Happy Holi

Happy Holi. Hoping that humans learn the art of tolerance & respect for each other's religion, culture & everything that is close to their heart. Live & Let live.

Response to the Hater

For the past few days I have been at the receiving end of your continuous harassment. I am clueless as to what kind of explanation is it that you seek from me? Because honestly I cannot figure out what is bothering you so much? By changing ids and continuously spamming me with your sick outlook I doubt you would achieve much. However I don’t want you continuously clogging the feed of this blog with your juvenile attempts at trying to create hate and divide (will admit though your diatribe against Gandhiji today has been partly responsible for this response)…


Feel free to think what you think about India, Indians, my parents, my religion. I have grown up in a democracy all my life; I have been given the right and the freedom to express my personal views no matter what they were. You can do so too. I defend your right to be able to express it. But also remember when you have a right, it must not be abused for when it is done that is when the right gets lost. Do know though that I don’t hold the same myopic views about Pakistan, Pakistanis, Islam or any other attribute related to your identity. I have too much love and respect for my friends who revere these aspects of their individuality! I’ve been taught that if I end up disrespecting them, it is akin to disrespecting my own. Hope someday you can realize it too, that the more you respect others the more the world will respect you.


I do not want to justify why I am part of this site or why I write what I do. I never claimed to be an award winning activist or a bestselling author here. Just like you, I am another humble human being in this world we live in. An ordinary citizen of India who works as hard as you and who lives as honestly as you (probably) do. My motives to be part of this project from day one, has solely been driven by the fact that I empathize with those 8 families who lost a loved one and who deserve JUSTICE. Their fight has been ongoing for the past 14 years and I presumed as a citizen of Pakistan you too would understand the wrong that has been done. If you don’t it is perfectly understandable (fanatics are made not born yeah) but please don’t belittle anyone else for trying to keep their own conscience alive. The team for a moment does not harbor any misconceptions that our words (or retarded poetry as you called it) will pressurize the judiciary of Pakistan to give a fair verdict. However this is our way of expressing solidarity with Fatima Bhutto and the rest of the families involved in this fight for justice. May I ask you what is wrong with that?


As far as your point about Ms. Fatima Bhutto spreading lies about XYZ or being a tool in the hands of the US, as much as I respect that you are entitled to your own opinions, I would like to state ‘That is what can be deemed as retarded.’ You need to read her columns to realize how critical she has been of the US policies and of everything else going around in Pakistan that is unethical or against the best interest of the Pakistanis. And with regards to her accusing anybody to have played a role in the murder of her father, I do believe she has enough proof and valid reasons for doing so. She has every right to demand for a free and fair justice system to prevail in Pakistan and if I were you I would support her too. If you fanatically support XYZ or a party, it in no way means that they are innocent or aren’t party to anything criminal! The case is still being fought in the legal courts of Pakistan; let us leave it at that. We have not approached your court of law. When we do; you are always welcome to deem the guilty innocent and the innocent guilty…


I don’t remember anyone of us ever raking the issue of Fake v/s Real Bhutto. Unfortunately when certain people opt for hyphenating their surname with a Bhutto (only when the need to stake the claim for power arose) that will obviously lead to a ripple effect. If you start the spark, you run the risk of burning in the same fire and that is what you see happening. Still I would reiterate this fact that never once has Ms. Ghinwa Bhutto or Ms. Fatima Bhutto claimed they are the real Bhutto’s of Pakistan. Bhuttoism isn’t a fashion fad. So I suggest you leave this insecurity of yours. If you really believe in your leadership and its capability you have nothing to worry. Stop resorting to such cheap gimmicks…


However there is one thing I request of you. Please stop hating on a young man who hasn’t done anything to you or to your party or to any XYZ. Just because he happens to be born into a situation which makes you insecure, do not wish ill on him he isn’t responsible for what Fatima Bhutto writes or what this site is about. When he comes out in the public arena with his views, his works, his message feel free to critique him then. Right now he is going about living his own life, being a responsible civil human being, educating himself, spreading awareness about our environment, respecting others and the world around him. May be those are the virtues that you and the party you support need to imbibe from that young man.


I suggest you do some soul searching of your own before you ask the family of Mir Murtaza Bhutto to do the same. If nothing else at least you can find something constructive to do with your time, rather than waste it spamming me. For frankly I don’t care what you think about my mental well being, my sexual orientation, my patriotism, my leaders, my parents character and the motives of my being part of this team. You are too inconsequential to my life and I hope that I will be to yours too..


Wishing you all the best with a speedy recovery at attaining a healthy mental balance..


Regards
Karishma
Fatima Bhutto Fan Club Team

Why I support Fatima Bhutto and her Fight for Justice...

A few months back, we were a bunch of over enthused people that started the initiative to have a site where you could easily access the work and ideology of Fatima Bhutto. The WWW seemed to be censored of her writings. So it made sense to have this one blog where one could find everything they wanted to read by Fatima Bhutto. We haven’t managed to collect everything she has written but we have made an earnest effort towards that goal. Today just three of us (two from the core group) are still part of this project and we are probably still a part of it, because we are more inspired by Fatima the writer/activist, than Fatima Bhutto the political heir.


Personally for me, Fatima Bhutto appeals to my sensibilities because of what she writes and thinks, rather than the surname she carries around! Being an Indian, I don’t get stirred with the Bhuttoism, but I do understand what it must mean to millions of Pakistani’s because our politics also has a dynasty in the offering. I’ve never seen Fatima as someone who automatically qualifies to run Pakistan, but I do envisage her as someone who qualifies to shape the future of the world we live in.


Her writing has this rare quality, of being able to transcend nationalities/gender/religion barriers and be a revelation with its honesty and enviable wit. She may write about Pakistan, a society she is very familiar with, but what she speaks about is so universal, that you could almost derive the message from it and apply it in your own world. That I think is the true mark of a good writer. To be able to rise above labels and not be boxed and compartmentalized to a specific doctrine. She writes fearlessly and candidly at times, surprising her readers into asking the difficult questions, normally which no one would want you to ask. I think what attracted me most to her ideology is her unequivocal support to peace between India and Pakistan at every given opportunity and during trying circumstances for both nations politically. Her rhetoric has never flipped flopped on this issue. Being a citizen of the 21st century, I think it is the most valuable idea she can, as an accomplished journalist, propagate for South Asia.


That is why it is important that, her voice be heard and thrive uncensored in this global world. It was this common appreciation of who she is as a person, what she stood for, what she believed in that made us go on with keeping the club active. We had decided to support Fatima, in whatever way possible and contribute in any little way in getting her messages, writings, and philosophy across to all her fans. It was with this intention we started the signature campaign to help get the due justice for Mir Murtaza Bhutto and his supporters, something Fatima has been so driven about since the past 13 years. It was just our humble attempt to show her our solidarity and to gather support for this quest for justice.

Today, on the eve of what might be a landmark judgment in the case; Fatima Bhutto Fan club team would like to express our solidarity to Fatima Bhutto, her family and the party loyalists who have kept the quest for justice alive for so many years courageously. We do hope that in the end, no matter how hard the journey has been or how difficult the path was to this day, justice shall make it all worthwhile. Like Martin Luther King Jr said ‘Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ Let us hope that with tomorrow a new chapter will be written in the history of Pakistan. To justice, to truth and courage, I hope we can toast to tomorrow…Hope you can join us.


Karishma