Beirut بيروت‎

This song titled "Beirut" released in 2006 by the Pakistani band Strings in memory of those who lost their lives in July 2006 when Israel launched a war on Lebanon. The seige killed over 1500 innocent people and left 4400 injured. The beautiful city of Beirut was reduced to rubble. Pakistan remembers you on this anniversary, in solidarity.

Beirut by Strings:
Written by: Anwar Maqsood

Kyun ja rahay hain? Kis liye ja rahay hain?
Kuch bhi nahi pata, bus jaa rahay hain..
(Why are we leaving? And for what?
We have no idea, but we have to go)

Fizaoun main ik sarsarahat bhi kuch keh rahi hai
Jaltay howay chaman batla rahay hain
(There is trembling in the air that is trying to say something,
Gardens set on fire, are speaking…)

Koyee shehar tha, jo lut gaya
Dekho zara
(There was a city, that was stolen…
Look at it..)

Ik naam tha jo mit gaya
Socho Zara
(This was a name, that was erased…
Think about it)

Ik Sheher tha jo lut geya
(Once a city, that was robbed)
-
Kyun ja rahay hain? Kis liye ja rahay hain?
Kuch bhi nahi pata, bus jaa rahay hain..
(Why are we leaving? And for what?
We have no idea, but we have to go)
-
Aanchal kay tukray
Hawaoun main kyun urd rahay hain?
(Pieces of clothing [arabic: chal], why are they flying around in the air?)


Khamosh ankhon say, kuch keh rahay hain, keh rahay hain…
“Yeh kesi basti hai? Ghar jal rahay hain…
Dua’oun ko uth’tay hoye haath, kyoun gir rahay hain…”
(With quiet eyes, these clothes [chal] strewn are trying to say something...'What kind of a town is this? homes are burning...hands being raised for prayers, why are they falling?")

Koyee shehar tha, jo lut gaya
Dekho zara
(There was a city, that was stolen…
Look at it..)

Gender Discrimination Galore

There is a rise in eateries and other social places of gathering that are proudly promoting gender discrimination in Pakistan. After reading about Port Grand's discrimination against men, I was compelled to think about the long term effects of such policies.

We are a country that is evolving ever so slowly when it comes to gender equality. Majority of the women are still living under oppressive pressures of an intolerant society that revels in contradictions. The inconveniences, annoyances and harassments faced by women on a regular basis give rise to policies that are discriminative in nature towards men, and thus widely accepted. While not allowing stags into a cafe after certain hours may seem ideal to some, it is myopic and in no way addresses the problem, rather it fertilizes the soil for more gender discrimination to stem.

All restaurants and places providing services have the the right to refuse service to guest(s). When such a law protects restaurants & food bazaar's, is there really a need then to implement a policy that categorizes all men vertically into a single compartment and denies service to all of them? If more places started promoting a similar policy, our society is headed towards a social meltdown. While many people perceive the West as a devil with horns, there is much our society can learn in terms gender equality. A high-end place promoting a similar policy in the West wouldn't stay in business for long. Not quite true for Pakistan, one would expect the owner(s) of a flashy place like Espresso to have the common sense to promote a better policy than one that reeks with blatant gender discrimination.

Another form of primitive gender bias that is blatantly ignored in Pakistan is the lack of access women have to mosques. Even most Arab countries including our over rated friends in Saudi Arabia welcome women to pray in their mosques. In Pakistan there is hardly one mosque in an entire town for women to worship in. Unacceptable sir! All mosques in Pakistan should be forced, by law, to have an equal sized worship areas for both genders and should welcome women. This is just one example of a long list of gender inequalities faced by women in Pakistan.

By allowing one form of discriminatory policy to exist, we only create a platform from where other discriminatory policies emerge. I for one, am against all forms of gender based discrimination. I strongly believe that it has to be rooted out in its entirety. This can not be achieved by accepting some policies and allowing other's to slip by as a need of the hour. The fight against gender discrimination must be absolute and pragmatic.

An important goal of the educated civil society must be to eliminate gender inequalities completely. In order to do that, such policies that discriminate against any gender must be revoked by city governments immediately. What is most surprising is seeing how many educated people support such policies. How can anyone raise their voice against discrimination against women and at the same time sit on the fence on discriminatory policies against men, or vice versa? It makes no sense, you are either for gender discrimination or you are against it. There are no in-between's or justifications!

Keeping a group of guys out of cafe's or food bazaar's is not a solution, it is a problem. Rushing to pray in mosques that don't have space for women is not going to help anyone fast track to heaven either. There are countless other examples of gender discrimination that can be discussed but by continuing to condone any such policies, we are only anticipating more forms of gender inequalities to flourish in our society. The long term ramifications do not lead us towards an enlightened society, rather one that is entangled in its own pharisaic sense of confusion.