Long march against the Taliban?

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Reading the articles by Zafar Hilaly, Ikram Sehgal, Ayaz Amir, Shafqat Mahmood and others I realise that I am not wrong to panic and worry over the future of my country. They have written eloquently and far better than I could about our dire situation and the need to finally wake up. Even Hilary Clinton is asking why there isn't a greater outrage from the Pakistanis. Sufi Mohammad's speech and acts have left no doubts about the Taliban's intentions, but we refuse to budge and unite as a nation!
The fundamental reason is that in our heart of hearts we like the utopian idea of the Taliban arriving and providing 'true' Islam and a cure for all ills. Men do not dislike the vision of having total command over females and even females are saying that the girls of today are "out of control" and do not obey their fathers, mothers or mothers-in-law and it will be good to have them checked and put in place. Our educated as well as uneducated populace does not realise that the invasion will be such that our homes will be invaded and taken possession of. Our land and cattle will be theirs, they will own all our natural resources and all our industry. Our sons will be forced to join the barbaric hordes of the Taliban, or beheaded on the pretext of having committed a misdeed, our daughters will be raped. We will be cut off from the rest of the world without any internet, phones, media or written material. Life as we know it now will end.
The crucial and most important role can only be played by the media. Why are they not showing documentaries of what the Taliban rule will actually be like? Why do they hesitate to educate people about the menace that is approaching? The Taliban will curtail rights of men even more than of women. The best way is to make attention-grabbing visuals and show these on entertainment channels instead of cooking shows. The majority does not watch their boring talk shows. Those of us who are in a panic see no direction or leadership under which to unite. We discuss the situation endlessly and lose sleep over it but have no common forum to unite under. What should we do to protest? Where should we go? Where is the long march against the Taliban?

Irum Ahmad
Lahore