Free-choice?

Let me hear your shock
at my  heinous silence

Yes, I am your biggest sympathizer
I am to blame
for what you do is not
the brunt of what I bear                                

I can be furious
and blindly loyal to
your book


then they say that I don't have free-choice
that I am indoctrinated into
misogyny that I fail to
locate in my world


What rubbish!
I have freedom to choose
to make from all the stories
they narrate for me.

Stories they think are
worthless  lies
are actually my little disputed truths
for which I'm ready to sacrifice
my very existence.


Zeeba T. Hashmi

Lahore,
25th December, 2012




 

Freedom of speech: a sense of misplaced justice

Does free-speech equate to civil offense?

Freedom of expression is highly   reliant on the sort of expression  to be used freely and by what gender as it varies from society to society.  There are indeed, many paradoxes involved when it is to be used in public.  There are many a gaps to be found in what we are expressing and how it is perceived in a highly controlled, constricted environment.  If this is not so, use of violence comes in as the option to hold the reverence of the already dictated appropriateness of communication:  because of discouraging or blocking   divergent ideas or innovations in context to penetrate in communication system layout that is guarded by rigid hierarchy, differences in opinion are not properly understood or rationalized, and any attempt to bridge the gaps is seen with great suspicion; often delegated with punishment.  The inculcation of fear is the primary factor to be considered when deciphering expression here.  And those who show no fear are often considered foolish or suicidal.

There is a perfect situation in the making when common-sense takes a flight.  The our most  dis-appreciated   vocal Dr. Pervez Hoodhboy said something even more bolder about making favorable provision for scientific growth in the country.

"In Pakistan, unfortunately, the conditions for developing science are not good. Science is all about intellectual freedom and questioning the basis of ideas. It requires that people accept the scientific method, which puts logic and observation above preconceived ideas. These conditions are not fulfilled in Pakistan or in most Muslim countries."

Let's not forget how advocating freedom of expression and intrigue has cost him his job from one of the most renowned academic institutes in Pakistan.

If we flip the original question: how we respond is shockingly ironical.

Does taking human life equate to civil offense?

What sort of a question is this?  "No" in a heart-beat!

Think again how you can answer this question in the company of bearded, stout, pious men.  Again, you may have to answer it as diplomatically as you can, depending on how liberal you can afford yourself to be on the conundrum.

Intimidating slogans and banners that criminalize free speech can be found everywhere, starting from the back side of auto-rickshaws to the banners on Lahore Mall Road.

If equating freedom of speech allowed for one and limiting/criminalizing for others it to be analyzed, our sense of justice soon becomes misplaced or biased.  To elaborate it with a little example: there are actually laws against a sect of Muslims for uttering traditional Muslim Assalam u Alaikum greetings in public, yet there are no laws against certain religious clerical groups that openly  issue fatwas of murder and incite violence and harm against minorities.  

Where is our sense of justice here?

Sectarianism and the media

Since the trailer of Safeer-e-Ishq on HumTV, I had been curious to watch the drama. First of its kind to talk about sectarian violence. I was interested in knowing how sectarianism would be dealt with, as it is a very current and politically charged issue. Last month at least 29 shias were killed in different parts of the country at the hands of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipap-e-Sahaba and Tehreek-e-Taliban. While in November so far, already 53 people have died because of target killings and bomb blasts all over Pakistan. 

Tujhe ehsas-e-karbala bhi ho jayega kabhi

Tanha kisi aziz ki mayyat utha kar dekh

Before I digress too much and go into more statistics. 

Apart from every other scene punctuated with crying and speeches about not backing out, the drama was pretty decent. But, in my opinion, instead of showing the whole emotional side of the issue, it would have been constructive to make it educational.

For example, I have had a tough time explaining to people (specially the ones who get influenced by the Tableeghi clan) that Shias do go for Hajj, they don't spit in water, they don't have 40 siparas in the Quran, Ali is not considered the prophet, etc etc. Breaking away these myths is far more important. Cause they make the basis of legitimizing attack on Shias.

The problem is not emotional, rather political. I do not think that one can counter the Takfiri ideology by merely showing crying orphans and widows. 

PS Let us hope to see something similar for the Ahmedis, Christians, Hindus and other minorities in the near future.

Xenophobia, internal-racism deadly combo!

OMG, I went to Pakistan and it is so dangerous. Agreed!

