Quelling the roar of gunfire

Front page newspaper splashes on militancy in Pakistan; op-ed columns on the imminent advent of Taliban rule in Pakistan and pithy comments on lack of political will to right things within Pakistan; such is the recurrent intelligence keeping our glorious nation’s name alive and bandied about in foreign lands. Following the ‘liberty’ of Nizam-i-Adl to brandish its powers, the collapse of the so-called peace deal in Swat and the subsequent military action, Pakistan and its many imbroglios have hogged the top story slot across North America and particularly in Canadian newspapers, all days of the past two weeks. How I wish it were a triumphant achievement relating to a first Pakistani Nobel laureate; a recognition as the most peaceful and tolerant Muslim state or an award for a country with the best literacy rate. Alas, there is no triumph to be derived from the current first history drafts coming out of Pakistan.

Depressed at the horrifying tidings from home, for some days past I have devoted/diverted my attention to the entertainment section knowing that there at least nothing would be found about my (allegedly) beloved country, to cry over my morning tea. And lo! I was actually rewarded last week! In the daily Entertainment section of Toronto Star which includes news of showbiz, theatre, arts and the literary world, there was a full page coverage of Kamila Shamsie’s visit to Toronto who (I belatedly remembered getting a note from the South Asian Journalists Association to come meet her) gave a reading from her Orange Prize-nominated novel, Burnt Shadows at the very ‘happening’ center of the arts, the Harbourfront Centre. The coverage had an accompanying interview marked with the headline, ‘Pakistani writers making a mark’. To read, “Country experiencing literary renaissance…” was like an oasis in a stormy desert full of words like, “The Taliban are all around” and “Pakistan basically Taliban state.”

And it got me thinking that despite being in the thick of political turmoil almost incessantly since birth, the various arts of living have given Pakistan many reasons to celebrate victory – though sporadically of course. Pakistani performers, artists, sportsmen, writers and even media companies have all been at some point or the other soldiers of harmony, bringing home occasional laurels. And most times it has been individual efforts or occasional team spirit. None of it has had much to do with national backing.

Atif Aslam and Shafqat Amanat are currently singing heroes in India – a country where singing and learning to sing is part of religion. Our writers – a case in point already mentioned – are fast winning top nomination spots, with Mohammad Hanif just days ago walking away with $9000 for the Commonwealth writers prize for the best first book honours. And there are many insignificant individuals sprinkled all over the country who in some way are contributing to re-painting Pakistan’s canvas to show a picture other than the one currently advertised with daggers and bayonets on a blood red backdrop.

Quelling the roar of gunfire from home are also the ‘exploits’ of our national painting hero – Jimmy Engineer – who keeps popping up in the international press sporadically to give a peaceful hue to our colour green. Recently he too was on a trip to the US with prints of his latest serving. These are breathtaking creations depicting a montage of Pakistani and International architecture. I personally rate him as a modern-day Michelangelo, re-creating the painstaking tradition of Renaissance work which is not to be found in this age of digitally orchestrated creations, bizarre installations and non-methodical madness of abstract art (Picasso must be turning in his grave for unleashing the art monster in many with no sense of colour or design).

While in Houston for the showing of his work, Engineer was honoured by the mayor of the city for his ‘outstanding work’ and given the status of honourary citizen of Houston. In this climate of distrust against every and anything Pakistani, this is a creditable accomplishment and some much needed change of opinion even if it’s a mere drop. In Toronto too Engineer has an ongoing exhibition of prints from his architecture series and visitors are awestruck by the man’s amazing prowess of detailing and merging perspectives. Visiting the show many times I have heard exclamations from visitors who wonder whether this is actually hand work and also that it is ‘nice to know’ such work is being done in Pakistan.

But we do know that this and many other worthwhile work continues to carry on. And despite petty politics, despite red tapism and despite hooliganism at cultural events, hopefully the arts will continue to find a way of expression. We are still at quite a distance from the age of emancipation and it is too much to believe that we will ever come close to that era in which Islamic arts – architecture, painting, ceramics and calligraphy – not only flourished but became the hallmark and trendsetters of culture.

Rediscovering our secular and aesthetic self will take a lot of doing and for that we will have to still more harshly repel the ideology that quells all things peaceful (i.e. the Taliban ideology).

In the mean time though – bring on the music and bring on the arts! Let music truly become the food for our survival. Be it poetry, literature, theatre – all our areas of excellence – let the show go on even as gunfire approaches. Remember Titanic (the movie) and how the last ones to go down were the diligent musicians?

Pakistan is not a sinking ship – yet. And while our military shows its might at one end of its border our creative, performing and visual arts communities must not forget that therein lies the ability to bring some solace to the people’s wounds and to show the world that there is more (good) here than meets the eye.

So more power to our cultural might and may the number of our rising stars increase to create a stream of complimentary headlines.

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