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Remembering
the heroes human
angle The way we were
From Moharram 1, devouts
all over Karachi observe the holy month and prepare for Ashura. Violence A craftsman prepares a tazia
– replicas of the tombs of the martyrs of Karbala and Imams that are the
symbols of the bloodiest day in Muslim history which is A
woman looks at the alam of Hazrat Abbas,
who bore the Mourners take out Zuljannah,
as a nod to Hazrat Imam Hussain's horse, in a procession on Moharram 8. It
is said that Bibi Sakina held on to Zuljannah's legs when Imam Hussain was
going to ride of A procession marking the
martyrdom of Hazrat Abbas, attended by thousands of Karachiites, Sabeels providing free water and sherbet for the thirsty are set up as a symbol of not denying anyone water (above). Security is tighter than ever this Moharram, as security forces guard procession routes (below) yet people head out to join the procession with a tazia of their own. Mourners chant as they carry symbolic kafans of the martyrs on the grounds of Karbala. A hundred and twenty three people were martyred, including the grandson and the great grandsons of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Ironically enough, Karbala is situated in present day Iraq. Crime and punishment Terrorists in Karachi plant bombs, brandish guns and torch vehicles freely while security forces choose to crack down on peaceful protestors in a candlelight vigil. By Sabeen Jamil Life in a metropolis often
springs surprises on its dwellers. The unexpected can at times be so "35 members of different groups of civil society had gathered to protest Mr Bhagwandas' house-arrest," Salahuddin tells Kolachi, adding that a couple of policemen guarding the retired justice's house were joined by several other armed policemen soon after their assembly. "Three police mobiles reached the spot within 15 minutes of our gathering," says Salahuddin. As protestors lit candles, holding banners and chanting slogans of "restore justice" and "release Bhagwandas," for almost an hour, they were silently observed by the police, without being interrupted even once. However, as protestors started to leave the venue, the cops came in to action. "The police cracked down on us when we were dispersing peacefully and while there was a complete blackout in the entire area courtesy a power breakdown," Salahuddin recalls. Most of the demonstrators had left by then and the police started dragging the remaining ones to their mobiles. "We told them not to drag us since we were not criminals but respectable citizens and were willing to go to the police station with them." Salahuddin admits that while no physical force as such was used against them, the policemen were armed and they not only dragged the men but manhandled the women protestors too. Eight protestors including Salahuddin were taken to the police station where they were locked up. "There were speculations that we would be charged under the Anti-terrorism Act," says Salahuddin, "nevertheless, we were charged of rioting and rioting with deadly weapons under Sections 147 and 148 of the Pakistan Penal Code." An FIR charging eight candlelight vigil participants of rioting with deadly weapons was lodged and it was not until midnight that they were released on bail and allowed to go home. A week on from his arrest, Salahuddin wonders what deadly weapon it was that he had been in possession of at the time of his arrest. "The only 'deadly weapon' I was holding at the time was a candle," he says ironically. Salahuddin laments the fact that though the right to a peaceful protest is guarded by the constitution, he was deprived of this right despite the protest he was part of being unthreatening to public order. "Even if the police thought that the gathering could create a law and order disturbance, it should have at least requested us to disperse or face a crackdown if orders were not followed. On the contrary, we were not requested to do so at all, not even a single time," Salahuddin tells Kolachi. He states that this is a violation of his fundamental right to peaceful assembly mentioned in Article 16 of the Constitution reading, "every citizen shall have the right to assemble peacefully and without arms, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of public order," which was violated on January 13. As civil right activists register their protest in a civilized manner, but get baton-charged, arrested and confined to lock-ups nontheless, it is ironic that those actually causing upheavel in the city remain at large. Be it May 12, October 18 or December 27, armed rioters easily escaped the police. It seems that all resources are directed towards crushing civil society, filling lockups with lawyers, journalists and civil rights activists instead of cracking down on actual criminals. According to eyewitness accounts on December 27, security forces were largely missing from most of the affected areas when rioters were torching vehicles, looting banks and shooting at people. 