“If my actions have angered some Pakistani Canadians, may I suggest they examine their own consciences. They are defending a flag that symbolizes the 1971 genocide in East Pakistan and in part, the creation of the Taliban, terrorist attacks on India, the hosting of Osama Bin Laden and the subjugation of their land’s indigenous cultures and language.”
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Tarek Fatah
The Toronto Sun
Last Saturday, I woke up to a phone call from a refugee who recently escaped death in Pakistan and now lives in Toronto.
Skipping the usual pleasantries, his voice quivering with anger, Lateef Johar told me:
“They’ve killed Dr. Manan and his son.”
“They”, being the Pakistan army that has occupied Balochistan since it invaded the independent state of Kalat in March, 1948.
Dr. Mannan Baloch, killed in cold blood by the Pakistan Military
Dr. Manan Baloch was a physician politician who was the secretary general of the outlawed Baloch National Movement (BNM), a political party that calls for a free homeland for the Baloch people and the end of the Pakistani occupation. He was widely known for his work in helping war refugees in Balochistan.
Pakistan’s government, however, described Baloch and his associates as terrorists, called their deaths a “major breakthrough” in its war against terrorism in Balochistan and said all five men were killed in a gunfight with security forces.
But this is nothing new. Extra-judicial killings are common in Balochistan.
So are “enforced disappearances”, as the human rights organization Human Rights Watch has reported, where people are scooped up by security forces, held and often tortured in secret, charged with crimes after the fact, and sometimes found dead months later.
Journalists like Declan Walsh of the Guardian, who have tried to report the truth of what is happening in Balochistan, have been expelled, Walsh after writing his definitive account of human rights abuses by the army titled “Pakistan’s dirty, secret war” in 2011.
I am not claiming there have never been unjustified killings and human rights abuse by the rebels. This is a civil war, with all its horrors.
Further, in all of my 45 years as a left-wing political activist and writer, I have followed the non-violent path of Gandhi and the Pashtun nationalist Bacha Khan, never retaliating with force, even when I was beaten by Islamist goons on campus in Karachi or occasionally on the streets of Toronto.
I continue to believe in non-violent protest.
But to me, this latest tragedy in Balochistan called for more than spoken words or chanting slogans.
How about burning the Pakistan flag, I thought?
After all in 1948, when the Pakistan army invaded and captured the capital of Kalat state, their first act was to install the Pakistan flag over the parliament house of Balochistan.
I recalled the words of George Carlin: “A flag is supposed to represent everything that a country does. It doesn’t only represent the good things. If you burn the flag, you’re burning the flag for what you perceive to be the bad things the country has done. It’s only a symbol. It’s only a piece of cloth.”
Since many Baloch newcomers to Canada were unsure whether burning a flag might jeopardize their legal status in Canada, I volunteered to hold the flag as they set it on fire at a demonstration last Sunday in Toronto.
If my actions have angered some Pakistani Canadians, may I suggest they examine their own consciences.
They are defending a flag that symbolizes the 1971 genocide in East Pakistan and in part, the creation of the Taliban, terrorist attacks on India, the hosting of Osama Bin Laden and the subjugation of their land’s indigenous cultures and language.
With due respect to you,as well Pakistanis or even the Pak intellgentsia - What the actions of Pak since its creations, wars, genocide, terrorism and total administrative failures and uses religion as pretext for excuses it has brought only a curse for the people of indian sub continent. Does this people of all walk of life any moral or social or religious conscience?
I just want to ask the author a simple question, did he ever visit Baluchistan? If yes, when was it last time, does he know how many innocent pro-Pakistan balouch were murdered by this death merchant, a so-called Dr. Manan. The ground reality is only known by Pakistani and more specifically residents of Baluchistan, a multi-ethnic province with complex sociopolitical dynamics.
india and pakistan should unite, balochistan was also a part of india since ancient time.
