I am a Traitor, a RAW agent, a Kafir…
By Hafsa Khwaja Omar
Winston Churchill once said,
‘’You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.’’
A slightly simplified or altered version of this quote goes as ‘A person who has no enemies never stood up for anything or anyone.’
It may be universally true but for Pakistan, I ‘reshape’ the quote to; If you’ve never been called a Kafir, traitor, RAW or MOSSAD Agent, it means you’ve never stood up for anything.
And today I’ll confess what makes me liable to be labelled any of the aforementioned terms.
I am a traitor for I chose to speak.
I am part of the ‘Fifth column of the enemy’ for I ask of the Army’s budget to be accounted for and known to the nation. I am a RAW Agent for it agonizes me to see the selective genocide being carried out in Balochistan by no one else but this country’s own security appratus and agencies… and so I clamour against it.
I am a MOSSAD Agent for I refuse to bear the hypocrisy that compels me to vociferate against brutal killings of innocents in Iraq, Palestine and other places and the foreign intereference in my country but remain in intended oblivion regarding the disgusting exploitation and toying of Afghanistan, by a doctrine of the Military Establishment namely ‘Strategic Depth’ that calls for the support of criminals and militants in that country to secure some vague interests of this country as percieved by those who execute it.
I am a Kafir for I protest against the Hudood Law that recognizes rape as some kind of sport in whose occurrence an audience must be present to prove it happened or else the c wilvictim be punished.
I am a traitor for ‘I question the silence of Pakistan’s urban journalists on mass murders of Baloch, Hazara, Tooris & other oppressed groups.’.
I am a renegade for I challenge questionable customs, traditions, myths and practices that have made this society and many lives rot away for too long.
I am a Kafir for I dare to reclaim my religion from the Mullahs. I am a disbeliever for I admire Abdus Salam and Sir Zafarullah Khan and have the audacity to express my rightful desire for them to be honored by all. I am worthy of being consigned to hell because I do not judge and determine who is a Muslim to what extent and who isn’t. I am a disbeliever because somewhere in my confabulations there may be secularist undertones.
I am a treasonist for I gladly rip away the locks imposed on my lips by orchestrated ‘patriotism’ that shuns the voice of my conscience from translating into words of concern for what happens in this country of mine.
I am a MOSSAD Agent who doesn’t recite and repeat the venom-filled and delusional words of a hatemonger like Zaid Hamid.
I am a RAW Agent trying to constantly ruin the country’s image for I draw attention to the misery of minorities in Pakistan in hope of the people realizing the importance of the well-being and freedoms of those to whom the white of our flag is dedicated.
I am a traitor for I chose to speak up. I am a traitor for I am a Pakistani with an awakened conscience.
‘Lack of success does not justify the crime of silence in the face of criminal, arbitrary power.’ ~ Eqbal Ahmad
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I think I might be in love with you
LOL! Well you can expect a reciprocation of the sentiment considering your liked my piece so much
Thank you!
I've read what a lot of people have posted below, and I know that a lot of them disagree with whatever you've written above.. But let me just say that I've definitely felt all of these emotions at some point in my life, and I can totally relate to what you're trying to say. Of course you didn't mean to be extremist or come off as a 'traitor' or whatever, but I get what you mean. I can't explain it but I do.
it is beautifully expressed… thumbs-up for writing your heart out !!!
Thank you so much
Quite misleading this article is, as the great miniature Kafir Yoda would have put it. I don’t think we Pakistanis are as jaahil and intolerant as your article is making us out to be. People don’t get labelled as RAW agents for supporting minorities. MOSSAD agent for not agreeing with that idiot Zaid Hamid? Seriously? Anyway, sorry for stealing your thunder but going by your definition of a traitor, it seems Pakistan is now loaded with traitors, RAW and MOSSAD agents with an ‘awakened consience’.
Totally agree with you scorpyn…. Altho the last line is a lil uncalled for
Having said that IT'S DOWNRIGHT HILARIOUS
I laughed so hard!!!
This piece was in no manner intended to imply that we are a nation of 'jahils' electrified with sheer intolerance.
I don't think you quite got the gist of it or the message that I tried to convey. Anyone engaged in constantly raising socio-religous issues on the virual world and expressing opinions that are not held by the majority on different/controversial matters – does not go well with many people [ Especially on social-networking sites ].
And it would be easy to understand that only educated-enough persons with accessability to the internet [ that form some 10% of the population ] are on these sites so that completely puts your view of my implying that this labelling is done throughout Pakistan by every ordinary citizen to rest.