150 vehicles were torched, several people were killed and worst of all, six factory workers were burnt alive at their workplace in Korangi. For some reason, the ever-vigilant security forces were not around at thes time to prevent these disasters. Even after almost a month of the riots, it is reported that dozens of people visit police stations daily to lodge an F.I.R against unidentified rioters who were responsible for their damages which cost them up to billions. These efforts to recover or even vindicate the losses are in vain as security forces are busy cornering criminals committing crimes seemingly more offensive than what happened on December 27 and the days that followed. The crime of lighting candles in a vigil. human angle Disciplined to death: Is corporal punishment justified in any case? Muddasir Arain passed away on January 10 in Hyderabad. He was amongst the many students all over Pakistan who are punished severely for any offence, big or small. While the cause of his death remains conflicted, the question of allowing corporal punishment looms large too. By Adeel Pathan Pakistan is one of those
countries where violation of human rights, especially those of women and Government educational institutions have always been criticized because the quality of education they provide are not up to the mark; parents consequently prefer sending their children to private schools instead. It is not just the poor standard of education, but the overall atmosphere at these institutes that discourage parents from choosing them for their children to attend. Corporal punishment in schools is often associated with wider fundamental problems in the education system. In a majority of schools in rural as well as urban areas children are indiscriminately exposed to physical punishment in the name of discipline. As cases of corporal
punishment are hardly reported, statistics for such cases are not available
with But as the provincial government and federal government have not geared up efforts to pass the draft bill of The Protection of Children Act, 2006; an act that ensures the safety of children's rights. The act states clearly that; "it is expedient to promote the best interest of the children by creating a facilitative and protective environment and rehabilitative mechanisms as espoused by the teachings of Islam and the Constitution of Pakistan." But as the bill hasn't been passed so far, the protective measures implied in it are grossly ignored. Muddasir Arain, son of Aslam Arain was one of those unfortunate Pakistani students who suffered at the hands of the failed mechanism of an unsuccessful system. Muddasir's is one of the first cases of death due to corporal punishment reported in recent times. Brother of two elder brothers and a sister, Muddasir, 14, attended his last class on November 21, 2007. He was punished by his teacher simply because he failed to complete his homework as he was ill with an intestinal problem. His teacher refused to accept this as a valid excuse. He punished Muddasir physically, which according to Muddasir's family created complications for the already ill child. The teacher, Buland Iqbal,
was suspended after Muddasir was admitted to Liaquat University Hospital District Nazim Hyderabad, Kanwar Naveed Jameel, appointed a committee after the death of the student headed by a district coordination officer with two executive district officers for revenue and health. However nobody from the education department was taken on board for investigation. But the committee in its preliminary report cleared the teacher of charges, saying that the death of Muddasir occurred due to illness. Muddasir's family rejects the report saying that it was the physical assault by his teacher that lead to complications for Muddasir. "The committee is of the opinion that the student was suffering from tuberculosis when diagnosed on his second admission to the hospital on January 2, 2008 and this led to his death. His death certificate also states the same as cause of death," states the investigation committee's report, which was released from the District Nazim House. Aslam Arain, Muddasir's
father, tells Kolachi that his son had complained time and again about
Buland "Why would we blame the teacher unless we were certain his attitude caused the death of our child? We have no enmity with him," says Aslam, "if he is innocent, why would he send informal requests for a 'patch up'?" The Federal Caretaker Minister, Ansar Burney, also visited the family and asked for a post-mortem and announced formation of another committee. However, Muddasir's mother does not want his body to be exhumed as she believes God will serve them justice. Akhtar Hussein Baloch who is Sindh Regional Manager for Society for Protection of Rights of the Child (SPARC), tells Kolachi that 13 cases of corporal punishment had been registered in 2007, from government, private and religious schools. He further says that the number of cases reported were a fair mark by which to gauge the level of seriousness and sensitivity afforded to issues of corporal punishment in Pakistan; which is unsatisfactory. Baloch, presenting his analysis says that the teacher, while doling out punishment, does not feel regret or guilt because corporal punishment is deeply rooted in our culture of raising a child. Even when extreme brutality is reported, higher authorities fail to take concrete actions. "Most parents also support and reinforce teachers' actions to