Om Sweet Om

I just learned that today, in addition to being 10/11/12, is also Day of the Girl. This initiative, established through the United Nations, is about “highlighting, celebrating, discussing, and advancing girls lives and opportunities across the globe.” In light of the horrific shooting of the 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan, campaigns such Day of the Girl take on renewed importance in our lives. This morning, CNN aired a year-old interview with the courageous Malala, who spoke so eloquently about the need to speak up for the rights of women.  Her bold words and passion were inspiring, while her tragic story reminds us of how far we still have to go.  Please take a moment to learn more about Day of the Girl by clicking here.

Gurcharan Das is the author of one my favorite books, The Difficulty of Being Good: The Subtle Art of Dharma. A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a great blog post by Das. It’s worth a quick read: http://gurcharandas.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-loss-of-inheritance.html

On this crisp morning, I am staring at the partially constructed Freedom Tower.  In fact, I look out at that tower every morning from my office window and every night from my bedroom window.  Some days, it’s easier to not remember the horrific tragedy that struck our great nation…to just marvel at the soaring height and magnificence of this new tower.  But other days, like today, it’s impossible to forget.  It’s impossible to forget the countless innocent lives that were lost eleven years ago today.  It’s impossible to forget the images of those iconic twin towers collapsing.  It’s impossible to forget the grieving family members and friends of the victims.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected by that cruel and inhumane act of terror eleven years ago.   Om shanti, shanti, shanti.

If you have any interest in minority human rights in Pakistan and have the patience to sit through 30 minutes of mayhem, this news segment on Hindus in Pakistan is worth a watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06cUS2IcN7I&feature=share.

As most of us who stay abreast of the situation in Pakistan know, Hindus and other minorities face serious human rights violations in the country.  Hindus are routinely attacked and harassed, homes and temples are looted and desecrated, and young girls are kidnapped, forcibly married off to Muslim men, and converted to Islam.  Reports of Pakistani Hindus fleeing to India are becoming increasingly commonplace in the news these days.

Yet, Pakistani politicians, at least the ones on this segment, still have the gall to openly and completely deny that any problem exists at all.  The strategy of denial is seemingly twofold on this broadcast.  The first tactic is to depict these as isolated and “sporadic incidents” that can happen anywhere in the world, not just Pakistan.  Here, I give credit to the anchor who is able to cite case after case of kidnappings that have recently taken place in Pakistan, thus effectively demonstrating the problem on the ground is greater than “sporadic.”

Once the first tactic is rebuffed, the second tactic is to not address the problem in Pakistan at all, but rather point the finger at India and the supposed plight of its Muslims.  Granted, there has been communal violence in India.  But to compare the situation of Indian Muslims, who, by the way, receive a government subsidy to make the Hajj pilgrimage, have separate civil laws permitting practice of religious and cultural customs, and benefit from state government reservations, to the situation of Pakistani Hindus, who can’t even legally marry under Pakistani laws or find justice in the country’s highest court (see the tragic case of Rinkel Kumari), is both laughable and ludicrous.

But I must say the best line comes almost 25 minutes into the segment when the anchor asks Mr. Naeem ul Haq, representing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, to explain the exponential decline of the Hindu population in Pakistan from approximately 15% during the time of partition to about 2% today.  Mr. ul Haq’s response: “I guess Hindus are better at family planning than Muslims.”  Even the anchor couldn’t hold back a guffaw at the stupidity of that remark.