Of Doom and Gloom Jay, great post. Reminds me of my aunt saying that whatever you do comes back to question you. I don`t know much about the Islamic economic system [never understood it in my money & banking class and would end up napping] but I seriously don`t think teh system will really grow here. People are steeped in the capitalist, money earning frame of mind.

The Sheep Dilemma Somehow this all reminds me of a bunch of comments made by yuppie kids after they went to the Entity Paradigm listening session. I asked them what they understood of the most experimental track on the album and they came up with the most inane explanations like ``it means evolution``, but as to what was evolving they had no idea.

Everyone reworks the same done-to-death ideas in their heads. Listen to Nirvana and dream about living Kurt`s life and dying Kurt`s way. Abandoning the yuppie lifestyle to work with orphans but most of them cant stand it for a day. Attending funerals and trying to be all philosophical when all they really want to do is to gossip about the ones in murning. I`m babbling here, but this is what most of these ``wanna be a rebel, wanna be a revolutionary, wanna change the perception of what Karachi means to them because they read Kartography`` types are like. Sometimes I wish they would stop digesting whatever is in front of them and look for their own theories. No book can tell you what life is. Only your own mind can. Unless of course, you`re stoned because its the ``rebel`` thing to do.

Of Doom and Gloom Not related but still mention-worthy: Urdu newspapers, especially the evening editions, are the only newspapers that bother reporting the rape/incest cases that take place in the city. The English newspapers only mention the few cases which come to the limelight.

The Sheep Dilemma I agree with Zeeshan too. True rebels are those who rebel against rebellion itself. Pretty screwed up theory, but makes sense once you start hanging out with a bunch of ``I want to change the world just because I listen to ``revolutionary`` music....and even I am guilty of the behaviour [thanks to studying at a business college-what is in the air of these business colleges anyway!] What I don`t understand is how people who have never faced a single hardship in their lives seek the need to rebel, just because everyone else is doing it? Kurt Cobain would only make sense to someone whose actually overdosed on drugs, not a ``lets rebel-type personality`` [read= preppie] stating ``drugs are wow...but I wouldnt try them you know``.

The Quilt Thats true Naqshbandi. Anything controversial definitely becomes popular. Anyway, this piece is really amazing... I had no idea that such themes existed in Urdu literature, other than Manto`s work.

Of Early Marriages I totally agree. But then there are also those families where girls are trained for marriage at early ages, and the only thing thats drilled into their heads is marriage. Education`s given secondary importance, doing Inter is considered more than enough (Too much knowledge corrupts the mind you see). Some of these girls have no will to study further, coz their whole lifestyle is developed around the idea of marriage. To people who believe otherwise it seems wrong and a modern form of torture, but to girls who have only seen their sisters and cousins getting engaged and married at early ages, it seems the only way of life.

Getting over a death? I spent a whole year in self-denial believing my Mom would come back from her extended vacation and we would live happily ever after. I don`t remember what burst my bubble..perhaps a sarcastic comment by someone.

Because of my self denial, and because of the fact that the shock hadnt set in, people commented on the fact that I smiled, I laughed, I lived. I have seen the same attitude being inflicted on others as well. This is the currently prevailing culture. I have a whole article on funeral behaviour thought out but I cannot bring myself to write it because I still remember the sarcastic retorts I received when I got up to pick the phone, told someone about the last movie I had seen with my mother a week before her demise.

Back to topic I guess: A quote by Khalil Gibtan (am not too sure abt this )
``Mayhap a funeral among humans is a feast among angels`

Cable-Unable yep, i think ur on the mark. the houbara bustard is an endangered species.

The Yellow Coup Are we all living directly in a yellow submarine? i am so sure
a very nice article tahir..and i liked the last line...More milk will be spilt, and more crying will follow in the days to come. ©
this is so true...embodies the 50+ years of our existence as a Pakistani nation..

jay: i empathize with you..the whole problem is that the people running the educational board i.e. in charge of our educationa dn our future our so confused themselves that they are unable to understand the issue from any viewpoint at all

what difference does it make? a military government hated by the West or a farcial democracy heralded by the West. The nation has failed to make any singular show of progress/success. May sound bitter, may sound a bit dramatic but unfortumately..we live in a world of hypocrisy

Question Authority Alright
I want to thank Saminasha and Sac for their discourse on music.You`re right when you say that Junoon was the first band to sing on other themes than the ``i love u-you love me`` or ``i love u-why dont you love me`` themes.But Junnoon slowly and painfully turned into a corporate rock band, singing praises of the simplicity of the Sufis ans singing praises of the Great Cola Company that shelled out big bucks for their logo to appear everywhere.
Repression is necessary for questioning authority, but doesnt anyone here believe that repression may be present in every class of society? And just because I mentioned I study in an elite busines college does not necessarily mean that I am part of the elite itself.And another point which I want to highlight is that the new generation of teenagers, do have morals.We arent all decadent feudals living on the blood of peasants.Some of us do have morals, do question the authoritaive powers that have made our society into a mockery of human rights and values.
The world we live in today doesnt let teengers just have fun-when idealistic dreams are shattered by the realism of life, thats the moment you stop becoming a fun loving person.
Question authority.If someone tries to give us a message we can relate to, we follow it.The Pied Piper-esque effect.Just so happens to be that we all have some authoritative powers to rebel against, whether they be our peers/teachers/parents or just the mainstream section of society

Death nah Saminasha, why not blame technology? Or why not blame women for attracting rapists?

Death This is sick truly sick.It sickens me to know that people could actually suggest the fact that women encourage rape by talking on the phone?!
What kind of society are we living in where rapists are lauded for ``avenging honour``?
Rape can happen anywhere, to anyone.
Think about how you would feel if this happened to you or someone you loved, and no one would support you, no one would want to help you deal with the situation and you would have to bear the taunts, pitiful glances and words of screwed up ``wisdom``.

Death American Express, dont know what to say to you because somehow I cant imagine anyone being as naive as that
Date rape or rape in any other forms exists in Pakistan to an extent that we are still unaware of. The molestation of women, that ranges from eve-teasing(whatever that term expresses is a paradox) to the sick things men do like pinching women on their posterior and then acting like innocents. And this just doesnt happen in the lower classes of society. The sad part of this story is that there is no form of rehabilitation of raped women, they live a life of condemnation if they come out into the open, or a life of silent misery without any therapy to help them. As a society and as a country, we may have built nuclear bombs and helped defeat an axis of evil, but we are unable to do anything about the people who truly deserve help.

Death tidbit, i agree with you about the idea that she should have come clean to her parents. But thats so easy for us to say, who live relatively sheltered lives, where rape, incest and molestation is a fear, not a reality that looms.

Death wow.After a long time i have read something original and insightful.but i agree with saraj as well. there are so many concepts like therapy for rape victimz. Why ostracize them? Or why not show them as stronger human beings rather than defeated ones who live parallel lives?

Question Authority Just because I happen to study in an elite business college doesn`t necessarily mean i`m a part of the elite itself.
I have questioned myself enough, you can as well, but thats not the point i`m trying to highlight here
Try being a victim of the authoritarian forces that rule your life, try living with the idea that you have to be a slave to capitalist theories all your life to earn a decent living(not that i advocate communist theories either) and then ask me why I question authority. If i wanted to follow western ideals i would have mentioned Western Music.
And another thing, why does religion have to be dragged into this debate?