Having a disability does not necessarily make you worse off; it simply means you have to do things differently. However, it is sad to say, our society is plagued with ignorance when it comes to meeting the needs of mentally or physically challenged people. A blind eye is turned towards the needs of these people and because of this ignorance we do not realise the fact that most of the public places lack the basic necessities, such as ramps, integral for the physically challenged. Apart from this, very few schools exist for children with developmental delays. In a social setup like this, it is important for organisations to take initiatives on raising awareness about this concern so that people can contribute towards changing it for the better. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: Miqdad Sibtain[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: Miqdad Sibtain[/caption] ACELP (Association for Children with Emotional and Learning Problems) is one such initiative. ACELP is one of the very few voluntary organisations in Karachi that has been working for the well-being of children with developmental delays since the past 30 years. It provides diagnostics, education, therapy, vocational training and rehabilitation to the children in need of special education and training. Currently, the school has 150 children who regularly receive physical education, sport skill training, medical evaluation and referrals for consultancy where ever it is needed. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: Miqdad Sibtain[/caption] The school has now become a two storied purpose-built campus with modern infrastructure that will help in increasing the number of classrooms and hence, accommodate more children. The floor now hosts 10 purpose-built rooms with one main hall that helps with the educational aspirations of the school. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: Miqdad Sibtain[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: Miqdad Sibtain[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: Miqdad Sibtain[/caption] In my opinion, children with special needs are no different from other children and require the same attention, support, care and guidance. As individuals we need to realise that levels of disability are unique to every individual and all they require is fulfilment of their needs. One of the parents in attendance at the school pointed out that parents only want their children to be brought up in the best possible manner and acquire the best education - which is their right. The parents of these children have similar aspirations for their kids, but due to the ignorant nature of our society, parents feel apprehensive bringing their kids on the forefront and, hence, deprive them of their basic needs. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: Miqdad Sibtain[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: Miqdad Sibtain[/caption] Ms Mehar, the principal of the school, said,

“Even though some schools do exist for such children, where various activities take place, they are not enough to cater to the needs of all such children - the main reason for this is lack of awareness”

“They are determined to learn, and we feel proud to be associated with such kids and school, but more schools like these, need to open.”

“Bhai dekh kar tou chalo” (Brother, at least look where you are going)

“Aap baray hokar kiya banogay?” (What do you want to be when you grow up?)

“Helicopter banun takay aap say takra na sakun (I want to become a helicopter so that I don’t crash into you)

I have heard her say, She fears for him, for his fleeting eyes, For his silent voice, He has built some walls A tad too thick and far too long. He has escaped from this world and now he lives within, Surrounded by his opacity, she yearns to hear him, She says, one of these days, he will talk, he will shout She is sure, the storm, that is brewing inside him, will be let out, She is afraid, before it consumes him, she wants him to consume her, With his head against the ground, with his nonsensical articulations, Bouncing off the walls, she just wants to hear him talk, a word, nay an alphabet would do, Anything but this silence and those eyes, eyes that can’t see her, eyes that she can’t see either, A voice, some eyes,  a sense of recognition. I have seen her point fingers, one, even at herself, From her excitement to her caution, She has short-listed them all, Mistakes she made, the first time round, I peeked over to see, saw vaccination casually crossed out. I have seen her, Chase him, run behind, as he outran her, She says, he runs faster than the light, Off the bed and he is quickly out of sight. But in her conversations, he permanently resides, You will frequently meet him there, for even a missed flicker, Is enough to trigger, copious bouts, of unreasonable amounts, A wave of nauseating guilt, inadvertently washes over her. A narrowed world, an even narrower perception – her accomplishments, Revolve around, rearing a product of some spontaneous conception, Perpetuations of a name, the purpose of a woman, From him to his, from vows to bells, even of the masculinity, of a man. The ball should roll, the soil shall erect, and the tree then awaits - Anything short of this, a shameful, pitiful, obvious defect. You are incomplete, till you set them loose, this world and those, impeccable genes. Cutting her musings short, I saw her attend an urgent knock. Soon, she self-assuredly returned to our world, The world of crippled boys and castrating drops.

