Why Blog Now..
I haven't written in many months. Was looking to reinvent this space in light of a very new and different life I'm leading. Many good things are happening in that life..
I'm drowned in indescribable hate at this moment for coming back and writing about all the things that I wished to never have to discuss.
Today was especially dark.. too close, too personal. I live less than 10 minutes away from the location at which the incident took place: Liberty square - the heart of modern Lahore, a place seldom affected by the chaos that you read about in the papers every day in relation to Pakistan.
There's also a deep sense of embarrassment stemming from the fact that those that were targeted were the one's that came to play cricket in a country everyone else had refused to do so. Cricket is the lifeline of a Pakistani. We don't have a Bollywood or a crazy happening night life, but Cricket is what we live for, every day. Every child in Pakistan grows up dreaming of becoming Imran Khan, and that single moment captured on camera when he lifted the crystal World Cup trophy is by far the most inspiration moment in the country's 62 years of history.
And the events of today have effectively signed the death certificate for the only thing that is a source of passion and hope to a Pakistani.
Further shame and fury stems from the aftermath. As always, everyone, led by the media has begun the process of blaming India, American Drones, India, Tamil Tigers, Taleban, India, Nawaz Sharif and India, the government, ISI, the army, the chimpanzees, the colour blue, and India. Why is the press calling it 'Our Mumbai'? It's not. It's my Lahore - and I'm having a pretty damn rough time dealing with this!
Can we not for once stop absolving ourselves in this convenient manner. We need to be spending every living moment kicking our own behinds for our complacency and apathy. Take some responsibility! And for God's sake, stop asking God for help! Take SOME responsibility!
I'm drowned in indescribable hate at this moment for coming back and writing about all the things that I wished to never have to discuss.
Today was especially dark.. too close, too personal. I live less than 10 minutes away from the location at which the incident took place: Liberty square - the heart of modern Lahore, a place seldom affected by the chaos that you read about in the papers every day in relation to Pakistan.
There's also a deep sense of embarrassment stemming from the fact that those that were targeted were the one's that came to play cricket in a country everyone else had refused to do so. Cricket is the lifeline of a Pakistani. We don't have a Bollywood or a crazy happening night life, but Cricket is what we live for, every day. Every child in Pakistan grows up dreaming of becoming Imran Khan, and that single moment captured on camera when he lifted the crystal World Cup trophy is by far the most inspiration moment in the country's 62 years of history.
And the events of today have effectively signed the death certificate for the only thing that is a source of passion and hope to a Pakistani.
Further shame and fury stems from the aftermath. As always, everyone, led by the media has begun the process of blaming India, American Drones, India, Tamil Tigers, Taleban, India, Nawaz Sharif and India, the government, ISI, the army, the chimpanzees, the colour blue, and India. Why is the press calling it 'Our Mumbai'? It's not. It's my Lahore - and I'm having a pretty damn rough time dealing with this!
Can we not for once stop absolving ourselves in this convenient manner. We need to be spending every living moment kicking our own behinds for our complacency and apathy. Take some responsibility! And for God's sake, stop asking God for help! Take SOME responsibility!
posted by Emad at
12:14 AM
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8 Comments
