Crab, Baba Bhit Island, Sindh coastal region

Crab, Baba Bhit Island, Sindh coastal region
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Central Asia Online publishes my photograph

I have happy to announce that good people inhabit Pakistan in great numbers. And some of them live outside but report on the country with their hearts attached. Here is an example of a piece written in Washington D.C by Central Asia Online, which also used my mangrove photograph for this write-up.

The article titled, 'Climate change fuels sea encroachment on Indus delta', is written by Amjad Bashir Siddiqi, whom I don't know yet and photograph is taken by me, which you can view on the top right hand corner of the article page.

Concern for fast disappearing mangroves is growing amidst cries for protection of wetland areas for the larger benefit of the country itself. The protection of flow of Indus river waters is the key to the survival of these mangroves. Already, only 2 species of the mangroves may be found where previously 8 species were to be seen.

Building of dams has had a key affect on the destruction of an ancient way of life as well as on the thousands who earn their living downstream or from mangroves by fishing in its waters. As our author points out in these words,

'“The process of sea intrusion was first witnessed in the mid-90s”, Akbar said. That was when the Arabian Sea engulfed about 1.2m acres of land, he said. Now, it seems to have expanded to almost 2m acres. “The most dangerous trend is the one happening underground”, Akbar said, adding that the sea is contaminating aquifers and making soil useless.

Wildlife is suffering too. Acacia and prosopis forests don’t thrive in salinated soil, and fishermen find prize species giving way to less desirable ones. The availability of Pallah fish (Tenualosa ilisha), a local delicacy, has shrunk markedly. '

We can only imagine the consequences of our actions today. Do we need a barren coastline with no fresh water, salted lands and infertile soil or do we wish to have a life giving water, should be our matter. And we need to solve it. Today is World Water Day and we must concentrate on using water with much more maturity than we have shown in last 62 years.

Murdering Baluchistan

Baluchistan, since its emergence as a Pakistani state, has been in the think of things. It has been bombed, its people have been tortured and killed; and its chiefs have dis-allowed any semblance of civilization to its people. Baluchistan remains Pakistan's backyard with all the dirt and the garbage of Punjab and its other elite classes, the Military and the civil bureaucracy (most of which happens to be from Punjab as well).

No wonder then whenever something happens in Baluchistan Punjab gets the finger. So it should be. Except for Bhutto's indiscriminate killing of Baluchis during 1970's, most of the happenings in Baluchistan have come via Punjab.

For one, the strange reasons about not building any number of small dams in Baluchistan are too well unknown. So is the habit of federal government of not promoting any sort of tourism inside the province. And when it comes to share distribution, once again Punjab takes the major cake. The cake which should preferably go to Baluchistan considering its vast mineral and petroleum wealth.

Such grievances gets an air when leaders of this province are kidnapped and murdered in cold blood. I don't know the names of the Baloch leaders murdered nor do I know their importance to the province except that one of them was following the case of missing persons belonging to Baluchistan. He was due to appear in the court soon, I am told. If that is the case, then one must point fingers at our own Military Intelligence, IB and ISI rather than go for Indian RAW or Afghani agencies. After all, kidnapping and reselling of primarily Baloch and Pathan men have been the work of our agencies and not someone else. This killing could have been the work of someone else, just to malign our agencies, but the possibilities are dim. CJ is already looking into the matter hard.

I will, meanwhile, keep my fingers crossed until I know the hard facts. But if the killers are not found, Baluchistan will burn badly. It is already burning and I am really not sure where are my Pathan and Baloch friends at the moment.

Public Flogging and Private State of Pakistan

Today, I am once again appalled at what Zardari-led govt. (government?) has allowed to happen in Swat. Repeatedly the shocking video (still above) of a 17-year old Swati girl being flogged by men is nothing new. It happens in Afghanistan and it happens in Pakistan. Just that some daring man (now we know he is Shaukat and that he made this video in January) made it. He did not much care for his own life. More daring was his idea of sending it to Geo TV. Now that the video is out Pakistanis are once again under the spotlight. World is watching this video again and again and claiming that Pakistanis really don't deserve their own state. Savages roaming around with lashes, hitting at men and women at will; government failing substantially. All this must be a clue that Pakistan have had enough of its territorial life. Now it deserves to be broken down into chunks. And things like that.

The good thing about this clip and this event is that suddenly Pakistanis of all shades and sizes have realized that Taliban are no good. Even mullahs, who have traditionally been shaky about moral affairs, are behind govt.. They feel that something must be done about this Afghani / Saudi brand of fanatical Islam. But the hardliners (wahabis and such) are still not sure what they want. So they continue to support such horrible so-called Muslims.

Too bad, once again Pakistan's International image has gotten into serious trouble.

Religious self torture

I went to Bhit Shah for the annual Urs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai (1689–1752), Sufi poet of Sindhi language. His language, like his life, is unique and it tells a story of love, passion, and integrity. It tells you that love is the mainstream blood and when it cancels out life can become unbearable. I am no expert on him or his poetry but I can tell you that his kalaam (sayings) is full of love and energy and single minded devotion to the being you love.