Meera has been in the news for all the wrong reasons; her every word is dissected, every move analysed and every action judged. So when an alleged sex tape with her now ex fiancé Captain Naveed became a collection in everyone’s mobile phones, the reaction was nothing startling. Most blamed it as a desperate publicity stunt to nourish a floundering career and some empathised with the trauma the ‘leak’ may have caused to the couple. Mubashir Luqman dedicated a show on this alleged sex tape that added fuel to the fire. But debate on another pertinent question was absent in all this; is she not entitled to a private life? Does being a celebrity or a public face strip her of this right? Now a few months later, history is repeating itself. Few videos of a Pakistani drama actress are doing the rounds. In one, she is video-taping a request to her lover to contact her. In others, she is using a certain food item for a purpose, it is not meant for. To clarify, I don’t condone the action. The name is also deliberately withheld out of respect for her privacy and to not repeat Mubashir Luqman’s mistake. Let us also not repeat the mistake of ignoring the same important question. Does this actress not deserve her right to privacy for something like that? As has been proved, fame often comes at a price. Paparazzi lurk around like shadows, private data is hacked and phones are tapped. The News of the World saga is also a prime example where private space of 3000 international public figures was intruded to further corporate interests. Hugh Grant, Britney Spears and Sienna Miller were some of the many victims of this powerful tabloid until it was forced to pay damages and shut down. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The last edition of News of the World newspaper goes on sale alongside other British Sunday newspapers in London July 9, 2011. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Perhaps it can be argued that public figures have only a limited right to privacy by virtue of their profession. Their relationship with the media and public is not exclusive of one another. Agreed, some public faces also use the media to bare a part of their private life to further specific interests. That then, the media and public may also have a right to infringe their private life, also goes without saying. Despite such circumstances, isn’t there a dire need to draw the line somewhere? Is a couple’s privately shot sex tape entitled to disseminate until it becomes the subject of national debate and ridicule? Should acts carried out in the privacy of an individual’s bedroom become a public collectable, or topless pictures of Britain’s princess become front page jewels? Clearly we have become entertainment starved people who want to explore and discuss the life of others. Add anything sexual and you have ingredients for a successful wildfire that may cost its victims their dignity and self-respect, but lots of steam and warmth for a cold, unfeeling society. The morality of celebrities is questioned for their documented and undocumented private acts. But are people who initially infringe their right to privacy to gather and spread such data for their vested interest above any scrutiny for their immoral act? The case of News of the World reached its deserved end because of effective legislation and a speedy justice system. But it is the other way around in our part of the world. Arrest warrants are issued against victims who have their privacy infringed. In such a situation, there is a need to draw a line for self-censorship all the more. Everyone has skeletons in their closets and deserve to keep them hidden.

Walking along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, can be an exhilarating experience. Imposing architectural wonders staring down at you on all sides, the throbbing, pulsating and electrifying pace of city life can be, overwhelming to say the least. Yet one cannot help falling in love with this impossibly grand monument to human achievement and skill. The grandeur of the city hits you even before you land on the historic JFK Airport as you get the bird’s eye view of this extremely modern city from the plane window. Once out of the plane, you encounter the thoroughly organised discipline of the airport staff and you begin to harbour an element of respect for the nation you are dealing with. Even though the immigration officer rummaged through my luggage, smiled apologetically and said ruefully,

“For that one person who blows himself up, we put decent people like you through this!”

“You can take it as a gift, Hon’!”

“Because I’m a Jew!"

“So my fellow kaloos and kaliaas, get up before it’s too late and let’s end the reign of Fair and Lovely and start the era of Brown and Hairy. If our six-point agenda is not enforced we will have an unfair men march against the societies unfairness — D-Chowk here we come!”- Ali Gul Pir

“Ab pandra minute main ho gayee main gori gori” (Now, in 15 minutes, I can become fair!) 

“Sirf English dulhan banaye baki baatein banayen” (Only English cream can make you a fair bride, the rest only talk.) 

‘Ab gora hoga Pakistan’ (Now Pakistan will be fair)

One random Monday, after my aerobics class, I went grocery shopping. Still in my sports gear, I greeted another woman there, someone I didn’t know. After an exchange of smiles and pleasantries, she scrutinised my attire, visible even under a chaadar. She asked me,

“From where are you coming?”

“From aerobics.”

“But why?”

“That woman must be complimenting you because you are not fat, so why should you exercise?”

“Maybe her husband likes her to be thin!”

“Family mein koi shaadi aanay wali hai? (Is there a wedding in your family?) Ya kitty join kee hai recently? (Or have you joined a committee recently?) You have to be very maintained for the committee lunches, you know.”

“Most women do not dress for men, they dress for other women. Men don’t care what others wear or whether they repeat dresses or not. Women, on the other hand, remember what someone wore 13 months ago at Babloo’s birthday, who is an aunt’s daughter’s sister-in-law’s son. This is why we have the size zero phenomenon. Quite honestly, men don’t even like size zero!”

After the polio vaccination restrictions placed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Pakistan, the country is likely to face another restriction in the future. This could be due to an increasing numbers of HIV positive patients in the country. The main reason behind this increase is the growing number of Pakistanis who are being deported back to their country because they are HIV positive.

