Archive for the ‘Traditions & Norms’ Category

The controversy and confusion remain over issues of justice, women’s rights, culture, tradition, state control, mutual agreements, intrepretation of Shariah, and the future of Pakistan. Conflicting statements and shocking confessions are consistently pouring in from all sides. I will be doing a follow-up this evening, stay tuned for Nai Rahain at 7:00pm, Live on Samaa Tv.

Post-Show:

On-Air: Friday, April 03, 2009 (the show will be available online shortly)

The civil society demanded the right to address this issue through an unbiased platform. I invited leading women’s rights activist Samar Minallah, a woman who not only helped get this footage to us but has also been at the receiving end of death threats by militants. She has lived in Swat for 2 years and is still in touch with the locals.  Joining her were Senator Iqbal Haider, Chairperson Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP) and Islamic Scholar Dr. Khalid Zaheer from the Lahore studios. We were joined yet again by Shahraaz Khan, Ameer of Malakand from the Peshawar studios.

Samaa employees, including a NWFP reporter and myself were threatened by TTP the previous evening for sharing the specific video with the world.  However, it is a matter of honour for Samaa TV to have initiated a process whereby CJP Chaudhry Iftikhar Mohammad has taken suo moto notice of this gross violation of human rights. In light of Haji Muslim Khan’s statement endorsing such a punishment to be valid and deserved, who will guarantee us that such an incident will never take place again? I ask all those individuals, including Information Minister (ANP) Iftikhar Hussain who blame the civil society for creating a hue and a cry over something which is outdated (according to him the incident took place on January 2^nd 2009). Commissioner Swat takes the cake. The man denied the incident altogether. The fact that Taliban Commandos are oft found sharing a cup of tea or having supper in the Commissioner House is interesting. If not that, then witnessed accounts of the Commissioner reading prayer behind Maulvi Fazlullah in the good old days definitely gets the ball rolling.

This follow-up actually gives the real story behind the public harassment and flogging of the teenage girl known as Chaand Bibi. A local family friend of Chaand Bibi’s family, who requested to remain unnamed for security reasons, joined us on the line during the first half of the show. Chaand was neither flaunting about unaccompanied in the market nor having an illicit affair, as so many of us are made to believe. Chaand made the mistake of refusing a Taliban Commander for marriage.  

Thereafter Ameer Izzat, spokesperson of Tehreek Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) joined us on the line during the live show and was heavily questioned. What is after all TNSM’s role in the peace deal and their realistic power in influencing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)? What guarantee can they extend as to this incident never being repeated again?  

To Ms. Samar Minallah’s inquiry for confirmation, Ameer Izzat accepted and agreed to two women being beaten by militants a few days earlier for leaving their homes unaccompanied by their men. Although they had left in ‘burqa’ (completely veiled from head to toe) he held that they shouldn’t have conversed with a shopkeeper.

Mr. Shahzaar Khan changed his stance ever so conveniently, denying ever having accused Samaa for doing a disservice to Pakistan by the release of this video. He strongly felt, that the release of this video was, alas, propaganda against their people and Shariah Law.

Dr. Khalid Zaheer shared a beautiful a’hadith in the beginning of the show which left one wondering just how far we are from the true spirit and essence of Islam. It speaks of a time when women will feel so secure and safe that they will be able to walk from one end of the world to the other, carrying valuables and gold, without any threat or risk. That will be Islam.

I couldn’t help but notice that there was no mention of a ‘mehram’ in this a’hadith.

On-Air: Thursday, April 2, 2009 (7:00pm LIVE, 3:00am, 12:00pm (PST))

Breaking this horrendous footage to Pakistan and the rest of the world was neither simple nor easy. On Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 7:05pm when I went on-air with this video, there was a whirlwind of emotions and sentiments raging inside of me. Is this current? Will it negatively impact the already fragile image of Pakistan? Is it professionally and morally correct to shelve it? Are our women being subjected to such beastly treatment whilst we remain completely ignorant and unaware? How will Pakistan receive this? Will it shed light on the February 15^th peace deal struck between the local government and the Tehreek Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi? The teenage girl’s piercing screams were echoing in my head from the start till the end of the show. The next day Friday, April 3, 2009, Pakistan and the rest of the world finally took notice. An explosion of shock, rage, frenzy and sheer disbelief ensued.

