Cultural fault lines

Need for a dialogue

Ostensibly, in the name of freedom of speech, French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has reprinted derogatory sketches of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Its ‘reborn edition’ has a record press run of five million copies.

On the other end of the spectrum bulk of the Muslims all over the world, while condemning the audacious terrorist attack on the magazine’s office that killed twelve of its staffers including the editor, are appalled at the insults being hurled on their faith.

Samuel Huntington’s theory espoused back in 1996, that “peoples’ cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post cold war era”, is manifesting itself with full force.

But despite the Islamophobia on the increase in the west in wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris there are voices of reason as well. One of the former founding editors of Charlie Hebdo has accused its slain editor of “dragging the team” to their deaths by releasing increasingly proactive cartoons. It is no coincidence that the magazine had become an organ for promoting Zionism and Islamophobia in the name of creating sick humour and satire.

Ironically the French President François Hollande stated a home truth while speaking to the Arab World Institute in Paris in the wake of the reaction to the Charles Hebdo attack, that Muslims were the main victims of fanaticism, fundamentalism and intolerance. He is quite right that thousands dying in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, including women and children, at the hands of fanatics are overwhelmingly Muslim.

A backlash against reprinting of the blasphemous cartoons was imminent. Hopefully it will not deteriorate into arson and destruction that was seen in major cities of Pakistan after a Danish publication carried such caricatures almost a decade ago

But unfortunately Muslim governments and their security paradigms have been largely responsible for their plight. The Pakistani state, deciding to launch a putsch against terrorists of all hues and colours, has finally woken up from decades of slumber and complicity.

A backlash against reprinting of the blasphemous cartoons was imminent. Hopefully it will not deteriorate into arson and destruction that was seen in major cities of Pakistan after a Danish publication carried such caricatures almost a decade ago.

Mehdi Hasan, a well-respected scholar based in Britain has written an open letter addressed to “all Muslim protesters”. He laments: your actions undermine not just the great religion of Islam but a worldwide Muslim community, or ummah, whose members want to live in peace and freedom despite the provocations from bigots, phobes and haters. Hasan rightly concludes that like freedom, tolerance is not a western invention or innovation. It is an Islamic virtue.

But while dot-on about fanatics abound, he should also have a good look at the stereotypes created by the western media in the name of freedom of speech. Some of their writings and utterances betray a crass disregard not only of Muslim sensibilities but that of all cultures alien to them.

Pope Francis has succulently put it that, “there are limits to freedom of expression, especially when it insults or ridicules someone’s faith.” I would add to the list the need for a deeper understanding by the west of the culture and sensibilities of other nations.

Take the case of ‘Homeland’, a television series based on an Israeli television drama Hatufim. The fourth season of the series sends its star Claire Danes — Carrie Matheson a CIA officer with bipolar disorder — as CIA station chief to Islamabad.

‘The Homeland’ portrays ISI (inter services intelligence agency) as a thug organisation having nothing better to do than kill and kidnap US officials and undercover CIA operatives. The agency is shown as the logistic and operational supporter of the Haqqani network and al Qaeda.

Adding insult to injury the series, filmed in South Africa, shows Islamabad a shantytown with primitive fanatics ruling the roost. The Urdu language that they speak is spoken nowhere in Pakistan.

The Pakistani embassy in Washington DC has mildly protested at the mis-portrayal of the country in the television series. But the damage in the eyes of the US public and elsewhere has been done. This is all at a time when the Pakistani military, its intelligence arms and the civilian government, are all on the same page to eliminate the existential threat from the Taliban.

The kind of mayhem the Taliban, al Qaeda and ISIS practice and preach is anathema to Muslims as well. Similarly those reeling under tin pot dictators deserve better than the west and the free media try to force feed their message at the expense of their faith and self-respect

The US still wants Islamabad “to do more” and move against terrorists without cherry picking between good and bad Taliban. As was evident from US Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent visit to Islamabad and Rawalpindi, even Washington is quite happy with the newly found Pakistani resolve. The TV series, however, portrays Pakistan in a bad light as being the main sponsor and supporter of the ostensibly fictional character conveniently christened as Husain Haqqani and his network

Recently Sony pictures produced a movie ‘The Interview’ based on a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. The movie was supposed to be fictional and funny. But the North Koreans, including those who hate their ruler, were not amused as it hurt their national pride.

After Sony pictures’ computers were hacked, the blame was immediately put on Pyongyang cyber warriors. President Obama jumped in the fray accusing the North Koreans of undermining the right to free speech. Later, it transpired that the hacking was probably an inside job by yet to be identified disgruntled former employees of Sony films.

This is not only cultural but also betrays an imperialist mindset. Take the example of ‘The Homeland’. The producers were too lazy to invest some money in good research. And why should they when they give the American public what they want: unadulterated entertainment.

Who cares if it is at the expense of not only the truth but hurting the sensibilities of a vast sea of humanity that unfortunately does not subscribe to the western culture? Of course tolerance and freedom of speech are universal and no one has a monopoly on them.

The kind of mayhem the Taliban, al Qaeda and ISIS practice and preach is anathema to Muslims as well. Similarly those reeling under tin pot dictators deserve better than the west and the free media try to force feed their message at the expense of their faith and self-respect.

The immediate fall out of the Charles Hebdo massacre will pass. But merely taking out cathartic demonstrations cannot repair the collateral damage. A serious dialogue between the west and east is needed.

Your liberty to swing your fist ends just where my nose begins is an old adage. But rings true in the present milieu.