correct children's behavior," says Baloch. Corporal punishment is also cited as one of the major reasons for a high dropout rate in schools. A survey was conducted in Pakistan in 1999 and it was found that 15 per cent of students between the ages of 10 and 18 who have ever attended primary schools have dropped out. The draft bill prepared by the federal government and its Ministry of Special Education and Social Welfare says that corporal punishment means "intentional use of physical force intended to cause a high degree of pain or discomfort for discipline, correction and control, changing behavior or in the belief of educating/bringing up the child, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, psychological harm, mal-development or deprivation." It further states that "corporal punishment stands abolished in all its kinds and manifestations and its practice in any form is prohibited provided that when the offender is a parent of the child, decisions on prosecution and sentencing shall have regard to the best interests of the child." When it comes to punishment, the draft bill waiting for legislation reveals that "whosoever causes or permits to cause corporal punishment, through omission or commission, in any form, under any circumstances or for any purpose, to a child, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees, or with both." The teacher, Buland Iqbal denies the allegations by Muddasir's family saying that he has been teaching in the school for 15 years now. He feels he is in the clear and right as he is supported by other teachers as well as the education department. Muddasir's case actually is an eye opener to avoid such cases of corporal punishment and enough to speak about the negligence of the powers that be who have not taken any decision on the draft bill even after the passage of two long years. A thorough probe is necessary to reveal the actual cause of Muddasir's death, but his family should be compensated as early as possible, even if any kind of compensation will offer them no consolation. A mechanism should be evolved to end this kind of punishment to prevent future accidents and to make students comfortable enough in schools so they are not tempted to drop out. –
Photos by Mohammed Rehan The way we were The Great Ziggurat at Ur By Kaleem Omar Architecture began as a response to the need to seek shelter from the elements and from wild beasts. The earliest shelters were caves – but even here the occupants claimed their territory: 40,000 years ago the Australian Aborigines decorated the interiors of their cave-dwellings with the oldest known expressions of art, and over 20,000 years later the people of Lascaux in present-day France ornamented their cave walls with amazingly sophisticated representations of their environment. Building techniques emerged many years later still, as a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle gave way to a settled way of life based on agriculture. Until as recently as the mid-19th century, when the Crystal Palace, a building mainly of glass and iron, was built in Hyde Park, London to contain the Great Exhibition of 1851 (the building was destroyed by fire in 1936), structural methods were essentially determined by the limits of building technology, the availability of materials, and regional conditions. In forested areas builders used timber; in rocky landscapes they used stone. Sometimes early builders cut directly into the solid rock of cliff face, as in the 13th century BC temple of Ramses at Abu Simbel in Egypt and the first century AD treasury at Petra in Jordan. In places where there was neither timber nor rock, human ingenuity devised mud brick – molded blocks of sun-baked earth, the oldest manufactured building material that is still used widely today. The roofs of Catalhoyuk, a Bronze Age settlement in Turkey from about 7000 BC, are of mud brick, as are the structures in Mohenjodaro and Harappa (circa 3000 BC) and the core of the great ziggurat at Ur (circa 2000 BC). Post-and-beam, the earliest structural method, is still widely used today. A horizontal beam carries the weight of the floor above it and is supported by vertical posts. The Palace at Knossos (16th century BC) has masonry walls serving as posts, and timber beams; about 3,000 years later, China's Forbidden City, Japan's Castle of the White Heron, and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London employed timber posts and beams. Where permanence was important, early builders preferred stone. The elements could be rough-hewn and unornamented like those of Stonehenge (circa 2700 BC), or perfectly proportioned and exquisitely carved, like those of the Parthenon, built over 2,000 years later. But stone beams could not provide large spans between supports, which severely limited the enclosure of space, so the second important structural innovation was the arch, which can span considerable distances. Tapered blocks of stone, called voussoirs, are supported on a timber framework until the keystone is dropped into the crown of the arch. The keystone locks the structure into place and the formwork can be removed. In the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD the Romans used this technique to build the Pons Fabricius