It is impossible to live there as a liberal/secular person. Excuse me? I have been living here as a liberal, atheist whatever for the past 5 years at least.

I thank my lucky stars I came back alive! Excuse me?

Pakis are so pathetic and illiterate, it is impossible to reason with them. Err? I understand you have a blue passport now, but were you not once a Pakistani? How did you manage to get out of that rut of pathetic-ness and illiteracy?

A few of the gems one gets to hear from closet atheists, so-called liberals and the ones who love sucking up to the Right Wing BS in the West. Yes, you got it right, these are the types who went through their teen-years reading xenophobic material off faithfreedom.org or packs of lies spewed by the likes of Hirsi Ali types.

Then you have those who are merely apologists. Not much different then some of the religious people. People who when they read the news about a 14 year old getting raped say, "Why was she even roaming outside at 3pm? She knew this will happen to her, and she chose to get herself raped." Here's an example from one of the supposedly 'sane' voices. Oh and please do not forget the class difference between the religious and not so religious. Or the ones who follow the right form of religion, compared to the poor who follow the 'poor form of religion'. Class never ceases to be the basis of how one behaves in society.

Why should the Shia take out a procession when the situation in Pakistan is so bad? Next probably we will get to hear, why do the Christians and Hindus live in Pakistan? The problem of Shia Genocide is not because of the Takfiri ideology. No Shia is targeted right in front of his/her house. Wait a minute, why do they get out of their house when they know there are Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahab target killers backed by ISI roaming about all over Pakistan? Be it Quetta, Karachi, Parachinar, Gilgit or even the GHQ city Rawalpindi.

It is wrong to be a Shia in Pakistan. Since it is not an Islamic Republic any more, but the Salafi-Deobandi Republic of Pakistan.

What is more important?

Protection of sentiments or protection of lives?

Freedom of thought or freedom to kill?

The teaser or the teased?

Rationality or insanity?

Hate or compassion?

Love of God, or bloody barbarity?

If I can see it through, then why can’t you?

Zeeba T. Hashmi

28^th September, 2012

Lahore.

An Innocent Muslim

Things bring me to dance at your idiocy.

Not really, that’s blasphemy.

 let’s rob a bank, smash a car

And kill a person or two.

Such intensity is  in my love,

Yet I defy mysticism.

And I abhor human love too.

But,

Let’s make the guy richer now

For making a film

exposing our innocence

To the world.

Which was unnecessary

I must say this irony is not in your essence

But it is just me, proudly following

In whatever direction your bloody innocent

Mob takes me.

And you can see a smile on my face,

But what the hell am I really doing?

I have no idea.

They just  tell me it is Ishq e Rasool

And so I believe, it is such.

Zeeba T. Hashmi

Islamabad

21^st September, 2012.

Tyranny

So I relate, a story of my tyranny
and obtrusive onslaught of my closed heart,
a beating heart---alive still,
waiting for its break from
the shallowness of the mind
confiscating my sanity for the want
of an answer
to something I never dared  question;
but this has remained my reluctant learning.

I have become  stone
Indeed I had suffered
In my blind faith.

My Pain  ensued with the want
to dream and die in them,
so never might I face
it growing into another reality of
disillusionment.

Hostile became my soul to my self,
Tearing it between  conscience
Cruel exasperation.
Fits, never  rationalized
In my most primitive rage against
Time that reached me there.

My world, my cruel world.
I see you now detestable
You took away all the hope from me
Amidst all the madness
You defined me with.

Zeeba T. Hashmi

14th September, 2012
Lahore

ظلم کا راج

,جب مزہب کے نام پر توپیں، تلواریں چلتی ہیں

ان ایوانوں ان گلیوں میں جب لاشیں گرتی پڑتی ہیں؛

تم سوتے ہو یا جاگتے ہو؟ کچھ کرتے ہو یا کانپتے ہو؟

سب چھوڑ کے اپنی تکلیفیں اور دولت کی یہ زنجیریں،

تم اپنا خون بہاتے ہو؟ یا جاں اپنی بچاتے ہو؟

گر تم کچھ نہیں کرتے ہو، بس بھاگ کر چھپ جاتے ہو

اور خاموشی کی آڑھ میں مظلوم بنتے جاتے ہو

تم منکر ہو مکار بھی ہو، اور ظلم و ستم کے ہامی ہو 

تم قاتل ہو 

تم چل تو لو 

یا رینگ ہی لو

اس خاموشی کو توڑ ہی دو

یا چلا کر، پوچھ ہی لو

کیاا یہ عدل و انصاف ہے؟ جو جائز اور پاک ہے؟

اس غربت اور یاس میں بس ظالم کا ہی راج ہے۔

عندلیب رضوی

http://andaleeb-rizvi.blogspot.com/2012/08/blog-post.html

Designed God

Indescision is not my forte, an ill-adventure is a mere 

perplexity.  to cry a river over the mis-fortunes written in the rocks; a hopelessness of the decree hardened by a lack of will.  I am, but one of the casuality---the river that roared fiercely,

never ran away from me.