1/2
Quaid-e-Azam was once called Kafir-e-Azam by those who opposed his views. The 'great' Imran Khan tried to accuse Pervez Hoodbhoy of being an American Agent on a popular political show, again, because he didn't agree with him.
Those who accused in these cases, weren't unlettered.
Pardon my Christopher Hitchen-esqueness but I'll be quoting something I wrote on my own blog that'll clear your misconception about why I related raising voice for the minorities as such:
'Plenty of the internet-using Pakistanis have been vociferating their opinion that no unfavourable news regarding the country should be posted or discussed on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter [ where many have friends from other countries ] that sharpens the features of the poor picture that lots hold globally of Pakistan. This is the extent of the ‘image insecurity’.'
I myself have experienced being labelled a 'Bad Pakistani' on the internet by many for posting news of the ill-treatment regarding the minorities in Pakistan because they felt that by posting such news on social networking sites where foreigners can read it too, I was just 'ruining Pakistan's already ruined image'.
Nonetheless, thank you for reading the post.
Well, isn't that the whole point? You quoted it yourself, you stand up for something and you are bound to make enemies. It happens everywhere and all the time. Getting this worked up just because some people don't share your point of view is indeed bordering on extremism. Explicitly labelling someone as 'Kaafir' or an 'Agent' is usually a one-off case and that's why I found your article misleading because it gives an impression that anyone who voices his/her opinion against yours is actually 'tagging' you. You and I have a difference of opinion, sorta, right? Does it mean I am calling you a kaafir too?
I feel we Pakistanis are just too sensitive when someone dares to disagree with us. We either end up tagging THEM or we accuse them of tagging us.
Ok first off I'm sorry but I find the author bordering on hatred and extremism for I don't have anyone calling me these names when I nurture the same (err almost the same) feelings as herself. It expresses a picture which is much more negative than it actually is.
Secondly, as far as the hudood law is concerned, some of it is actually a part of the shariah law…keep in mind I said SOME
Unfortunately, our mullahs pretty much have their own interpretation of our religion which deprives it of it's beauty and makes it a harbor for extremism
I believe myself to be a very religious person but lemme tell you that I was very sad and angry at the murder of Salman Taseer.
I guess it all comes down to this: people who call you a names such as those are probably too brainwashed, ignorant and stubborn to see the reality but fortunately there aren't too many of such people and unfortunately these people are the highlights of the media thus putting an ugly impression on all of us
Surprised you found the last line hilarious Momi
Please do read my replies to Scorpyn above to understand the context of my post.
Anyway, you may not have come across such tagging but innumerable people on the internet have.
Keep in mind, this labelling/tagging is rampant on the internet only.
I know that and so I specifically mentioned the Hudood Law relating to rape that shockingly draws an analogy between rape and fornication based on Surah Nur.
I too was and I'm glad to know there were many people like us whose views resonated on Taseer's assassination.
I concur completely with your thoughts on Mullahs and stubborn people.
Thank you for reading and commenting!
"I ‘reshape’ the quote to; If you’ve never been called a Kafir, traitor, RAW or MOSSAD Agent, it means you’ve never stood up for anything."
This generalization is unfair. I HAVE stood up for many things and alhumdulilah I havent been tagged as any6 of these things so far. I guess because I dont come off as a bit harsh as you did. Perhaps its not what you defend but 'how' you defend makes people 'tag' you with such inappropriate names. Like I said.. I've been there… but I've had different results.
"Kafir, traitor, RAW or MOSSAD Agent" – I think we need to realize that these terms DON'T apply to people who actually stand up for all that the author has mentioned above.
Overall a good article, though the author did get a little emotional. But again, don't we all become emo when it comes to the sustenance of our beloved country and the honor of our religion?
I beg to differ Amal, once again – I request you read my replies to Momi and Scorpyn to understand my viewpoint and the background to this post.
This applies to the virtual world only, not the society.
Thank you for reading and commenting
You certainly know how to make a point
but i'll agree with a few comments above, you did come off as a bit too extreme. However, I've read your replies to them and i think i get your point.
You are right, we do suffer from this "tagging" disease. This actually exists in all parts of the world and Pakistan is no different. We gotta do our best to improve this place.
That's so true. People think writing about the problems in Pakistan means that you're besmirching the image of your country in front of others and not helping in any other way. And most of the people share this same opinion.
Just because someone decides to write about the injustice done to the minorities in Pakistan he/she is considered to be against Pakistan because ill-treating the minorities is not only common in Pakistan it happens all over the world so it's 'okay' to do that in Pakistan so why should anyone write about that? Such arguments make me want to bang my head against the wall. -__-
K.