Being a ‘Jihadi veteran’ from Afghanistan, hope Zaid Hamid someday also talks about Israeli role in fighting Soviets
Zaid Hamid is a TV-phenomenon popularized by his programmes like Brass Tacks and Iqbal ka Pakistan. Eight episodes of Iqbal ka Pakistan have been examined by this author in last four issues. Episodes 9 and 10 of Iqbal ka Pakistan, are reviewed below:
Episode 9
Singer Ali Azmat started the show saying people are accusing him of being an agent of new world order and a CIA Agent. He said Iqbal ka Pakistan was aimed at making Pakistanis (especially Muslim Pakistanis) realize that we were not living in line with Iqbal’s ideals. He described Iqbal’s ideology as a way of life. Later on, in the same talk show, he expressed his pleasure at getting commercials from multinational corporations.
Zaid Hamid: I am fascinated how all the Pakistani youth are understanding Iqbal's ideology, an ideology that can transform a man into a superman.
Comment: There is no standardized system (like Nielsen Ratings in the US) available in Pakistan to determine the viewership of any TV programme. However, Zaid Hamid is daring enough to claim that all the Pakistani youth are not merely watching but also grasping his deconstruction of Iqbal. Regarding Iqbal’s super-man, we have already discussed this Nietzscheian conceptualisation.
Zaid Hamid: If one goes by Iqbal's philosophy of Khudi, politicians should stop begging votes in order to become parliamentarians, senators, or governors.
Comment: If politicians should stop begging for votes, how will the system work? Zaid Hamid’s argument is an indirect attack at the democratic system. Regarding Iqbal’s views on democracy, I would like to quote Iqbal himself. He says, “For Islam the acceptance of social democracy in some suitable form and consistent with the legal principles of Islam, is not a revolution but a return to the original purity of Islam”.
Zaid Hamid: British built roads in the Punjab and ordered people to crawl and not walk on these roads.
Comment: This is a blatant lie. After Jalianwala Bagh, such incidents were reported from Amritsar. However, it was not a general pattern. It could not be.
Zaid Hamid: We need to create and channelize Ghairat (honour).
Comment: Renowned columnist and cultural critic Nadeem F Paracha defines ghairat in these words: “‘Ghairat’ (pride or honour), is a term that is often heard and used in the Pakistani media these days. This is a term usually associated with TV news anchors, talk-show hosts, analysts and members of political parties who are verbose and smug, who get more space on TV news channels than votes. It is a term that reflects images and sounds related to the muscle-flexing, big-talking and huff-puffing ways of ultra-patriots, or in case of Pakistan’s electronic media – free-wheeling loud-mouthed charlatans playing the role of fiery dyed-in-wool patriots.” For furtehr explanation click here.
Zaid Hamid: The biggest problem facing Pakistanis is their self-blaming owing to the hype caused by the western media.
Comment: Zaid Hamid thinks introspection is our biggest problem. He wants us avoid soul-searching. He instead wants us to deal with “external” threats.
Zaid Hamid: Because we let Aimal Kaansi get arrested by Americans, we sold our ghairat.
Comment: Again the ghairat issue was raised by Zaid Hamid. He wants state protection for declared terrorists to satisfy his national pride. However, he does not explain how should world deal with criminals when they are on the run even if Aimal Kansi’s arrest did not fulfill the international norms in this regard. Will it also be contrary to Indian national pride to hand over a terrorist wanted by Pakistan?
Zaid Hamid: If we are united and stop NATO supplies, they cannot do anything.
Comment: Luckily matters of the state are not run by people suffering from delusional grandeur. In his opinion, Pakistan should stop NATO supplies so that no harm comes Taliban’s way. He, however, should read the newspapers sometimes. Already, over 60 percent NATO supplies have been re-routed. Instead of Pakistan, NATO is depending upon Central Asian routes. By end-2011, they plan to have re-routed 80 percent of the supplies. Why and who, by the way, allowed these supplies and drone attacks? Hope Zaid Hamid sheds some light on these questions too.