I could not move a muscle for the want of you,

that you stood so close to me, yet a thousand seas away from me;

calling my name, but in fear, i pretend

my audio disabilty.

Cowardice is what holds me back,

making my wrteched soul as one among the angry mobs

of destroying graves of those who lived entirety in worship

of bunring houses for those forsaken by You

Oh you, the Cruel one,

never could undertsnad the minuscle me,

for you are not made by the light

you just always were;

but merely made into what my compatriots made you

and called you God

Culmination

death culminates all my smiles,

a life lived worthy of nothingness

of hope lasting into delusion,

and love left hollow inside.

death comes with a wasted youth,

an over spent age,

a wanting childhood.

it brings me near to compassion,

tears in my heart,

a parting that was to occur

a belonging to permanence

and temporary solace.

Zeeba T. Hashmi

22nd April, 2011

Jihad or ‘Halal’ Genocide?

As long as Muslims do not get out of their religion box, and enter the folds of humanity, they must not expect others to take them seriously. Not every crime against a human who incidentally turns out to be a Muslim is a crime against Islam. Nor is every offense by a Christian a crusade. In all honesty, there is actually no need for non-Muslims to target Muslims specifically, because they target each other themselves.

Deobandis consider Shias, Ahmedis and Barelvis dispensable, Salafis consider every one disposable, Shias and Sunnis feel Ahmedis should be put to the sword. But lo and behold, ‘Muslims’ are bemoaning persecution in Burma. One would not find them so vociferously protesting about the murders of Hazara Shias or Ahmedis.

Facebook news feed is filled with garbage, asking people to protest and put a stop to the genocide of Muslims in Burma, but I wonder if the Muslims in Burma were Ahmedi, would people be so upset about it? I fear not. Because then it would be translated to Jihad. So as long as genocide is perpetrated under the guise of Jihad, it is halal.

Religion of peace for whom?

The banning of shiakilling.com (pakshia.com) is the most recent example of the shifting sectarian dynamics of this country. Despite that the majority feudal families like Bhutto, Zardari and several of the richest families, including the Ismaili Lakhanis and Hashwanis, are Shiite; persecution of the common Shia men and women is increasing daily. One, at this point might ask why the powers that be are unable to stop this sectarian rift?

There’s a very simple answer, peace means people will have time to think and analyze as well as react to the shit that happens in Pakistan. Which the ruling elite, be it politicians, military, agencies, don’t want. They each have their interest groups working in different sections of the society to continue creating conflicts and trouble between people, be it religious, sectarian or ethnic. The sectarian rift is not only aided by class divide, but is also to the advantage of the two extremist countries Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is not about religion, rather controlling the resources, be it labor, land or capital.

According to Daily Ummat, which is a mouthpiece for the intelligence agencies in Pakistan, shiakilling.com was banned because of the violent nature of material posted on the website. By violent it is meant the pictures of mutilated bodies of Shiite men, women and children.

The news interpreted by propaganda machines:

The following is the greeting one receives when visiting the Haq Chaar Yaar website, which incidentally is not banned or restricted.

This is another 'Fatwa' on the website against Shias:

Not only the website, but there are several twitter accounts like @JHANGVI @SSPJHANG @SMPKhi110 to promote 'takfeer'.

                     

Not to be left behind, this is the Shia extremist group's twitter account:

Among all this are the Ahmedis, Christians, Hindus who are persecuted by both Shiites and Sunnis. How can one conclude among all this evidence that Islam is the religion of peace? I ask, for whom is it the religion of peace?

new blog

checking

Pain

For the tears not resembling yours;
I seek prejudice in alluding to this indifference to what you called love;
for something mighty no lighter heart can lift;
is an illusion I've fallen for in complete disgrace;
who cares what my reality reveals;
it is but a pain of longing no one can relate to




Zeeba T. Hashmi
15th July, 2012

Godless girls: Unchallenged Hate

Godless girls: Unchallenged Hate: Unchallenged Hatred Neither Hindu nor Muslim Sacrificing pride, let us sit together. Neither Sunni nor Shia, Let us wa...