and the ceremonial Arch of Titus in Rome, and the aqueduct in France now known as the Pont du Gard. Public power, the rule of whole societies, has its origins in religious worship. Many ancient kings were also priests whose source of power resided in secret knowledge; people believed that such rulers could read the skies and predict the seasons, and could intercede with the gods on behalf of mortals. Thus the earliest examples of centres of power are always sacred sites, such as Stonehenge in Britain or the ziggurats of Mesopotamia – today's Iraq. More than 5,000 years ago, the fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers was the site of some extraordinary and critically important developments in human history: the invention of writing and the wheel, the beginnings of law, medicine, astronomy and architecture, and the first urban centres, which emerged at about the same time as the urban centres of the Indus Valley civilisation. According to some archaeologists, there is evidence to suggest that there was trade, or at least contact of some sort, between the people of Mesopotamia and the people of the Indus Valley civilisation. That's one of the reasons why we in Pakistan are so saddened by what is happening today in Iraq, where the Americans and the British are raining death and destruction on the people. Iraq has been called the cradle of civilisation. This civilisation was the work of the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia, and the impressive remnants of their city states can still be found in modern-day Iraq. Perhaps one of the best preserved structures still left from this first urban civilisation is the partially restored great ziggurat of the ancient city of Ur.A temple to the moon god, Nanna, it was built between 2125 and 2025 BC by King Ur-Nammu, a reformer, law-maker and architect. Each city had many temples, but that dedicated to the protective god of the city was the most important. Along with the surrounding temples and palaces, it was the spiritual, economic, administrative and political centre of the city. The "Guide to the World's Greatest Buildings: Masterpieces of Architecture and Engineering" tells us that in earlier times, the principal temple had been set on a platform approached by a monumental ramp. Over time, the number of platforms increased, and the resulting stepped towers became known as ziggurats, or "holy mountains." Ziggurats, recalling the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, are found throughout Iraq. The great ziggurat at Ur had three platforms. Though only the first platform remains today, it is still an impressive structure. It was about 70 feet high, on a rectangular base of about 200 by 150 feet. Three huge staircases led worshippers up to a great landing, from which further steps took the privileged few – including the king, who was also a priest and the intermediary between the Sumerians and their innumerable gods – to the shrine above. According to the Guide to the World's Greatest Buildings, this was the focal point of the entire structure, where banquets would be set out for Nanna and offerings of human sacrifice made. The shrine's design, however, is speculative because it no longer exists; the proposed reconstruction of the three supporting platforms made by Sir Leonard Woolley, the English archaeologist who excavated the ziggurat in the 1920s, is more reliably based on existing evidence. Unlike the great monuments of Egypt, the great ziggurat at Ur and all the other ziggurats were built not by slaves but by Sumerian farmers, working during the months between the planting and harvest seasons. The Guide to the World's Greatest Buildings tells us that the core of the enormous pile was constructed by heaping up millions of mud bricks, the most common building material in a land without substantial supplies of timber or stone. The sun-baked bricks were strong but porous, so further layers, up to 8 feet thick, of harder kiln-fired bricks were needed as a waterproof casing. It was then covered in millions of glazed terracotta tiles, which would have made the ziggurat seem to glow in rich, deep colours. As the Guide to the World's Greatest Buildings tells us, the ziggurat and surrounding major public buildings formed the sacred precinct of Ur and were enclosed by a double wall. Just outside was a great mausoleum, known as the Royal Cemetery of Ur; in its 1,840 burial chambers were found fantastically rich grave goods (weapons and vessels in gold and silver, and objects inlaid with lapis lazuli and shell) and the remains of sacrificed retainers. Beyond the double wall lay the main residential areas and the two harbours of Ur, which provided access for shipping on the Euphrates. Like all Sumerian cities on the vast alluvial plain of Mesopotamia, which was prone to frequent flooding, the entire city was raised on a high earthen mound and enclosed by a heavily fortified wall to protect it from invasion. The wall and much of the city have disappeared, the landscape and even the course of the river have changed, but enough remains of the huge ziggurat of Ur to make it the characteristic building of Mesopotamian civilisation. One can only hope that it will not be damaged or destroyed by American bombing.
