Let's start tolerating
We all seem to be literally teeming with opinions nowadays, opinions about what to believe, how to act, etc. and oddly enough these opinions seem to be for everyone except ourselves.
So it is in that very spirit of interest that I now venture forth and humbly state my outlooks, which are all what opinions really are.
I am sure we have all noticed that our country is going through a period of identity crisis. On the one hand we have the 'mullahs' (not so lovingly named by the masses) and on the other the 'liberals' (lovingly named by themselves.)
Do not get me wrong, these two groups don't represent the whole country by a long shot, no, the individuals who do not belong in either of those categories are henceforth named by me as 'between a rock and a hard place' (bit long-winded I know, but certainly apt.)
These 'between people' make up for the majority of the country, who watch the theatrics of the two afore-mentioned groups with a strange passivity (which should really feel familiar to most of us) and wonder when is it exactly that people will start taking what they have to say into account.
I say to them and to myself, that for a majority we are rather pathetic at representing ourselves. Staying tucked in the corner while raising our hands hoping someone is going to give us a chance to talk isn't really going to get any results.
In my humble opinion, we the majority have to start talking, yes, that art of forming entire sentences by joining words to express one's self. Most people would say that we've been talking till we're blue in that face and yet no one gives a damn. To which I would reply dining table politics or caf�- session politics are really not all that effective seeing as how the conversation lives its life only until the food runs out.
We have amazing ways of mass communication now, newspapers and the internet (notice I don't mention television because they are simply too busy airing ridiculous shows that interview only the ridiculous and make predictions of further gloom and doom, which let's face it, isn't really helping the situation is it?)
All we have to do is to take out just a little bit of time to pour our feelings on paper or screen and then post it where everyone can read them. That is pretty much all that is required. Keep writing and talking until we make others realize that everyone has the right to their own point of view.
Some would say that I am being simplistic, to which I will say it is slightly better than doing nothing at all. We can perhaps worry about the more sophisticated solutions to our problems when we actually start doing something, better than sitting around and cribbing which I might add is not overly refined either.
However, I would like to offer a word of caution to this tale. While expressing your beliefs remember that the object here is not to offend anyone. Try and using your words a little more cautiously because the having the right to express ourselves does not give us the right to be crude and offensive to those who do not agree with us. That piece of advice is as much for me as for anyone else. Extremism is born from being unable to listen to any other opinion but our own.
If you do not agree with someone, invite them to a debate to try and clear out the air or if the opinion causes too much distress to you simply state you do not concur and withdraw yourself from the conversation. That is something that we all need to work on. Our inability to listen to each other only pushes us further apart, causing more rifts and more tears on the fabric of our society.
Even a self-proclaimed hermit such as I has to admit that life cannot be lived alone, that we were made to be social, to help and depend on each other but all that becomes rather difficult if we cannot even tolerate each other.
Even enemies can show each other respect, so as citizens of the same country, isn't it time that we start tolerating if not respecting each other and dare I say, our opinions. intolerance
18 Oct 2011 | 1755 Zafar Abidi says: Location: Pakistan Posts: 1
www.pakpositive.com
I was not surprised in the least after watching yet another exciting episode of Parlimania where our law makers gifted the nation with another yet to be achieved milestone in the Assembly, "Getting Physical" besides no doubt the 18th amendment, the impeachment drama of Musharraf ( which never happened because the never fearing and never losing Commando" yielded to a bunch of "Bloody Civilians"). I still remember the incident when a female Parliamentarian undid her Shawl and threw it on the President of that time, Sardar Farooq Laghari who was addressing the Parliament ( God knows for what reason and what ruddy symbol it had, maybe she was hallucinating herself of performing " mera lal Dupatta malmal ka", surprisingly no one from her shouted "O sardara meri behen da dupatta wapis kar day oye!!!"). Who does not remember Bills and acts being teared into pieces, a prime Minister being called a "Yellow Cab", Parliamentarians enjoying cosy naps in sessions; all happening on the "sovereign floor" and a molvi sahab having a go at "someone" ( i seriously dont remember who: and dont take pains in reminding me) in a post OBL Parliament session and i am sure the molana will regret this "unfortunate incident" for the rest of his life as the 'someone' threatened to disclose the "Halwa mine" (income sources) of the Molvi party. But this new show of power by the invincible gladiators in the arena who had been resorting to Muscle flexing and threats to unveil the darkest secrets of matrimonial relations of their "bald and hairy" opponents comes with no surprises not even raise of eyebrows from a common man like me but i was bewildered that they did no justice to the comfortable chairs bought from taxpayer money by confining themselves to an attempted "Kushti or kabaddi" rather than making effective use of the resources of this poor nation. "Throw chairs mate, why trouble yourself?" The hero no doubt was Abid Sher Ali who ran to mince his opponents like an 11 year old, held back by fellow Parliamentarians and falling and rising several times in the attempt ("Girtay han Shehsawar he..."). MQM's Sajid Ahmed was no exception as he replied back in " Salees Urdu", numerous abuses which i am sure did not existed at the time of Molvi Abdul Haq ( Father of Urdu) at Sher Ali who tried to jump over desks in order to get him ("Boy that was the longest jump made by any parliamentarian in our history"). Our hero (Sher Ali) also tried to throw a bundle of parliamentary reports at Sajid Ahmed ( that is on old school 5th grade trick) maybe at last trying to make a better use of paper. The all time MQM favourite "Dr". Rehman Malik ( who is reported to be have consenred to appear in Tomb Raider 99 with a waxed Angelina Jolie from Tassaud somewhere in 2075) was one of the first to report to the battlefield to clear the debris. So what i am thinking at the moment is what next? Maybe open duels in the Parliament assisted by the alleged Military Wings but boy, our lawmakers never miss a chance to entertain the war struck, flood affected, bombed and what not public of this country....