“It’s entirely my fault; I am the sole reason my wife and son are inflicted with this disease”

“No one informed me about my illness. I was told to pack up and go home. So, I did just that and began my life again with my wife and kid,” said Naveed. “I was living a happily married life, oblivious to the fact that while living with my wife, I had first infected her and then my child with this disease. I had no idea that I was HIV positive.”

“We are trying to address this issue by drawing appropriate guidelines. To address these HIV patients, we are in the process of drafting a legislative bill. We have had multiple meetings with the UN AIDS programme officers in Pakistan, regarding this issue, and through these meetings we hope to achieve some progress on this pressing issue”.

“In the 27 years that have passed since patient zero, at least 5,800 Pakistanis have lost their lives as a result of the HIV virus and the total number of estimated cases range somewhere from 14,000 to 125,000 people, depending on who is willing enough to speak to you”.

Sheryl Sandberg makes an impressive argument against the use of the word ‘bossy’, which is often used pejoratively to describe assertive women with ‘executive leadership skills’. In Indo-Pak vernacular, there’s another word far worthier of being thrown before the social media’s firing squad. The word ‘nakhra’ is more formally used for ‘coquetry’, but in common usage it refers to a stubborn refusal to submit. In each sense, it is used almost exclusively for women, who are referred to as nakhraybaaz. There are many scenarios I can describe where this word is used as a cudgel against women, but I’ll make use of a classic Bollywood music number to illustrate my point. A male Indian or Pakistani archetype, a cocky hunk with no sense of boundary, dances circles around an obviously uninterested female. He expresses his affection for her in song, makes googly eyes, invades her personal space and inquires if she wishes to be his chamak challo. The girl declines. *disk scratch* She did what? Does she not know that the man is fully entitled to have his feelings reciprocated? Has patriarchy taught her nothing? Who on Earth gave her the idea that she’s a free human being with an inalienable right to choose her own friend or mate, and not fall head over heels for the first creep serenading her outside the college canteen? He doesn’t have to dig deep into his bag of limited vocabulary to pull out the perfect the word to explain the girl’s attitude – ‘nakhra’. As a man, it’s a word that is extremely handy for me to keep at the tip of my tongue. It can’t be that a woman is simply a little conserved and more discerning of the sort of company she keeps. It couldn’t have been a flaw in my approach or the fact that I’m just not the kind of person she is interested in. I head over to my guy friends and explain the rejection by calling her ‘nakhraybaaz’ or ‘nakhray wali’, or whatever tense or form of the word fits. I spare my own ego and assert that the fault lies with her… if she’s lucky. The other possibility is that I might construe this ‘nakhra’ as a ‘hard-to-get’ approach, and continue to harass her until her series of resounding no’s turn to a tired yes. Because honouring her decision and backing off at the first refusal is either proof of my unmanliness or a sign that I don’t like her enough to pursue her, or both! Really, bro, her ‘nakhra’ is just a way of telling you to come at her even stronger. She wants you to put your back into it, crash her wedding, enunciate your love in front of her family and family-to-be and use your nails to leave scratch marks on the carpet as you’re dragged out by her angry uncle. It is not only in romantic settings that this word is used. A man who refuses to budge in a negotiation may be described with a variety of words from ‘ziddi’ (insistent) to ‘dheet’ (stubborn) that loosely fit the situation. On the other hand, a woman will almost always be accused of doing ‘nakhra’. It is used far more often to describe nay-saying women than men. At times, when it is thrown at men, it is the feminine nature of the word that is intended to cause the sting. Patriarchy doesn’t always precipitate as specific flash-words in a language for us to highlight, but ‘nakhra’ is one of the few exceptions. It is a word used consistently to undermine a woman’s consent; discrediting her refusal of something as either prudishness or undue stubbornness. Though I clearly don’t believe in any legal restrictions, I do believe that its use ought to be strongly discouraged.

A few days back, I met a friend to congratulate her on her engagement. Though her happiness was visible through her expressions, her demeanour indicated that something was bothering her. Upon my inquiry, she started to vent out her worries.

“My only fear is that he keeps dogs and I keep cats,” she said.

“No, I really am worried about this”.

“You don’t think it’ll happen to your child, until it does.”

“The American hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in the struggle against Femi-nazi ideology.”