Unchallenged Hate

Unchallenged Hatred

Neither Hindu nor Muslim

Sacrificing pride, let us sit together.

Neither Sunni nor Shia,

Let us walk the road of peace!

(Bulleh Shah)

But things don’t look like so among us proud Pakistanis.  We see God as the one who takes revenge against the  betrayers of his mis-interpreted religion (read dogmas)and his pleasure-seekers are doing the deed by violently and mercilessly murdering those who have not an iota of an understanding of their brand of Islam.  Hegemony holds sway in the land of blood.  Hatred champions itself in the land of the righteous.  Untried blasphemers are lynched and torched alive in this very land of the pure.  Women are disfigured and defaced by acid throwing or are gang raped by orders of village elders for honor’s sake.   And then they say speaking against  all this as ‘Western Propaganda”?   How ironic. Who is a Westerner here? Is common-sense related to Blackwater Co.  here?

What if we see God above all this who actually has come down, pleading his staunch followers, for mercy and change in thought to stop humiliating Him like this?  Is it not possible to see Him in human terms rather than kill your sons and daughters in blind faith? And if one is indeed a true Muslim, then what’s the point in reciting the First Kalma aloud time and again? It doesn’t lessen any faith, and we all know that.  Our sleeves are full of it. Piety here has indeed become a curse and it’s good to see that Baba Bulleh Shah died long  before he could witness all this.  With the young doctors on strike, he’d have died of a heart attack today and no one would be there to weep for this blasphemer.

The language we use today has become bigoted.  The offices we work at have become cesspool of anti-Shia, anti-Ahmediya, ant- Christian, anti-Jew, anti-Hindu, anti-Sikh and anti-human gup shup.  An average child who goes to a middle level public school believes that it is sin for women to work outside their homes, and the best is that they actually lose their virginity by driving cars, thanks to the Saudi fatwa.

So what has been inclining everyone, even the ones who want to be considered liberals because they  wear Levi’s jeans, towards this retrograde and moral degeneration.  Moral degeneration is not that we see Katrina Kaif on Billboards, but is the lack of confrontation against the powerful radical  clergy  that blacken the faces of models on advertisement posters and posting violence-inciting messages in our residential areas.  The best example can be noted at our universities where religiosity has taken such strong roots that many professors and students have been harassed and attacked with gun shots at their residences and yet no action has been taken by the concerned authorities for fear of backlash.

For any culture, preservations should be made on the principle of its inherent indigenous core without it being oppressive or hegemonic on others.  In our case, unfortunately, there are conflicts of political interests, causality of which we see in our society that suffers from its identity chaos and even, bloodshed in some cases.  During Zia’s draconian era, major reforms took place in the education curricula (allegedly prepared by University of Nebraska) to harden it with Jihadi references, even for elementary students, to recruit Mujahideen to fight against the Russians in Afghanistan in the 80’s during cold war.  The literature developed lacked any cultural or religious sensitivity.  Moreover, tones of private editions were published for the surfacing militant madrassahs that brainwashed the adrenaline-rushed youth into something more destructive than using their worth towards productivity.  Ever since the cold war ended, the US-Petro dollars didn’t stop flowing, however, no serious effort has been made to reverse the education damage that is to be blamed for ill-informed and biased populations that have been geared towards more hatred.  News papers and current media are no exceptions in spreading biased opinions and lies.  The alienation of the very people who are the citizens of Pakistan is doing an economic harm of the worst kind and the fact remains neglected politically.  The first such example of harming the nation lies in the very preamble of the Objectives Resolution that was passed by the constituent Assembly in 1948 only after the death of the Quaid, founder of Pakistan.  The second most damaging act ever done to Pakistan as a nation was by Z.A. Bhutto through the formation of One Unit, which homogenized the variant nature of all the diverse regions of Pakistan, thus causing resentment among ethnic and minority groups besides damaging the institutions indirectly, in particular, the education institutions.