Zaid Hamid: The system does not let anybody enter unless one sells his/her dignity.
Comment: He is referring to the banking system here. If you think it is against your dignity, ignore it.
Episode 10
Ali Azmat begins the show urging the need to include teachings of Iqbal in the national curriculum. He it seems has never read any textbook. From grade 1 to graduation-level, even O- and A- level students are introduced to Iqbal and his poetry. Which planet are you living on Ali Azmat?
Zaid Hamid said a national revival was not possible without educating people about Iqbal who could transform Pakistan into a spiritual super power. He did not enlighten his audiences as to what a spiritual super power really meant. Who, by the way, is the incumbent spiritual super power?
Zaid Hamid: Imam Khomeini was exiled to France and he returned after 20 years.
Comment: Khomeini spent about 14 years in exile (1964-79). Initially, he went from Iran to Turkey, then Iraq and finally France. Also, he was not the most popular leader of the opposition until 1977. To answer if the Iranian model can be recreated in Pakistan, read here.
Zaid Hamid: Western civilization is dying and we have started a self-discovery.
Comment: We have discussed previously about Western civilization. It can be perhaps argued that Western civilization is dying or not dying but where is the evidence that we have started self discovery?
Zaid Hamid: We are being brought up in an absolutely controlled environment. Mass Media is doing mind control.
Comment: These lines come straight out of George Orwell’s 1984 in which Big Brother controls every aspect of peoples’ lives. This is also an oft-repeated mantra of modern conspiracy theorists and is a classical symptom of paranoid schizophrenia. However, in case of Pakistan who is controlling mass media? Zaid Hamids or dissidents? Is not the Big Brother draped in khaki? Any comments on Saleem Shahzad’s brutal murder! Will the real Zaid Hamid please stand up!
Zaid Hamid: The world respect Pakistan because we are a nuclear power. We should be proud that now Islamic civilization has nuclear capability. The whole Muslim world is looking to us now.
Comment: Zaid Hamid should have used the word 'fear' instead of 'respect' because that is closer to reality. The 'western powers' suspect that these nukes might end up at North Waziristan. The Muslim world rather the whole world is looking to us nervously. We are top exporter of terrorism.
The assertion that other 'civilizations' have got nuclear bombs and we have not was the brainchild of Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He wrote in his book, 'we know that Israel and South Africa have full nuclear capability. The Christian, Jewish and Hindu civilizations have this capability. The Communist powers also possess it. Only the Islamic civilization was without it, but that position was about to change (If I am Assassinated. Lahore: Classic. 1979. pp 137-138)
Zaid Hamid: Balochs are aligned with Israel to dismember Pakistan. They claim that Balochistan was never part of Pakistan. Baloch insurgency owes to 1% people in Balochistan.
Comment: Zaid Hamid does not know the first thing about Balochistan. He probably does not know that Army operations have been going on in Balochistan since April 1948. First military operation started on 1st April 1948. Second, was conducted in 1958, 3rd in 1963, 4th in 1972-3, 5th is underway.
East Pakistanis were also termed as Indian agents!
Being a ‘Jihadi veteran’ from Afghanistan, hope Zaid Hamid someday also talks about Israeli role in fighting Soviets.
Zaid Hamid: Islamic terms like Taqwa cannot be translated in English because it is a weak language.
Comment: Why does our dear Zaid Hamid prefers weak English? What about Iqbal ka Pakistan’s next episode in Arabic?
Linguists all across the world agree that no language is made for translation. Every single word in a given language has its distinct sociological background and that word loses its flavor when it is translated to another language. ‘Islamic’ (Arabic) terms are no exception. Also, one can not label a language as weak because one loathes the people who speak it.
| The writer is a final year medical student from Lahore, interested in current affairs, political economy and Literature. |