Under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the world’s best tennis players are battling it out for the second grand slam of the year. The 2014 tournament is the 113th edition which will be held at Stade, Roland Garros. Both men and women have been competing at the French open since 1897 with mixed double added in 1907. Last year, the ‘King of Clay’, Rafael Nadal defeated country man David Ferrer in straight sets to claim his eighth French Open title while Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova to claim the women’s title. This year’s French Open, however, ended up disappointing tennis fans when Serena William and Stan Wawrinka both lost in the second round and first round respectively. Starting with the men’s competition, the three men who reach Paris in their utmost form are Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Wawrinka. Recently, there have been serious doubts over whether or not Djokovic would even compete in Paris due to a wrist injury. However, those doubts were put to rest when the Serbian recorded a win against Nadal in Rome last week. This confidence booster, and the desire to regain his top spot, makes him a big contender for this year’s title. On the other hand, Nadal has an amazing record of 59:1 at the French Open. Nadal won the Madrid Masters this year but his overall performance in the clay season has not been up to his usual standards. That being said, do not let recent results cloud this man’s capability. He is his own biggest critic and he will, without a doubt, bring his A-game forward with not only the ninth title at stake but also his number one ranking. One thing that needs to be understood about Spaniards is that they are all clay court specialists. David Ferrer, who beat Nadal at Monte Carlo, is the ultimate underdog. Ferrer’s strong defensive game and the well rounded clay court game earn him the position of a semi-final contender at the least. Alongside him, make sure to keep an eye on the big serving Canadian, Milos Raonic, the Tower of Tandil, Juan Martin Delpotro and the greatest of all times, the Mighty Roger Federer, who will be playing his first grand slam since the birth of his twin sons this month. Moving to the ladies, having won titles in Stuttgart and Madrid, Maria Sharapova asserts the best results for 2014. The Russian has been more consistent at the French Open than at any other grand slam, and while many question her form after she lost to Ana Ivanovic in the second round in Rome, she is still this year’s title’s big favourite. Simona Halep’s best grand slam result to date has been the quarter-final berth and there is no reason to question her ability for a better one in Paris. Considering the other contenders, don’t be quick to write off Agnieszka Radwanska, Jelena Jankovic and Sara Errani, for all three of them have the potential to make it to the latter stages of the tournament. Victoria Azarenka has officially withdrawn from the French Open due to persistent foot injury. Now coming to Pakistan’s chances, Aisamul Haq is the only Pakistani contender in the French Open. Aisam’s best result was in Paris in 2012 when he made it to the semi-finals. Aisam and Rohan Boppana, the Indo-Pak Express has been seeded sixth in this year’s French Open. They had a good warm up in the ATP 250 final in Nice this past week, where they were seeded as runner-ups. The strong combination of serve and volley make the Indo-Pak Express a major contender for the title. Five years after the historic finals run at the US Open, only time will tell if this French Open would see a first ever Pakistani grand slam champion. The French Open finals are scheduled to take place on June 8, 2014. So make sure your calendar is cleared up for the weekend because I have my fingers and toes all crossed in anticipation.  

Many people believe that the Islamic veil represents extremism, that it is a symbol of oppressing women. In April 2011, we saw France becoming the first European nation to ban the wearing of the veil in public. Several other countries, like Germany, Italy and Belgium among others, took inspiration from France and passed legislations banning the ‘hijab’. The irony is that even in the so-called Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a few schools forbid the wearing of the veil. Ayman Mobin, a straight A’s student in O/A Levels and now a medicine student at Dow Medical College recalled,

“The director of Karachi Grammar School insisted I abandon my veil if I wanted admission there. Apparently, it was against their policy.”

“A verse in the Quran tells us to cover our beauty and lower our gaze and to be modest so that we are not taken advantage of - and so that there are no out-of-marriage relationships, unwanted pregnancies and a society where children do not know who their father or mother is. It is not to oppress us, rather give us the privacy and respect we deserve.”

It is evident that, in today’s day and age, women become very sensitive when it comes to discussing matters of ‘age’. Some become defensive, while others become emotionally distraught. Yesterday, a friend of mine shared a video with me on Facebook, and what a surprising video that turned out to be! In the clip, Meera is seen clarifying speculations about her age. She says,

“My age has always been a very complicated matter and ‘Googles’ also portrays my age incorrectly, even my date of birth. I was born on May 12 but ‘Googles’ shows otherwise. But for now all I can say is that I am under 30. I’m just a girl right now.”

“Meera falls in the league of senior actors now and should play the role of the heroine’s older sister, instead of the lead character.”

“Sangeeta is more like a grandmother now and she should act maturely. She should abstain from exhibiting such childlike behaviour; the underlying motive for passing such a statement was to gain popularity.”

“I am not suffering from any age complex. However, many actresses these days, who are grandmothers now, are still hiding their age.”

