Might is right —Dr Manzur Ejaz

Almost every book being taught in schools, from grade one to high school is geared towards religious indoctrination and making children hate people of other religions. If you teach the stuff that is being taught in Pakistan, you will produce hateful people who can justify every destructive action through religion

In his conversations, my friend Sheeda curses Pakistan like it is the most loathsome place. However, he is the only one from among my acquaintances who spends months back home every year. He has just returned from Pakistan full of furry and new curses for his tortured love affair with Pakistan.

I asked him about the recent cases of police brutality in various areas in Punjab. Bursting out he yelled, “What is new about it? Do not we all know what the police have been doing? Why do we single out the police? The feudals do the same thing to the peasants and husbands treat their wives and children in the same manner. Everyone with power treats people below them as non-humans. Our culture is rife with brutality where jis ki lathi us ki bhains (might is right) and the police is the product of our society. If you sow kikar (acacia karroo) you should not expect a harvest of roses.”

“But we have to start stopping these things somewhere. Do not you agree?” I asked.

“You are the king of rhetoric. You know, I agree. But it is going to take much longer for these things to stop than what many politicians, intellectuals and even the judiciary projects. We are brought up as extremely insensitive people when it comes to human rights,” he went on. Then after several minutes of silence, he abruptly asked, “Remember the suicide bomber who murdered scores of people in the Moon Market in Lahore?” On my nod he extended his question, “Do you know how the tragic incident was remembered that evening in the city?”

I did not know what he was referring to and therefore kept quite to avoid his bashing for a wrong answer. With a cynical smile on his face he said, “That evening, there were two mujras (dance parties) that I was invited to. No one knows how many mujras went on that night in the city, but I can tell you that partying of the rich and powerful did not take a break. For them, lower middle class insects were killed and who cares about them!”

I was upset too when he juxtaposed the two events of one evening in the city of Lahore, but I could not resist asking him, “Were the partying rich people not scared of being targeted by similar suicide bombers? Or did they talk about that murderous incident?”

“Yes they did talk a little bit about that, but then forgot quickly after a few drinks. And, somehow, they are not scared of suicide bombers because they have not been targeted. They feel safe when a dozen armed security guards are protecting their compounds,” he replied. Then continuing with his thought he commented, “Why would they be bothered? While the Taliban and jihadis were on the rise, the rich were getting richer. I do not know the reasons, but I know that Islamic extremists have brought good fortunes to the rich and powerful.”

I was inquisitive about Pakistan military’s successful operations in Swat and South Waziristan and elsewhere. I wanted to check my optimism regarding the Pakistani state’s capacity to end the insurgency of the extremist religious groups. He kept shaking his head in dismay and staring in the air he started speaking as if he was talking to himself. “I want to be an optimist about the country I love the most despite my outbursts against it. As you have pointed out there are some faint signs of hope in the military’s successes against the extremists, but I am not sure about the long run. Same thing can recur in a few years down the line,” he opined.

In response to my question about the reasons for his scepticism, he replied, “This time I read text books being taught in schools from grade one to high school. Almost every book is geared towards religious indoctrination and making children hate people of other religions. You would remember that many people were killed in a bomb attack on a Rawalpindi mosque and the Taliban justified their action by saying that they were following the precedent set by the Prophet (PBUH) in demolishing the mosque of the munafqeen (hypocrites). I was least surprised over the Taliban’s statement because if you teach the stuff that is being taught in Pakistan, you will produce hateful people who can justify every destructive action through religion.”

To change the subject, I started talking about how President Obama and the Democrats are losing politically. I could not keep him away from his favourite topic for very long and he suddenly asked me, “Can President Obama go to constituencies and announce aid for X, Y, Z? You know he cannot. But in Pakistan every politician from local leaders to president grants millions of rupees for projects and puts his name on the foundation stones. They use taxpayers’ money and give an impression as if they are giving the money from their own pocket. This can only happen in Pakistan!”

The writer can be reached at manzurejaz@yahoo.com