A random free-write on current affairs...

Death for blasphemy, and a delay of justice... I must say what a combination. A law and frankly the set of its ilk remain in my opinion one of the most out-dated, discriminatory and all other derogatory terms which can be applied to it. Yes, I refer to the Hudood Ordinances, yes the very same.

But let me not mention this specifically, but rather talk about the issue in general. The mastermind of militaristic dictator, who himself had no understanding of the repercussions and consequences that would follow. Furthermore, adding to all this madness we have a nation full of people eligible for the crown for the “king for fools”; and that being the least of the associated problems.  Before the Women’s Protection Bill was passed, A woman who could not provide four male witnesses to an after filling for prosecution against a rapist was then in danger of being convicted or “tried” for “zina” (Extra Marital sex). Naturally women could not successfully prove many a Rape case and then they themselves found their liberty or whatever was remnant of it, gone, just because they sought Justice. Even after the bill has been passed it is still a sham.

Now onto blasphemy; I would like to point most of you to a wonderful article by Sami Shah http://tribune.com.pk/story/81268/horror-of-the-week/

Some very very valid points were made. If you wish to apply something as law then do so fully.

We live to our own accords, that is a very open fact. But that should not admonish our ability to come to terms with one another... sure we may have grudges and so forth but is it really that hard for us to put our ego aside once in a while and try to be human with others. “live and let live” I wonder whatever happened to that. We are not cannibals, though our system teaches us to be. We are humans, gifted with intellectual capacity and free will to make our own REASONED choices.

       

Our own D-class Reality....

So here we are now, Floods, Cricket Scandal, Blasts in Lahore, Firing in Karachi and what not....... The outcome of all this, NOTHING!. A bit of drama much needed.....

It doesn't take an Einstein to realize something must be done. But then this a nation of Individuals who need to realize this collectively in order to achieve something. If we keep living like this, wonder how long will it take to get burnt. Also what is so amazing is that everyone is on a power trip, I mean from the lowest strata to the highest of society, everyone thinks that they can never be wrong and who says otherwise is too stupid to understand, hmmm.... I think a much needed personal introspection is needed. Here is a nation who's favorite game is the Blame Game, Favorite Sport outdoor brawls, and the list just goes on.

The question now and has always been (in my opinion) Where are we going?? A nation full of contradictions which are integrated with it's culture, and the Sin is that we have also merged our faith with culture and have failed to realize so.. God Help us   

A Thing to Ponder

After a talk with a dear friend, it occurred to me that many have forgotten the way in which life should be epic. I mean although I cannot have orchestras playing the background music to my life, theres no harm in assuming they are, or when I find that special soul on whose presence my knees begin to shake and jitter and just talking becomes the toughest of challenges, that flowers blow with the wind. How have we as a race forgotten who we really are; individuals who in reality can be anything. Has society really become that detrimental towards the development of our ambitions no matter how extravagant they maybe or simply does society not want us to think that life can be EPIC. I do realize that these may seem like immature themes to tackle and resemble an after school special. But I digress it is something to wonder; Why don't we aspire to be BIG? at least anymore that is...

A Battle Embodied

Oh the face I have yet to see,
hiding behind scars,
leaving trails within dreams,
the duo that fails to agree,
yet embody the same,
for what are we?
one provides assuredness,
the other thrives anarchy,
one depicts a peaceful saint,
one challenges the behemoth,
 the question still remains,
within the throes of the mind,
do I find thee,
restless, screaming and sophisticated,
I did not seek,
but how have you been found then,
through my own denial?
that is of your existence,
you bring forth my grave!,
and yet make me smile,
you tell me all the same,
one who embodies the same,
and as us we must remain.......

Killing our own Targets

The recent target killings in Karachi caused a spur and a big one at that too. What was surprising once more was that only a day after the wave everything was back to normal people acted as though it never happened. I mean lets look at scenario, Universities were closed down in respective areas, also markets and jobs, quite allot of activity was stopped due to this madness of sorts. Yet people resumed life as though its something normal.

Now you can look at this in two lights; one Karachi as a city has become extremely resilient and is sending a message to extremists groups that "screw you!! you are not going to bring us down" and if thats the case then hats off to the city and its denizens for being who they are and showing the world whats what. But like I said earlier there are two ways of looking at this, the other being that we have become desensitized to such acts of violence that we remain indifferent and brush the "dirt" of our shoulders. If that is the case then I sincerely think that we have literally lost the fight. 

Think about it; people die, and the only reaction that can be mustered is a casual "oh it happened, really?, oh well". It was not long ago that as a younger lot we use to feel a tinge of sadness at even the passing of a complete stranger thinking how hard it must be for the family of the said individual, even if it was an expected death by natural causes. 

Now let me put that very same reasoning onto the recent wave of target killings; last I checked 20 or so people were killed, that means 20 families including wives and children have lost a special individual in their lives. My condolences go out to them. 

Yet also I hear this utterly obscene excuse of an argument for self-justification of said desensitization "well they probably deserved it". My Reply "WHO died and made you judge". Seriously the courts exist for a reason and no matter how many acts (sinful or otherwise) the person may have committed, his life is not in your hands or anyone else's. Now some might argue that our courts are unreliable hence such violent forms of political killings can be justified. Well if you don't like the local legal system their are bodies who deal with this sort of stuff on an international level. Now people will say all sorts of things to provide an excuse as to why not go to said bodies but at the end of the day they are "excuses".

In Conclusion (I am still wondering how offtrack I just went), our society does not lack capability to act against such crimes but rather does not want to anymore (quite sad really) citing that it has done all it can quite a defeatist argument if you ask me. In reality we have killed our own targets, those targets being are ambitions, goals and aspirations. Nowadays everyone settles down into the usual routine work, home, tv, sleep and back to work with the occasional night out for dinner and feign some form of contentment towards it. And whats worst of all if anyone dares to make the "SINFUL" mistake of actually trying to be someone and making a difference, society tries with all its might to bring that person "back" into a supposed state of normalcy. 

I think what we as individuals should focus on is breaking these taboos and actually dare to dream, to try and be better than what we expect from ourselves. Always breaking barriers and constantly improving, for at the end of it all, we always will have allot to learn.