Teenage years are said to be the golden age of a person’s life; when a person feels unchained and independent as if the whole universe lies beneath him. Nothing seems unattainable, boundaries are invisible and risk remains a concept unheard of. It was during my teenage years, that I met you my dear friend. When I got hold of you for the first time it was as if I had found a dear friend. You completed me and I felt like you would never let go of my hand. And you never did, my friend. In times of good and bad, you were always there. But throughout our friendship there were times at which you let me down too. The first time was in college when I saw some girls walking and laughing like angels, outside the canteen. Desperate to leave an impression, I took hold of you. I thought they would appreciate our friendship but they didn’t. You let me down, when their expressions labelled me guilty. Perhaps they thought I am in a relationship with you. Maybe they thought you are more important to me than them. College was over and I remember how you helped me study during examinations. You stayed awake all night to help me. I passed and I am so thankful to you. But you let me down the day my mother saw us holding hands together. Though she said nothing, I still get embarrassed when I recall the look on her face. Perhaps she did not like her son in your company. Maybe she thought you were spoiling me. Time passed and our friendship deepened. I’m sure you remember when I broke up with the love of my life. That was a crucial point in my life, full of conflicting emotions and feelings, but you stood by me through thick and think. She left but you didn’t, my friend. But then again, on the night of my wedding, you let me down. Dressed as the groom, as I approached my bride with love, I noticed something in her eyes. She must have smelled your presence in my breath. Though she said nothing, her beautiful eyes told me she was upset. I can understand though, I can understand that my bride did not want to share her husband with anyone else. She didn’t like the idea of someone else having touched my lips. Soon enough, responsibilities started piling up on me, droplets of problems started raining over me and I started getting old. Every day was a new fight, a new challenge. I needed you every now and then, and you never say ‘no’. But then, my son started looking at us with a strange look in his eyes. You let me down again. He didn’t want his father’s hands touching anyone else with affection; he wanted me to never touch you again. But you didn’t understand – you never walked away. Then I got old and then, my dear friend, you broke me. I saw you holding hands with my teenage son. How could you cheat on me? How could you use your charms on my son of all people? My son! I never thought that my son, who hated our company, would befriend you. You betrayed me. That day I died my first death. Today, as I lay in my death bed, you have ignited an painful and uncontrollable fire in my body, I have realised who you really are. I can see clearly now. You were never my friend. You only stayed with me so you could become popular in my social circle. Your intention was to betray me from the first day onwards. You were the only reason I stayed lonely, the sole reason that compelled me to set aside other important relations. And I did it all for you. But now I regret it. I regret it because you were never a friend, you were a disease. That is why my dear cigarette, you let me down…

I am writing this article in response to a blog I read titled ‘Why are Pakistani women obsessed with their weight?’ Let me clear this misconception. Women aren’t obsessed with their weight; they are obsessed with obsessing about their weight. If this wasn’t the case, there would actually be less overweight women in the world. Before you take out your kolhapuri chappal or stiletto to beat the hell out of me, have a look at the facts first. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that women are far more likely to be obese than men. And this situation isn’t any better in Pakistan. According to the Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, Pakistani women trump obesity rates as compared to men across the board. Women in urban areas are far more ‘heavier’ than their rural counter parts, with as much as 40% of the urban women in the age bracket of 45-64 being obese. Guess there just isn’t enough pressure placed on older women to be thin and look a certain way. Why do women become overweight to begin with? Obesity in women stems partly from attitudes surrounding the fairer sex and partly due to systemic constraints. Let’s take a look at some of the factors contributing to this problem. Physical activity during early age Girls from an early age are educated about knowing their place in the public or private sphere. Boys are allowed to play outside in open spaces whereas the girls are restricted to playing indoors and cannot be outside in the afterhours. From the outset, this defines the level of physical activity men and women engage in. Of the children that do make it to school, the sports that girls engage in are generally less physically taxing than those played by men. Polling children from kindergarten till Matric yielded the same results across the board. Children start with similar games like pakran pakrai and baraf paani but as they progress, boys engage in more recognisable sports whereas girls stick with informal physical activity. Lack of facilities, unavailability of ample sports equipment for both genders and paucity of physical education teachers in public and private schools influence a girl’s right to play. Growing up Competitive sports or continued physical activity is non-existent post school years. Except for women from privileged backgrounds, we hardly see women and sports together in a single sentence let alone in actuality on ground. Most women balk at the idea as they fear being socially chastised.

“What is the point of investing in something that you won’t be able to continue as it will create far more trouble than good?”