Accepting the fact that Pakistan is a multi ethnic diverse country is important for its progress, otherwise, giving in to the demands of the nexus of radical clergy, the powerful feudal lords and the army, will bring more resentment and disaster than any productivity or protection of the assets that the ‘deep state” considers important.  This can only be done through proper identification of the problems and the right political lobbying for the right measures to be taken to address the growing problem of the militancy and for an educational  evolution that can bring us out of the vortex of hate for other nations who  live among us too.  Nothing, in our case, should fall short of human dignity belonging to any religion, caste, creed or sexual orientation.

Contributed by Zeeba Hashmi and can be reached at zeebahashmi@hotmail.com

Photo credit: Google Images

The Indigenous

                                                                              

                                                                      

We are a people of different faces       

of dreams unique

of expectations calling for dignity.                   

We are a people of different colors

of love we seek

of recognition we want

We are a beautiful people

like an orchestra of life

for the world to stand in ovation

For  us feeling alive.

(by Zeeba T. Hashmi)

Godless girls: Life

Godless girls: Life: through the majestic purple mountains through the expanse of valleys they surround through the running  crystal clear streams in th...

Life

through the majestic purple mountains

through the expanse of valleys they surround

through the running  crystal clear streams

in the green meadows that turn gold
in the setting sun

is an atonement of love
we perceive.

But is  the passing of every

cherished second                                          

never to be felt again                                                         

                                                          
Is  search for a                                   
perfect trail
of an age that passes
with each unique treasured  moment
of the mortal discovery we know as life.


                                                        
Zeeba T. Hashmi
13th July,2012
Lahore                                                                            

Life

through the majestic purple mountains
through the expanse of valleys they surround
through the running  crystal clear streams
in the green meadows that turn gold
in the setting sun
is an atonement of love
that some perceive.                                                         

But is actually the passing of every
cherished second
never to be felt again
                                                                                            Photo credit: google images
Is called search of a
perfect trail
of an age that passes
with each unique treasure
of the mortal discovery we know as life.

Zeeba T. Hashmi
13th July, 2012
Lahore

Deprieved of the Sun that shines in Trieste



Library at Abdus Salam Institute in Triestem Italy
(copy righted)



The sea breeze.

waving over a land called Trieste,



yet tidings of home,

made less known to us.

for a man who marked his footsteps there,

as the world salutes his legacy.

Dr. Abdus Salam, Dr. Abdus Salam!

Who was he?

I know not much about you,

yet you gave your body to the soil

of my land.

with a gravestone  that humiliates

your name.

Yes, I weep for you.

Zeeba T. Hashmi

2nd October, 2011

Lahore.

Memories---Human Creed

Sunrise, midday, dusk and night
Distinctive and rigid are their time

but not memories

it maybe our earthly mountains that waver
shake and collapse

like tears in my eyes and with a heart that
thumps for ever changing celebration of life

even if we have parted once we came across
the unfinished stories we shared have now become
like disturbed dreams.

inconsistency of human want it is
one day here, next day there
and moving on.
some with regret, some not.

Zeeba T. Hashmi
11th July, 2012
Lahore

Shadows of Life

Shadows of life follow your versatility for adjustment

to this world

How honest is the core only gets diminished by what we call

civilized norms.

How much do I have to try to assert the real Zeeba around

But the conjunction of values makes this Zeeba all conceited

For the world, I am  a spectacle of dilemmas,

Never to be understood, never to be comforted.

Zeeba T. Hashmi

10^th July, 2012

Lahore.

Could anyone hear my screams?

(On a man accused of blasphemy burnt alive by a mob in Bhawalpur today and it hardly got any news coverage in the mainstream media. It is our own indifference that kills our conscience more than the act of  barbarism itself)

 

Oh! what a shame this all has been.

An entire existence never understood,

And so condemnably wasted.

For I have committed blasphemy

Because no one could hear me.

Torch me now.

See my flesh burn in flames

And smell the stench

Go on,  feed your soul

For this is what you consider

your  conscience.

Kalash

Intoxicating is the place,

In the shadows of Hindukush

Where gods worship the human worth;

And define dignity of their land

The Kalash called.  The Kalash called

To show the colors of love,

Even in death, they  celebrate life.

Yes, they are the Kalash

But the dogma is exploiting their feebleness,

 Contaminating  their purity;

Distinguishing the light they spark;

Change, they had been forced to adopt

While still clinging on hope for survival
And for the world to hear their plea.