A day earlier I had interviewed panel of four guests, including the Ameer of Malakand Shahraaz Khan and local government Awami National Party’s MPA Shagufta Malik from Samaa’s Peshawar studios. Gender studies expert and scholar Dr. Rubina Saigol and Pakistan Muslim League (N) MPA Maiza Hameed joined me from Samaa’s Lahore studios. Both my Peshawar guests were in complete denial of women’s rights being violated in Swat, to the extent that Mr. Shahraaz Khan accused Samaa of ‘making up’ this video and doing a great disservice to Pakistan by airing it. Ms. Shagufta Malik was firm in her belief that her government had a solid control of the area and post peace-deal no such events had taken place. They both denied women being banned from leaving their homes or accessing public places, even though my sources confirmed that due to threats from TTP, shopkeepers of popular markets in Swat and Malakand including Bara Market, Sitara Market, Abaseen Market, Waqar Market and Waqas Market had strictly prohibited women coming unaccompanied by male family members. Coupled with this, transfer deadlines extended by the Taliban to EDO Naheed Khan, a female official who has already been transferred from Swat to Malakand due to life threats was also seen as a singular, misleading example of women being prohibited from holding public offices or working.

During the show we got Haji Muslim Khan, spokesperson Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan on the line who went on to endorse Baitullah Masud’s version of what was correct, incorrect, acceptable and unacceptable in Islam regarding the status, livelihood, mobility and conduct of a Muslim woman. He took ownership of the footage, claiming that this girl had committed a ‘grave’ sin and that she was lucky that she hadn’t been stoned to death, only flogged.

As an introductory episode on the status of women in Swat and the break through footage, I would like to say that this show broke my heart as well as left me more disillusioned about the steadily deteriorating fate of women in Pakistan. Either the people of Swat are genuinely convinced that we are against them, hail from a different world with a different reality or else they are living in denial – both the men of influence and the local government. The common man of course if nowhere to be mentioned. The discussion steadily boiled down to different interpretations of Islamic values and morality.

It saddens me to say that even today, the only controversial and undecided issue in Islam remains to be that of a woman.  

International Women’s Day 2009: celebrated in style and grandeur with an impressive panelist of 12 leading women from all walks of life. A special heartfelt prayer for all our sisters in F.A.T.A: the fate of whom are in the hands of misguided miscreants. Answers to questions such as, who is a woman of substance and what should be the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day etc. are sought by an enlightened audience of young women. 

Let us all come together on one platform and strive to become compassionate and strong women, who can not only hold their own but can in fact contribute towards ensuring a healthy, balanced and peaceful society. 

On-Air: Monday, February 2, 2009 {7PM, 3AM, 12PM (PST)}

Basant! Once again we restlessly await spring and once again the debate begins: to have or not to have basant this year! Since the first ban on basant in 2005 the debate continues whether this is a borrowed custom (some say it is a Hindu event paying a tribute to their goddess Saraswati), Islamic or unIslamic, etc. On the command of the Chief Minister Punjab has ordered Home Secretary Nadeem Hassan to submit a comprehensive plan of arrangements for kite flying on Basant, including strict safety measures e.g. banning the use of dangerous types of strings used for kite flying. We had an intense debate with Yusuf Salahuddin, an enthusiast, DCO Lahore Sajjad Bhutta and an Islamic scholar par excellence, Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman.

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTH: revenue generation from the foreigners and Pakistanis coming from abroad and also from within the country to Lahore, plus 50,000 families earn during the days of festivities, it is a cultural activity for which lahoris are known, coming of spring is the time to celebrate and basant is the best type of festivity

WEAKNESS: no check on making of deadly glass and chemical coated strings, and firing of gun shots in air, indifference and carelessness of the kite flier, if a steel wire is tied to the kite string it may protect the kite from being BO KAATAA but can play havoc on the electricity lines and transformers, failure of administration in making people realize the threats this sport can cause to human life by and large but the basic responsibility falls on the citizens themselves because it is not the alien who are flying the kites but one of us all we need is the sense of responsibility

OPPORTUNITY: if celebrated with care Jashne Baharan can enhance tourism, culture and economy of the people in kite making business and also provide a healthy activity and festivity to the depressed citizens as every place is known for its culture and now Pakistan is losing its positive and lighter image with the financial benefits

THREATS: the ban has negatively affected the tourism of Lahore, and also the light and fun loving image of Pakistanis, but the basant if celebrated carelessly can increase the number of causalities from the deadly strings and falling from roof tops and accidents