 “I can’t go out for a walk without a male accompanying me and even when I am walking with my male or female friends, people pass off-hand comments about us and the way we are dressed. While what I wear is nobody’s business, I try to dress as modestly to avoid such situations. Can’t a woman be on her own without the fear of being the subject of ridicule or eve-teasing?”

“Our culture is based on pleasing others. Many times, I feel pressured to compromise and eat oily foods, chug carbonated drinks or overeat just so that my hosts feel they have been hospitable enough. No means no! If I don’t want to eat food, how is that your problem? And why do I have to justify that I am not on a diet?”

“I often go through thick and thin. I try to eat less and stay slim but neither do I have the money to eat healthy foods nor between a new born or work-life problems can I find time for myself to do this exarsize, wexercize that you rich people do.”

Pakistan might not have the best movie industry in the world but Muslim countries across the world have managed to spread some truly phenomenal messages and cultural insights through their films industries. The Iranian cinema’s popularity in European film festivals and their recent Oscar win, is but one example of Muslim cinema’s increasingly transforming and often very realistic nature. In light of that, here are three thought-provoking films from different Muslim film industries that are sure to leave you pondering upon the many facets of Islamic beliefs and Muslim cultures. They will also highlight the drastic parallelism between foreign Muslim societies and Pakistan. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="304"] This movie revolves around the strong conservative values of a hakeem and the people around him. Photo: IMDB[/caption] The Clay Bird (Bangladesh) Set in a religious household on the precipice of the 1971 war, The Clay Bird criticises stubborn dogmatism to great extents; a hakim refuses to let his daughter take modern medicine or his son to go to modern schools, mullahs sit around discrediting the possibility of a West Pakistani military operation on the pretext that their ‘Muslim brothers’ would not attack them and a madrassah principal takes psychological illness as supernatural possession to be resolved with disciplinary action. Most of the students are as heartless as the staff, giving a bleak vision of the future’s model morality and also representing what the lack of parental nurturing in hostels creates. Simultaneously, another madrassah professor is displeased with the tyrannical nature of his workplace and the sheer stupidity of some practices of the overtly religious he knows, and Sufi musicians occasionally give viewers a whiff of the Islam that the madrassah refuses to teach, and judging by the nature of the self-claimed religious in the film, probably never will. There’s an interesting secular-religious debate in this film, one that is particularly important for Pakistan and its recent dealings with madrassahs, and its reluctance to admit the local nature of terrorism. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] A film by Bahman Ghobadi, which depicts the harsh prejudice shown to the Kurdish children in Iran.[/caption] Turtles Can Fly (Iran) The childish title misrepresents this devastating Iranian film on Kurdish refugee children. If The Clay Bird makes one doubt a religious society Turtles Can Fly questions the scholarly Pakistani notion that ‘secularism is the solution to all our problems’. Little children and their infant “siblings” are depicted as the survivors of Saddam Hussein’s racial Kurdish purge where on one hand the less affected are involved in getting American souvenirs and satellites for a refugee camp, while the actual victims are trying to get rid of the burdens they are too young to carry. It’s very cold and unforgiving, shunning the very concept of nationalism, especially that of the ethnic kind. This film stays with you for a long time and makes you think of the Afghan refugees that live in Pakistan as well as the similarities between the ideas of secularism in Pakistan and Saddam Hussein-era Iraq. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/47888059[/embed] Secularism is solely ethnic – the Ba’ath party in Iraq represented Arabs as a superior nation. Likewise, Pakistani self-proclaimed secular parties realistically only replace religion with ethnicity, with each and every one of the parties catering to ethnic communities like the ANP for Pashtuns, MQM for Mohajirs and the PPP for Sindhis. The characters in Turtles Can Fly are the products of this finger-pointing and divisions on languages and race, just the same as any division on religious grounds, even though it unfairly receives less media coverage. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Afghanistan's first offering post-Taliban era.[/caption] Osama (Afghanistan) The first film to be shot in Afghanistan after the Taliban were defeated by a US invasion, Osama is the less sweet version of Saudi Arabia’s Wadjda, following an unnamed girl trying to survive the Taliban regime in Kabul. The Taliban have left her mother unemployed even though she is a practicing doctor simply because it is prohibited for a woman to work. She can’t even venture outside her house without a male relative and years of civil war in Afghanistan have left her without one, and probably several other women too. The only option for them to survive is to transform her into a boy: Osama Incredibly pessimistic and gloomy, the story is also very emotional because everyone knows there is no hope for these women. One can feel the suffocation women must have faced in Kabul, and the great injustice these harbingers of Sharia bring along with them. The hypocrisy this regime brings is exposed in a hamaam where outside women are veiled head to toe, yet inside a bathhouse a mullah enjoys the sight of young boys washing in front of him. This film is a must-watch for Taliban apologists who claim all these people want is an Islamic state because obviously making women wearing a burqa and introducing barbaric laws is the only difference between a Muslim state and a ‘non-muslim’ one. These lives must be the same as those of FATA, and just like Osama, no one is coming to rescue them either.