Wariness

those looks, those stares,
those mutterings;
all praise to the god! the divinity,
the chaos,
the turbulence,
 the intensity;
beleaguered faith,
helpless devotions,
schizophrenia,
you and I;
borderless, yet wary.



Zeeba T. Hashmi

Moon and Light

Of what is moon. an enigma created in  silver againt dark.
What is this moon, setting the waves higher in the sea
and riveting it to dance over  the clear reflection of waters.
where fairies meet.
But the sun  pleaded aganst the moon.
sun to God:"it steals my light,Sir"
Moon on trial: "but the little light i steal is no crime of mine, but only of  divinty's.
besides i am the one who provides light in the night when  peopl lose their way
besides, God, you  have made me beautiful,so why a soul would not write poetry
on me?, if this is not true, then why won't you object to two loving souls meet in broad daylight?
is this not sin of the sun to expose it while I hide and protect precious lives"
"Fornication, sire, fornication and he is promoting it,
it's a question of my morals and you have none.  give me back my light."
'sir, wiith my light gone, than what happens when in  daylight  reveals your hypocricy of your endorsed morals?
you'll die of heart attack, sire, please have mercy. don't dare "
The honorable Sire, looked confused.  it was the war of thier egos, truth was rarely known,  but deception was easier and would be wise to bring to people all the truth.
God: "Honesty as the monotony of the white  remains distinctive.  lIn dayliht, all colors  get submeged into  one  .  let go of your egos. let it go. let it go---you both can't survive without it."
both: "but we got inspired by your destructive and revengful punishments.  then why are you discouraing us? are we not all gods in our way?"
God got angry, took off his leather boots and gave a good thrashing to both moon and sun, for talking about divinity which  we can't talk about because it is what it is.
so,

Sun failed
moon prevailed
hypocrisy preserved
or
pure honesty made glorious
only in hiding.
Drunkeness is sinful.
because it brings out the true
core of the disguised
piety of a man.



Zeeba hashmi
26th June, 2012
Lahore

Light/Dark

Of what is moon. an enigma created in  silver againt dark.
What is this moon, setting the waves higher in the sea
and riveting it to dance over  the clear reflection of waters.
where fairies meet.

But the sun  pleaded aganst the moon.
sub:"it steals my light sir"
"but the little light i steal is no crime of mine, but only of  divinty's.
besides i am the one that provides light in the night when  peopl lose their way
besides, god has made me beautiful,so what soul would not write poetry
on mr?, if this is not true, then why don't tdon't you know about  loving souls meet in broad daylight?"
"Fornication, sire, fornication and he is promoting it,
it's a question of my morals and you have none.  give me back my light."
'sir, wiith my light gone, than what happens when in  daylight will  will reveal your hypocricy of your endorsed morals?
you'll die of heart attack, sire, please have mercy. don't "

The honorable sire, looked confused.  it was the war of thier egos, truth is rarely known, that moon shows is more significant in the  dar, while the rest remains hidden.



Zeeba T. Hashmi
26th June, 2012
Lahore

Man is a woman or a woman is cursed for her scorn?

Have you ever seen the drunkeness in a man's eye?
It's the rage of a woman wanrtng to unleash
the agony sublimed into a pet-talk of her non-existential screams
in a group of people  at a cocktail party.
yes, control, the constipation that is, or is it
the slut of a man protecting his ego the size of his penis?
it's a brawl.
A broken fist maybe, an open jaw perhaps, a disfigured face,
and the humiliattion.
is it really not a waman's misery you see in a man's eyes?
but sometimes this misplaced primitivity  defies
our hypocritic norms we endorse as our "logic".
what has a woman got to do with agression?
but the irony will be blamed on a woman alone;
forbidden, unacceptable, perhaps even psychotic.
if she is  compassion; a beating heart; a nurturing soul and tears of despeartation.
then what has a man really  got to do with it?



Zeeba T. Hashmi
25th June, 2012
Lahore

Comfort that was my hurt

Sympaties, the nurtured lie:
The illusion of comfort-the mockery it seems like truth:
but the smile it brings on the suspicious face:
it lacks courage of rage against the void called love;
or of a weeping soul:
or accepting the hurt of the longing never to realize.
or the touch of the heart waiting to be healed again.


Zeeba T. Hashmi
24th June, 2012
Lahore.