Unfortunately, as with so many Sufi Tombs across Pakistan, this tomb has been taken hostage by the Shia pilgrims, who come here, make lot of noise (and drama), and perform violent ma'tam. That's unfair to the hundreds and thousands of Muslims and Hindus who come here to pay respects to the man who was exact opposite to what these men wish to do here. I was really surprised that no one ever bothered to point out to these men that such violence in the vicinty of a Mazar is not only ridiculous, it gives Islam a bad name.

I was there at Bhit Shah to listen to the most wonderful music one could ever imagine. And I was really saddened - and sadness turned to anger soon - when I saw men, wearing jet black and then taking off these shirts, turned into a demolition team. They chanted slogans, thumped their palms against their bare chests, and said 'Ya Hussain, Ya Hussain'.

This bit of self torture, off course part of Shia religion but not - thankfully - part of Sunni Islam, teaches what? I think it promotes violent culture and helps bring bad name to entire Muslim ummah. Such ma'tam is not on display in Iran. There may be ma'tam or a form of it, but this violence-prone, street-smart one is clearly a Pakistan-India invention.

I hope administration will take proper steps and stop this extreme form of devotion from entering the door of the Mazar.

Zionist Killing Machine and our pre-occupation

Israel has become a perfect killing machine, as is once again evidenced by the latest killings of common Palestinians yesterday and day before yesterday. An estimated 270 + Palestinians have been brutally bombed to their death. That includes lot of school children. And there is strong evidence that Israelis committed this aggression knowingly, that they would kill mostly innocent, unarmed civilians. In return only four Israelis have been killed.

Well, this brings to our past occupation, which I think has now gotten at back of our minds. The preoccupation with what Israel has been doing to Muslims in Gaza Strip instead of what we have been doing to our own people over the past six decades or so. What Israel does to Muslims in Palestine is open for all to see. We condemn such acts of violence. And we show our solidarity with the Muslims of Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

As Pakistanis, we rarely show ANY solidarity with the ones who are in jails; men and women bonded by bad luck and nasty waderas of our times. As Pakistanis, we rarely condemn acts of our Army. Whenever we do, that is subtle as we our afraid. Our army has been involved in many heinous acts. Every act condemnable in strictest sense; some as gruesome as the ones commonly perpetuated by the Israeli Army.

As fair and able minded citizens (and readers / writers) we must be able to see through the events. We must be able to analyse events and understand its implications. We must never forget men and women under occupation, in our land or on somewhere else.

Mumbai drama - Part 2

Indians are incensed at what has happened to their major city and a popular destination. They cannot imagine that 15 young men - whoever they were - could hold ransom the entire mega city. Railway was closed; stock exchange was empty; all offices and schools remain closed the next day.

It is very clear that the protection of mega cities like Mumbai and Karachi cannot begin in the city itself. It needs to begin at a deeper level and much before the city itself. Once terrorists are close to you the only thing you can do is fire back. And when you are unarmed, as was the case with Taj's security, you can do nothing except run away.

But even when all this drama was going on one could sense that fire fighting capabilities of Mumbai were thoroughly inadequate. And the complexity and hugeness of the hotel itself added to the confusion - a really good reason why only 4 terrorists were able to hold back India's elite commandoes for 65 hours at a stretch. And, as Times of India relates in one of the stories, NSG took 9 hours to reach Taj Hotel for the assault. Adding to the confusion, various intelligence agencies, police men and other elite forces were fighting side by side. Although I am no expert in counter terrorism I can say with surety that only one coordinated force should be allowed to fight one particular group of men. As was evident on our TV channels, Sub-continental confusion was everywhere around the Taj.

Now, some questions.

For one thing, someone really important within the hotel is involved in all this. Else, how can you take so much extra ammunition into the hotel? And, why were those heavy RDX bags (8 Kg each) were not detected? I cannot also understand how could have these terrorists lived for so long without ever getting tired or sleepy while they were battling some 400 odd Indian forces? I also am answer less on how Indians have managed to successfully get all the answers they wanted to hear within 24 hours of capturing the only terrorist alive, Mohammad Ajmal Mohammad Amin Kasab.

Indian investigators, never so smart but always brutal, need to answer these tough questions. We can believe them when they tell us that every boat cannot be checked. We can also believe them that in front of AK-47s no one can stand especially if the shooter is a skilled man. I also cannot understand the Indian media response regarding these attacks. They are completely clueless and are only saying what their hawkish govt. is suggesting: That Pakistan may be involved, that it is the work of ISI (sic), that Pakistan should be taught a lesson (exactly what BJP wanted), and so on.

After the mayhem which killed over 200 men and women, guests and staff members, we need answers. But it is no answer to blame Pakisan or Pakistani ISI for all their own flaws. They need to go deeper and see the rifts which are tearing down India across its seams. Indians need to get more practical. By playing blame games they won't find any answers or solutions.