The recent incident of ‘honour killing’ has raised much criticism from activist groups both at home and abroad. The fact that this incident took place right outside the court of law (ironically the institution that promises to legally protect us all) and that too in front of an unwavering audience; truly shatters ones faith in humanity. What kills its last tether though is the very alert and apt police force present during this incident who refused to budge to the aid of this poor woman. Such a disgraceful act demonstrated by our own police force should be severely punished by the court or any apex of the state. Not only should they be stripped off their uniforms but they should also serve time in prison for abetting such a horrendous crime. If anything, this should act as a precedent for future inert cops if not punish the already degenerate moral conscious of these men. But what precedent can a country like Pakistan set to circumscribe such future acts of violence and vigilantism? This question is tricky to answer in a country like Pakistan, where fanaticism and male chauvinism are deeply embedded in the mind-set of the people. One cannot possibly identify the future perpetrators of such acts of violence, simply because it can be anyone. Whether it is your family brutally stoning you to death for choosing your loved one or your bodyguard shooting you in broad daylight for actively contesting against blasphemy laws, we are not safe from our own let alone strangers. Vigilante justice in Pakistan, especially when it comes to issues pertaining to so-called religious matters, is unreasonably high. One can really argue if any of these acts of violence are even perceived as Islamic or not. Though Islam asks for stoning to death for committing unlawful sex after marriage, but it does so with the caveat that four male witnesses are to be present to witness the actual act of the intercourse itself to bear testimony of adultery. This as we all know is an impossible task to accomplish. This makes many think that maybe such punishments were introduced in Islam just as a severe admonishment and not to be practically implemented in the first place at all. These punishments are there to act as a deterrent and more as a pre-emptive measure in lieu of actually practicing honour killing itself. The only practical way for this punishment to be performed is through the confession of the guilty itself. Even if so Islam strongly recommends that the adulterers keep this matter to themselves and repent and ask for God’s forgiveness. In either way, not only has honour killing been made practically impossible to demonstrate in Islam (by way of bringing forth four male witnesses) but it has also considered it as a last resort, with repent being the best possible option. As a woman, a follower of Islam and a Pakistani, my characteristics in all three aspects could not have been more severely jeopardised in the light of this recent event. And as a human, this event served was a fatal blow to all those who uphold rights of human life as sacred. But foremost as a Pakistani, I am disturbed that something as brutal as this happened in my own city. The saddest part is that this issue will soon pass as well. Tomorrow, yet again, we will hear of another event in which another female was brutally raped or murdered in broad daylight with people passing by. When will this end? When will this society stop victimising women? And most importantly, when will we start seeing that Islam supports the weak and the vulnerable, it does not oppress them as our society does. The answer is probably never. Not in the near future at least. In a country where religious factions happen to be stronger and greatly outnumber the left wing and the liberals, change is an ever slow excruciating process. Not until this part of the world sees another Kemal Ataturk or Zulfikar Ali Bhutto rise to its aid. Till then, people will continue to misrepresent our religion and taint it further in the international media. And till then, bloggers like myself, with continue to write laments and obituaries for all those tortured by our misogynist culture.