My Screams of Subtle Intensity

(From the mind of the one suffering from social schizophrenia)

I am, a superstitious atheist;

a deluded realist;

a passive activist;

a brave coward;

an honest hypocrite;

a conflicting pacifist;

I am gracefully humiliated;

injured with comfort;

tragically happy;

sadistically smiling;

and bitterly sweet

Oh pretensions!

i am, paradoxically simple

lunatically sane

and ambiguously pristine.

I am only what you want me to be.

Only that I am, what I am not.

Godless girls: As the egoistic god smirked at compassion

Godless girls: As the egoistic god smirked at compassion: God gave me a chalice of crimson wine, it tasted bitter. then God ordered white lillies to sweeten it. i drank because they had you...

As the egoistic god smirked at compassion

God gave me a chalice of crimson wine,

it tasted bitter.

then God ordered white lillies to sweeten it.

i drank because they had your name on each petal.

god laughed

"what shit, i thought it would still be bitter"

"I laughed too, a mystic with unreciprocated love,

every petal with my beloved's name makes it sweeter to me.

take your chisel back, i got what filled my void in me"

the angels laughed with god,

this is not what fate was supposed to be,

but what wanting of the heart could bring

 chaos to god's design of the wounding heart.

they felt threatened.

Spirits roam free, but with restlessness

abd people make no effort to keep them calm.

OH  wounded woman, when will you find calm?

You are the creature of love,

not patriarchal slave.

but why do we feel so disconnected still

when both we're suffering the same hurt

of longing?

Godless girls: Caress

Godless girls: Caress: moonlight come and make me glow in white. sunlight, make me blush in red. dusk, caress me in crimson and yellow. da...

Caress

moonlight

come and make me glow in white.

sunlight,

make me blush in red.

dusk,

caress me in crimson and yellow.

dawn, kiss me in shades of blue, and green.

make me alive.

make me radiant

for I too am an object

of your colors.

I inhibit,I absorb.

I, LOVE.

Sadhu and God

There was a sadhu lying naked outside the zoo.

The spirit of holy Sachal Sirmed revived.

No passer-by blessed  him standing in the middle of the Mall r
Surrounded by  banks, boutiques and best eateries.

It was too lavish to bear a naked man;

And people gathered around, hoping it was a daring Chelsea  football fan

In support of his team  miles apart across the other continent

“Err…what is soccer FIFA League?

“Ah yes, we too have a FIFA league---somewhat playing in Pak”

Big deal.

The man, nonetheless, is standing naked.

He’s not waiting for a lover;

But some said he must be at mental asylum

“no wait, this man is not mad. He just  has a sachet of cocaine found next him”

Said the officer.

:"But officer,, please hurry, my young children are looking at him---all naked”

The old man was lying indeed, perhaps sleeping in oblivion.

A mystic, found to be sleeping in dreams; but creating a ruckus in his civilized world

Not able to understand

“what is closer to God”

They asked

“morality!” came the answer.

The old man finally overheard.

“nay it is the love of god. And it is for this you are calling me immoral”

“but the clothes, where are they”

“I am a reborn.  Why can’t god accept my nudity”

‘Astaghfirullah” came the reply

“god knows everything about me.  What is there to hide.  If man is primarily naked, then why are we covering it up.  Hasn’t god seen a naked human before”

“blasphemy”

“how so, what is wrong with it.  If god finds my nudity objectionable then why can’t we call perversion and a hypocrisy as his attributes—or is it just relevant to humans?”

“humans”

“but are god’s 99 attributes are almost relevant to human creed.  Tell me have we created god?’

‘they are not supposed to be like that”

“like anger and the humiliating others out of many?”

“yes, so”

“Then how can he endorse such humanly attributes for himself if he is a god?”

“let me draw out the dragger and a close range shooting gun”

“Very well.  That’s lack of argument on god’s behalf…l  however, did not mention one attribute that no god can take away from a human”

“such as?”

“the sense of pain, loss, bereavement…has god ever cried as a human”

“What nonsense---God is god”

“well, I am all exposed on my free will, because I abhor everything artificial, except for god whom I also suspect as a non- natural.  I am more mystical, while you are hard as his regulation followers.  I have felt pain, perhaps not even god.  Tell me if he has ever shed tears like we do, would he have the honor of join us our food and ask for our forgiveness, like humans do , for all the injustice he has committed in his name?

“ridiculous suggestion.  God will never  sit down with people like you”

Very well then, tell him we are happy without him.  If he really is is concerned, tell him to be a human forst and them decide what misery he has put us in”