karachicharacter
By Ayecha Ahmed Mubarak moved to Karachi
eight years ago in search of work and now works as a driver. Before this he Like many other he too has come to Karachi because the city provides more job opportunities than any other city in the country. But that isn't the only reason Mubarak likes Karachi, to him the city is the most developed city of the country and the dealings are fair. Not educated, he has made it a point to educate his children so they don't go through a hard time professionally. Meanwhile he himself is driving these days, in the city he really likes... Kolachi: How long have you been living in Karachi? Mubarak: I came to Karachi in 2001, before that I was in Saudi Arabia for 5 years. Kolachi: Why did you leave Saudi Arabia and come here? Mubarak: Before going there I was told I will get 1000 riyal a month, but when I reached there they said my salary was 500 riyals a month. That wasn't enough for me, since I had to send money back to my family and save some for myself too. For the time that I was there they never increased my salary once, so I returned. Kolachi: Why did you come to Karachi of all the cities? Mubarak: Karachi has more
job opportunities and one can earn a good salary here. Although searching Kolachi: Why haven't you continued with that? Mubarak: I got another job, somebody told me a family is looking for a driver. Besides driving rickshaws doesn't ensure a fixed income. Kolachi: Are you educated? Mubarak: No I'm not but my children go to school. I want them to study so they don't face difficulties like I have. Kolachi: Where is your hometown? Mubarak: I come from Buneer. It is a mountain across Swat. Kolachi: What is the condition like in that area? Mubarak: The situation is very bad and it is getting worse. People are leaving the place because they don't want to get killed. The army and the Taliban force people to evacuate the area, but some don't have anywhere to go. Kolachi: Is your family safe there? Mubarak: I was told they are missing like a lot of others, but they weren't. They were so scared by what was happening that they stayed in the house and no one knew. Kolachi: Did the recent assassination of Ms Bhutto make things worse there? Mubarak: The area had gone quiet, but nothing was as severe as it was in Karachi Kolachi: What do you like about Karachi? Mubarak: Everything, it's a busy city and that's why it is attractive to me. Kolachi: What would you want to change about Karachi? Mubarak: Nothing much, even the traffic doesn't bother me that much, But the thela walas are too stubborn and don't move from their place, even if they have occupied a car's space. Kolachi: How do you spend your spare time? Mubarak: I relax in my quarter or spend time with friends. I don't like going anywhere. Mubarak is a hard working man with his eye on the future. He will make sure his children live a better life than he did, even if that means he is not around them all year long. Surprisingly, not many things about Karachi bother him unlike most people from the north. Adaptable, able and optimistic, such is Karachi's character.
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erupting at any
public gathering of significance is always a threat in Karachi and this year
security has been beefed up even more to keep unsavoury incidents to a bare
minimum, though the threat has not deterred the spirit of those mourning the
tragedy at Karbala.
remembered
on Ashura.
alam
at Karbala. An alam is a flag and these token alams carrying
the name of Hazrat Abbas sell well as Shias seek to re enact and
remember the scenes at Karbala through
majalis, matam and the symbolic jaloos of tazias.
f
into the batlefield. No daughter can see her father ride off toward danger.
makes its way through various roads in the city. Despite the security
threats, devoted Shias have come out in droves to pay homage to the martyrs
of Karbala.
merciless that one is caught between mourning it or laughing it off.
Salahuddin Ahmed, Barrister-at-law, had to face a similar situation when he
attended a candlelight vigil outside Justice ( R ) Rana Bhagwandas'
residence on January 13, 2008.
children are rampant. All claims of containing breach of human rights and
agreements at international conventions are hollow ones as even the most
basic human rights are seemingly not sacred in Pakistan.
government agencies or non-governmental organizations. However this is an
issue that concerns all stakeholders and instructions are given to schools
to prohibit corporal punishment.
Hyderabad, commonly known as Civil Hospital. No legal action or departmental
action was taken against Buland till Muddasir breathed his last on January
10, 2008 and was laid to rest on the same day.
Iqbal's strictness and some of his class-fellows also support this
statement.
spent five years in Saudi Arabia. His family, which consists of his wife and
two children, still lives in the northern areas of Pakistan and he visits
them every year.
for the perfect job isn't the easiest thing to do in Karachi. I started off
as a rickshaw driver in 2001.