We, human beings, are more interested in stories rather than facts. Here is a tale, wrapped in facts....
My article in today's @dailytimespak
The Tale of Two Valleys: Kashmir and Fergana https://t.co/GJkt3GJL9X
“We are waiting for our turn, one after the other.”
A Palestinian journalist from Gaza ripped off his protective gear during a live report after one of his colleagues was killed in an Israeli attack.
#BREAKING| #Israel has bombarded the injured and displaced individuals in front of Al Shifa Hospital.
The Ministry of Health has said that there is a massacre in front of the hospital now.
In short— If the blanket statement that genocide is wrong upsets you in any way, then you need to check yourself.
I said exactly what I meant and I won’t be backing down or apologizing or further clarifying this statement.
BREAKING: World Health Organization, UN Relief and Works Agency, the UN Populations Fund and Unicef put out joint statement saying '420 children are killed or injured every day' in Gaza and that with '14 hospitals and 45 primary health care centres closed, some women are having to give birth in shelters, in their homes, in the streets amid rubble'.
No government anywhere has a right to commit a genocide, ever.
There is no justification for a genocide.
I can’t believe this even needs to be said or is even considered the least bit controversial to state.
Even as we shove close to two million Afghans into the Taliban's Afghanistan, so many Pakistanis seem to be congratulating themselves on the great favour they have done Afghans all these years.
Here’s a little story that may make you rethink that:
When the phone rang, I never expected this to be Z’s call. Z was the person whom I had spoken to a couple of years ago post her traumatic experience on motorway. Those were tumultuous times when everyone’s attention was focused on Z, while she was grappling to keep her sanity intact, identity protected, relationships intact, seeing children dealing with post trauma etc. Yes, as she herself says she was a SURVIVOR. I was a bit taken aback seeing her call, so much had happened since then but culprits were still not given punishment despite her appearances alone in compensate coverings. All the while as she fought her case looking for justice that she deserved, her main concern had been to move on, take culprits to gallows, and to keep her identity protected.
“How are you Z, I hope Allah has been kind with you”, I said as I answered the call. There was silence on the other side. “ I am sorry that I didn’t stay in touch but I wanted to give you privacy and time to move on “, I said as the silence prolonged, suddenly there were loud noises of moans and painful shrieks. “Oh my God! Z, my dear are you okay? Are the kids okay? What happened?”, I was totally taken aback by this flood of tears , never heard such painful wailing and sighs in my life. They were cold but like daggers on my heart. “Can…. Can… can someone make a ddddrama on my life”? Were her first words. I had no idea that a drama serial by name of “Haadsa” had been shown on Geo TV every weekday at 7pm apparently based on motorway rape story. Z told me about it. “They have made a drama on my life as if I am nothing, no one asked me, it’s same, they are showing the same things, oh my God! Why didn’t I die before reliving this again? You know , I didn’t sleep after the incident for many many nights and it’s all back now, I haven’t slept a wink since I saw this terrible, horrendous depiction of the most terrible moments of my life which I so want to forget. It’s unbearable, I start shivering every day at 5 pm because I know the drama is coming at 7 pm. Why are they doing this to me?”. I was gobsmacked as I realised the dramatisation which has star studded cast has totally triggered Z’s trauma. It was as if she was going through trauma all over again. How could drama producers be so insensitive? Slowly as she kept on talking, my anger seethed at what was being done to her. Do the drama makers even realise what have they done to the poor victim? I had never seen her so openly talking about her traumatic experience before. “The moment the drama episode goes on air, all comments start talking about motorway incident. Can’t they let me forget about this? They have followed my life. Isn’t this harassment? How they traced things in my life when I was so clear of keeping everything so private? My in laws must be watching it, my brother in law, my mother, my neighbours, oh my God! No one even cared to ask me? I am not dead yet! Do they want me dead? Can’t I just forget about this and move on? The drama shows the lady in hospital like I was, does she even know what it was like? How can you act about something so cruel and awful when you know this happened with someone in real life? Oh my God I died watching that. I was numb. I was given a bath alive after the incident. Like they bathe dead bodies, that’s how I was bathed. I am dead inside already, what do they want to kill now? I was on injectables for three days after trauma , I was told I could not have any more injections and I still could not sleep. Why would actors act in such terrible things, they slightly changed a few things but ensured my life is shown. So heartless! I am so hurt. I am so upset. Why have they repeated a story which was to be buried? If they cared so much they could look into the matter why the culprits have not been given their punishment? Instead of opting for TRPs? My friend said to me perhaps it’s a coincident how they could know of details which only we knew about but I am sure they researched”…
You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
Franz Kafka