Insulting one’s faith
September 14th, 2012
Deliberately mocking a religion or aiming to make derisive comments to hurt the feelings of its believers is a terrible thing to do. It is hardly what a world filled with rapidly-increasing intolerance needs. The undoubtedly offensive video placed on You Tube, by filmmaker Sam Bacile, which is extremely derogatory and disrepectful towards the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was bound to unleash anger and cause hurt. Further infuriating was the fact that the movie was quickly backed by controversial Florida-based pastor Terry Jones, to apparently coincide with the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The actions of both Bacile and Jones have to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Jones has in the past spoken of Islam with open hostility and in 2010 and 2011, his actions triggered riots in Afghanistan. Bacile and Jones are evil people. They cannot hide behind the mask of freedom of expression to spread their biases and narrow-mindedness.
These are people who spew venom and bask in the glory of their notoriety. Their work has had its desired effect. The US consulate at Benghazi was attacked as violent protests erupted which left a few Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya, dead. Similarly in a mob action in Cairo, rioters attacked the US embassy and tore down the flag. This action has rightfully been condemned by the Egyptian president. But more needs to be done.
In the name of freedom of expression, time and again the West has allowed certain figures to ridicule Islam and play with the feeling of its followers. This only leads to more anger amongst Muslims. The US has not been able to address this problem despite the growing number of Muslims who live in that country.
Even as the State Department condemns the attack on its missions, an understanding needs to be built within the US that inept ‘hate’ videos such as this one can only add fuel to extremist fires. It is clear that hatred for the US still surges like a wave across the volatile Arab world. True peace can only be achieved by creating an environment within which tolerance can flourish. Films such as the latest one released from the US do nothing to create this stability and indeed only add to existing complications in a divided world.
Karachi fire and after
September 14th, 2012
The factory fires in Karachi and Lahore, which killed a combined total of over 300 people, were entirely preventable. Had the factory owners complied with existing laws and had local authorities shown any interest in enforcing these, the fires would have been preventable. It is likely that the fires were caused by a short circuit, which accounts for nearly 50 per cent of all industrial fires and could be reduced simply by updating the obsolete electric supply system in the country. In addition, fire safety laws, which fall under the purview of district and provincial governments, should be refined in the wake of this tragedy to force all commercial and residential buildings and homes to use only fire resistant cables.
As it is, the laws we have on the books should have been enough, had they been followed and enforced, to contain the fallout from the fires. The Factories Act of 1934 (amended in 1997) has an entire section devoted to fire safety. Ali Enterprises, the textile company which owned the factory where the fire took place, is guilty of flouting several laws. According to eyewitnesses, only one exit was open while the rest were fastened. The owner and chief executive officer of Ali Enterprises have been placed on the exit control list but that on its own is not enough. They must be prosecuted and jailed for their negligence and criminality.
Local governments must wake up to the fact that they are equally culpable. Working in collusion with building mafias, the authorities responsible for fire safety and building standards have been all too willing to turn a blind eye to blatant violations, preferring to line their pockets with cash. On top of that, fire departments, particularly in Karachi, are simply not equipped to do their jobs. There are only 23 fire stations in the city and between them they have a total of 40 odd fire tenders and just a handful of snorkels and dousers. This makes response times pathetic and leaves them unable to do little more than just recover charred bodies.
Infected sheep
September 14th, 2012
According to recent media reports, Pakistani port authorities allowed a consignment of 21,000 Australian sheep to be offloaded at the Karachi port after the same shipment was refused entry into Bahrain because the sheep were reportedly suffering from scabby mouth — a disease that can also infect humans. Despite assurances by the Australian high commissioner that the sheep were healthy, authorities cannot afford to take any chances as the health of thousands of people may be at stake. The Sindh livestock department has collected blood samples from the sheep and according to some reports, the National Veterinary Laboratory has cleared these samples. However, it must be noted that getting such clearances in our country through means that are not entirely honest, is not too difficult.
If the sheep are indeed healthy, why did Bahrain reject their entry? If they are suffering from a disease, why did our authorities readily accept them? Did they carry out a detailed check of the consignment before allowing it to be offloaded? Was the decision to allow the sheep to enter Pakistan influenced by the fact that Eidul Azha is just weeks away? There is now a huge responsibility on the livestock department, as well as on those responsible for regulating food items sold in our markets to ensure that diseased meat does not find its way into butcher shops. Such fears are understandable as quality control mechanisms in Pakistan are far from stringent.
The sheep need to undergo thorough examination to ensure that they are indeed healthy. If they are not, those responsible for allowing them to enter Pakistan must be taken to task and under no circumstances should meat from the animals enter retail outlets. The relevant Australian authorities also need to be informed to refrain from shipping out diseased sheep and other sub-standard items to poorer countries. If something isn’t good enough to be consumed by the Australian public, it is not good enough to be consumed by others, either.