Softening hard realities ...

The advertisements are out. We need people to help project a SOFT (read 'Moderate & Enlightened') image of Pakistan. Much easier, of course, than developing ourselves into a moderate and enlightened nation.

There will be hordes of responses to the ads, I am sure. Ad & PR agencies do this all the time for their clients - presenting attractive images, extolling the benefits of Cigarettes and Guns, for example. Or telling us the wonderful things that we owe in life to Dow Chemicals. Forget that Dow was the supplier of deadly, skin-melting Napalm to the US Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. Dow, in fact, if memory serves me well, launched a campaign "to replace Dow's poor public perception with a softer image".

Of course, Pakistan is neither Tobacco, nor Guns; nor is it comparable to Dow. As a Pakistani, I'd be loathe to even consider such an analogy. Most of my countrymen are wonderful, tolerant, friendly, warm. Newsweek, I was reminded by Javed Jabbar only yesterday, had recently named Pakistan among 10 of the world's greatest countries, citing the warmth and hospitality meted out by us to the Afghan refugees as one example. True, no other country had ever given the opportunity for fleeing neighbours to spread and mingle with its residents, moving around with whatever little they had managed to carry in (including weapons and drugs). Another view that supports our large-heartedness, in a direct comparison to our neighbours, can be found at alt.muslim

But, the Newsweek article notwithstanding, the media abroad continues to recognize us mainly in terms of the image personified by a band of nutcases and criminals. One had hoped (perhaps only because hope lies eternal in the human breast, unwilling to learn from experience) that the present government would try and counter the antics of this band ... and not merely by offering soft images for external consumption but through concrete actions.

Instead, we see the government bowing down on every issue, backing off at the slightest barking noise. The recent return of the Religion Column in our passports (bound to be followed up with more insane demands by the victors) - and the inaction at the MMA's storming of a Marathon - point to what we can only hope is a curable weakness and not complicity.

Following the attack on the Marathon, not content to merely launch protests against the government for allowing what he considers to be an outrageous show of immodesty and anti-Islamic acts, we now have Maulana Fazlur Rahman (as reported in the press) threatening to resort to physical violence against citizens, especially women, who wish to participate in sports. This is, to be sure, not surprising, coming from someone who has been a passionate supporter of the Taliban - a group that had placed bans against many forms of sports, including the playing of football by men in shorts. However, asking for a ban on such stuff, reasonable or not, is not the same as threatening people. I am fairly certain if I threatened a citizen with violence, I would be (should be!) liable to having a case registered against me.

With incidents like this being reported - and frequently highlighted - in the international media (some of which is openly hostile to Pakistan and Muslims), no manner of manipulated soft imaging will help. A lot more positive imagery can be generated if the government rewarded exemplary punishments to such vigilantes. If that is too much to ask, the least it could do is stop it's turning on its own decisions whenever threats are made.

But let us not place the blame for this state of affairs entirely at the doorsteps of the government. How about sane citizens across the country raising their voices and joining protests against such outrages? What? There aren't sufficient numbers of us to make a difference? In that case, PR experts, you've got one helluva job to handle!

In closing, here's what an activist friend, Naeem Sadiq (aka 'The Warrior') sent out by e-mail on the same subject today. It is reproduced below, without his permission, since he and I are hopefully on the same side of the copyright issue. If not, he can sue me and I shall happily settle out of court with a meal at Bundu Khan's. Over to you, Naeem:

FIVE SOFT IMAGES

Newspaper ads suggest that the government is spending huge sums of money in its campaign for projecting a soft image of Pakistan. Obviously it is far more difficult to project what does not exist. So here are five suggested pictures that would not just save this wasteful expenditure, but also project the true image of the government of Pakistan.

1. 2000 'lathi bardar' mullahs stopping 20 school girls from participating in a school marathon. Background placards read "exercise haraam for females".

2. A serious[-looking] Prime Minister signing approval of the RELIGION column [to be reintroduced] in Passports, with smiling mullahs in the background pushing another passport with yet another column for 'SECT'.

3. Mukhtaran Mai giving a press conference [to say] that she has been denied justice for past 3 years. Rapists performing 'bhangra' in the background.

4. Mullahs, drunk on 'soft drinks', breaking hotel furniture during a New Year Party. Weapon carrying mullahs destroying billboards in the background.

5. An 'enlightened' Dr. Shazia, 'softly' stepping into a flight departing for Heathrow airport.