So should I also burn the US flag because it represents 100 years of slavery/racism, the mass murder of thousands of Japanese through the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the creation of the mujahideen which led to the creation of the Taliban (ironically being mentioned in this article) and most importantly the genocide of of Native Americans/Red Indians whom I read about in storybooks just like how the author of this article came to know about Balochistan?
The answer is I won’t. Because unlike the author of this heavily biased article I believe that no country is perfect and they should be given the chance to redeem themselves rather than being despised through the burning of their flag.
Don’t you Pakistanis already burn the American flag at every possible occasion? That’s quite rich of you, wouldn’t you say?
And sure I would burn the American flag as do many Americans as its their constitutional right to do so. Had the Americans not acknowledged the crimes of the past and made restitution, I would have brint the U.S. flag as well, but as far as Pakistan is concerned, there is not an iota of regret or shame as to what you do to others in the name of Islam.
Even in your comment that is no remorse. On the contrary, you choose to lie and claim the article is biased. You guys don’t evne know who you are and act as if you do. Go and look into the mirror and ask for it to show the truth.
Mr fatah …. I m a pakistani as well …. I have lived in balochistan ……and if u want out honest opinion …. u r right. To say we are the biggest assholes … we treated our country like not even north Korea does and that’s saying something
But also u r wrong to say that balochistan wants out …. we don’t ….. it’s rruling class that wants out …. it’s the same thing as after mughals weakened …. so many independent states with their own rules , we all know how it ended… and our province is probably not that great in terms of being modern ….. the ruling class after bugti don’t care for it’s inhabitants …. u r. Right in saying that our army is not all it’s cracked up to be … far from it …..
But sir the only reason that liberation party wants out of pakistan is to become rulers … they don’t respect the democratic process , they are land lords living in modern times …. the people don’t want separation they want schools , colleges hospitals …. CITIES which if I may tell u that our ruling party BLA doesn’t care for ….
And Dr mannan baloch was no saint sir let me tell u that much …. he was like aurangzeb …. u think he is good but he is a terrorist ….
U r right to condemn us for our support for Islamist , that what got us into this mess we are now
I hate zia ul haq and our many army chiefs who helped these military factions and now our brothers and sisters are dying just cs someone thinks they are not following islam…. But plz sir don’t be prejudiced bcuz of hate for pakistan …
I wish that u were our president ….. though I m sad at u burning our flag …. I don’t blame u ….
As Ali said
Be like the flower that go rd fragrance even to the hand that crushes it .
Wassalam
Think about it Zaki. You are parting with a greeting that has absolutely nothing to with any part of comprises Pakistan.
What does it say when you use an Arab greeting of ‘Wasalaam’ instead of ‘Khuda Hafiz’ or ‘Fi Amanallah’ or ‘Ran Rakha’.
May I suggest you ponder over this and thenbask yourself why would the Baloch not want freedom from a people who have no sense of identity, history, or heritage.
No one.
Oh sir I thought you never reply …..
I replied wassalam not bcuz of arabic…. u m a syed myself ….. though we are no superior to other muslims ….. your views and my views are almost the same …. I despised bin qasim and aurangzeb as well …. I despise BLA the same way …. they are not progressive…. they are tribal ppl … stuck in ancient ages …..we need hospitals , CITIES , schools investments but these rulers mna mpa even bugtis are not progressive at all …. when I left for Punjab …. my world changed I m an admirer of art , history , heritage , but I also admire democracy , free thinking, science , progressive ideology ….. sir I do …..
It’s sad that our ppl don’t and gems like u , abdus salaam , malala and so many have left us …. now we are stuck with only politicians and their families
Seriously it’s like hazrat usman ( Allah knows why I still use this word for him ) way of caliphate ….
If u were a politician in pakistan I would have voted for you in a jiffy ….. still hope is eternal
Lastly only one question dear sir
U do despise the 4 caliphs ?
Do u despise Ali as well
I know it’s kind of personAl but it’s a question I really wanted to ask u after your column on muharram matam
Really hope you answer
Khuda hafiz
And au revoir