike call were also attacked. On the other hand, we had FIR and sedition charge, on drop of the hat, against organizer and participant of the peaceful Students Solidarity March that called for revival of union to reclaim their legitimate space in educational institutions.
Raising voice needs more courage than ever before as society demonstrate dangerous levels of stunting – where a divergent murmur can qualify to be labelled as 'unpatriotic' or 'traitor'. It’s a consequence of fear – just like no one would be disrespectful to Dauley shah ka Choha for the fear of being cursed – that the society has given-in to the religious, political and institutional stunters.
It makes them believe that no one but them have the agency to react or manipulate things. It’s a classic inability to learn that pushes an individual and or institution to believe that people can be suppressed forever by creating a stunted society.