The August night was frightening, confusing, perplexing. Hot, humid and sweaty… The room was pleasant, comfortable, properly lit and professionally decorated in muted, soothing hues of beige, gold and taupe. Tapestries artfully draped, artefacts tastefully displayed; everything oozed style and grace. The effortless elegance and oomph of old money inherited through generations, mere mortals can only think, or write about. A room, about to witness the first birth… The loudest, metropolitan city of the land of the pure was in complete darkness, thanks to power outage. Energy crisis was at its peak and on that particular night, the shortfall in electricity production was more than many thousand mega-watts. She whimpered in pain and clenched her fists tightly; her bitten, brittle nails dug deep into her palms, with no luck lines and left marks. In a small, suffocating room, she cried, laying on a charpoy, waiting for the self-trained midwife, who lived a few streets away. Her water broke that evening, soiling her thin legs, swollen feet and mended chappals – she was soon to be crowned with the title of motherhood, with the heavens promised under her cracked soles, for the very first time. The foreign qualified doctor, with a receding hairline, kind eyes, years of expertise, excellent bedside manners and an obnoxiously high fee, received a frantic call and rushed to the help of the pampered primigravida, who seemed to be in preterm labour. They could bring her to the hospital, he thought, but those with the means and charms, can amend the world to accommodate their whims. He parked his shiny BMW in the vast porch, of the huge house, illuminated by a noiseless, 50 KVA generator; he was greeted and escorted to the classy room, where she squirmed and braved the contractions. Sweat poured out from every pore of her body, like tears from her eyes, the excruciating pain was recurring at regular intervals and she could feel pressure building down below. She heard the horrible sound of a Qingqi rickshaw and was relieved to see the local Dai (midwife) entering the room. The jittery, agitated, middle-aged woman fumbled with her pulse, palpated her protuberant tummy and poked two bare fingers inside her to check the ripeness of cervix, wiped her hands with the bed sheet, and turned back to close the door she left ajar. The diligent doctor was familiar with his patient, who had regular anti-natal visits; he made sure her vitals were stable, before a gloved hand internal examination, ensuring full privacy and dignity, and administered adequate analgesia. He reassured the anxious family and reassessed his precious patient at regular intervals. The young girl in the dark room with a ‘made in china’, cheap, rechargeable LED light was scared to death. She remembered the day she was married off to someone twice her age. She thought about the cold, brutal wedding night, the icy water she had to have a bath with, in the shared bathroom, before all the other family members woke up. She was frightened of fate; the fear of committing the unforgivable sin of producing a daughter ran shivers through her spine. The spoiled brat was an example of patience at that time, beautiful teary eyes looked at the kind and gentle doctor and his calm attendant and knew, they were there to help and make things easy. Their presence was promising… After a couple of hours The midwife dragged out the limp, low weight, purplish red piece of human life from her birth canal, while she urged her to push harder, punctuating her commands with appropriate profanities and finally retrieved the product of conception. There was no cry of joy by the baby, just the ear piercing screams of the mother. She cut the cord with a rusty pair of scissors and vigorously patted at the blood and amniotic fluid-stained back of the new born. The mother was breathing heavily; completely and utterly exhausted.

As Salat O’ Khair um Minan Naom...

“La Ilaha Illalla, Muhammad ur Rasool Allah”

Female liberation is a concept that is seen as a ray of hope by many women who do not have financial security in the society. It is also a notion that controls many working women today. However, before jumping on the bandwagon I genuinely inquired whether we really know what we are asking for. While fighting for financial freedom may have managed to alleviate the economic position of women in the society, I ask everyone: has this struggle for financial independence not done more harm than good for our world? Have we not stifled a woman’s basic nurturing hormone? Do I endorse economic equality between men and women? Yes. Do I endorse it if it means that women have to neglect their homes as a by-product? No. That does, in no way, mean I am saying that men are superior to women. What I do think, however, is that women and men are anatomically and psychologically different from each other and no form of emancipation can free us from this incongruity. The mental and physical distinctions between the two genders make men more apt for the role of the breadwinners while women are better suited to the role of being the home-maker. Female emancipation has led to many working women mistakenly believing that setting themselves free from this inherent role within society will give them a better purpose in life. And that fostering their careers, at the expense of the wellbeing of their homes, will bring them closer to this purpose. On the contrary, I ask such women how can any purpose be achieved by denying the men their masculinity and denying the women their femininity? As opposed to what some of you may be quick to assume, I am not against working women. In fact I do a nine-to-five job myself and I am supportive of women being able to stand on their own two feet. What I am against, however, is how many women today are so eager to prioritise their careers over any other role they are accountable for in the society. This desire, of gaining financial freedom, in many married-working-women is often driven by a need to create one’s own identity. However, then I ask: is marriage not about sharing each other’s identity? Is being financially dependent on a man really a threat to a woman’s own existence? Or is it just her carelessly mistaking her own existence to be that easy to whittle away? It is also cardinal to note that such misdirected financial liberation is one of the many factors that have depreciated the level of coexistence between men and women in society. I do not, in any way, think that men are angels and women are solely responsible for the high divorce rates. What I am saying is that economic liberty has made many women today dread the classy institution of marriage and deprived them of the joy of motherhood, only because they are more concerned about their career. Getting married has become akin to losing financial independence and having a child is an obstacle in the path of their career growth. What many working women fail to see is how their desire to be exonerated from homely responsibilities has only made them slaves to their careers and the corporate world. And that is why I would love to see the emancipation of women from such kind of financial autonomy.

A few days back, I met a friend to congratulate her on her engagement. Though her happiness was visible through her expressions, her demeanour indicated that something was bothering her. Upon my inquiry, she started to vent out her worries.

“My only fear is that he keeps dogs and I keep cats,” she said.

“No, I really am worried about this”.